Antjie

Antjie

Wednesday 1 August 2012

NEWBORN VEST

by Patricia Zielinski

The vest below was made with one skein of Kolibri cotton yarn by Dale.  It has a seed stitch border.
SIZE: 
will be determined by yarn weight and size of needles used.
YARN: 
50 gms of baby yarn (150 meters).
Worsted weight yarn up to 100 gms (about 3 ounces).
NEEDLES: 
With baby weight US 3 (3.25 mm).
With worsted weight between US 5 (3.75 mm)  to US 7 (4.5 mm).
GAUGE/TENSION: 
With baby weight and US 3 needles: 28 sts/36 rows = 4 inches.  I do not worry about the gauge with this vest, I just do the rows as written.
ADDITIONAL MATERIALS: 
9 snaps to sew on (or snap tape).
 INSTRUCTIONS:
Back and front are worked in one piece to armholes.
Cast on 91 stitches (the Old Norwegian or Twisted German cast on creates a nice finished edge).
Work garter stitch (or pattern stitch)  for 7 rows.
Row 8: K 5, purl across to last 5 stitches, K 5. (Or do pattern stitch on first and last 5 sts).
Rows 9 - 26: repeat rows 7 and 8.
Row 27: Divide for front and back.  Knit and slip 22 stitches onto a stitch holder for right front, bind off 3 stitches, knit 41 stitches and slip onto holder for back, knit remaining 22 stitches.
Left Front: Working only on the 22 stitches continue: 
Row 28: K 5, P 12, K 5. (Keep first and last 5 sts in border pattern).
Row 29: Knit
Repeat these 2 rows 6 more times.
Shape Neck: 
Row 42: K 5, P 2 tog, P to last 5 stitches, K 5.
Row 43: Knit.
Keeping garter stitch border at armhole edge as set, work decreases at neck edge (every other row), until 11 stitches remain.  Now work 14 rows of garter stitch (or pattern stitch). Bind off. (This should be 77 rows total).

Back: 
With wrong side facing, rejoin yarn to 41 stitches left on holder and continue:
Row 28: K 5, P 31, K 5.
Row 29: Knit
Repeat these 2 rows until 61 rows are completed, you are ready to work a wrong side row.
Row 62: K 5, P 31, K 5.
Row 63: K 10, (P 1, K 1) 10 times, P 1, K 10.
Row 64: K 11, (P 1, K 1) 9 times, P 1, K 11.
Row 65 and 66: repeat rows 63 and 64 once.
Row 67: K 10, (P 1, K 1) 10 times, P 1, K 10. Bind off.
(Alternate ending is pattern stitch rows 63 - 67).
Right Front:
With wrong side facing, rejoin yarn to remaining 22 stitches left on holder. 
Continue:
Row 28: K 5, P 12, K 5. (Or pattern stitch for first and last 5 sts).
Row 29: Knit
Repeat these 2 rows 5 more times.
Row 40: K 5, P 12, K 5.
Shape Neck:
Row 41: K 5, K 2 tog tbl, knit across.
Row 42: K 5, purl to last 5 stitches, K 5.
Keep garter stitch border at armhole edge and work decrease rows (every other row) until 11 stitches remain.  Work 15 rows garter stitch (or pattern stitch). Bind off.
FINISHING
Sew 2 snaps at each shoulder, match to overlap on back - can place on inside of back or outside depending on the overlap.
Sew 5 snaps evenly spaced on front, match the other snap section to opposite side of front.
If using snap tape you may require fewer snaps total, the sewing is much easier than with individual snaps.
These vests look nice in better quality acrylic yarns, cotton or the cotton/acrylic blends.  Since they are for use in hospitals with babies having IV tubes/lines I have avoided wool. 
  
Notes: You can also use Sand Stitch borders on vest, eliminating the ribbing at back neck.  This makes a nice square back and keeps the border pattern the same Or the Seed (Moss) Stitch pattern. All the neck decreases are done using the 5th stitch of the border pattern and 1st stitch of plain section (6th stitch of row).