Hello it's Me

Hello, it's Me Moto Vest by Deb Hoss

What is Being Made

Hello, it's Me is a shaped moto vest designed by Deb Hoss, featuring a contemporary motorcycle-inspired silhouette. This waistcoat is worked primarily flat from the bottom up, with strategic in-the-round sections for finishing. The design includes a distinctive front lap construction with a single seam that attaches the left lap to its diagonal counterpart, creating the characteristic moto vest aesthetic. A 2-way separating zipper serves as the closure, adding extra visual sparkle to the finished garment. The vest is positioned as a sister design to the Elsie cardigan, offering year-round wearability with a fun, quick knitting experience.

Techniques Used

This intermediate-level pattern incorporates several key knitting techniques that add depth and structure to the design. The construction method begins with a long-tail cast-on at the bottom edge, followed by flat knitting worked upward. Short row shaping is employed to create the fitted, contoured silhouette characteristic of a moto vest. Decreasing techniques, primarily using knit two together (k2tog), are used to shape the garment, while increasing stitches using the kfb method add fullness where needed. The shoulders are finished using Kitchener stitch grafting to create a seamless join. Stitch pick-up is required for both the neckline and armhole trim sections, which are worked in-the-round for a polished finish. The pattern includes a photo tutorial to guide the zipper installation process, removing guesswork from this final step. A single seam attaches the front laps together, completing the moto vest construction.

Stitches Used

• Garter Stitch: The primary stitch throughout the vest, created by knitting every row when working flat. This classic stitch provides texture, structure, and reversibility to the garment.
• Knit Two Together (k2tog): A right-leaning decrease used for shaping the vest silhouette.
• Kfb (Knit Front and Back): An increase technique used to add stitches where the design requires additional width.
• Kitchener Stitch: A grafting technique used to seamlessly join the shoulder stitches, eliminating a bulky seam at this visible location.

Materials and Specifications

Hello, it's Me is designed to be worked in heavy worsted weight yarn, providing excellent stitch definition and drape suitable for a structured vest. The pattern is available in seven sizes ranging from 32 inches to 56 inches (81.3 to 142.2 centimeters), with the photographed sample shown in size 36 inches (91.4 centimeters) worn with no ease. Appropriate needles for heavy worsted yarn are required, along with a 2-way separating zipper for the front closure (a 1-way version is also acceptable as an alternative). The downloadable PDF format allows immediate access to the complete pattern, including the photo tutorial for zipper installation and detailed instructions for all shaping and finishing techniques.

Skill Level

This pattern is rated as intermediate difficulty, making it suitable for knitters with foundational skills who are ready to tackle more complex construction methods. The required skills include long-tail cast-on, decreasing and increasing techniques, Kitchener stitch grafting, short row shaping, seaming, stitch pick-up, and zipper installation. The inclusion of a photo tutorial for the zipper installation provides valuable visual guidance for this potentially challenging step, making the project more accessible to intermediate-level crafters.