City Waistcoat: new crochet pattern

My journey in garment design continues, and here is a new addition to the modest collection of the patterns by Lilla Bjorn. Waistcoats are popular this season, whether fabric or knitted. So, I decided to design one by myself. And here it is – a City Waistcoat.

Less is more.

This works in all spheres of our lives. And although I am a little addicted to intricate crochet with lots of details, sometimes it feels relaxing to create something simple.

The pattern is available on Ravelry HERE and Esty HERE and you will get an automated 20% discount through Monday, June 24th. You do not have to enter any codes, as the pattern is discounted right now and will be listed at a regular price after Monday.

City Waistcoat is designed to have approx. 5-10cm/2-4in of positive ease in the smaller sizes and then gradually less positive ease in the larger sizes. Before beginning your project, measure yourself to determine which size will fit you the best.

The pattern comes in 10 sizes to fit an actual bust of 75-150cm/29½-59in. It is worked from the top down. First, the back yoke is worked back and forth and shaped with short rows for the shoulders. Then, the shoulders/fronts are worked from stitches that are added along the top of the slanting parts of the back yoke. The body with buttonholes is worked back and forth. Then the edging is added.

We have tested it in a variety of sizes, and I am happy to say the fit turned out great in every size. Because it is a top-down garment, you can easily adjust it as you go. The armholes can be made wider, the length can be adjusted as you need with more or fewer buttonholes.

And you can also play with the width by adding more stitches for the lower body.

The stitch pattern is basic with only single crochet and chain-spaces used (US terms), so even a crochet beginners can handle it. For additional help, I have recorded a few video tutorials explaining every step.

For me, light cotton yarn worked the best for a City Waistcoat.

I am in love with Scheepjes Organicon version. It is light and soft, perfect for hot days. And then I created two more waistcoats: one with Scheepjes Bamboo Soft and the other with Scheepjes Cotton 8.

Bamboo soft is nice against the skin and creates a little thicker fabric. And Cotton 8 is great, too. It is on a stiffer side, but for sure will soften with wear. And it is a low budget version too with numerous color possibilities.

Check Scheepjes yarns in your local Scheepjes store, or via online retailers: Wool Warehouse (UK, international shipping), Caro’s Atelier (NL, Europe), Taemombo (US&Canada).

We had a fun time with a photographer taking pictures of all three City Waistcoats. We constructed several looks with jeans and a skirt, wearing waistcoats either on their own or with the shirts underneath.