Yay, a new design! (Pattern: Sebasco)

You guys, it’s been SO LONG since I’ve released anything here. I’ve been knitting like a madwoman this year, and have had little I could show (right away) for it. After the last secret project was out the door, I decided enough was enough.

Sometimes, you just need a little something. A quick knit. A quick piece that fills a wardrobe need. Something satisfying, transitional, that doesn’t require too much commitment.

But still makes you look fabulous, of course.

Sizes: Ten sizes, intended to be worn with negative ease in the bust if the vest is to be worn open, zero ease in the bust (or a little positive ease) if you’d like to belt it closed.

Final Measurements: Bust measures 32¼ (34¾, 35½, 38½, 39½, 41¾, 42¾, 49¼, 52½, 56½)”/82 (88.5, 90, 98, 100.5, 106, 108.5, 125, 133.5, 144) cm, including collar with zero overlap. Vest measures 22 (22¾, 23¼, 23½, 24¼, 24½, 24¾, 25, 25¼, 25½)”/56 (57.5, 59, 59.5, 61.5, 62, 63, 63.5, 64, 64.5) cm from hem to shoulder.

Featured Materials: Berroco Ultra Alpaca (50% Wool, 50% Alpaca; 215 yds/197m per 100g skein)
Color: #6204 Buckwheat, 3 (3, 3, 3, 4, 4, 4, 4, 5, 5) skeins.

Gauge: 18 sts & 26 rows = 4″/10cm in St st on US 8 needles

Pattern Notes:

The Sebasco Vest is an elegant transitional piece that takes the chill out of overly air-conditioned offices and cool evening breezes. It is knit in pieces from the bottom up, with a collar worked sideways that can be worn open, closed, or even belted, as desired. The textured trimming stitch of this vest should be worked on larger needles to ensure an even size.

I’ve included all of my usual details in this design, while keeping things extra simple for the modification-minded among you. Vertical darts for waist shaping keep things trim and flattering, and allow for extremely flexible shaping, customized to fit your body. Should you desire less waist shaping than specified, you can omit or decrease the shaping rows entirely on the front of the tank. Bustier women can accommodate their needs by performing more increases on the front of the sweater, and not in the back. These extra stitches can be decreased into the neck edge of the vest.

The back neck treatment is scooped and shaped a bit, to give a nice look. The Daisy Stitch trim is interesting, but the rest of the vest is Stockinette to make for some great knit night, tv, or book knitting.

The balance achieved by the collar and hem make Sebasco very balanced and hence nice for proportional figures, but I think this vest would shine on nearly anyone. Top-heavy knitters will be extremely flattered by the wide and open collar–it slims the torso and reduces the bulk of a large bust. Top-heavy knitters with fabulous legs might consider lengthening it to mid-thigh and wearing it with a great skirt. Bottom-heavy knitters probably want to shorten the vest so that the band of Daisy Stitch at the hem doesn’t fall at their widest part.

As with all sweaters, carefully examine the pattern schematic to note potential modifications before you knit.

Berroco’s Ultra Alpaca works up to a wonderfully lofty fabric at this gauge. The heathered colors that Berroco offers look fantastic and the alpaca’s drape is just right for the vest’s style. Should you desire to substitute yarn, please choose something that will work up as an airy fabric that will keep its shape. The vest will require approximately 500 (556, 581, 637, 674, 719, 744, 866, 933, 1014) yds/457 (510, 532, 583, 617, 659, 682, 793, 854, 929) m for an alternate yarn.

Many thanks go out to Elizabeth Sullivan for tech editing, and Caro Benna Sheridan for taking the amazing photographs. (They were shot on Revere Beach; the closest I could get to my dearest childhood haunt, Sebasco beach in Maine, on a weeknight.)

Sebasco may be purchased here or from my ravelry pattern store for US$6.00.

16 thoughts on “Yay, a new design! (Pattern: Sebasco)

  1. Wow, this is gorgeous Amy. You do such great work, with such attention to detail.

  2. Great design! I’m hoping to take your Fit class at Piedmont Yarn next month, so maybe this would be a good pattern to play with?

  3. Amy, I love this. And your hair looks fantastic. I must see you!!!

  4. Fabulous! OH, and so is the new hair-do. Both are very, very classy.

  5. What a great vest!

  6. Lovely! Congratulations! At first sight, I was already thinking “overly air-conditioned offices” too!

  7. It’s awesome – I can totally see it being a wardrobe staple – really flattering, very wearable.
    And the pics look amazing!!

    (I know how COLD you were, too :-))

  8. looks fabulous on you too — and your haircut looks lovely too 🙂

  9. Awesome, Amy. Just… awesome! =)

  10. Nice color, nice shape 🙂
    And I like your hair-look very, very much !

  11. I love it – I have a few things already on the go but I feel this one is a must!

  12. You are rockin’ the new hair! Love the stitch details.

  13. Wow, this is so you! I love the new haircut too.

  14. What a perfect little top! I love the way you describe how to personalise patterns for body types.

  15. I love it!! I think I’ll be ordering some yarn very soon…

    And your new haircut is lovely 🙂

  16. […] I screwed that up a bit, when Amy Herzog posted her new vest pattern on Stash, Knit, Repeat. The Sebasco vest. I love the casual drape. I love the idea of a vest […]

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