Hooded vest

Sizes:
chest circumference: 51 (56) 61 cm;
width of the item: 60 (66) 71 cm;
length to shoulder: 32 (37) 42.
You will need: 6 (7) balls of 50 g yarn “Novita Wool” (100% merino wool) in red color; 1(1,1) ball of 50 g yarn “Novita Wool” in cream color; hooks 4 mm and 4.5 mm; cream colored zipper, 25 (30, 35) cm long; narrow red cord, 160 (170,180) cm long; 4 cord stops or suitable beads.
Types of stitches: see description of stitches.
Knitting density: 10 cm = 7 repeats and 12 rows, knitted in the main pattern with a 4.5 mm hook

WORK DESCRIPTION:

BACK
With a 4.5 mm hook, chain 44 (48, 52) ch with red yarn.
Starting row (wrong side): (1 dc, 1 hdc) in the fourth ch from the hook, * skip 1 ch, (1 dc, 1 hdc) in the next ch, repeat from * to the end, turn. 21 (23, 25) repeats.

Main pattern: Row 1: 2 ch, * skip 1 repeat (1 dc, 1 hdc) before the next repeat, repeat from *, finish (1 dc, 1 hdc) in the 2nd ch, turn.



Shaping the armholes:
Decreasing row 1: skip 1 hdc, 1 slip st in st dc, 2 ch, knit according to the pattern to the last repeat, skip 1 hdc, 1 hdc in the next dc, turn. 19 (21,23) repeats.
Decreasing row 2: 2 ch, knit according to the pattern to the last repeat, skip 1 hdc, 1 hdc in the next dc, turn. 18 (20, 22) repeats. Repeat decreasing row 2 another 5 times. 13 (15,17) repeats. Knit in the main pattern until the length of the back reaches 30.5 (35.5, 40.5) cm. Bind off.

LEFT FRONT
** With a 4.5 mm hook, chain 22 (24, 26) ch with red yarn. Knit the starting row and pattern row as for the back. Continue according to the pattern until the length of the front reaches 17.5 (20.5, 23.5) cm, finish with a wrong side row. **

Shaping the armhole:
Decreasing row 1: skip 1 hdc, 1 slip st in st dc, 2 ch, knit according to the pattern to the end, turn. 9 (10,11) repeats.
Decreasing row 2: 2 ch, knit according to the pattern to the last repeat, skip 1 hdc, 1 hdc in the next dc, turn. 8 (9,10) repeats.
Decreasing row 3: knit according to the pattern, turn. Repeat decreasing rows 2 and 3 two more times. 6 (7, 8) repeats. Knit according to the pattern until the length of the front reaches 25.5 (30.5, 35.5) cm, finish in the middle of the front with a right side row.



Shaping the neckline:
Row 1: 2 ch, skip 1 repeat, 1 hdc before the next repeat, knit according to the pattern to the end, turn. 5 (6,7) whole repeats.
Row 2: 2 ch, knit according to the pattern to the last whole repeat, 1 hdc before the repeat, 1 hdc in the second of 2 ch, turn. 4 (5,6) repeats. Perform rows 1 and 2 again. 3 (3, 4) repeats. Knit according to the pattern until the length of the front reaches 30.5 (35.5,40.5) cm. Bind off.

RIGHT FRONT Knit like the left front, from ** to **.
Shaping the armhole:
Decreasing row 1: knit according to the pattern to the last repeat, skip 1 hdc, 1 hdc in the next dc, turn. 9 (10,11) repeats.
Decreasing row 2: 2 ch, knit according to the pattern to the end, turn. Repeat these two rows 3 more times. 6 (7, 8) repeats. Knit according to the pattern until the length of the front reaches 25.5 (30.5, 35.5) cm, finish with a right side row.

Shaping the neckline:
Row 1: 2 ch, knit according to the pattern to the last whole repeat, 1 hdc before the hdc, 1 hdc in the second of 2 ch, turn. 5 (6, 7) repeats.
Row 2: 2 ch, skip 1 repeat, 1 hdc before the next repeat, knit according to the pattern to the end, turn. 4 (5, 6) repeats. Knit the first (1 and 2, 1 and 2) row(s) again. 3 (3,4) repeats. Knit according to the pattern until the length of the front reaches 30.5 (35.5, 40.5) cm. Bind off.

HOOD
Perform shoulder seams. Keep the work facing you, with a 4.5 mm hook crochet around the neckline with red yarn from the edge of the right front.
Row 1: 2 ch, [1 dc, 1 hdc] in 1 st 9 (9,10) times from the edge of the right front to the shoulder seam, 8(9,9) repeats across the back, (1 dc, 1 hdc) in 1 st from the shoulder seam to the edge of the left front, crochet the last repeat over the 2 ch at the beginning of the first row of the neckline, turn. 25 (27, 29) repeats.
Row 2: 2 ch, 8 (8, 9) repeats according to the pattern, 2 repeats in the next st, 7 (9,9) repeats according to the pattern, 2 repeats in the next st, 8 (8, 9) repeats according to the pattern to the end. 27 (29, 31) repeats. Knit according to the pattern until the length of the hood reaches 19.5 (21.5; 22.5) cm from the edge of the neckline. Bind off.
The next row: without turning the work, insert the hook in the space after 9 (10,10) repeats, 2 ch, 9 (9,11) repeats according to the pattern, turn, leaving unworked 9 (10,10) repeats at the end of the row. Knit according to the pattern for another 12.5 (14,14) cm. Bind off. Perform hood seams. Perform side seams.



Finishing the armholes (2 parts): Keep the work facing you, with a 4 mm hook, crochet around the armholes with cream yarn from the side seam.
Round 1: 1 ch, 3 sc in the edge of every second row around, finish with 1 slip st in the first sc of the round.
Round 2: 1 ch, 1 sc in each sc, finish with 1 slip st in the first sc of the round. Bind off.

FINISHING THE NECKLINE, FRONTS AND BOTTOM Cut the cord in half. Attach a stop or bead to the ends. Keep the work facing you, with a 4 mm hook, crochet with cream yarn from the lower edge of the left front.
Round 1: 1 ch, 1 sc in the base of each st along the bottom of the garment to the corner, 3 sc from one st at the corner, 3 sc in the edge of every second row along the front's edge, 1 sc in each st along the edge of the hood, 3 sc in the edge of each second row, finish in the same corner as the first sc, 1 slip st in the first sc of the round. Do not crochet too tightly.
Round 2: 1 ch, * 1 sc over the first cord and in the next sc, repeat from *, finish with the first sc of the three on the next corner, leave the end of the cord on the right side of the work, 3 sc in the next sc, 1 sc in each sc along the edge of the right front to the beginning of the neckline. Leaving the end of the second cord on the right side of the work, crochet over the cord along the edge of the hood to the beginning of the left front's neckline, leave the cord on the right side, 1 sc in each sc along the edge of the left front, finish with 3 sc in the last sc, 1 slip st in the first sc of the round. Bind off.
Pin the zipper with pins to the edges of the fronts and baste so that the last finishing row almost reaches the teeth. Using cream colored thread or another suitable thread, sew the zipper with a back stitch in each sc. On the neckline, fold the edges of the zipper as neatly as possible. Steam as indicated in the yarn instructions.

The vest can also be knitted from blue yarn, but then the cord should also be blue.