STITCH ROUND Granny square vest pattern for cozy autumn layering
Four rounds build this granny square vest, then straps, side panels, and a picot border finish the look.
- Skill
- Intermediate
- Rounds
- 4 rounds
- Yarn weight
- Worsted
- Hook
- 4 mm
- Time
- 4-6 hours
Intermediate
What the original page called it. Nothing here is graded a second time.
4 rounds
Each one gets its own line, with a box beside it to tick as you go.
Worsted
What the sample was made in. Any weight works — the size moves with it.
About this pattern
This vest starts life as a single granny square, ticked off round by round before it ever looks like a garment. A ring of single crochets opens the center, then the first color rounds build the base shape. A second shade takes over for the outer rounds, each one adding a full lap around the square. By the time the color change rounds are done, the square is ready to become a wearable piece rather than a coaster-sized swatch.
The shaping lives entirely in the corners. Every round adds stitches at the same four points to keep the square flat instead of curling into a circle, so those corner spots are where attention matters most. Slow down at each color change, since the new shade has to land in the right stitch to keep the corner sequence unbroken. The join at the end of each round is the other spot worth double-checking before moving on.
- Start the square with a ring of single crochets, then work outward through the first color rounds.
- Keep increasing at each corner so the piece holds its flat square shape as it grows.
- Work the shoulder straps directly onto the top edge of the finished square to form the vest yoke.
- Work each side panel by counting in from the bottom corner, then adding double crochet rows finished with a single crochet and linen stitch edge.
- Sew the straps and side seams together to close the square into a wearable vest shape.
- Add a border around the bottom, armholes, and neckline, finishing with a picot edge.
What goes wrong
- Loose starting ring Pull the tail snug once the first round of single crochets is complete so the center of the square closes without a gap.
- Corners drifting out of line Check the four corner spots at the end of each color-change round to confirm the square is staying flat. A puckered or wavy edge usually means a corner stitch was missed.
- Straps started off the corner Anchor the first stitch of each shoulder strap exactly at the square's top corner so both straps sit level and symmetrical once sewn.
- Border stitch count skipped over Confirm the single crochet round lands on a count divisible by three before starting the picots, or the picot spacing will land unevenly around the edge.
Yarn, hook and the rest
Copied from the source pattern's own materials list.
Yarn
- Premier Basics (Number 4 worsted weight) in Eggplant, Purple, and Lilac.
Hooks
- Depending on your size (Small: 4mm/G hook for a 30-32 inch bust, Medium: 5mm/H hook for a 34 inch bust, Large: 5.5mm/I hook for a 36 inch bust). For this project, a 6mm hook is used.
- Marker.
Progress tracker
0 of the 4 rounds on this page are ticked.
The pattern, round by round
Kept in the order and the wording the source used. Tick a round as you finish it; the ticks stay on this device.
Beginning
Start with a slip knot, chain 2. In the first chain, make 8 single crochets.
Slip stitch to join to the first single crochet, forming a circle.
Round 1
Chain 4 (counts as first double crochet and chain 1). Double crochet into the next stitch, chain 1. Repeat around.Join with a slip stitch to the third chain of the starting chain-4. You should have 8 chain-1 spaces.
Round 2
Slip stitch into the first chain-1 space, chain 3 (counts as first double crochet).Put 2 more double crochets in the same space, chain 1.In the next chain-1 space, make 3 double crochets, chain 1. Repeat around.In corners, work 3 double crochet, chain 3, 3 double crochet all in the same space.Join with a slip stitch to the top of the starting chain-3.
Color Change to Medium
Attach a new color with a standing double crochet in any corner.
Complete the corners with two more double crochet, chain 3, and three double crochets in the same space.
Chain 1, then 3 double crochets in the next chain-1 space, chain 1 all around.
Join to starting standing double crochet or chain-3.
Next Rounds (Continue Increasing in Each Corner): Continue with the pattern, increasing stitches in every round to keep the square shape.
For rounds 6 and 7, switch to your lightest color, following the same procedure.
After completing round 7, switch back to your medium color for round 8, following the same pattern.
Round 9
Back to Dark Color Change again to your darkest color. In corners, work a chain 1 instead of a chain 3 for this round.
Round 10
Final Round for Square Double crochet in each stitch around, including chain-1 spaces, but no chain stitches between. The goal is 144 stitches in total.
Shoulder Straps
Use the last color of your square to work the shoulder straps directly onto the square.
Attach the yarn to one corner of the square's top edge to start a strap.
Double crochet in each of the next 6 stitches (7 total including the corner stitch).
Chain 3 and turn.
Work at least 6 rows, or more based on the vest cut you prefer.
Side Panels
Begin at the bottom corner of the vest, count 25 stitches from the corner, and then work 24 double crochets up the side.
For decoration, use a chain of single crochets followed by the linen stitch for a simple yet elegant edge.
Join
Step 1Sew the shoulder straps and sides together.
Step 2Work a border round at the vests' bottom, armholes, and neckline in the contrasting medium (or your choice) color employing single crochets for the first round (ensuring the stitch count is divisible by three) and follow with a picot stitch pattern.
Finish
- Weave in the yarn ends left from each color change along the back of the square before joining anything.
- Sew the shoulder straps to the top corners and stitch the side seams closed to shape the vest body.
- Work the single crochet and picot border around the bottom, armholes, and neckline, then block flat to square off the corners.
Bigger or smaller
- Larger
- Move up a hook size and use a slightly heavier yarn than called for; this loosens the gauge so each round grows wider without adding extra rounds.
- Smaller or larger
- Work an extra color-change round before starting the shoulder straps to widen the square, or stop a round earlier to keep the square more compact.
Photographs of this one
Every photograph on this page was taken by whoever published the pattern, and they are printed in the order the source listed them.
FAQs
Asked and answered
These answers came from whoever first published the pattern, kept word for word.
Can the vest be made in one color instead of three?
Yes, the structure holds up with a single yarn throughout. Skip the color change step and keep increasing the corners in the same shade all the way through.
Which hook size should be used for a given bust size?
The pattern lists 4mm for Small, 5mm for Medium, and 5.5mm for Large. The sample project instead uses a 6mm hook for a looser, drapier finish.
How long should the shoulder straps be worked?
Work the minimum rows given, then keep going in double crochet rows until the strap reaches a comfortable shoulder length before sewing it down.
What stitch pattern makes up the border?
The border opens with a single crochet round, then finishes with a picot stitch pattern worked around the bottom edge, armholes, and neckline.
How are the side panels worked?
Starting at the bottom corner of the vest, count 25 stitches in, then work 24 double crochets up the side. Finish the edge with a row of single crochets followed by the linen stitch.