Wildflower Pool Cardi Vest

I've been looking at fashion trends for this coming fall. It seems that the super long cardigan is one of those trends, and it just happens I have a beautiful, long cardigan vest to share with you today! This is a basic pattern that does not involve any shaping. Just crochet three rectangles and single crochet them together! Add a narrow, single crochet border and you have an awesome new vest for your fall wardrobe!

This vest is the result of my brief obsession with color pooling. I was seeing all these posts on Instagram showing cool color play using pooling, and I just HAD to figure out how to do it. Turns out it's actually not that hard. The yarn does most of the work. The trick is, don't try to use two strands of yarn that are changing color the same way, because you will just get a static result. As I figured out the hard way, you have to start one ball at the "beginning" and one at the "end." By this I don't necessarily mean the beginning or end of the skein, but the beginning and end of the color pattern. For example, with the Lion Brand Ferris Wheel yarn that I used for this vest, the colors for most of my skeins started with tan and shifted first to brown, then blue, then purple, hot pink, light pink, then back to tan. For the second color I had to make sure my colors changed the opposite way. This is super important for this reason:

Imagine you start both skeins on the same color, say light pink. If they both transition through the same colors, they will both change to tan next, then brown, and so on. You won't see any variation. If you start with different colors, but changing in the same order, you might have pink and brown first, then tan and blue. Notice you will always have stripes of two different colors.

Now imagine my colors change in the opposite order. If I start with pink and brown, they will both shift to tan next - that's my "color pool." Then the one that started with pink will shift from tan to brown, and the one that started at brown will shift from tan to pink. With the colors in Ferris Wheel yarn, I got two different "pools" of color. On the back of my vest the light pink pooled and so did the blue/purple.

At about the same time as my pooling obsession, I discovered this new Ferris Wheel yarn from Lion Brand. The colors are gorgeous! I picked up two different colors: Morning Java, which you will see this fall when I release the cardigan I am working on, and Wild Violets, which inspired the name for this vest. I love the way the pinks work with the blue and brown. It really does have the colors of a wildflower field.

I was even happier with this yarn after I washed my cardi vest for the first time. Now it is super soft and stretchy - even comfier than I thought it would be. I always choose yarn that can be washed and dried in a machine. Who has time to hand wash clothes?

As always, you can get an ad free, printable, pdf version of this pattern in my Etsy shop. If you make any of my designs, share them on instagram #yarnmare.

Are you ready to start crocheting your own Wildflower Pool Cardi Vest?

Side note: As I sat down this morning to share this comfy, new cardi vest, I saw all sorts of wildlife out in the fog. I just had to get a few pictures to share. I know many of you love to see wildlife, and I certainly have enough to share!

Baby deer hanging with Walter.

Turkeys out in the "grassy field."

Mama deer and her baby found Walter's corn.

Mama got spooked by Walter hanging out under the wagon.

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Wildflower Pool Cardi Vest

Crochet Pattern

This long cardigan vest is the perfect addition to your late summer/fall wardrobe. It is long, yet light and airy, and is the perfect casual vest over jeans and a t-shirt. It also pairs well with long sleeves and turtlenecks for an extra layer in the fall. This vest would look super cute over a mini skirt with tall boots!

The Wildflower Pool Cardi Vest is an easy, beginner pattern. It uses a stitch called the rope stitch, which is similar to the v-stitch, but with more chain spaces between each ‘v’. The only stitches needed for this vest are chain, single crochet, double crochet and slip stitch. It is created by crocheting three rectangles and seaming them together. Then a simple border is added. The color pattern is created using a technique called “pooling.” Stripes are worked using two different balls of yarn, with the colors changing in opposite order. That way certain colors “pool” together, while stripes of different colors form in between.

Difficulty

⚫ ⚪ ⚪ ⚪ ⚪

Finished Sizes

This pattern is written for sizes XS (0-2), S (4-6), M (8-10), L (12-14), XL (16-18), 2XL (18-20W), and 3XL (22-24W), and 4XL (26-28W). It is designed to be worn a little loose, with a positive ease of 1”-3”. Sizes are listed as XS (S, M, L, XL, 2XL, 3XL, 4XL)

All measurements are approximate as this fabric has a significant amount of stretch. 

Length (laying flat): 39 (39, 42, 42, 42, 45, 45, 45)”/99 (99, 107, 107, 107, 114, 114, 114) cm
Back width: 16 (18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30)”/41 (46, 51, 56, 61, 66, 71, 76) cm
Front panel width: 8.5 (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)”/22 (25, 28, 30, 33, 37, 41, 43) cm
Length (hanging or while worn): 45 (45, 48, 48, 51, 51, 51)”/114 (114, 122, 122, 122, 130, 130, 130) cm

Size L is show on 5’7” model with 39” bust.

Adjustments
It is easy to make adjustments to suit your taste and body style. To make the vest longer or shorter, crochet more or fewer rows in each section. Add or subtract approximately 2 rows per inch of increase or decrease when laid flat.

To make the front panels larger to accommodate a larger chest, just chain three more on the foundation chain for each extra ‘v’ you would like to add to the width. Each ‘v’ adds about ¾”.

Instructions are written using standard US abbreviations. 

Ch - chain

Sc - single crochet

Dc - double crochet

Sl st - slip stitch

Materials

Lion Brand Ferris Wheel yarn (3 oz./85 g; 270 yd/247 m): 4 (5, 5, 6, 6, 7, 8, 8) skeins in Wild Violets (#602) - for an odd number of balls, either round up to the next even number or use one ball working from both the center and outside at the same time.

Size H/8 (5.00 mm) crochet hook or size needed to obtain gauge

Tapestry needle (for weaving in ends)

Gauge

Approximately:

5.5 ‘v’s (16 stitches) = 4”

7.5 rows in rope stitch pattern = 4”

Notes

Vest is crocheted in three rectangles. The large rectangle forms the back of the vest, then two smaller rectangles are crocheted for the front pieces. The vest is seamed at the shoulders and the sides, then a sc border is added around the armholes and the front opening.

Color Pattern

To achieve the pooling effect with the yarn, start with opposite ends of the color gradient. You may have to pull one skein from the center while the other skein is used from the outside, but double check. Not all skeins are wrapped in the same direction. For example, the color pattern in one of my working skeins was brown, blue, purple, hot pink, light pink, tan. For the other working skein, the colors transitioned in the opposite direction: tan, light pink, hot pink, purple, blue, brown. 

To further control the color pattern, list the colors out side by side (like I did below). By lining up the colors you want pooled together, you can determine which two colors to start with. In the pattern below, the blue and the light pink will pool, and the other colors will stripe. Or you can just let the colors fall where they will. You can see some of the different effects in this picture. 

Color A       Color B

Brown         Purple

Blue          Blue

Purple        Brown

Hot pink      Tan

Light pink    Light pink

Tan           Hot pink

Instructions
Pattern is written for size XS, with larger sizes in parentheses [XS (S, M, L, XL. 2XL, 3XL, 4XL)]. Be sure to follow the instructions for the size you are making.
Each row after the first row is worked twice in the same direction, once in each color. Note that these are technically the same color of yarn, just worked in the opposite direction. It may help to label your yarns A and B to keep track as you work.

Back
With color A, ch 66 (75, 84, 93, 99, 108, 117, 126).
Row 1 (Color A): (work in the back bump of each chain across to leave a neat bottom edge to your work - border will not be worked along bottom edge) Sc in back bump of 2nd chain from hook. Sc in back bump of next ch. *ch 1, sk 1 ch, sc in back bump of next two ch. Repeat from * across. Change colors in last sc. (Draw up first loop of sc. Yo in new color and draw through both loops on hook.)

Yo with color B

Draw new color through both loops

Row 2 (Color B): Ch 3, [dc, ch 1, dc] in first ch 1 sp (1 ‘v’ created). [Dc, ch 1, dc] in each ch 1 sp across. Dc in top of turn ch. Do NOT turn. Pull up a large loop and remove hook. Continue in same direction with dropped yarn at beginning of row.

Pull up a big loop and remove hook

Insert hook into top of turn chain at BEGINNING of row

Yo and draw up a loop of color A

Chain 3 and work across row in same direction

Row 2 (Color A): (work in the SAME direction as first part of Row 2) Insert hook in top of turn chain at beginning of Row 2. Pull up a loop of the dropped color from Row 1. Ch 3. [dc, ch 1, dc] in each ch 1 sp across. Dc in top of last dc. Before drawing through last two loops of dc, place dropped loop from Row 2 onto hook. Yo with the new color and draw through all three loops on hook. Turn.

Place dropped loop onto hook halfway through last dc

Yo with color B and draw through all three loops on hook.

Continue to work twice in each direction, once for each color. Repeat both parts of Row 2 until you have crocheted 75 (75, 81, 81, 81, 87, 87, 87) rows or 37 (37, 40, 40, 40, 43, 43, 43) double rows plus foundation row. Crochet more or fewer rows to adjust length. Fasten off.

Front (make 2)
With color A, ch 36 (42, 45, 51, 54, 60, 66, 72). Work as for back to the same total length.

Finishing
Sew shoulder seams
Line up front pieces on top of back piece. Measure approximately 6-7” (about ⅓ of the total width, or any back neck measurement you want) in the center of the back and mark the stitches at either end. This is the back neck. The vest will stretch, so mark with fabric somewhat stretched, or make it smaller to allow for stretching. You can try it on before you fasten off the shoulder seams to check fit.

Attach yarn at armhole edge of shoulder seam, with right sides facing each other and wrong sides out. Note: there isn’t a right or wrong side to the fabric, so choose the side you like best as the right side. Sc across to marker. Repeat for other shoulder seam. Be sure to try it on to make sure the fit is comfortable before fastening off.

Sew side seams
Lay vest flat, inside-out. Measure from shoulder seam along side approximately 10”. Place stitch markers. Check armhole fit and adjust as needed. Count rows to make sure there are the same number of rows for the front of the armhole as there are for the back of the armhole.

Attach yarn at bottom edge and sc up side of vest. Place 1 sc in each dc/turn ch space and one sc in end stitch between each color change. Stop at stitch markers. Do not fasten off. Armhole border will continue from this point. Repeat for other side seam, counting same number of armhole rows as first side.

Armhole edging
Pick up loop of last stitch of side seam. Working on inside of armhole with wrong sides out (armhole edging is worked from the right side), or turn vest right side out and work around outside, sc in first dc s., *Ch 1, sc in next space. Repeat from * around. Sc in last dc/ch 3 sp. Sl st in first 2 stitches of side seam. Fasten off. Repeat for second armhole.

Front edging
Attach yarn at bottom of right front to work up front edge with right side facing.
Right front edge: Sc in end of foundation row. Sc in first dc/ch 3 sp. *Ch 1, sc in next dc/ch 3 sp. Repeat from * to first corner. 2 sc in top of turn ch.
Neck edge: Ch 1, sc in ch 1 sp of v; ch 1, sc in sp between v’s. Repeat pattern around neck edge. 2 sc in top of turn ch.
Left front edge:  *Ch 1, sc in dc/ch3 sp. Repeat from * to bottom of left front edge. Sc in end of foundation row. Fasten off.

Use a tapestry needle to weave in ends.

Copyright © 2019 Sharon Hansen/Yarnmare

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The pattern and photographs of this design are the property of Sharon Hansen/Yarnmare. This pattern and design are subject to copyright, and are for personal, non-commercial use only. You may not distribute or sell this pattern or any items created using the directions in this pattern without consent. Please email yarnmare@gmail.com with any questions.