YOU ARE LOVED: FREE Baby Vest Pattern

My “YOU ARE LOVED” vest is worked flat, from bottom up, in 2 separate pieces. It has only 2 seams, one at each side. Each shoulder is closed by a button strap facilitating the process of putting on and taking of the vest. It features a textured heart in seed / moss stitch at the front. You can use this FREE Baby Vest Pattern to make some great gifts for Valentine’s day. Or any other day!

Skill level: suitable for beginner knitters who know how to make k2tog and skp decreases (advanced beginners / easy level)

♥ If you have some extra time and yarn, these vests are perfect for charity knitting: cute, quick and easy to make.

Do you like this pattern? You can make a matching hat using my “YOU ARE LOVED” hat knitting pattern 🙂 Click HERE to find it!

The entire pattern for all sizes is below.

You can also purchase the pattern in a high quality PDF file HERE in my blog, in my Ravelry shop HERE, or in my Etsy Shop HERE. (50 % OFF from today until August 25th, discount already applied).

Remember that if you support me in Patreon you already have a copy of this pattern ready to download in my Patreon page.

PATTERN DETAILS

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS

Color codes are the same as in the written pattern.

0 to 6 months:

Length 10.5’’ (27 cm). Width: 8.25’’ (21 cm)

6 to 12 months:

Length 12.25’’ (31 cm). Width: 9.5’’ (24 cm)

12 to 18 months:

Length 13.25’’ (33.5 cm). Width: 10.5’’ (27 cm)

2 years:

Length 14.25’’ (36 cm). Width: 11.75’’ (30 cm)

GAUGE

21 sts x 28 rows in stocking stitch with US 6 (4 mm) needles = 4” x 4” (10 cm x 10 cm)

MATERIALS

• 1 straight needle US 7 (4.5 mm) for Casting on and Binding Off sts.
• 1 pair of straight needles US 6 (4 mm).
• DK yarn (8 ply): approx. 120 yd (110 m) / 146 yd (134 m) / 178 yd (163 m) / 211 yd (193 m). Or light fingering yarn (approx 3 ply) USED DOUBLE (double the yardage)
• 4 buttons
• Tapestry needle to weave in yarn ends and scissors.
• OPTIONAL: stitch markers.

ABBREVIATIONS

• CO: cast on
• BO: bind off
• RS: right side
• WS: wrong side
• st: stitch
• k: knit
• p: purl
• g st: garter stitch
• st sts: stocking stitches
• skp: slip 1 stitch as if to knit, knit 1 st, pass the slipped st over.
• k2tog: knit 2 stitches together

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INSTRUCTIONS for “YOU ARE LOVED” FREE Baby Vest Pattern

A) FRONT

1) CO 43 (49, 55, 61) sts with US 7 (4.5 mm) needles, leaving a long tail of yarn to use it for sewing the sides later.

I always cast on and bind off stitches with larger needles than I use for the main work. This prevent my cast on and bind off rows from being too tight.

2) PLEASE READ this entire step before knitting.

• With US 6 (4 mm) work 4 rows in garter stitch if you prefer to make a garter stitch border
  like the blue vest in the photo.
• With US 6 (4 mm) work 6 rows in 2/1 rib as indicated here, if you prefer your vest to look like the pink one in the photo:

1 garter st, *k2, p1*, repeat from *to* until 3 sts remain, k2, 1 garter st.

Slip first stitch on every row as if you were to knit it, but without knitting it (except on the first row). It will form a nicer border and will allow you to make a quick and neat seam when you need to.

3) PLEASE READ this entire step before knitting.

• Work in stocking stitch until your piece has a total length of 5.75’’ (6.5’’, 7’’, 8.25’’) [14.5 cm (16.5 cm, 18 cm, 21 cm)].
• In the next WS row and the following 3 rows (so, 4 rows in total, starting in a WS row), work in garter the 7 (8, 8, 9) sts at the beginning and the 7 (8, 8, 9) sts at the end of the row.
• Next row (WS) (armholes): bind off 4 (5, 5, 6) stitches at the beginning of the row, and 4 (5, 5, 6) sts at the end, while working all other sts as before. Cut yarn. 35 (39, 45, 49) stitches remain in your needle.
• Next row (RS) (decrease row). Join new yarn and work: 3 g sts, skp, keep working normally until 5 sts remain in your left needle, k2tog, 3 g sts. (33, 37, 43, 47) sts remain.
• Repeat the decrease row in the next 2 (2, 3, 3) RS rows. (29, 33, 37, 41) sts.

 AT THE SAME TIME, when your piece has a total length of 3.5’’ (5’’, 5.75’’, 7’’) [9 cm (13 cm, 14.5 cm, 18 cm)] work the Textured Heart (see the Stitch Glossary) over the central 21 sts, starting on an RS row. You can place 1 marker at each side of those middle 21 sts to guide you.

4) When you reach a total length of 7.75’’ (8.75’’, 9.5’’, 10.5’’) [20 cm (22 cm, 24 cm, 27 cm)] and starting with a WS row, work the central 17 (17, 19, 21) sts in garter st for the next 4 rows.

In the next WS row, you will cast off sts for the neck opening.

5) Work 8 (10, 11, 12) sts as presented, bind off 13 (13, 15, 17) sts, knit 8 (10, 11, 12) sts as presented.

Continue knitting separately the left and right shoulder strap, starting with the one to which your yarn is attached 🙂

6) Shoulder 1: continue (I recommend you count the rows) working all sts as presented until this section measures 1.25’’ (1.5’’, 1.75’’, 2’’) [3 cm (4 cm, 4.5 cm, 5 cm)] FROM THE NECKLINE, ending with a RS row.

7) Work all sts in garter st for 3 rows.

8) Next row (RS) (buttonholes): k2, yo, k2tog, k to last 4 sts, k2tog, yo, k2 (PLEASE NOTE that, in the 0 to 6 months size there will
be no stitches between both k2tog. That’s ok!)

9) Work all sts in garter st for 2 more rows.

10) Bind off with US 7 (4.5 mm) needle. Cut yarn and weave in yarn end.

Join new yarn and knit the second shoulder strap exactly as you did the first. If you counted your rows, you’ll find it easier. Bind off all stitches as in step 10.

B) BACK

Follow the instructions for the FRONT until you finish decreasing sts for the armholes (steps 1 to 3) but without knitting the Textured Heart.

4) Continue knitting in st stitch with 3 garter sts at each side until you reach a total length of 9.25’’ (10.5’’, 11.5’’, 13’’) [23.5 cm (26.5 cm, 29.5 cm, 33 cm)].

5) For the next 4 rows (starting with a WS row) work the central 17 (17, 19, 21) sts in garter st.

In the next WS row, you will cast off sts for the back neck opening.

6) Work 8 (10, 11, 12) sts as presented, bind off 13 (13, 15, 17) sts, knit 8 (10, 11, 12) sts as presented.

Continue knitting separately the left and right shoulder strap, starting with the one to which your yarn is attached 🙂

7) Shoulder 1: continue (I recommend you count the rows) working all sts as presented until this section measures 1.25’’ (1.5’’, 2’’, 2.25’’) [3 cm (4 cm, 5 cm, 6 cm)] FROM THE BACK NECKLINE, ending with a RS row.

8) Work all sts in garter st for 4 rows .

9) Bind off with US 7 (4.5 mm) needle. Cut yarn and weave in yarn end.

Join new yarn and knit the second shoulder strap exactly as you did the first. If you counted your rows, you’ll find it easier. Bind off all stitches as in step 9.

C) FINISHING

– Join the front and back pieces by sewing the sides. That’s why you left a long tail of yarn when casting on your stitches.

• TIP for sewing sides: use the knots left by the side k stitches to produce a neat seam.

– Weave in all yarn ends.

– Sew on 2 buttons in each shoulder strap of the back piece.

Enjoy your work!!

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STITCH GLOSSARY

Garter Stitch

k all sts, all rows.

Stocking Stitch (or Stockinette Stitch)

Row 1) (RS) k all row
Row 2) (WS) p all row

Repeat these two rows.

Textured Heart Pattern – Written instructions

Over 21 sts.

Row 1) k all sts

Row 2) p all sts

Row 3) k10, p1, k10

Row 4) p9, k1, p1, k1, p9

Row 5) k8, (p1, k1) x 3 times, k7

Row 6) p7, (k1, p1) x 4 times, p6

Row 7) k6, (p1, k1) x 5 times, k5

Row 8) p5, (k1, p1) x 6 times, p4

Row 9) k4, (p1, k1) x 7 times, k3

Row 10) p3, (k1, p1) x 8 times, p2

Row 11) k4, (p1, k1) x 7 times, k3

Row 12) p3, (k1, p1) x 8 times, p2

Row 13) k2, (p1, k1) x 9 times, k1

Row 14) p3, (k1, p1) x 8 times, p2

Row 15) k2, (p1, k1) x 9 times, k1

Row 16) p3, (k1, p1) x 8 times, p2

Row 17) k2, (p1, k1) x 9 times, k1

Row 18) p3, (k1, p1) x 8 times, p2

Row 19) k4, (p1, k1) x 3 times, k1, (k1, p1) x 3 times, k4

Row 20) p3, (k1, p1) x 3 times, p3, (p1, k1) x 3 times, p3

Row 21) k4, (p1, k1) x 2 times, k5, (k1, p1) x 2 times, k4

Row 22) p5, k1, p9, k1, p5

Row 23) k all sts

Row 24) p all sts

Textured Heart Pattern – Written instructions

Read all odd rows from right to left, and all even rows from left to right.

You can also purchase the pattern in a high quality PDF file HERE in my blog, in my Ravelry shop HERE, or in my Etsy Shop HERE. (50 % OFF from today until August 25th, discount already applied).

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Remember that if you support me in Patreon you already have a copy of this FREE Baby Vest pattern ready to download in my Patreon page.

© Cecilia Fameli, 2021.
You’re welcome to sell your items produced from Oh La Lana! patterns! But you may not re-sale or re-distribute commercially my patterns in any manner. Thank you in advance for being respectful with my work!

HAPPY KNITTING!!

Ceci