This was really fun to knit. The stitch pattern was fun and once I got into a rhythm this vest worked up much faster than I expected. This project would have been horribly painful and taken forever if I had used a cable needle. This video shows how to make C2B and C2F cables without a cable needle.

This vest fits Bruce perfectly. He loves it and it looks so cute on him.

The armhole shaping for size small ends at a really awkward place with three of the four cable stitches remaining at the armhole edge. I decided to eliminate those three stitches by adding three additional decrease rows (two in the middle of the pattern’s decrease rows and one at the end) so the stitch count, shoulder width, and cross back width is the same as the x-small. I decided to go smaller rather than bigger based on the fit of Bruce’s last sweater. The finished cross back width after wet blocking is 16” (14” excluding armhole ribbing) which is about 0.5” narrower than the intended width of the size small.

For the front shoulders to match the back I had to decrease 16 stitches at the neck edge, like the x-small (versus 17 stitches for the small). I was concerned that the neck shaping would end too soon before the shoulders since the x-small armhole depth is shorter than the small so I decreased every other row 11 times and every 4th row 5 times.

I used size 5 needles for the bottom rib, size 6 needles for the body, and size 4 needles for the button band and armhole rib. I went down a needle size for the button band because my band with size 5 needles was a little too wide (2” vs. 1.75”). I used smaller needles for the armhole rib because I had a gut feeling that the rib worked on size 5 needles would be a little too loose and look sloppy.

I used the decrease bind off for the armhole rib because I wanted the ribbing to be stretchy and attractive. I like this bind off a lot and I will definitely be using it again.

After wet blocking, the armhole depth (before ribbing) is 8.5” instead of 8”. I was concerned that an 8” armhole depth would be too shallow and the 8.5” depth fits Bruce, so it worked out well. As a result, the vest is 24.5” long instead of 24”.

The front bands drove me insane. They are knit separately and sewed to the front of the vest. This was pretty much the only information I could find on vertical button bands. I think that working the front bands separately and then sewing them on is a bit complicated because the front bands need to be stretched a little but not too much.

I joined the front bands at center back neck using a three needle bind off.

I used six 7/8” buttons from Hobby Lobby.

Measurements:

• Chest: 43”
• Length: 24.5”
• Body Length: 16”
• Armhole Length: 8.5”
• Cross Back Width: 16”`

Total Cost: $23.90

• Yarn: $18.83
• Buttons: $5.07