Vonnie is a curvy, sporty shell, designed with fuller figures in mind. Vonnie is knit up in Knit Picks Gloss DK, a gorgeously soft, season-spanning silk/wool blend − perfect on its own or over a t-shirt, and refined enough to wear under a blazer out to dinner.

A seamless, quick knit, Vonnie is worked from the top down with negative ease, and features short-row shaping at the shoulders and at the bust. Vonnie’s integrated facings make installing the zipper super-easy, and because it’s knit from the top, you can try it on as you go to make sure it fits exactly the way you want it to!

The pattern is sized to fit bust sizes from 30 to 54 inches, and contains modification notes to help you customize your vest so you’ll be fabulous and chic − just like the real-life Vonnie who inspired this design!

Sizing note: Vonnie looks best with substantial negative ease, so choose the finished size that corresponds to your high bust measurement, not your actual bust. Your high bust is measured at the top of your armpit, and is usually 1 to 5 inches smaller than your actual bust measurement. If you are an A or B cup, you can even go one additional size smaller to increase the amount of negative ease. If your high bust measurement is 30 inches or less, consider using a sport-weight yarn or smaller needles in the top half of the garment to create more negative ease in the smallest size.

Because gauge is so important to achieve the right amount of negative ease, swatching is crucial for making your garment fit as it does in the photos. Be aware that not all colourways of Knit Picks Gloss, the suggested yarn, knit up at the same gauge!

Pattern trade in program: This design was originally published in Yarn Forward magazine, and has been corrected and substantially updated. Rather than list errata for the magazine version here, I will be happy to send you a new version of the pattern free of charge if you can show that you own the magazine. Please PM me for details.

Note: the dark and light brown photos are of previous versions of this pattern.