Slip Stitch Vest Pattern

Size small
Sizes medium and large are in parentheses

MATERIAL:
3 (3-4) skeins Knitting Worsted or Orion Sayelle (4 oz. skein)
1 pair knitting needles each No. 6 and No. 8 or any size needles which will give stitch gauge given below
2 stitch holders
5 (5-6) buttons

GAUGE: 5 sts. = 1 inch

PATTERN:
1st row: * K5, slip 1 as if to P (yarn in back) re­peat from * across row end K5.
2nd row: P across row.
Repeat these 2 rows for pattern.

BACK:
   Cast on 82 (86-92) sts. with No. 8 needles and work in ribbing K1, P1 for 1 inch (all sizes). Incr. 1 (3-3) sts. at even intervals across last row of ribbing. Change to pattern. With 83 (89-95) sts. work even until piece meas­ures 14½ (15-15½) inch. or any des. length to underarm. Bind off for armhole at the beg. of the next 2 rows 6 (7-8) sts., at the beg. of the next 4 rows 2 sts. (all sizes). Decr. 1 st. at each end of every other row until 59 (65-69) sts. are left. Work even for 7½ (8-8½) inch. from the first binding off. Bind off for shoulders at the beg. of the next 6 (4-4) rows 6 (10-11) sts., rem. 23 (25-26) sts. bind off for neck.

LEFT FRONT:
   Cast on 50 (54-58) sts. with No. 8 needles and work in ribbing K1, P1 for 1 inch (all sizes), keeping the 7 cen­ter front sts. in ribbing K1, P1 throughout the entire front. Change to pattern. FOR SIZES SMALL AND LARGE ONLY: end first row K7 (9). Work even until piece measures 2 inch. less than back to underarm. Decr. for neck 1 st. at center edge every 3rd row inside the 7 border sts. 15 (16-17) times. At the same time when piece measures as long as back to underarm bind off at armhole edge at the beg. of the next row 6 (7-8) sts. and at the beg. of the next 2 rows at same edge 2 sts. (all sizes). Rem. 18 (20-22) sts. and 7 border sts. work as high as back and bind off for shoulder at armhole edge 6 (10-11) sts. 3 (2-2) times. Rem. 7 sts. cont. to work in ribbing for 2¼ (2½-2¾) inch. Slip sts. to a holder.

RIGHT FRONT:
   Work as Left Front reversing all shapings and work in 5 (5-6) buttonholes evenly spaced apart, placing first buttonhole 1 inch from beg. and last one 2 rows below V neck shaping. (To make a buttonhole: K1, P1, bind off 2 sts., K1, P1. On next row cast on 2 sts. over the 2 bound off sts. of previous row.)

FINISHING:
   Sew up shoulder seams. Weave neckbands tog. in cen­ter of back and sew border to back of neck. Armband: Right side facing you pick up with No. 6 needles 72 (76-80) sts. around the armhole and work in ribbing K1, P1 for 5 rows. Bind off loosely K as K and P as P. Work the other armband to correspond. Sew buttons in place and block to size.