Shawl Collared Vest

"Shawl-Collared Vest" designed by Meg Swansen
(Handknitting with Meg Swansen)
Patons - Shetland Chunky Tweed (6 skeins/Sea Ice)
Needles:  Size US 7

This vest is a classic.  I made my first out of this same yarn in a brown tweed.  It was for my Father.  He has loved it, and comments regularly on how warm it is.  He has even had all the ladies at the Sr. Center giving it, and him, I'm sure, the "once over".  He liked it so much, that I decided to make one for me.

This is my daughter, Alex, doing the modeling.  Originally, I thought the vest was too masculine-looking to be made for a woman.  But, when I turned the page of Meg's book, there was a picture of her wearing it.  She made it look very feminine and cozy, all snuggled up to her cat.

I planned to wear it in-doors, on those chilly evenings, when I am knitting in front of my favorite television shows ("Survivor" or "Project Runway" . . . okay so I like reality shows), or when I was decorating the Christmas tree or baking cookies.

It has been great to keep me warm all winter, even on those Saturday morning bagel runs, and it is great for driving.  It keeps the cold air off your chest, but doesn't restrict your arms when making quick turns or eating a quick bagel, or two, before you get home and have to share the rest.  The color works great with blue jeans, and any color underneath works, because there are flecks of all colors in the tweed.

My husband, Steve, made the buttons from deer horn.  I thought they really added to the country charm of the vest. The vest was knit entirely "in-the-round", and steeking was used to cut slits for the armholes and to open the front. The front plackets were picked-up and knit in conjunction with the collar.  I was a little afraid to cut through the stitches, but Meg's technique (machine sewing on both sides of the cut stitches) worked beautifully. The looped buttonholes were another great thing to learn, and the I-Chord bind-offs along the front-placket, collar edging and armholes, finished it off rather nicely. Happy Knitting . . .