First swatch - 3.25mm
Second swatch - 3mm

Stocking stitch - 33 stitches & 41 rows to 4”
Stranded - 33 stitches & 23 rows to 4”

To fit 44” chest, knitting 44” actual to make allowance for how the finished garment will “grow”.

Cast on 182 stitches. Twisted rib on 2.5mm needles.

Increase one at start of stockinette.

Basic design will be a striped vest in the above colours, with a band of the skull motifs across the chest.

Knit 17.5”, then bind off 8 stitches at start of each next two rows. Decrease one each end of next 7 rows, then one each end of next 8 RS rows.

137 stitches remain.

Knit until measures 27.5”.

Bind off 13 stitches beginning next two rows.
Bind off 13, work until 16 stitches remain, turn, leave remainder on holder.
Bind off 4 next row, then bind off 12 remaining.
With RS facing, rejoin, bind off center 53 stitches, work to end of row. Complete to match first side, reversing shaping.

July 27th - back is finished, but not 100% sure about placement of skull band, so may frog back & reposition, once I’ve done the front. Started front ribbing three days ago & finished that today, so have now moved on to the stockinette section of the front.

October 28th - back & front now finished. Ended up frogging & repositioning the skull band.

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Sept 30th 2013 - finally getting back to this. Have blocked & now working in the gazillion-trillion ends before starting on the neck & arm ribbing.

Jan 28th 2014 - proof of how much I loathe weaving ends is that I’m probably only about a quarter of the way through. Time to get motoring.

…………

April 30th 2017 - so yeah, I really fucking hate weaving ends in LOL. But I’m just doing it as I’d like to get this finished.

May 3rd 2017 - ends are all woven in, just one side left to seam, and then it’s onto the ribbing around the arm and neck openings. The end is nigh!

May 8th 2017 - all ribbed for my pleasure. Just the ends to weave in and another blocking before it’s ready to wear. Huzzah!