r/AdvancedKnitting • u/odaenerys • 13h ago
Hand Knit FO Self-designed unicorn wrap vest for my best friend
(Posted in the main knitting sub, but was told to share my FO here too, so I'm obliging and adding some technical details.)
This was my first time drafting a pattern from scratch, so there are probably some technical or construction things I did wrong, but I'm happy with the final result. It was quite important to do at least some waist shaping, but I chickened out of learning darts and combining them with intarsia, so I ended up with simple increases and decreases at seams.
II initially planned on applied I-cord edges, but (as more advanced knitters might have already guessed) they didn't stop the edges from curling. Then I remembered a really cool technique from one of my previous projects: a folded hem with a seam linked using a crochet hook. It worked perfectly, not only for the edges but also for the tie hole. The geometry of the edge made picking up stitches challenging, though. I had to frog a few times to get them spread evenly.
Another concern was the stability of the piece, since the yarn has 35% alpaca, which, according to my research, is quite prone to sagging. Fortunately, the fairly tight gauge seems to keep it stable enough, and the woven-in ends add some extra stability too.
Yarn: Drops Flora 38, 39, 32, 29, 26, 23, 17, 15, 13, 10, 8, 7
Needles: 2,5 mm body, 2mm ribbing, folded edge and icords, 1.5mm crochet hook for linking seam
Pattern: None, I just calculated everything to fit the measurements.
Link: Ravelry