My First Knitted Garment - It's Done!

Here it is! I have to mention this was my third knitting project that ended up being finished first. What can I say? It was the color of the yarn I used and the speed of my needles that got this done before the other WIPs.

Plymouth N026 Vest on SusieQ

Here's my knitted garment review I thought I would share with my fellow knitters and those of you who might have an inkling to learn to knit. Enjoy!


Name of Pattern:
Plymouth N026 Vest

Designed by:
Sarah Punderson

Pattern/Garment Description:
Shawl collared vest with tapered fronts and elegantly draped back. Knit as a single piece and then seamed at the sides.

Size(s):
Per instructions, knitted in 40". CO with 120 stitches.

Yarns Used:
Plymouth Baby Alpaca Grande. Color: Dark Salmon. Purchased 4 skeins (440 yards total). Actually, used about 3-3/4 skeins of yarn.

A very soft yarn with a lot of give.

Knitting Tools Used:
- Clover Takumi Velvet Bamboo Size 11 (8mm) circular knitting needles, 24" long.
- Mini Kacha-Kacha row counter pendant
- Regular Kacha Kacha counter - help me count the 120 cast on stitches.

Things I learned:
Here are some stitches I learned in this project:
K2Tog, P2Tog, M1, Pfb

I also had a dropped stitch in the body of the vest. I learned to fix this. Not as bad as I thought.

I learned to bind off with the pattern.

About halfway through this project, my knitting speed increased.

What I Like About this Pattern:
This vest is knitted as one single piece. There are two 9" seams to sew on the sides. I love the shape of the vest when worn. Especially, the back view. The K2, P2 ribbing in the back gracefully shapes the back.

What I Dislike About this Pattern:
There is a lot of K2, P2 and then K1, P1 ribbing in this project. Can get a bit tedious.

My Pattern Rating (Beginner, Easy, Intermediate, Hard):

Overall, I classify this as Easy. A beginner knitter with some knitted scarf experience could tackle this project without any problems.

I recommend having a good knitting book, like The Knitter's Companion, to help explain some of the techniques.

Conclusion/Additional Comments:

Pattern can be adjusted for larger size (increase CO stitches) or smaller size (decrease CO stitches). Can also lengthen the vest by increasing the amount of rows for the body. Can adjust the side seams accordingly for the armhole.

I think it's important to follow the instructions on this pattern. I literally followed it line by line. This pattern also included descriptions of the stitches used (e.g. M1, Pfb) that I followed. I used my knitting book to help with the visuals.

I found this Baby Alpaca Grande yarn very easy to knit to with. It's sooooo soft.

A knitter at my LYS, "With Yarn in Front", mentioned not to hang this vest, but to fold and store it in my drawer. Apparently, the vest will "grow" when left on a hanger. I will leave it on SusieQ for a few days and see what happens with mine. I wouldn't mind it being a little bit longer.

I decided to make another vest, but in a black color. Can't wait to get this one started.

I also found another Plymouth vest/shrug pattern very similar to this pattern that uses Plymouth Royal Llama Silk yarn...a firmer yarn.

Additional pictures:

Pinning the side seams

Look how pretty the back is

Side view on SusieQ