KNITmuch Issue 1 | Page 10

Knit Glenna Harris a vest for Matthew with Downton Abbey Yarn The Matthew yarn, which is a worsted weight blend including 20% wool, has a nice tweedy look. Just right for a character like Matthew who spends a lot of time outside on the Crawley estate, or cycling to his work office. The Matthew yarn has several great free patterns designed by Premier Yarns to go with it, including the Crawley Vest. The vest is one of the few garment patterns included in the Downton Abbey Yarn Collection, and it would be a nice selection if you're new to making garments. Making the jump from smaller accessories to larger garments can often involve a different selection of skills and techniques. However, since vests cover the body but don’t include sleeves, as pullovers and cardigans do, a vest can be a good “starter” garment. And, in a worsted weight yarn like this one, it will knit up a bit faster than a lighter DK or sport weight yarn. This is a classic V-neck vest with a simple textured stitch pattern. We introduced some slipped stitch patterns in our September KNITmuch blog posts, so you might enjoy looking at those posts if this is new to you! When knitting up this vest, these are the skills you can expect to use: • Casting on and binding off • Working knit, pur