I love knitting striped garments. They give the knitter the mindlessness of stockinette (necessary on evenings when the brain has checked out for the day) along with the interest of playing with color (one of my favorite things in this whole wide world to do).
Don't let The Lad's face deceive you in this photo. He loves his new vest. It was a rough day when we took the photos. At 3:00 in the afternoon he was still coffee-less. Such is the life of a teen who gets up too late to have his morning cuppa and make it to school on time. Since he shares his mother's caffeine addiction this meant he had a nasty headache.
I've visited the new Lion Brand Yarn Studio a few times recently and have become a devotee of the huge skeins of Fisherman's Wool. This vest used about half of one of those skeins along with 1.5 skeins of Lion Wool in the Lemongrass colorway. This translates to a vest for under $20. (The Lion Wool was purchased on sale.) With the leftovers I'll be making a vest for DD#1. When she saw her brother's she insisted on one of her own; hip length with a little waist shaping.
I consider myself very lucky that my kids are so happy to wear handknits. They've even had friends make requests that I knit items for them. My standard response is that I will teach the individual to knit so that he or she may make their own hat, vest, cardigan, etc. So far I've only had one taker, but I have dreams of starting a knitting revolution among the local teens. Considering my own childern refuse to learn, I've got a long way to go.
Specs
Yarn: Lion Brand Fisherman's Wool in Nature's Brown 1/2 skein & Lion Wool in Lemongrass 1 1/2 skeins
Pattern: None, but there are a ton of wonderful vest patterns out there that are very much like this one.
Needles: US 8/5.0mm
Notes: I added a few stitches after knitting the ribbing which makes the bottom of the vest nip in a bit. I wouldn't do this again. I don't like the way the vest fits at the bottom. Also, I didn't plan very well at the neckline. I knew all along that the neck band would be worked in the brown yarn. Next time I would divide for the neck in the middle of a brown stripe to give the neck a cleaner finish.
Here's the vest on Ravelry.
I love it! My husband has just requested Jared Flood's vest, which is similar to yours. Seeing your photos makes me want to knit it straight away!
Posted by: Anna | March 05, 2009 at 01:13 PM
What a great vest, and wonderful colour choices! The lemongrass is really super. I've dreamed of going to the new Lion Brand Yarn Studio and even saved a picture of it. Jealous.
Posted by: Dawn | March 06, 2009 at 06:06 AM
The vest is really great and at such a good price. I will have to look into that yarn...you enabler, you ;) Good luck with the knitting revolution!
Posted by: Barb | March 06, 2009 at 12:18 PM
Your kids make the BEST angst-y teen faces! I really get a kick out of the pics they're in. :D Beautiful color combo on the vest. What is your favorite technique for jogless stripes? I'm still struggling to find one that is truly invisible.
Posted by: michelle | March 06, 2009 at 09:11 PM
you only make the coolest of hand-knits though! should think that most teens would be very happy to be seen in them!
Posted by: amanda | March 08, 2009 at 02:56 PM
your children are the best - even if they don't want to learn... YET. i think it's probably only a matter of time. but major props to them for showing the knitterly love! they're so lucky to have the things you make, and i think it's just awesome that they love and wear them - kind of a lovely cycle of knit love reinforcement :)
Posted by: keohinani | March 09, 2009 at 03:52 PM
Great vest. I made myself several of these back in the late '70's early '80's when I was a teen. Lived in them.
Posted by: Jane | March 09, 2009 at 06:54 PM
There's no yellow in that link for the FIsherman Wool :(
I know a lot of people love it for dyeing, and knitting baby soakers. I didn't know it came in colours as everyone I knew seemed to dye it, LOL.
Posted by: TracyKM | March 10, 2009 at 10:58 AM
Thanks for clearing that up for me!!! I do love the yellow. Too many similiar names confuse me easily :)
Posted by: TracyKM | March 10, 2009 at 12:59 PM
Yes! I absolutely love stripes! And, I just made a striped vest for my youngest boy. Fun stuff!
Happy knitting-
ali
Posted by: skeinsherway | March 10, 2009 at 02:43 PM
That vest looks amazing, as does the model.
Ah what the lack of coffee does to our poor brains (no really, I need some now)
I'm all for revolutionizing the teenage world with knitting. Mainly because it would make my knitting activities in the cafeteria less odd to others.
Posted by: Fuin | March 10, 2009 at 05:35 PM