Monday, June 4, 2012

Crochet Vest

 Do you remember this basket full of yarn?  I started my crochet vest in the beginning of March.  I was so excited and a little apprehensive as I could not get the correct gauge for the squares.  I ended up having to go up two hook sizes and doubling up the yarn.  I knew this was going to be a fly by the seat of my pants project, because I did not know if I would have enough yarn to complete it.
 The yarn I found that was comparable to what the pattern suggested is actually used for weaving.  Buying the suggested yarn was not happening at almost $200. I initially tried this with one strand and it was not working at all.  Doubling it up and hoping for the best is all I could do.
  This is the Abelia Jacket by Judith Swartz from the winter issue of Interweave Crochet. Obviously this is not going to be a jacket due to lack of yarn so I went for a vest instead.
 After the border, this is all the yarn I have left.  I really enjoyed the pattern.  153 squares, join as you go,  holes left for the arms, and a border, simple.  I decided to make two extra joins on each side of the squares as just 3 joins seemed too loose for me. 
 I will try to get a picture of me in it sometime in the future for your honest opinion.  Here I go again, but I just don't think you can tell if something is really nice or not if you have made it.  Is it really cheesy but you are not seeing it because you have spent three months working on this project?  It will definitely hang  loosely and have a bit of an artsy feel to it.
Aren't these gorgeous.  A friend of mine handed me these bulbs a year ago to plant.  Bulbs  do not usually do so well here in Florida.  These sprouted right away and continue to flower every few months. 

Hope you had a lovely weekend.  And for all my friends in the UK, hope the Jubilee is all you had dreamed it to be.

19 comments:

Susanne Tyree said...

I bet you are so relieved to finally be done with your vest. I love the colors and can't wait to see a pic of you wearing it. The flowers are very pretty. If you didn't know what they would look like when she gave you the bulbs, then what a pleasant surprise when they bloomed. I never gave much thought that Florida wouldn't be a good region for bulbs. Here in Ohio we have them blooming every spring, but that is it. They die off and you aren't suppose to clear away the greenery from them until it all dies off. The reason for that is the bulb is getting all it needs from the leaf blades and storing it in the bulb for the next year. We are suppose to transplant in the fall, and mine sure need transplanting.
Hope you have a good week.
(((HUGS))) Susanne :)

Unknown said...

Your vest is beautiful! I love the colors. I bet it will look great on you. Thank you again for all the nice comments you send me about my blog.

Crystal Rose Cottage said...

I am anxious to see you in the vest! You can wear it when you come up to visit your son. So MANY people wear Scarlet and Gray up here! ~Hugs, Patti

MaryMargaret said...

Even laying flat, your best is gorgeous! I can't wait to see you wearing it. Is it full-on monster time, now that the vest is done?

Lap Dog Knits said...

Wow...this is really beautiful!!

Love, love, love the colors!

I have a vest in progress..
knit...for my mom...
she's still waiting...and getting
older by the hour...

I best get to it...thank you for the inspiration!

Between Me and You said...

You really are a wonderful crochet artist, Meredith - your vest will look stunning on you - it already looks stunning hanging up!Well done on your perseverance and patience on finishing your lovely project. Thank you too for taking the time to pop over to mine and leave your sweet comment.

Gracie Saylor said...

Meredith, your vest is really amazing...so much beautiful work.
I hope you enjoy wearing it for many years to come.
Your flowers are lovely, too:)
Joy to you,
Gracie <3

Anonymous said...

Wow! That's REALLY squeeking by with the yarn. Glad you were able to finish. Can't wait to see you wear it. Of course, with this heat, I don't blame you if you wait awhile.

kathy b said...

WOw VEst success..... That is a ton of Work Mere. I hope you feel great whenever you wear it, wherever you wear it...
worthy of a Jubilee! itself.
Love your flowers........

Kris said...

I remember when you started that vest. I bet it looks great! And the flowers are oh so pretty. I have tons of lilies here at my house.
XO Kris

Rose Red said...

Congratulations on finishing! And yay for having enough yarn, just! I think it will suit you very well, it is a flattering shape.

Annie Cholewa said...

This is just soooooo pretty, and I bet you'll look fantastic in it. What a sense of achievement you must feel after overcoming the obstacles to getting it finished. Those anxious moments when you think the yarn will run out are just the worst!

Eileen said...

Love your vest! What a great accomplishment! The colors are beautiful and I can't wait to see you in it. Artsy indeed!
Eileen
xo

Stitchy Mc Floss said...

Your vest is lovely. I can't wait to see a pic of you wearing it. :)

The flowers are so pretty.

Hugs to Max and blessings always.

Anonymous said...

Thank you ... I heard from someone that saw him after I left that he was quite overwhelmed. :-)

Tammy@T's Daily Treasures said...

Hey there Meredith! Woohoo for finishing the vest. You definitely must model it for us.

How come you can't have sugar? I never use as much as is called for in a recipe. Even in those sugar cookies, I cut back. As for the tea, it is all organic, no sweeteners. The only tea that I think needs to be sweetened is black tea which I don't drink often. Or if you are in India, then the tea is always thick and sweet with milk, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom. Yum!

Have a great day! Tammy

crafterzdelights said...

The vest is beautiful, I love the color combo!

Annaboo's House said...

What great colours- and a very pretty pattern in those squares too.
I bet it looks fab on you.
Have a super weekend.
PS do post a pic of you modelling it..!

Anneliese said...

Lovely work! You seem to be so prolific with knitting and crochet! I wanted to pop over and thank you for the nice comments you've been leaving on my blog. -Anneliese