Sweet Nothings Crochet: FRONT OPEN SHELLED VEST

Front Open Shelled Vest - a free crochet pattern from Sweet Nothings Crochet

FRONT OPEN SHELLED VEST

When I saw this pattern on some Pinterest board, I just loved it.. and it’s this simple pattern with this really lovely shelled pattern at the end – I mean, how can anyone resist this, right?

Obviously you can’t either, as you’re back here with me.

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This is not my original pattern. I found this photograph and a convenient chart on the internet.

As I work on this pattern, I’ve written down my notes that I share with you.

As I reached the border, I realized that I’ve started my vest from the bottom up, but the chart is from the shoulders down. Ah well, this is how I’ve done it.. and there’s a chart attached.. so go ahead and work it whichever way suits you.

Materials used : Today I’ve used our superb Indian Anchor knitting cotton yarn, with a 3 mm crochet hook

For Indians : You could use Anchor , Red ros e or unbranded knitting cotton as well

General yarn info : The yarn used today is not specific to this pattern.

You can use any yarn with a suitable hook to make this project to any size.

International yarns : Among the international yarns I have used, I’d suggest Aunt Lydia Cotton 10, Aunt Lydia Bamboo-Viscose 10, DMC Petra, Sullivans knitting cotton (Australia), Milford Soft, Hilaza Rustica Eclat , Alize cotton yarn and Alize bamboo yarn.

Skill level : Intermediate

Abbreviations used : (Using U.S terminology)

dc : Double crochet

ch : chain ch-sp : chain space

sp : space rep : Repeat
sc : Single crochet
st(s) : Stitch(es) hk : Hook
sl-st : Slip stitch yo : Yarn over
lp(s) : Loop(s)

fsc : Foundation single crochet

Stitches used : (Using U.S terminology)

Starting slip knot : https://youtu.be/lJcqsVcs8cw

Starting slip knot 1 or the Sloppy Slip knot : https://youtu.be/YfC7KmGpifs

What is a slip stitch : https://youtu.be/weB3QNbA8Iw

dc 3-tog : Double crochet 3-tog : [yo, insert hk in st or ch-sp, yo and pull up a lp ; yo and draw through 2 lps] 3 times (4 lps on hk) ; yo, draw through all lps on hk. One dc 3-tog made.

Instructions : (Using U.S terminology)

Please note that I start all my rows with a ch 1, turning chain for ease.

Please check the top of this blog for easy video tutorials on all stitches used in today's pattern.

Please read through all my notes before you pick up your hook, so you know just where we're heading in our pattern.

In my patterns I work with the principle of stitch count and body measurement. This means that you need to work the stitch count in pattern, till you get the measurement (length and/or width) that you need for your project.

Part 1 :

Quick analysis of what we’re going to do here today.
With this stunningly simple pattern, we’re going to work our whole vest in one piece, starting at the base of the vest, working towards the shoulders.

At the armhole / neck level, we’ll divide off and work the two fronts and one back part of the vest separately.

So we’re working in one piece from waist up – so our start row needs to be the same measure as your Round Waist or round bust (whichever is the larger measure).

Remember that we are working in one piece, so we're working on the round body measurements.

Foundation Single Crochet : fsc : https://youtu.be/mcT85fwh4mA

Start with fsc in multiples of 24+ 1 (Round waist / bust measure)

Single Crochet : Sc : yo, insert hk into st ; yo (2 lps on hk); yo, draw through both lps. One sc made. Check out the video at https://youtu.be/ghACqBpA-3k

First stitch for Single Crochet : This is how I like to start my row of sc. Check out the video at https://youtu.be/6pVYRfsf4_M

What is a chain stitch ? https://youtu.be/pXx5ukBjKkY

Row 1 : sc in the 1^st fsc ;
(ch 5, sk next 3 fsc , sc in the next fsc) ;

rep (to) till end.
Turn.

Row 2 : dc in the 1^st sc ;
ch 2, sc in the next ch-5 sp ;

(ch 5, sc in the next ch-5 sp) ;
rep (to) once ;

*5 dc in the next sc ; sc in the next ch-5 sp ;
rep (to) 5 times* ;

rep *to* till last ch-5 sp ;
sc in that last ch-5 sp ;
ch 2, dc in the last sc. Turn.

Note : I decided to do 3 dc instead of 5 dc in that sc, but as you can see, it doesn’t really change the pattern that much.

Double Crochet : dc : yo, insert hk into st ; yo (3 lps on hk);

[yo, draw through 2 lps] twice. One dc made.

Check out the video at https://youtu.be/xdnjB27zpYo

Chainless start for Double Crochet : I dislike the ch-2 / ch – 3 start, and this is what I do to start my row of dc.

Check out the video at https://youtu.be/wskv3iTjRx0

Row 3 : sc in the 1^st dc ;
(ch 5, sc in the next ch-5 sp) ;

rep (to) once ;

*ch 5, sk next 2 dc, sc in the next dc ;
ch 5, sk next 2 dc, sc in the next ch-5 sp ;

rep (to) 5 times* ;

rep *to* till last end. Turn.

Row 4 : dc in the 1^st sc ;

ch 2, sc in the next ch-5 sp ;

(ch 5, sc in the next ch-5 sp) ;
rep (to) once ;

*5 dc in the next sc ; sc in the next ch-5 sp ;
rep (to) 5 times* ;

rep *to* till last ch-5 sp ;
sc in that last ch-5 sp ;
ch 2, dc in the last dc. Turn.

Rep Row 3 & 4 till your project reaches the armhole / neckline level , ending with Row 3.
In this project, we’re going to divide for armhole and neckline at the same point.

We will then work one part for the back, and the two fronts till the shoulder level.

So off we go.. and we’ll meet shortly for the divided part, just off the armhole.

Once you’re at that point, fold your project into four – and ensuring that you have two fronts and one back, mark the points for the armhole. (see chart below)

Now the armhole opening is over five ch-5 sps.
So where ever your centre / armhole point comes in, ensure you have two ch-5 sps on either side of that centre ch-5 sp. Got it?

Now for convenience, let’s move markers to the ‘end points’ of the armholes, such that we now have four markers (two for each end of the armhole).

This is also the point where we’ll be reducing for the neckline and making a nice “V”-neck there too.

Part 2 :

For convenience, I’m going to restart row numbering from 1 again.
Please note that any instruction from here on will refer only to these row numbers.

Now our pattern is not changing in any way, and as you’ve done it so many times now, you know it off by heart.
So the instructions below may be a bit hazy as we’re probably going to be making decreases at different points.
I am going to write it down in general, and hope (fingers crossed) that you’ll understand what I mean.

Row 1 : dc in the 1^st sc, sc in the 1^st ch-5 sp ;

(ch 5, sc in the next ch-5 sp) ;
rep (to) once ;

[5 dc in the next sc, sc in the next ch-5 sp] ;

*rep (to) and [to] till one ch-5 sp before marker ;
dc in the marker. Turn.

Row 2 : dc in the 1^st dc ; sc in the next ch-5 sp ;

(ch 5, sc in the next ch-5 sp) ;
rep (to) once ;
ch 5, sk next 2 dc, sc in the next dc ;
ch 5, sk next 2 dc, sc in the next ch-5 sp ;

rep (to) till the last ch-5 sp ;
dc in that last ch-5 sp. Turn.

So these are basically the decreases we’re working at each end, one each at the armhole and neckline end.

Now depending on how deep you wish your armhole and how slender a shoulder you wish, decrease the neckline to get a nice “V” shape.

Once you’ve achieved the shoulder width, continue with the pattern without further decrease till your project reaches the shoulder level.

I also suggest that you make a note of what you’re doing for this side of the front, so you can then duplicate it for the other side too.

Reduce for the armhole section around the back till your project reaches the shoulder level, as the back goes up all the way to the shoulder.

So the question here could be, where do we decided how far we work this and how much do we leave for the border..

Well, here’s what I did.. As we’re working the border from the other side of the fsc start row anyway, I cheated.. as soon as I finished one ball of yarn, and as we’re working the front-back in a continuous piece anyway, I just decided to work the full border.. and then decide where I’d split for the armhole(s).
Cheater? Yes..
Did it work? Yup.. it did

Fasten off leaving a tail for attachment.

Join the front and back shoulder bits and then we’ll go down to the border.

Part 3 : Border :

For the border, we will go back to that foundation fsc row and work from the other side of that row.

We will start our shells from each of the 5-dc sets that we have.

Border Row 1 : sc in the 1^st fsc ;
(ch 5, sk next 3 fsc , sc in the next fsc) ;

rep (to) once ;

[sk next 3 fsc , 2 dc in the next fsc ;
ch 2, dc in the same fsc ;
ch 2, 2 dc in the same fsc] ;
sk next 3 fsc, sc in the next fsc ;

*rep (to) 4 times ;
rep [to] once* ;
rep *to* till end. Turn.

Border Row 2 : dc in the 1^st sc ; ch 2, sc in the next ch-5 sp ;

(ch 5, sc in the next ch-5 sp) ;

[dc in the next 2 dc ;
ch 2, 6 dc in the next dc ;
ch 2, dc in the next 2 dc] ;
sc in the next ch-5 sp ;

*rep (to) 3 times ;
rep [to] once* ;

rep *to* till last ch-5 sp ;
sc in that last ch-5 sp ;
ch 2, dc in the last sc. Turn.

Border Row 3 : sc in the 1^st dc ;
ch 5, sc in the next ch-5 sp ; ch 3, sk next 2 dc,

[2 dc in the next dc] ;
rep [to] 5 times ;

*ch 3, sc in the next ch-5 sp ;
rep (to) 2 times ;
ch 3, rep [to] 6 times* ;

rep *to* till end. Turn.

Border Row 4 : dc in the 1^st sc ;
ch 2, sc in the next ch-5 sp ;

(ch 2, dc in the next 3 dc) ;
rep (to) 3 times ;

*ch 2, sc in the next ch-5 sp ;
ch 5, sc in the next ch-5 sp ;
rep (to) 4 times* ;

rep *to* till end ;
ch 2, dc in the last sc. Turn.

Border Row 5 : sc in the 1^st dc ;
(ch 5, dc 3-tog over the next 3 dc) ;

rep (to) 3 times ;
ch 5, sc in the next ch-5 sp ;

*rep (to) 4 times ;
ch 5, sc in the next ch-5 sp* ;
rep *to* till end.

Once the border is done, rather than fastening off, I’d suggest you run a round of dc’s all across the front placket, around the back of the neck and down the other side of the front placket. I also decided to work one round of sc’s all across the border (an sc in each ch-st and each dc 3-tog) and this gives that edge a nice firm finish too.

Fasten off and weave in ends.

Give yourself a big pat on the back as this one has really been a great project – but totally worth it, I’m sure you’ll agree.

And that’s done.. yet another project brilliantly executed !

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I have a few tops already made, and just in case you want a dekho at those free patterns … here you go

https://shyamanivas.blogspot.com/2019/08/gulabi-top.html

https://shyamanivas.blogspot.com/2019/08/vibhinna-top.html