I have to admit, when I think of vests, the first thing that comes to mind is McLovin from the movie Superbad:
So when knitted sweater vests started popping up in Ravelry’s Hot Right Now feed, I initially thought “good for you, not for me.” But the more I pondered it, the more enticing a sweater vest sounded. Hear me out: less yarn to buy. No underarm stitches to pick up. No unplanned detours on sleeve island. Were vests really as bad as I thought? A quick search through some recent patterns might have just changed my mind.
Friday Slipover V-Neck
The Friday Slipover is one of the newest patterns from PetiteKnit. I love her patterns and have had a lot of success getting the right fit. With broken rib, part of it knitted flat, and stitches picked up at the neck band, there would be plenty of new-to-me techniques to make this interesting. This vest might be cooler than I am.
Forsten
Forsten by Woolfolk Design Team looks like the kind of cozy piece that I could live in. Also, although it’s shown in reverse stockinette stitch, it’s supposedly completely reversible. I bet you could just knit this inside out and it would be nothing but stockinette stitch all the way.
Mino Pullover Vest
Mino Pullover Vest by Sylvia Watts-Cherry goes the farthest to prove to me that there is more to sweater vests than suburban dad fashion. This vest would be a huge challenge for me. Considering the only garments I’ve ever made have been top-down in the round, this is the complete opposite. It’s a bottom-up, stranded colorwork, worked flat and seamed together. Yikes. But the end result is stylish and fun. Who doesn’t need a challenge?
Sleeveless
Sleeveless by Lone Kjeldsen is the kind of pared down aesthetic that makes me love Danish knits. It’s also bottom up, but knit in the round. This is the kind of easy piece that could get a lot of wear.
Cherry Blossom Top
Cherry Blossom Top by Magali McDonald is an adorable fitted vest that would be perfect for spring or summer. Somehow it had never occurred to me that a sweater vest could have negative ease. But now that I’ve seen it, I really want to try it.
So, what do you think? Sweater vests yea or nay? I’d love to hear what you think in the comments.
A Yarn Tail 
Certainly, yes – I wear them in summer (cotton, linen, blends) by themselves, or over a t-shirt; over long sleeves in winter. See Favorite Things, posted April 26, 2020. And we’ll see if this comes through – my last try at a reply vanished.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think I’m going to try a vest. At least I don’t have to deal with knitting sleeves – my least favorite part of any project. By that point, I just want to be done with it!
LikeLiked by 2 people