Our first “official” Yarn Punk guest feature is here; please say hello to Melanie Depcinski , who is the crochet artist over at Counting Crafty Sheep! Today shes got a really cool piece that is awesome during multiple seasons of the year – talk about a win. And it’s FREE. This piece was created using Lion Brand Yarn’s new Go for Faux (It’s seriously yummy. It made shed a little bit, but so worth it. Pick some up for yourself HERE.) Be sure to show Melanie some love on her side of the Internet, shes got some really cool goals and dreams!
Tell us about you, Melanie!
I started Counting Crafty Sheep when my daughter was born as a way to challenge myself after stepping down from full time work. Since then I have been fortunate enough to grow not only as an individual but as a fiber artist.
Last fall, I was one of six artists featured by the Craft Yarn Council in their Humans That Yarn series, and that experience opened me up to a whole new way of approaching my craft. I now view design and making as a means to connect to the world around me. Through reflections on my past, as with my Friends series of patterns, through an exploration of my own self as I attempt to answer the question “what if” and as a way to challenge myself constantly to reach further than I think I can go.
My hope is to one day open a fiber arts studio where I can invite local children and teens to come and learn, express themselves, and feel free to be who they are through their art. What started for me as a way to earn extra money and exercise a critical part of my mind became so much more. I feel so honored to be included as a Yarn Punk guest blogger and can’t wait to see where this journey takes me in the years to come.
Follow along at www.CountingCraftySheep.com and on Facebook/Instagram @CountingCrafty.
Purchase the PDF version of the pattern on Ravelry @CountCraftySheep
And the Inspiration behind the piece!
I had the idea to do a puff style vest for quite some time, but it wasn’t until I started the Friends series on the Counting Crafty Sheep blog that it finally all came together. Genna is one of the most remarkable people I have ever known. She never ceases to speak her mind, make you feel emboldened to be yourself, or bring out a smile with her incredible laugh and sense of humor. She is absolutely a force to be reckoned with, and is one of the two people I always turn to for fashion advice. This is why I knew she was the perfect person to help me bring my puff vest idea to life.
I firmly believe that when it comes to fashion it is all about attitude. You have to be honest with yourself in order to express yourself in a way that allows you to carry a look with confidence. Genna is one whose confidence and personality shine through her sense of style. Before I knew her, it was my custom to hide behind jeans, hooded sweatshirts, and long unruly hair. My friendship with her taught me a lot about myself (the bad times just as much as the good ones) and helped me discover my own confidence and sense of self by her example. (Not to mention, she is the one that inspired me to learn to knit!)
I hope that when you wear your own vest you will be able to flaunt your most fierce and fiery self, taking a great sense of pride in what you have accomplished. Wear it with confidence, and make sure you don’t hide yourself behind convention. Let your personality shine with a little #yarnpunk flair.
Materials
· Yarn
o 8 balls of Lion Brand Go for Faux Yarn (shown in bear)
o Small amount of coordinating yarn for sewing, I used Lion Brand ZZ twist in taupe.
· Hook
- Clover Amour N/P
· Darning Needle
Stitches & Techniques
· Chain
· SC – Single Crochet
· Puff Stitch – Insert hook and pull up a loop, yarn over and pull through one loop (two loops on hook). Repeat until you have a total of six loops on your hook. Yarn over, pull through five loops, yarn over pull through last two loops.
· Slip Stitch
· DC – Double Crochet
Gauge
Due to the nature of this yarn, gauge is a tricky thing. If you hold to keeping your 3×3 blocks about 5×5 inches you should be good!
Sizing
The Genna with a G vest was designed specifically to the one and only Genna’s measurements. I provide guidance throughout the pattern on how to best tailor the design to fit your body and style. It is my belief that for this style of garment, giving you the tools to create something truly your own that will fit you beautifully is more beneficial than grading a pattern to a cookie cutter set of measurements.
If you have any trouble with the pattern, making adjustments, or understanding the instructions as written, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me for help! Just send me an email, melanie@countingcraftysheep.com or message me on Facebook at Facebook.com/CountingCrafty.
Notes
– I strongly recommend crocheting over your ends where possible to save yourself some hassle at the end.
– This yarn sheds, it sheds a lot, but it is worth it!
– This vest is constructed by assembling a back panel, two side panels, and adding a collar and edging. It is important to make sure you are keeping your bobbles on the “right” side of your work so that they all pop out the same direction when finished.
Don’t Forget to Pin for Later!
Instructions
Back Panel (Make One)
Set-up Row: Chain 31. Insert hook in second chain from hook and sc in each stitch back across. Chain 1 and turn. (30 stitches)
Row 1: * 2 sc, puff, sc, puff, sc, puff ** Repeat from *-** three times more, 2 sc, chain one and turn. (30 stitches)
Row 2: sc in each stitch across, chain 1 and turn. (30 stitches)
Repeat these rows two more times each. You should now have a block of nine puff stitches, in 3×3 rows, bordered by two rows of sc at the top and bottom. You will now cut your yarn and rejoin to the left corner with the right side facing you. This will ensure that your puff stitches will always be at the front of the work. If you are left handed, you will need to reverse these instructions and join at the right corner.
Example:
One puff sequence block where X represents a puff stitch and – represents sc stitches. Please note, the dashes indicating the sc rows at top and bottom are not to be counted individually. They are merely representative.
——————————————–
——————————————–
– – X – X – X – – X – X – X – – X – X – X – –
——————————————–
– – X – X – X – – X – X – X – – X – X – X – –
——————————————–
– – X – X – X – – X – X – X – – X – X – X – –
The sample is shown with a 4×4 overall construction and fits as a medium/large. To make a shorter or longer vest, remove or add a repeat horizontally. To maintain symmetry you may want to increase the block to 4×4 overall. My recommendation would be to add or remove one row of puffs per inch that you would like to alter the size.
If you would like to make a slightly tighter vest without altering the puff stitch pattern, you can eliminate the first and last sc of each row. Once you sew the panels together this should give you a negative each of an inch or two depending on tension. To decrease the width more than an inch or two, I would recommend removing the first and last puff on the back panel.
Make sure regardless of the number of repeats you choose that you maintain two rows of sc before and after the puff sequence rows.
Front Panels (Make Two)
Chain 17. Turn and sc in the second stitch from hook and each stitch across. (16 stitches)
Repeat sequence outlined above in Rows 1-2 making a 4×2 panel. That is, four puff sequence blocks vertically and two horizontally. If you made an adjustment to the length of the back panel, be sure to do the same for both of your front panels. While I recognize measuring in order to alter the size is not ideal, it is the best way to ensure a proper fit.
Assembly
Lay your pieces flat with the wrong side facing upward. Place a front panel on either side of the back panel.
Measure 10” (two 3×3 blocks) from the bottom of the back and side panel. This is where your arm hole will begin. Using your ZZ Twist or other complementary yarn, seam up from the bottom for both front panels. Seam across the top of both panels starting at the outer edges and working your way inward for about 5” (one 3×3 block).
You should now have what looks like a vest. If you try it on and it doesn’t fit very well, don’t worry. The collar and border sections will pull everything together.
Collar
Join yarn to the top front corner of the vest. If you are right handed, join to the left corner. Lefties join to the right corner.
Note that this schematic does not show the full back panel.
Row 1: Once you have joined your yarn, slip stitch 7, sc 11, dc 13, sc 11, slip stitch 7. Chain 1 and turn. (49 stitches)
Row 2: Decrease (slip 2tog), 5 slip stitches, sc 11, dc 13, sc 11, 5 slip stitches, decrease, chain one and turn. (47 stitches)
Row 3: Decrease, 4 slip stitches, sc 25, 4 slip stitches, decrease. (45 stitches)
Do not break yarn, continue on to border instructions.
Borders
Sides and Lower Edges – Continue from final collar decrease and slip stitch down the front panel to the corner. Decrease before and after the corner (across the two stitches before and after). Work across the bottom, decrease again at the corner and slip stitch up the second front panel. Join to decrease and fasten off.
Arm Holes – Join at the base of the arm hole and slip stitch around for approximately 26 stitches.
Weave in any ends that were not crocheted into the work.
Your vest shape should now have curved due to the slip stitches so that it will fit snug across the bust and naturally arc to accentuate the puff pattern.
And there You have it, All done!!
You may not sell any patterns or claim them as your own. You may make items to sell (i.e. on Etsy, at craft fairs) from these patterns but I ask that you link back to my blog and provide credit for the pattern. All are welcome to share the patterns on social media so long as you link back directly to the blog post (providing the link). No copy & paste of the patterns will be allowed under any circumstances.
Be sure to tag @knot.bad and @yarnpunk on your socials and use the hashtag #yarnpunk!
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