| Next, you need to pick a stitch. For my quests, I used the Harmony Guides: Basic Crochet Stitches and Crochet Stitch Motifs. At the time of my quest, Crochet Edgings and Trims was not yet out; now that it's available, I will certainly use it as a resource for my next quest. |
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Once you have a stitch pattern or motif in mind, choose a yarn and a hook size that works comfortably with that yarn. Remember to keep the properties of your yarn in mind, will it stretch, have the correct drape, etc. Make a 6" by 6" swatch in your chosen stitch pattern, and measure how many stitches and rows are in the center 4" of that swatch. If you are going to make a motif vest, make one of the motifs and measure it.
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| Use these measurements and the measurements you took of yourself to calculate how many stitches and rows you will need. For example, if you have a 40" bust circumference and want to make a basic vest with worsted weight yarn and a size J/10 (6 mm) hook in double crochet, and you get 12 dc and 6 rows in your center 4" of work, you will need 60 stitches for the bottom edge of both the front and back of the vest. You would need 20 rows worked evenly to the underarm, if your waist is 16" tall. (You can always throw in a few decreases for waist shaping.) |
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| When you get to the underarm, decrease evenly on both sides to create an inset armhole. When you reach the place where you want your neck opening to begin, just work one half of the piece, gradually decreasing until you have a row that is the length of measurement E. Fasten off, and re-join your yarn on the other side of the neck opening and shape it in the same way as you did the other side. |
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