How to Knit a Wrap Vest Scarf

I have effectively forfeit the element of wardrobe surprise; through different phases, energy levels, and environments, I have dressed in dully colored leisure-wear, grandmotherly floral prints, pirate, and hobbit clothes. One of the few consistent features in these fashions is the beauty of layering.

Not all of us want to heap on the layers like an Edwardian countess, and fortunately, that isn’t necessary to achieve a more detailed appearance. Simply adding one or two layers is sufficient. For this knitting project, I wanted to create a piece that shaped the layers below without covering them up entirely. A scarf turned into a wrap vest would allow billowy, pirate-y button downs to remain ruffly without looking like a sweater pulled over a lumpy set of rags.

The Basic Pattern

The pattern I made was extremely simple. Below are the instructions fitting to my size, which is something around a women’s small.

I used US 6 needles and approximately 2 skeins of worsted weight yarn (approximately 550 yards, but this is an imprecise guess).

1. Cast on 41 stitches. I have a favorite cast on method using two tails, but any method should do. If you size differently, then only be sure to cast on an odd number of stitches. That way you can always begin a row on the same stitch regardless of whether it is the “wrong side” or the “right side”.

   
   

2. Knit 1 stitch, Purl 1 stitch, repeating to the end of the row. You should finish on a knit stitch.

   
   

3. Turn piece and repeat step 2 until the scarf is the desired length.

   
   

4. Periodically check that the wrap vest is approaching the right length by draping the scarf over the shoulders, crossing the ends in the front, and finally wrapping the ends to meet in the center of your back. When the scarf is the necessary length, cast off and weave in any loose ends.

   
   

5. Wrap the scarf as desired and pin the short ends together. Also pin the two parts of the back together.

   
   

6. Remove and mattress stitch (or other stitch) together.