Last night I shared the very beginning of my chunky knit vest project over on instagram link here
– from choosing yarns from my stash to plying them together and watching unexpected colour combinations appear.
This morning I’ve reached one of my favourite stages.
The body is knitted, I’ve divided for the armholes, and suddenly it feels as though I’m no longer making a swatch or experimenting. It’s becoming a garment.
This is the stage where the knitting changes. Instead of endless rounds, there’s shaping and decision-making but this easy to follow Chunky Knit Vest pattern helps you with every step. Every few rows reveal a little more of the vest, and it’s exciting to see the colours shifting as different yarns come and go from your own personal choice and personal unique stash.
Chunky knit vest pattern link here
One of the things I love most about this pattern is that there isn’t a “correct” way to combine your yarns. You can work intuitively, adding a strand, dropping another, letting one colour drift into the next. The vest becomes a record of your stash and your own colour choices.
If you’ve been thinking about casting one on, perhaps this is your sign. Gather those odd balls of yarn that have been waiting patiently in your basket. Don’t worry if they don’t match. In fact, it’s often the unexpected combinations that create the most beautiful fabric. However, surprisingly, for the first time ever, I bought a random bag of colours on Saturday, and the bag was called Harvester Pie. I think that butterscotch, honeycomb, ginger and pie are all appropriate for these Autumn colours. You can see some of the plyed yarns in the images below.
I’ll keep sharing this vest as it grows. Next stop… shoulders and neck shaping. But here are images of the first stages to help you, if you decided to have a go yourself.
I can’t wait to see how these autumn colours come together at the end of my 4th Chunky Knit Vest. My daughter took my first one (Compliment) I sold the 2nd one as a commission, I have the 3rd one and this is my 4th.
One of the things I love most about this pattern is that no two vests will ever be the same. Every knitter opens their own yarn basket, chooses from their own treasured leftovers and favourite odd balls, and creates colour combinations that nobody else would think of. The finished vest becomes a reflection of the person who made it. Have a look on Ravelry at some of the projects. Bottom of Form
Or on my Instagram as people are now adding their project photos in the comments which I am loving seeing.
I can’t wait to see everyone’s versions because I already know they’ll all be different. The pattern is the same, but the yarn choices belong to each knitter. That’s the magic of it. Every vest is unique, every colour journey is different, and every finished garment becomes something that couldn’t have been made by anyone else.
My hope is that this pattern gives you the confidence to reach for the yarns you already love. To stop worrying whether they’re the “right” colours and start enjoying the process of putting them together. There really isn’t a wrong answer—only combinations that tell your story.
This pattern doesn’t ask you to copy me. It invites you to become more like yourself with your own colours 😊
Chunky Knit Vest Pattern link here
Nip to instagram for more photos.
tracey doxey 