Hilma Vest

Hilma Vest by SuviKnits

What is Being Made

The Hilma Vest is a simple, classic sleeveless garment designed by Suvi Simola. This seamless knitted vest is worked from the top down, creating a polished, professional finish. The design is available in eight sizes ranging from XS to 3XL, with a finished bust circumference starting at 31 inches for the smallest size. The vest features ribbed edges at the neck and armholes, providing a neat, refined appearance and comfortable fit.

Construction Techniques

The Hilma Vest employs a top-down seamless construction method, which eliminates the need for seaming and creates a garment with minimal finishing work. The pattern is worked in distinct sections that are later joined together:

• The front pieces are knitted first, working back and forth
• The back piece is worked next, also in flat knitting
• The fronts and back are then joined onto a single circular needle, allowing the body to be worked in the round toward the hem
• Ribbed edgings are picked up around the neck opening and each armhole, then worked in the round for a polished finish
• The pattern includes a photo tutorial demonstrating the Tubular bind off technique, a professional method for creating invisible, elastic edges

Stitches and Stitch Patterns

The Hilma Vest incorporates cable pattern work as a design element. The cable pattern is provided in chart format, requiring knitters to read the charted instructions carefully depending on the knitting direction. When working back and forth on flat needles, the chart is read from right to left on right-side rows and from left to right on wrong-side rows. When working in the round on circular needles, the chart is read from right to left on every round. The ribbed edges are worked using standard ribbing stitches, creating elastic, fitted edges around the neckline and armholes.

Materials Required

The Hilma Vest is designed to be worked in aran weight yarn, a medium-weight yarn that provides good stitch definition and drape. The pattern requires circular needles appropriate for aran-weight yarn, allowing for both flat knitting in the initial stages and seamless in-the-round construction for the body and ribbed edgings.

Skill Level

This pattern is rated as intermediate difficulty, making it suitable for knitters with some experience. The seamless top-down construction, cable pattern work, and techniques such as picking up stitches and working the Tubular bind off require solid foundational knitting skills and familiarity with reading charts and working with circular needles.