The Knit Guru

This wee vest will fit the “Bear with Me” amigurumi bear, or a labubu.

If you have tight tension or a well stuffed bear, size up to a 3mm knitting needle for this project.

You will need:
– 2.5mm knitting needles (or 3mm for Labubu)
– 4ply yarn (I used leftover baby yarn from another project) in 2 colours
– Darning needle and scissors

Back

Cast on 27 stitches
K1, p1 ribbing over the first 4 rows.

We now work in stockinette stitch for the rest of the back. There is also the following chart for the heart motif.

On row 11 you are to cast off the first 4 stitches, and carry on with the chart. On row 12 you are casting off the first 4 stitches purlwise, and continuing with the chart.

When you have completed the chart – finishing row 20 to the end, row 21 is the cast off edge. Cast off 5 stitches, knit to the last 5, cast off 5 stitches. Slip the remaining stitches onto a safety pin for later. We will pick these up when knitting the neck band.

Front

This is very similar to the back – and in fact, you can make this a non-v neck vest by knitting the back twice if you are intimidated by the v neck.

Cast on 27 stitches
k1, p1 ribbing over 4 rows

Follow the chart.

Row 11 – cast off 4 stitches at the start of the row and complete the rest in white
Row 12 – cast off 4 stitches at the start of the row, purl 9, and cast off the middle stitch of the heart, purl to the end. There is now a small gap in the middle of the work.

You will now be working just one half of the vest front at a time. You will still have the stitches on the left side of the work on the needles when you are working the right side.

Right side (looking at the vest front)
Knit to the last 2 stitches, k2tog
P2tog, purl to end
Knit to the last 2 stitches, k2tog
P2tog, purl to end
Work 6 more rows of stockinette on the last 5 stitches and then cast off.

Left side (looking at the vest front)
K2 tog, knit to end
Purl to last 2, p2tog
K2tog, knit to end
Purl to last 2, p2tog
Work 6 more rows of stockinette on the last 5 stitches and then cast off.

Stitch one shoulder together – right sides facing. Open the work and pick up stitches along the neck edge. Watch the video for more details.

You can choose to be finished at this point, and just stitch up both shoulders and the section under the arms. The ribbed sections are optional.

You will work 2 rows of 1×1 rib around the neck edge. Watch the video to see how to fit the centre double decrease in the middle of the v neck.
Cast off on row 3 in pattern.

Stitch the second shoulder seam together. Pick up the stitches around the arm hole and knit 1 row of 1×1 rib before casting off in pattern. Do the same for the second arm hole.

Stitch up both side seams, and darn in your ends.

You may need to squish your bear to get the vest on, or put his body through the neck hole to fit – as he has a bigger head than body.