American Girl Cable Waist Vest

I had fun knitting this vest.  It starts with a cable, and stitches are picked up along the long edges to work the bodice and the ribbed body.  Everything is worked flat except for the arm ribbing where stitches are picked up and worked in the round.  There are quite a few ends to weave in – I found it helpful to weave them in as I went so they didn’t get in the way.

needle size: US4
yarn: Sirdar Snuggly DK
gauge: 6 sts and 9 rows in 1 inch
other materials needed: 5 inches of sew-in velcro (or snap closures)

Stitch Guide:
T5R – Slip 3 stitches onto cable needle and hold to the back.  Knit next 2 stitches then p1, k2 from the cable needle
T3F – slip 2 stitches onto cable needle and hold to the front – purl next stitch, then knit the 2 stitches from cable needle
T3B – slip 1 stitch onto cable needle and hold to the back – knit the next 2 stitches, then purl the stitch on the cable needle
Make Bobble: knit into front, back, and front of next stitch.  Turn and k3. Turn and p3. Turn and k3. Turn and sl 1, k2tog, psso.
CDD: sl 2 together as if to knit, k1, pass both slipped stitches over

Errata: For anyone who may have printed this pattern between 1/17/11 and 1/30/11 — There are 21 live stitches when starting the neck ribbing, not 20.  I’m sorry for the confusion and the erroneous errata 🙂

Cable Band:
CO 13
knit 10 repeats of the cable chart
k2, p2, k2, p1, k2, p2, k2
p2, k2, p2, k1, p2, k2, p2
repeat the last 2 rows 3 times
bind off

Written out cable instructions:

Row 1 – k2, p2, T5R, p2, k2
Row 2 – p2, k2, p2, k1, p2, k2, p2
Row 3 – k2, p1, T3B, p1, T3F, p1, k2
Row 4 – p2, k1, p2, k3, p2, k1, p2
Row 5 – k2, T3B, p3, T3F, k2
Row 6 – p4, k5, p4
Row 7 – k4, p2, make bobble, p2, k4
Row 8 – p4, k5, p4
Row 9 – k2, T3F, p3, T3B, k2
Row 10 – p2, k1, p2, k3, p2, k1, p2
Row 11 – k2, p1, T3F, p1, T3B, p1, k2
Row 12 – p2, k2, p2, k1, p2, k2, p2

Bodice:

Turn the cable horizontally with the cast on edge on the left.  Pick up and knit 98 stitches along the top edge of the cable band (3 stitches for every 4 rows starting at the bind off end)

purl one row
knit one row
purl one row
k32, bind off  next 6 stitches, k33, bind off next 6 stitches, k19

Front and back sections will be worked separately at this point.  If using a circular needle, the unworked sections will remain on the cable.

Right Back

purl 20

k1, ssk, knit to end
purl

repeat last 2 rows 3 more times (16 sts)

knit 6 rows in stockinette
k7, place remaining stitches on waste yarn or stitch holder
work the 7 stitches in stockinette for 8 rows

break yarn leaving a tail long enough to kitchener the shoulder, place stitches on holder.

Right Front

reattach yarn
purl 17 stitches, turn
row1 – k1, ssk, k11, k2tog, k1
row 2 (and all WS rows) – purl
row 3 – k1, ssk, k to end
row 5 – k1, ssk, k8, k2tog, k1
row 7 – k1, ssk, k to end
row 9 – k1, ssk, k5, k2tog, k1
row 11 – k1, ssk, knit to end
row 13 – k1, ssk, knit to end
row 14 – purl

Work 8 rows of stockinette

Break yarn, place stitches on holder

Left Front

reattach yarn

purl 17

row 1 – k1, ssk, k11, k2tog, k1
row 2 (and all WS rows) – purl
row 3 – k12, k2tog, k1
row 5 – k1, ssk, k8, k2tog, k1
row 7 – k9, k2tog, k1
row 9 – k1, ssk, k5, k2tog, k1
row 11 – k6, k2tog, k1
row 13 – k5, k2tog, k1
row 14 – purl

work 8 rows of stockinette

break yarn, place stitches on holder

Left Back

purl 32

row 1 – k29, k2tog, k1
row 2 (and all WS rows) – purl
row 3 – k28, k2tog, k1
row 5 – k27, k2tog, k1
row 7 – k26, k2tog, k1
row 8 – purl

work 5 rows of stockinette
p7, place remaining stitches on holder

work 9 rows of stockinette, break yarn leaving tail long enough to kitchener the shoulder

place stitches on holder

Body:

pick up and knit 102 stitches along bottom edge of cable band (4 sts for every 5 rows)
work 2 inches of slip stitch rib:

right side – p2, *k1, sl 1 purlwise, k1, p2 rep from * to end
wrong side – k2, *p3, k2, rep from * to end

Join the front and back sections together at the shoulders using the kitchener stitch.

Neck Ribbing

Place the 21 live stitches of left back on right needle.  Reattach yarn and knit these stitches.
Pick up and knit 29 stitches along left front neckline, and 29 stitches along right front neckline
Knit the 9 live stitches of right back

row 1: (p2,k2) 18 times, p1, p2tog (mark this center stitch), p1, (k2, p2) to end
row 2: (k2,p2) to 1 stitch before center stitch, CDD, (p2, k2) to end
row 3: work as set (center stitch is a purl)
row 4: work as set to one stitch before center stitch, CDD, work as set to end
row 5: work as set
bind off in pattern

Arm Ribbing

Pick up 44 stitches around the arm opening, work in 2×2 rib for 4 rows
bind off in pattern

Finishing:

Weave in remaining ends

Sew velcro (or snap) closure along back opening

January 14, 2011. Tags: 18-inch, cable, chart, doll, free, pattern, vest. Knitting, patterns.