Spiral Hill Sweater Vest

This might be the greatest thing I've knit so far.

Anyone who knows me in person will say she loves Nightmare Before Christmas. Already owning multiple items of clothing and even hanks of yarn themed after it, I didn't need to make this vest, but I NEEDED to make this vest. I am one of those annoying Halloween people who never grew out of it.

It is the Spiral Hill Sweater Vest, which is available in 'Disney Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas' by Tanis Gray, which houses a large number of cute Nightmare Before Christmas patterns. I knew I would get the book one day, and when I did, I was enamored by this vest in particular.

Coincidentally, when I started planning an October Disneyland trip for later this year, I decided I would knit this up in time to wear it there. Turns out I wanted to wear it so bad I finished it months ahead of schedule.

I ended up using Lion Brand Wool-Ease for the black and white, and Plymouth Homestead for the spiral hill portion. Both are pretty much aran weight yarn, and I went with the smallest size because I knew that it would fit with the extra width in my stitch gauge. I like the Wool-Ease because I am happy with the quality and the price. I don't need every garment to feel like a luxury.

I knitted the collar, but was unhappy with how I picked up the stitches (too many despite following the pattern!). I decided I would try crocheting the collar and adding picot edging for extra drama. I would highly recommend this because it just makes it even cuter. More spikes and bobs for a Halloween piece is always welcome.

 

I typically wear this with my white long-sleeved turtleneck and my gray high-waisted jeans, which is how I will wear it to Disneyland later this year. 

All in all, I would say my first try at intarsia went very, very well.