Man’s Aran Vest Free Knitting Pattern with Argyle Cable.
This pattern is for a men’s sleeveless sweater with a complex cable pattern that creates an argyle-like design. The body is worked in two pieces (front and back) from the bottom up, starting with a ribbed hem. The cable pattern is worked over a 24-row repeat. The front has a V-neck shaping, while the back has straight armholes. Ribbed bands are added to the armholes and neckline after the body pieces are seamed together.
Skill Level:
Advanced. Here’s why:
- Complex Cable Pattern: The 24-row cable repeat involves multiple different cable stitches and requires very careful attention to the instructions. Keeping track of the row number and the placement of the cables is crucial.
- Shaping: The V-neck shaping on the front involves simultaneous decreases for both the armhole and the neckline.
- Reading a Pattern: The pattern uses abbreviations and assumes a certain level of knitting knowledge (e.g., it doesn’t explain how to do a basic K2tog).
- Vintage Pattern: Vintage patterns often have less hand-holding than modern patterns. They may use older terminology or assume familiarity with techniques that are less common today.
Materials:
- Yarn: The pattern specifies “Patons Herdwick,” but this yarn is likely discontinued. The key is to find a yarn that achieves the specified tension (gauge). Given the needle sizes and tension, a DK (Double Knitting) or possibly a light worsted weight yarn would be appropriate.
- Needles:
- 4.00mm (UK 8 / US 6) straight needles
- 3.25mm (UK 10 / US 3) straight needles
- 3.25mm (UK 10 / US 3) set of needles (this likely means double-pointed needles, DPNs, for working the neckband in the round)
- Other:
- Cable needle
- Stitch holder
- Tapestry needle (for sewing seams)
Yarn Considerations:
- Weight: DK or light worsted, to match the gauge.
- Fiber: A wool or wool blend would be traditional for Aran knitting. A yarn with good stitch definition is essential to show off the cable pattern.
- Substitution: Finding a direct substitute for a discontinued yarn can be difficult. The most important thing is to find a yarn that achieves the correct gauge (22 sts to 10 cm in stocking stitch).
This free vintage knitting pattern offers instructions for crafting a men’s Aran Argyle Cable Detail Vest, a sophisticated and timeless sleeveless sweater. The design masterfully blends traditional Aran cable stitches with an argyle-inspired layout, creating a visually rich and textured garment. The argyle effect is achieved not through intarsia colorwork, but through the clever arrangement of four distinct cable stitches (“Cable A,” “Cable B,” “Cable C,” and “Cable D”) against a background of knit and purl stitches, forming diamond shapes across the body.
The vest is constructed in two separate pieces, a front and a back, both worked from the bottom up, beginning with a K1, P1 ribbed hem. The complex 24-row cable pattern repeat forms the core of the design, demanding careful attention and precise execution. The front piece features a V-neck shaping, achieved through simultaneous decreases at both the armhole and neck edges, while the back has straight armholes.
After seaming the shoulders, ribbed bands are added to the armholes, worked flat, and to the neckline, worked in the round using a set of double-pointed needles.
TENSION
22 sts to 10 cm (approx 4 ins) in width over stocking st.
ABBREVIATIONS
st(s): Stitch(es) – The basic unit of knitting.
K: Knit – The most fundamental knitting stitch.
P: Purl – The second fundamental knitting stitch, the inverse of knit.
tog: Together – Indicates that you’ll work two or more stitches together as one, usually a decrease.
SM: Stitch Marker – A small ring or loop used to mark a specific point in your knitting.
RS: Right Side – The “public” or “front” side of the knitted fabric.
WS: Wrong Side – The “back” or “inside” of the knitted fabric.
yo: Yarn Over – Wrapping the yarn around the needle to create a new stitch (often used for increases or in lace patterns). Although it is in the list, the yo is not actually used within the main body pattern, only in the buttonhole row of a different pattern. In this specific Aran pattern, it’s not a general instruction.
M1R (right-leaning increase): Make 1 Right – A specific type of increase that leans to the right. The pattern does not use this, it was in the previous pattern.
M1L (left-leaning increase): Make 1 Left – A specific type of increase that leans to the left. The pattern does not use this.
tbl: Through Back Loop – Indicates that you should work a stitch (usually a knit or purl) by inserting the needle into the back loop of the stitch instead of the front loop. This twists the stitch.
sl1: Slip 1 – Move a stitch from the left needle to the right needle without working it.
psso: Pass Slipped Stitch Over – After slipping a stitch and knitting the next stitch, you lift the slipped stitch over the knitted stitch and off the needle. This is a decrease.
ybk: Yarn Back-Bring yarn to the back of your work.
“Cable A”: Slip next 2 sts on to cable needle and leave at front of work, K2 tbl, then K2 tbl from cable needle.
“Cable B”: Slip next st on to cable needle and leave at back of work, K2 tbl, then P1 from cable needle.
“Cable C”: Slip next 2 sts on to cable needle and leave at front of work, K1, then K2 tbl from cable needle.
“Cable D”: Slip next 2 sts on to cable needle and leave at front of work, P1, then K2 tbl from cable needle.
Key things to note about these abbreviations:
Context is Key: Some abbreviations (like “tog”) have a general meaning, but their specific application is determined by the surrounding instructions.
Cable Definitions: The most important abbreviations in this pattern are the definitions for “Cable A,” “Cable B,” “Cable C,” and “Cable D.” These are the core of the design.
tbl: The “tbl” (through back loop) instruction is crucial for the look of the cables and the overall texture. Don’t skip this! It creates the twisted stitches that define Aran knitting.
Vintage pattern from Patons-619-Herdwick-Pattern.
