Crocheted from the bottom up, this seamless swing vest is made in a stitch pattern reminiscent of a trellis with a garden of flowers scattered about. Customize your vest with more or less flowers, placed where they suit your fancy!
Photos (c) ILikeCrochet.com, used with permission
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Skill Level: Intermediate
Size: Finished Bust Size 32 (36, 40, 44, 48)” to fit bust 33.5 (37.5, 41.5, 45.5, 49.5)”
1.5” negative ease recommended.
Shown in size 36”
Gauge: 3.5 shells and 5 rows = 4” [10 cm] in pattern st after blocking
MATERIALS
Yarn: Premier Yarns Cotton Fair (52% Cotton, 48% Acrylic; 317 yards [290 meters]/100 grams): 27-02 Cream (MC, 3 (3, 4, 4, 5) balls), 27-09 Lavender (CC1, 1 ball), 27-04 Turquoise (CC4, 1 ball), 27-07 Bright Peach (CC5, 1 ball)
Hook: US size H/8 (5.0 mm); G/6 (4.0mm)
Notions: Tapestry needle, 2 removable markers
SPECIAL STITCHES
Shell – (2 dc, ch 2, 1 dc) in designated sp or st
PATTERN NOTES
Vest is worked from the bottom up and the armholes are delineated by properly placed decreases – there are no shoulder seams.
There is no right side or wrong side labeled because the stitch pattern is reversible; you’ll decide which side is the right side when you place the flowers.
On the flowers, leaving a long tail when fastening off will give you something to use to stitch the flowers in place without creating extra ends to weave in.
All flowers are attached through their centers to allow the petals to curve up naturally.
PATTERN
With MC and larger hook, ch 182 (194, 203, 215, 224).
Row 1: Shell in 6th ch from hook, *sk next 3 ch, shell in next ch; rep from * across to last 4 ch, sk next 3 ch, dc in last ch, ch 3, turn. (44 (48, 51, 55, 59) shells at end of this row)
Row 2: Sk next dc, shell in next ch-2 sp, *sk next 3 dc, shell in next ch-2 sp; rep from * across, dc in last dc, ch 3, turn.
Rep Row 2 for patt until work meas 16 (17, 17, 18, 18)”.
First Front
Row 1: Sk next dc, shell in next ch-2 sp, (sk next 3 dc, shell in next ch-2 sp) 13 (14, 15, 17, 19) times, sk next 3 dc, dc in next ch-2 sp, pm in same ch-2 sp, leave remaining sts unworked for now, ch 3, turn. (14 (15, 16, 18, 20) shells)
Row 2: Work 2 dc in first ch-2 sp, sk next 3 dc, dc in next ch-2 sp, *sk next 3 dc, shell in next ch-2 sp; rep from * across, dc in last dc, ch 3, turn. (13 (14, 15, 17, 19) shells at the end of this row)
Row 3: Sk next dc, shell in next ch-2 sp, (sk next 3 dc, shell in next ch-2 sp) 11 (12, 13, 15, 17) times, shell between 3rd and 4th dc from hook, dc in last dc, ch 3, turn. (12 (13, 14, 16, 18) shells at the end of this row)
Row 4: Sk next dc, shell in next ch-2 sp, *sk next 3 dc, shell in next ch-2 sp; rep from * across, dc in last dc, ch 3, turn.
Rep Row 4 for patt until work meas 8 (8, 9, 9, 9)” from beg of division, ending with an even numbered row; do not ch 3 at end of last row. Do not cut yarn, set that section aside.
Back
Orient the work so that the Front you’ve just completed is on your right-hand side.
Row 1: Dc in ch-2 sp after marked ch-2 sp, remove marker, (sk next 3 dc, shell in next ch-2 sp) 12 (14, 15, 15, 15) times, sk next 3 dc, dc in next ch-2 sp, pm in same ch-2 sp, ch 3, turn. (12 (14, 15, 15, 15) shells at the end of this row)
Row 2: Sk next dc, shell in next ch-2 sp, *sk next 3 dc, shell in next ch-2 sp; rep from * across, dc in last dc, ch 3, turn.
Rep Row 2 for patt until there are the same number of rows for Back as First Front. Fasten off.
Second Front
Row 1: Dc in ch-2 sp after marked ch-2 sp, remove marker, *sk next 3 dc, shell in next ch-2 sp; rep from * to end, dc in last dc, ch 3, turn. (14 (15, 16, 18, 20) shells at the end of this row)
Row 2: Sk next dc, shell in next ch-2 sp, (sk next 3 dc, shell in next ch-2 sp) 11 (12, 13, 15, 17) times, sk next 3 dc, 2 dc in next ch-2 sp, sk next 3 dc, dc in next ch-2 sp, sk next 2 dc, dc in last dc, ch 3, turn. (13 (14, 15, 17, 19) shells at the end of this row)
Row 3: Shell between 2nd and 3rd dc from hook (counting first dc), *sk next 3 dc, shell in next ch-2 sp; rep from * across, dc in last dc, ch 3, turn.
Row 4: Sk next dc, shell in next ch-2 sp, *sk next 3 dc, shell in next ch-2 sp; rep from * across, dc in last dc, ch 3, turn.
Rep Row 4 for patt until there are the same number of rows for Second Front as First Front. Fasten off.
Rejoin Fronts and Back
Place working loop from First Front on hook, ch 3, turn.
Row 1: Sk next dc, shell in next ch-2 sp, (*sk next 3 dc, shell in next ch-2 sp; rep from * to end of First Front, sk next 2 dc, shell in next dc, ch 2, shell in first dc of Back, sk next 2 dc, shell in next ch-2 sp) twice, the second time will transition you from the Back to the Second Front, **sk next 3 dc, shell in next ch-2 sp; rep from ** to end, dc in last dc, ch 3, turn. (42 (46, 49, 53, 57) shells at the end of this row)
Row 2: Sk next dc, shell in next ch-2 sp, (*sk next 3 dc, shell in next ch-2 sp; rep from * to ch-2 connecting Front to Back, shell in that ch-2 sp, pm in shell just made) twice, **sk next 3 dc, shell in next ch-2 sp; rep from ** to end, dc in last dc, ch 3, turn. (44 (48, 51, 55, 59) shells at the end of this row)
Row 3: Sk next dc, shell in next ch-2 sp, (*sk next 3 dc, shell in next ch-2 sp; rep from * across to shell before marked shell, 2 dc in ch-2 sp, 2 dc in ch-2 sp of marked shell, 2 dc in ch-2 sp of next shell, move marker to sp [not a ch-sp] before 2 dc just made) twice, **sk next 3 dc, shell in next ch-2 sp; rep from ** to end, dc in last dc, ch-3, turn. (38 (42, 45, 49, 53) shells + 6 groups of 2 dc at the end of this row)
Row 4: Sk next dc, shell in next ch-2 sp, (*sk next 3 dc, shell in next ch-2 sp; rep from * across to marker, dc in marked sp, remove marker, ch 2, 2 dc between 2nd and 3rd dc from hook, pm in ch-2 sp just made) twice, **sk next 3 dc, shell in next ch-2 sp; rep from ** to end, dc in last dc, ch 3, turn. (40 (44, 47, 51, 55) shells at the end of this row)
Rows 5-10 (10, 12, 12, 12): Rep Rows 3-4 3 (3, 4, 4, 4) times. (28 (32, 31, 35, 39) shells after Row 10)
Rep Row 2 of Body 6 (6, 7, 7, 8) more times. Do not fasten off.
Border
Rnd 1: With smaller hook, ch 1, work sc evenly spaced around all edges of Vest, working 3 sc in each corner, join with sl st in first sc.
Rnd 2: Ch 1, sc in each sc around, working 3 sc in each corner, join with sl st in first sc.
Fasten off.
Freesia Blooms (make 26 or as many as desired using CC1, CC4, CC5)
With smaller hook, ch 5, join into ring with sl st in first ch.
Rnd 1: (Ch 3, 5 tr in ring, ch 3, sl st in ring) 4 times, join rnd with sl st in base of beg-ch-3. Fasten off.
Finishing
Weave in all ends.
Press lightly with a steam iron to block. Because of the looseness of the stitch pattern, aggressive blocking is not recommended.
Stitch flowers all over the Fronts and hems as desired.
