Aalto Vest
Something old but also something new! I’m happy to let you know that Aalto Vest pattern is now available as a single pattern!
This design is originally designed for amirisu magazine, their spring/summer issue of 2023, issue 26. It is a spectacular issue focusing on Finland and northern landscapes with Finnish designers included and with a feature of Helsinki as a craft city guide.
The issue 26 is inspired by the landscapes of Finland, the sea, and the many forms of water in nature. It features 12 refreshing knitwear pieces perfect for summer. Participating designers included: Emily Greene, Fiona Alice, Pope Vergara, Ronja Hakalehto, Susanne Sommer and Sari Nordlund. And me. With this little vest design.
This was not my first time designing for amirisu - I actually made my Whispers top for their spring/summer issue in 2014! Ten years ago! Feels like such a long time ago, but I still love that little summer top a lot and loved being part of their early days. That issue was their architectural issue and I absolutely loved being part.of it.
The Aalto Vest is one of my very first proper vest designs - something that you could perfectly wear on top of another shirt but also doubles as a sleeveless top if needed! A truly versatile piece of knitting. I can also now safely say (at least three more vests being designed since finishing this and more to come) that I’m now very much in my vest era and happy to be here.
It’s quite a quick knit with the gauge of 22 sts and it’s mostly worked in the round in Stockinette stitch - so indeed easy and quick. The little fun part is of course the few rounds of simple wavy lace. The lace has some stripes in it (naturally) and it mimics waves as you can imagine. The result gives the vest a little something-something, making it lovely and fun to knit and to wear.
The sizing is intended to have some positive ease at the chest but otherwise it’s more of a regular fit: not too loose at the armholes or too deep at the neck. The vest is knitted in the round from the bottom up. The arm openings and the collar are worked in the round after joining the shoulders.
I used Kässäkerho Pom Pom Linnea DK for my sample and I’m very much looking forward to getting the sample back to me, as this is something I will love to wear! I chose quite neutral colors for my sample, but would love to knit another one of these with maybe a dark, deep blue main color and some bright and fun contrast color for the stripes! The yarn itself is a dream to knit with, so easy to work and results in a beautiful fabric.
I do have some bittersweet feelings about this vest, as many things have changed since the publishing day of the magazine: amirisu is slightly changing their format as the magazine is relaunching as online media in Summer 2024. Also Kässäkerho Pom Pom closed down this spring. I will forever cherish both the magazine (in print format) and all the pieces I knitted with Kässäkerho Pom Pom yarns.
Hope to see all your new versions of Aalto Vest soon!