Since baby Owen arrived so suddenly at New Year's, the last three months involved a time of, among other things, increasing crafty desperation. I simply hadn't had time to make stuff for this kid, and it was beginning to severely cramp my style.
A crocheted vest would surely come to my rescue. I crochet way faster than I knit, and the lack of sleeves would make such a project a quick one – and therefore one that would satisfy my increasingly hungry make-something monster.
I happened to have a couple of skeins of Spud & Chloe Sweater yarn at home, so I was able to start on a Hank Vest from Robyn Chachula's Baby Blueprint Crochet book as soon as I found fifteen minutes of time by myself. So desperate was I to get going that once I realized the turquoise contrast colour I had wasn't really going to create the look I wanted, I simply altered the pattern to buy me the time to get a less shiny navy skein, while allowing me to crochet like mad in the main colour.
So instead of doing the colourwork pattern at the shoulders and top of the back, I worked the whole body of the vest in orange, then I used the navy yarn I eventually bought do the ribbing at the hem, armholes and neckline, and to create a zipper border down the front.
Now, that zipper. This was, believe it or not, the first time I ever sewed a zipper into a crocheted or knitted project. Know what? I now love buttons even more. Crocheted fabric is stretchy, people. And though I'm comfortable sewing zippers into sewing projects, this one was a beast. That said, I'm really glad I did it, even if I had to rip out half the zipper after I managed to sew it in a full half-inch offset from the other half.
Overall, I love this project. It's simple and quick, and it's undeniably adorable. And best of all, it's a little bit big on Owen, so he'll be able to wear it through the spring. (Or, if he continues to grow as fast as he's been growing in the last week, at least through April.)