by Mary Scott Huff

"Men seldom make passes at girls who wear glasses..."
(Which saves us the trouble of kicking their asses).

Spectacles make us look smart, which is good, because we ARE smart. We get that way from reading. A lot. Sometimes about birds, even. Birds of prey, who are beautiful and powerful, and stay up all night hunting. Owls sleep all day long -- which probably explains why they are so gorgeous -- that's a lot of beauty sleep.

Wear this vest when you feel beautiful. When you feel wise. When you are on the hunt.

Owlish is as Owlish does.

SIZE
XS[S, M, L, 1X, 2X, 3X]
shown in size M with 2" ease

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Chest: 31[35, 39, 43, 47, 51, 55] inches, buttoned.
Length: 20.5[21, 23, 24.5, 25.75, 26.5, 27.5] inches

MATERIALS
Yarn
Rauma Finulgarn [100% wool, 191 yds/175 m per 1.75 oz/50g skein]; 1[1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 2] skeins of each:
[A] #425 Medium Red Brown
[B] #434 Burnt Orange
#483 Turquoise
#4197 Dark Gold
#403 Light Gray Heather
#404 Medium Gray Heather

2[2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 4] skeins of each:
#406 Wheat Beige
#464 Dark Brown Heather


Recommended needle size
[always use a needle size that gives you the gauge listed below -- every knitter's gauge is unique]
US 3/3.25mm circular needles, 24-inch (body) and preferred method for small circumference (dpns or shorter circular needle)
size B/3.25 mm crochet hook (for steeks)

Notions
yarn needle
stitch markers
waste yarn
9[9, 11, 11, 11, 13, 13] 5/8 inch buttons [shown here: LaMode #2992]
Note: buy buttons after project is complete to ensure a good fit.
sewing needle and thread

GAUGE

PATTERN NOTES
[Knitty's list of standard abbreviations and techniques can be found here.]

Lower ribbed edge of vest is worked back and forth in rows. Body of vest is worked in rounds, from the bottom up, with steeks.

Rows 15, 52, 53, & 54 of Great Horn-rimmed Body Chart call for 3 colors per row.  If you prefer not to work with three strands for these rows, use only two, then embroider the 3rd color with duplicate stitch.

Information about crocheted steeks can be found here.

Charts
The body chart for this pattern is very large and fits on a letter-sized page.
Click here and print the resulting page.

DIRECTIONS

Next Rnd: CO 7 sts for front steek.

Work steek sts, work Row 7 of Great Horn-rimmed Ribbing Chart (flat), pm to denote steek sts and join for working in the rnd, being careful not to twist. Work steek sts and place marker for beg of rnd.

From this point on, all steek sts will be worked by alternating the 2 colors used in that rnd.

Body
Next Rnd: Work Great Horn-rimmed Body Chart to end, sl marker, work steek sts.

Cont in this manner until piece measures 12.5 [13, 13.5, 14, 14.5, 15, 15.5] from cast-on edge.

Shape Armholes and Neckline:
Next Rnd: Work 62 [71, 79, 87, 96, 105, 113] sts in patt, move last 20 [24, 26, 28, 32, 36, 38] worked sts to holder. Work 106 [120, 134, 148, 162, 176, 190] sts in patt, move last 20 [24, 26, 28, 32, 36, 38] worked sts to holder, work in patt to marker, work steek sts.

Next Rnd: Work 42[47, 53, 59, 64, 69, 75] sts (Right Front) in patt to held right underarm sts, CO 7 armhole steek sts, PM at either side of steek. Work 86 [96, 108, 120, 130, 140, 152]sts (Back) in patt to held left underarm sts, CO 7 armhole steek sts, PM at either side of steek, work 42[47, 53, 59, 64, 69, 75] sts (Left Front) in patt to marker, work steek sts.

191[211, 235, 259, 279, 299, 323] sts in total, 21 of them are steeks.

Armhole & Neck Dec Rnd: [K1, ssk, work in patt to 3 sts before marker, k2tog, k1; knit steek sts, alternating colors and slipping markers] twice, k1, ssk, work in patt to last 3 sts before marker, k2tog, k1. 6 sts dec’d.

Work 2 rnds even in patt.

Rep the last 3 rnds 4[7, 7, 8, 10, 12, 13] more times.

Neck Dec Rnd: K1, ssk, work in patt to 3 sts before last steek, k2tog, k1, work steek sts. 2 sts dec’d.
Work 2 rnds even in patt

Rep the last 3 rnds 17[14, 18, 20, 20, 18, 19] more times. 133[141, 157, 171, 179, 191, 207] sts in total, 21 of them are steeks.

Work 1 rnd, BO steek sts between markers as they appear.

Place sts on waste yarn holders as follows:
Right Front shoulder and Right Back shoulder, 17 [19, 21, 23, 24, 27, 30],
Back neck 44 [44, 52, 58, 62, 62, 66],
Left Back shoulder and Left Front shoulder 17 [19, 21, 23, 24, 27, 30].

Armhole Bands: 
With RS facing, beginning at center of held underarm sts, with yarns A and B, k10 [12, 13, 14, 16, 18, 19], pick up and knit 120 [124, 126, 128, 132, 136, 146] sts around armhole (approx. 4 sts for every 5 rows), knit rem 10 [12, 13, 14, 16, 18, 19) held armhole sts. PM for beg of rnd. 140[148, 152, 156, 164, 172, 184] sts

Work Great Horn-rimmed Ribbing Chart (in the rnd) once in full.
BO in patt.

Rep for opposite armhole.

Front Band:
With RS facing, beg at lower Right Front, with yarns A and B, pick up and knit 139 [149, 151, 158, 168, 174, 180] sts along right front edge, 44 [44, 52, 58, 62, 62, 66] held back neck sts, pick up and knit 139 [149, 151, 158, 168, 174, 180] sts along left front edge. 322[342, 354, 374, 398, 410, 426] sts

Working flat, work Rows 2-4 of Great Horn-rimmed Ribbing Chart (flat).

With RS facing, place 1 marker 0.75" up from lower Right Front. Place 4[4, 6, 6, 6, 8, 8] more markers spacing evenly between first marker and beg of neckline shaping slope.

Next Row (RS): *Working Row 5 in patt to last 2 sts before marker, k2tog, yo, sl marker. Rep from * to last marker, work to end of row in patt.

Work Rows 6-7 of Great Horn-rimmed Ribbing Chart (flat).
BO in patt.

Steam lightly to block.

Side Tab (make 2):
CO 30 (34, 38, 38, 42, 42, 46) sts.

Work Great Horn-rimmed Ribbing Chart (flat) in full.
BO.

Steam lightly to block.

FINISHING
Sew buttons on left band opposite each buttonhole.

Try on vest for side tab placement at waist height: Pin side tabs in place, gathering vest sides slightly under tabs to shape the body. Sew buttons on either end of tabs through all layers to retain the shape.

Mary Scott Huff is a recovering Information Technologist, and the author of five books about knitting. She plays with string in Fairview, Oregon, and everyplace else where knitters can be found. No actual owls were harmed in the making of this design, but a few pairs of glasses might have been.

Join Mary on her adventures here or find her on Ravelry.