Pointy Collar Vest Pattern

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about comfort and structure — how clothing can hold memories and feelings. That's where the idea for my newest pattern started.

The shape I kept seeing in my mind was the collar of an old varsity jacket — you know the kind: slightly padded, standing just enough at the neck without being rigid, hinting at something a little dressed up but still easy to throw on. I wasn’t interested in making an exact replica of a jacket in knitting. Instead, I wanted to distill that feeling: casual, a little nostalgic, familiar but hard to put a finger on why.

I started playing around with swatches, trying to figure out how to create a collar that wasn’t heavy or stiff, but still stood up a little from the neckline. Brioche felt like the natural choice for the body — plush and dimensional, with enough structure to hold its shape without adding bulk. I wanted the fabric to feel almost pillowy but still have enough weight to drape nicely.  I initially tried to knit this piece top down but realized the collar detail that I was most excited about just wouldn't work unless knit bottom up. So after a little bit of a frog, I reknit it from the bottom.  I love that brioche looks like a super dimensional rib and the goal with the collar was to celebrate that while using paired increases and decreases to make the center of the neckline.The brioche stitches lean towards each other forming a point at the collar.

For yarn, I chose to hold Ritual Dyes Maiden and Fae together — both beautiful on their own, but when combined, they create this really lovely texture that feels airy and substantial at the same time. I knit the sample in Holy Basil, a color that feels deeply rooted to me — calming, pastel, and somehow both soft and strong.

There were a lot of small decisions along the way: how deep to make the armholes, how much width the collar needed to hint at that varsity look without overpowering the rest of the vest, how much shaping (or how little) would make it feel easy to wear without being sloppy. It’s a simple piece, but simplicity always takes more attention than it seems.

This Thursday, the pattern will be ready. I’m excited to send it out into the world. I hope when you knit it, you’ll feel some of the things I thought about while making it — comfort, ease, a little bit of soft structure to carry with you through the seasons.

Thanks for reading.