The Nadia Thermal Vest is a fitted knit vest with ties at the chest, featuring a modified brioche stitch for a waffled texture. It begins with a provisional cast-on at the shoulders and a knit cast-on at the back of the neck. The back panel is worked flat to form the main body and armholes. The front chest panels are picked up from each shoulder and worked individually. Once completed, the front and back panels are joined and worked flat to the desired length.The vest is finished with a 3-stitch I-cord bind-off, starting at the hem and continuing seamlessly around the chest and neckline for a polished edge. Armholes are also finished with an attached 3-stitch I-cord. Finally, two I-cord ties are added, knit with smaller needles for a refined finish.

Skills Needed
Knit, purl, slipping stitches, yarn overs, purling stitches together
Brioche techniques & increasing
Attached & regular i-cord
Provisional cast on
Knit cast on
Picking up stitches along garter edge
Grafting

Schematics

Sizes: 1, (2, 3, 4), 5, (6, 7, 8), 9

Ease: Negative Ease of 0-4” or 0-10 cm

Finished Bust Circumference: 32.25 (35, 39, 43.8) 47.75(50.5, 56.5, 60.25) 63.25” or 82 (89, 99, 111) 121 (128, 144, 153) 161 cm

Cropped Finished Length (Shoulder to Hem): 15.5(16, 16.3, 17.7) 18 (18.8, 19.8, 20.6) 21” or 39 (40, 41, 45) 46 (48, 50, 52) 53 cm

Sample is worked in size 2, bust is 35”.

Gauge:

Swatching is very important, however the stitch is in the pattern. Thank you for understanding.

4x4” in Thermal Brioche Stitch (blocked & unstretched)
16.5 stitches by 41 rows on US 5 (or needles used to obtain gauge)

Materials
US 5 / 3.75 mm 24” and 40” circular needles (for body, hem and armholes) or needles used to obtain gauge.
US 3 / 3.25 mm 16” circular needles (for ties) or 2 sizes smaller than needles used for body/hems
Scrap yarn & a crochet hook

Yarn:

3 (4, 4, 5) 5 (5, 6, 6) 7 skeins of Camellia Fiber Co Halo DK (80% superfine alpaca, 20% silk; 273 yards/260 meters per 100 grams) held double

Yardage of Similar DK weight yarn needed if holding double:
780 (865, 975, 1170) 1285 (1415, 1650, 1820) 1940 yards / 714 (791, 888, 1069) 1175 (1292, 1505, 1664) 1772 meters

If you choose to hold a single strand of worsted/aran weight yarn, you will need exactly half of the yardage/meterage listed above

If you choose to knit a longer vest, you will need this much of DK weight yarn (held double) per inch of length:

43 (46, 52, 58) 63 (67, 75, 80) 84 yards / 40 (43, 48, 54) 59 (63, 70, 75) 78 meters

When Camellia Fiber Co Halo DK is held double, it can be considered worsted/aran weight yarn due the the new yardage/weight at 142 yards per 100g. To further assist in choosing a yarn different from the suggestion, I am able to achieve 11-13 WPI which is accepted as worsted/DK weight yarn.

It seems surprising to knit this thickness of yarn on such small needles; however, to get a “blooming” brioche that bounces back, it is necessary. The result is plush and thermal!