by Ágnes Kutas-Keresztes

I like to design patterns for a specific season. I have a sweater full of green leaves for Spring, another one with some bunches of grapes for Fall. When I sat down to design this vest, I wanted to come up with something for Winter. Winter.

The first thing that came to my mind wasn’t snow, not at all. It was a fireplace. With a small warm fire, a mug of hot and spicy mulled wine in my hands - having a nice chat with some friends or just enjoying a good book or knitting… I wouldn’t need a big chunky sweater for that. I would need a vest, however, in bright red merino yarn. And of course the texture must have to do something with fire. So I drew and charted until I got the flames for bottom of the vest, then designed the cables around them for the light and smoke of the fire.

SIZE
XS[S, M, L, 1X, 2X, 3X]
(shown in size S with no ease)

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Chest: 29.25[33.5, 37.5, 41.5, 46, 50, 54] inches
Length: 23[23.5, 24.5, 25, 26, 26.5, 27] inches

MATERIALS
Yarn
Lang Yarns Merino 150 [100% merino; 165 yd/150 m per 50 g skein]; color: Red;
5[5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 9] skeins

Recommended needle size
[always use a needle size that gives you the gauge listed below -- every knitter's gauge is unique]
1 US #2.5/3mm needles for working in the round
1 US #4/3.5mm needles for working in the round

Notions
yarn needle
Stitch markers
Stitch holders
Cable needle
Spare needle for three-needle bind off
Row counter (optional)

GAUGE

PATTERN NOTES
[Knitty's list of standard abbreviations and techniques can be found here.]

k3tog: Knit 3 together
M1L (left-leaning increase): Lift strand between needles from front to back with left needle, knit the resulting new stitch through the back loop.

M1R (right-leaning increase): Lift strand between needles from back to front with left needle, knit the resulting new stitch.

M1P (purled increase): Lift strand between needles from back to front with left needle, purl the resulting new stitch.

C3BP: Sl 1 to cn and hold in back, k2; p1 from cn.

C3FP: Sl 2 to cn and hold in front, p1; k2 from cn.

C5B: Sl 3 to cn and hold in back, k2; slip last st from cn to LH needle and purl it; k2 from cn.

CDD (centered double decrease): Sl next 2 sts tog as if to k2tog, k1, p2sso.

DIRECTIONS
BODY
With US #2.5 circular needle, CO 182[210, 234, 258, 286, 310, 334] sts, pm and join in the round.

Rnd 1: [K1, p1] around.

Repeat Rnd 1 until piece measures 2 inches from CO.
Change to US #4/3.5mm circular needle and begin pattern as follows.

Size XS: [P4, round 1 of Chart A] 3 times, p4, place side marker, [p4, round 1 of Chart A] 3 times, p4.

Size S: [P1, round 1 of Chart A] 4 times, p1, place side marker, [p1, round 1 of Chart A] 4 times, p1.

Size M: P4, round 1 of Chart A, [p3, round 1 of Chart A] 3 times, p4, place side marker, p4, round 1 of Chart A, [p3, round 1 of Chart A] 3 times, p4.

Size L: [P6, round 1 of Chart A] twice, p5, [round 1 of Chart A, p6] twice, place side marker, [p6, round 1 of Chart A] twice, p5, [round 1 of Chart A, p6] twice.

Size 1X:  [P3, round 1 of Chart A] 5 times, p3, place side marker, [p3, round 1 of Chart A] 5 times, p3.

Size 2X:  [P5, round 1 of Chart A] 5 times, p5, place side marker, [p5, round 1 of Chart A] 5 times, p5.

Size 3X:  [P7, round 1 of Chart A] 5 times, p7, place side marker, [p7, round 1 of Chart A] 5 times, p7. Continue working in pattern until you have completed the first 16 [16, 16, 16, 18, 18, 18] rounds of Chart A.

Note: For some sizes, the waist shaping decreases will use sts from the charts nearest the side markers. Remember to account for this in your knitting and keep the cables in pattern.

Next rnd (Dec Rnd): *P1, p2tog, patt to 3 sts before marker, p2tog, p1, slip marker; repeat from * once more. 178[206, 230, 254, 282, 306, 330] sts.

Cont in patt, rep Dec Rnd every 12th rnd 3 times more. 166[194, 218, 242, 270, 294, 318] sts

Work 13[13, 15, 15, 15, 15, 15] rounds in pattern.

Next rnd (Inc Rnd): * P1, m1p, work in pattern to 1 st before marker, m1p, p1, slip marker; repeat from * once more. 170[198, 222, 246, 274, 298, 322] sts.

Cont in patt, rep Inc Rnd every 12th rnd 3 times more. 182[210, 234, 258, 286, 310, 334] sts.

Work 6[6, 8, 8, 10, 10, 10] more rounds in pattern, ending with an odd rnd of chart. You have knitted 109[109, 113, 113, 117, 117, 117] rnds from end of ribbing. Work measures approx. 15.5[15.5, 16, 16, 16.5, 16.5, 16.5] inches from CO.

Divide for front and back and begin armhole shaping as follows:
Next row [RS]: BO 2[3, 3, 4, 4, 4, 4] sts, work in pattern to side marker and turn, leaving remaining sts on holder. 89[102, 114, 125, 139, 151, 163] back sts.

Next row [WS]: BO 2[3, 3, 4, 4, 4, 4] sts, work in pattern to end of row. 87[99, 111, 121, 135, 147, 159] sts.

Cont in patt, AT THE SAME TIME, BO 2[2, 2, 3, 4, 4, 4] sts at beg of next 2 rows, 1[1, 2, 2, 3, 3, 3] sts at beg of foll 2 rows, -[-, -, 1, 2, 3, 3] sts at beg of foll 4 rows, -[-, -, -, 1, 2, 3] sts at beg of foll 2 rows, -[-, -, -, -, 1, 2] sts at beg of foll 4 rows, then dec -[-, -, -, -, -, 1] st at each end of foll 2 RS rows as follows: p1, p2tog, patt to last 3 sts, ssp, p1. 81[93, 103, 107, 111, 113, 115] sts rem.

Continue working in pattern until armhole measures approx. 6.75[7.25, 7.5, 8, 8.75, 9, 9.5] inches, ending with a WS row.

Begin back neck shaping:
Next row [RS]: Work in pattern until you have 18[20, 22, 21, 22, 23, 23] sts on right hand needle, join second ball of yarn, BO 45[53, 59, 65, 67, 67, 69] sts, work in pattern to end of row.

Note: In the directions that follow, a semi-colon will indicate a break between the two sets of sts, each set with its own ball of yarn attached.
Next row [WS]: Work in pattern to neck opening; BO 1 st, patt to end of row.
Next row [RS]: Work in pattern to neck opening; BO 1 st, patt to end of row. 17[19, 21, 20, 21, 22, 22] sts rem for each shoulder.
Work 3 more rows even in pattern, ending with a WS row. Leave remaining shoulder sts on holders.

Attach yarn to held sts of Front with RS facing.

Next row [RS]: BO 2[3, 3, 4, 4, 4, 4] sts, work in pattern until you have 43[49, 55, 60, 67, 73, 79] sts on RH needle for Left Front, sl next st to holder [this will be the center stitch of neckline], join second ball of yarn and work in pattern to end of row for Right Front.

IMPORTANT Note: In the directions that follow, a semi-colon will indicate a break between the two sets of sts, each set with its own ball of yarn attached.

Next row [WS]: BO 2[3, 3, 4, 4, 4, 4] sts, patt to neck opening; patt to end of row.

Next Row [RS]: BO 2[2, 2, 3, 4, 4, 4] sts, patt to 3 sts before neck division, p2tog, patt 1; patt 1, ssp, patt to end.

Next Row [WS]: BO 2[2, 2, 3, 4, 4, 4] sts, patt to end.

Note: Read ahead! Neck shaping and armhole shaping are continued at the same time.

Cont to shape armholes as follows: BO 1[1, 2, 2, 3, 3, 3] sts at beg of foll 2 rows, -[-, -, 1, 2, 3, 3] sts at beg of foll 4 rows, -[-, -, -, 1, 2, 3] sts at beg of foll 2 rows, -[-, -, -, -, 1, 2] sts at beg of foll 4 rows, then dec -[-, -, -, -, -, 1] st at each end of foll 2 RS rows as follows: p1, p2tog, patt to last 3 sts, ssp, p1.

AT THE SAME TIME, cont to dec 1 st at each neck edge as established until 17[19, 21, 20, 21, 22, 22] total sts rem for each shoulder.

Continue working even in pattern until armhole measures 7.5[8, 8.25, 8.75, 9.5, 9.75, 10.25] inches, ending with a WS row.

FINISHING
Join shoulders using three-needle bind off.

NECKBAND
Starting at right shoulder seam and with US #2.5 long circular needle, pick up and knit 3 sts to back neck BO, pick up and knit 45[53, 59, 65, 67, 67, 69] sts across back neck BO, pick up and knit 3 sts to left shoulder seam, pick up and knit 49[51, 53, 53, 59, 61, 63] sts down left front neck to center st, knit st from holder (pm in st), pick up and knit 49[51, 53, 53, 59, 61, 63] sts to right shoulder. Join to work in the round and pm for beg of rnd. 150[162, 172, 178, 192, 196, 202] sts.

Rnd 1: [K1, p1] around.
Rnd 2: [K1, p1] to 2 sts before center stitch, k1, CDD, [k1, p1] to end of rnd.
Rnd 3: Work in est rib around.
Rnd 4: Work in est rib to 1 st before center st, CDD, rib to end of rnd.

Rep Rnds 3-4 twice more. BO all sts in patt.

ARMHOLE BAND
With US #2.5 short circular, pick up and knit 104[112, 120, 126, 138, 150, 160] sts around armhole edge. Join to work in the rnd and work 8 rnds in [k1, p1] rib.
BO all sts in rib.

 Ágnes is a language teacher turned into knitwear designer, living with her husband in Switzerland. She spends most of her days designing, writing, sizing, and knitting her patterns, translating them into German and Hungarian, communicating with testers and knitters and posting on her website.

You can find her blog and more of her designs on her website.