Finally! The Jacob Vest

For months now, I've been going on about how I want to make a garment out of my own handspun, breed-specific wool. And here it is! To bring Wovember to a close, I've finally finished this vest made from local Jacob wool. 

I designed the vest to be a v-neck as I can't stand clothes that feel tight around my neck, and included a subtle cable just to keep things entertaining. 

When I got to knitting this vest, I realized that the colors weren't separated all that well - a combination of the preparation before it came to me and my own novice spinning skills. Some bits were much darker or lighter than others, especially the lighter colors.

I was going for a gradual color shift - darker on bottom and lighter on top - and ended up with a mishmash that in no way achieved what I was going for. So there was a lot of ripping out, re-sorting colors, and re-knitting.

What excites me most about this vest are the pockets. It's my first foray into knitting pockets, and I couldn't be happier about it. I used a lifeline in my knitting where I wanted the pockets to start and end, then picked up from the lifeline at the bottom, knit up to the end, and sewed down the top edge and the side edge of the pockets. 

This vest also features a zipper, which I'd never inserted into a knitted garment before, either. Overall it was quite simple, and I'm so pleased with the result. 

The vest is entirely my own design, and I'm working on a few modifications to it before I write up the pattern. Do let me know if you're interested in test knitting once the pattern is ready!

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