Knitting an Eccentric Cable Vest: A Step-by-Step Guide





Materials Needed
You’ll need:
- 4 (5, 5, 6, 6) balls of RED HEART® Soft® yarn: 9870 Deep Sea.
- Susan Bates® Knitting Needles 4.5mm and 5mm;
- Circle knitting needles and 4.5mm (60 cm long);
- Cable needle;
- Stitch holder;
- 2 stitch markers;
- Yarn needle.
Stitch Control
25 sts x 28 rows = 10 x 10 cm.
Size Information
Sizes available: S. Changes for Medium, Large, X-Large, and 2X-Large are in parentheses.
- Finished Chest: 99 (105.5, 112, 125.5, 132) cm
- Finished Length: 58.5 (62, 66, 70, 73.5) cm
Notes
- The vest is made from two pieces: Back and Front.
- Each piece is worked from the lower edge upwards, beginning with 2x2 Rib, then changing to Eccentric Cable pattern.
- The Eccentric Cable pattern can be worked by following written instructions or reading the chart. Read right side rows of the chart from right to left and wrong side rows from left to right.
Patterns Used
2x2 Rib (multiple of 4 sts + 2 additional sts)
- Row 1 (wrong side): K2, *p2, k2; repeat from * to end.
- Row 2: Knit the knit sts and purl the purl sts, as they appear.
- Repeat Row 2 for 2x2 Rib.
Eccentric Cable Pattern (multiple of 8 sts + 2 additional sts)
- Row 1 (wrong side): K2, *p6, k2; repeat from * to end.
- Row 2: P2, *k6, p2; repeat from * to end.
- Row 3: Repeat Row 1.
- Row 4: P2, *3/3 RC, p2; repeat from * to end.
- Rows 5–8: Repeat Rows 1 and 2 twice.
- Row 9: Repeat Row 1.
- Row 10: Repeat Row 4.
- Rows 11–18: Repeat Rows 1 and 2 four times.
Repeat Rows 1–18 for the Eccentric Cable pattern.
Special Stitch
3/3 RC (3 over 3 right cross) = Slip next 3 stitches to cable needle and hold in back, k3, then k3 from cable needle.
Instructions
Back
With smaller straight needles, cast on 122 (130, 138, 154, 162) sts.
Work in 2x2 Rib until the piece measures about 2" [5 cm] from the beginning, ending with a right side row. Change to larger straight needles.
Work in Eccentric Cable pattern until the piece measures about 35.5 (38, 40.5, 43, 45.5) cm from the beginning, ending with a wrong side row.
Shape Armholes
Note: When instructed to work in pattern "as established," work the next row of the pattern and line up the stitches as in previous rows.
- Row 1 (right side): Bind off 4 sts, continue in Eccentric Cable pattern as established to end of row—118 (126, 134, 150, 158) sts.
- Row 2: Bind off 4 sts, continue in Eccentric Cable pattern as established to end of row—114 (122, 130, 146, 154) sts.
- Row 3: Bind off 2 sts, continue in Eccentric Cable pattern as established to end of row—112 (120, 128, 144, 152) sts.
- Row 4: Bind off 2 sts, continue in Eccentric Cable pattern as established to end of row—110 (118, 126, 142, 150) sts.
- Row 5: Bind off 2 sts, continue in Eccentric Cable pattern as established to end of row—108 (116, 124, 140, 148) sts.
- Row 6: Bind off 2 sts, continue in Eccentric Cable pattern as established to end of row—106 (114, 122, 138, 146) sts.
Work even in Eccentric Cable pattern as established until armholes measure about 20.5 (21.5, 23, 24, 25.5) cm, ending with a wrong side row.
Shape Neck
- Row 1 (right side): Work in Eccentric Cable pattern as established over first 36 (39, 40, 47, 49) sts for the right side, place center 34 (36, 42, 44, 48) sts on holder for back neck, join a 2nd ball of yarn and work in Eccentric Cable pattern as established to end of row for left side—36 (39, 40, 47, 49) sts for each side of the neck.
- Row 2: Work even in Eccentric Cable pattern as established over left side sts; with the other ball of yarn, bind off first 2 sts of right side then work in Eccentric Cable pattern as established to end of side.
- Row 3: Work even in Eccentric Cable pattern as established over right side sts; with the other ball of yarn, bind off first 2 sts of left side then work in Eccentric Cable pattern as established to end of side—34 (37, 38, 45, 47) sts for each side.
- Row 4: Repeat Row 2—34 (37, 38, 45, 47) sts for left side and 32 (35, 36, 43, 45) sts for right side.
Shape Shoulders and Continue Neck Shaping
- Row 1 (right side): Bind off first 15 (16, 17, 21, 22) sts of right side then work even in Eccentric Cable pattern as established to end of side; with the other ball of yarn, bind off first 2 sts of left side then work in Eccentric Cable pattern as established to end of side—32 (35, 36, 43, 45) sts for the left side and 17 (19, 19, 22, 23) sts for the right side.
- Row 2: Bind off first 15 (16, 17, 21, 22) sts of left side then work even in Eccentric Cable pattern as established to end of side; with the other ball of yarn, bind off first 2 sts of the right side then work in Eccentric Cable pattern as established to end of side—17 (19, 19, 22, 23) sts for the left side and 15 (17, 17, 20, 21) sts for the right side.
- Row 3: Bind off all remaining sts of the right side; with the other ball of yarn, bind off first 2 sts of left side then work in Eccentric Cable pattern as established to end of side—15 (17, 17, 20, 21) sts for the left side.
- Row 4: Bind off all remaining sts of the left side.
Front
With smaller straight needles, cast on 122 (130, 138, 154, 162) sts.
Work in 2x2 Rib until piece measures about 2" [5 cm] from beginning, ending with a right side row. Change to larger straight needles.
Work in Eccentric Cable pattern until piece measures about 35.5 (38, 40.5, 43, 45.5) cm from beginning, ending with a wrong side row.
Shape Armholes and Neck
Place a marker on each side of center 2 sts.
Note: You will have 60 (64, 68, 76, 80) sts before the first marker, 2 sts between the markers, and 60 (64, 68, 76, 80) sts following the 2nd marker.
- Row 1 (right side): Bind off 4 sts, continue in Eccentric Cable pattern as established to first marker for left side, join a 2nd ball of yarn, bind off center 2 sts and remove markers, continue in Eccentric Cable pattern as established to end of row for right side—56 (60, 64, 72, 76) sts for left side and 60 (64, 68, 76, 80) sts for right side.
- Row 2: Bind off first 4 sts of right side, continue in Eccentric Cable pattern as established to end of side; with the other ball of yarn, bind off 1 st of left side, continue in Eccentric Cable pattern as established to end of side—55 (59, 63, 71, 75) sts for left side and 56 (60, 64, 72, 76) sts for the right side.
- Row 3: Bind off first 2 sts of left side, continue in Eccentric Cable pattern as established to end of side; with the other ball of yarn, bind off 1 st of right side, continue in Eccentric Cable pattern as established to end of side—53 (57, 61, 69, 73) sts for left side and 55 (59, 63, 71, 75) sts for the right side.
- Row 4: Bind off first 2 sts of right side, continue in Eccentric Cable pattern as established to end of side; with the other ball of yarn, bind off 1 st of left side, continue in Eccentric Cable pattern as established to end of side—52 (56, 60, 68, 72) sts for left side and 53 (57, 61, 69, 73) sts for the right side.
Rows 5 and 6: Repeat Rows 3 and 4—49 (53, 57, 65, 69) sts for left side and 50 (54, 58, 66, 70) sts for right side.
- Row 7: Work even in Eccentric Cable pattern as established to end of left side; with the other ball of yarn, bind off 1 st of right side, continue in Eccentric Cable pattern as established to end of side—49 (53, 57, 65, 69) sts for each side.
- Row 8: Work even in Eccentric Cable pattern as established to end of right side; with the other ball of yarn, bind off 1 st of left side, continue in Eccentric Cable pattern as established to end of side—48 (52, 56, 64, 68) sts for left side and 49 (53, 57, 65, 69) sts for right side.
- Row 9: Repeat Row 7—48 (52, 56, 64, 68) sts for each shoulder.
Rows 10–45 (47, 53, 55, 59): Repeat Rows 8 and 9 for 18 (19, 22, 23, 25) more times—30 (33, 34, 41, 43) sts for each shoulder.
Work even in Eccentric Cable pattern as established over both shoulders using separate balls of yarn until the piece measures the same as the back to the beginning of shoulder shaping, ending with a wrong side row.
Shape Shoulders
- Row 1 (right side): Bind off first 15 (16, 17, 21, 22) sts of left side then work even in Eccentric Cable pattern as established to end of side; with the other ball of yarn, work in Eccentric Cable pattern as established to end of right side.
- Row 2: Bind off first 15 (16, 17, 21, 22) sts of right side then work even in Eccentric Cable pattern as established to end of side; with the other ball of yarn, work in Eccentric Cable pattern as established to end of left side—15 (17, 17, 20, 21) sts for each side.
- Row 3: Bind off all remaining sts of left side; with the other ball of yarn, work in Eccentric Cable pattern as established to end of right side.
- Row 4: Bind off all remaining sts of right side.
Finishing
Sew shoulder seams.
Neckband
With right side facing and circular needle, slip the 34 (36, 42, 44, 48) back neck sts from holder onto circular needle then pick up and k116 (118, 116, 118, 118) sts evenly spaced around remainder of neck edge—150 (154, 158, 162, 166) sts.
Work back and forth in rows on circular needle as if working with straight needles. Work in 2x2 Rib for 3 rows, ending with a wrong side row.
With right side facing, bind off. Sew side edges of neckband together.
Armhole Edging
With right side facing and smaller straight needles, pick up and k98 (102, 106, 110, 114) sts evenly spaced along one armhole edge.
Work in 2x2 Rib for 3 rows, ending with a wrong side row.
With right side facing, bind off. Repeat along 2nd armhole edge.
Sew side seams.
Weave in ends.