Bamboo Button Vest

The Superwash Bamboo Button Vest is done and turned out great! I had my doubts, as it looked a bit skinny in the last photos, but I stuck with it and trusted the swatch (after washing). After the dampen and block, it fits perfectly.... Not too tight but a bit drapey. The yarn does relax a bit after wetting, and the ribbing flattened out a bit. The stitch pattern is a 4 by 2 rib, with the 2 stitches in seed stitch and the 4 in stocking stitch.... really very easy but a little more texture than plain ribbing. The buttons are a find, crafty bone and metal, sort of one of a kind as all are a different shade of brown, but I like the effect.

Pattern:

Needles: 3.5mm and 4.0mm

Gauge: 19 sts = 4 inches on the larger needles

Yarn: 7 balls of elann Superwash Bamboo, colour red.

Finished measurement: Bust 40 inches, length 24 inches.

Rib/seed stitch pattern: Row 1:[K4, P1, K1] repeat until last 4 sts, K4 Row 2: [P4, K1, P1] repeat until last 4 sts, P4 ** note the P1, K1 and K1, P1 create seed stitch over 2 stitches vertically.
Back: With smaller needles, cast on 83 sts, and work K1, P1 Rib for 2.5 inches. On last row, increas 7 sts evenly across.

Change to larger needles, and start Rib/seed stitch pattern: row 1: Edge stitch (always a Knit stitch), [K4, seed stitch 2] 14 times, K4, edge stitch.

Row 2: edge stitch, [P4, seed st 2] 14 times, P4, edge st.

Repeat these two rows until piece measures 15 inches.

Underarm shaping: Bind off 5 sts at beg of next 2 rows.

Decrease one more each side one time.

Continue even, with one edle st each side until total measures 24.5 inches. Bind off all sts.

Front: (make 2 reversing shaping for second) Cast on 41 sts: work K1, P1 ribbing for 2.5 inches. Increase one stitch across last row. Change to larger needles and start Rib/seed st pattern: Edge stitch, [K4, seed st 2] 6 times, K4, edge st.

Continue in this pattern, and work for 15 inches. Decrease at armhole: bind off 5 sts, then one more on next row...***at the same time start V neck: Decrease one at neck edge very 2nd row 5 times, then every 4th row 10 times. Work even until piece measure 24.5 inches.

Join shoulder seams and work ribbing for front edge like this: With smaller needles (circular) pick up 70 sts to first neck dec, place marker. Pick uo 45 sts up neck edge, then 31 along back of neck, 45 down other side to end of V, then 70 down straight front edge to bottom. Work in K1, P1 ribbing for 3 rows. Buttonhole row: Work 2, bind off next 2 sts [work 11 sts, bind off 2 sts] five more times, work plain rib to end of row. On return row, cast on 2 sts over the holes. Continue to rib for 2 more rows, then cast off Loosely.

At armholes, pick up and rib 100 sts evenly spaced. Rib for 5 rows and cast off loosely.

Sew side seams.