The Academic Vest is a classic looking fair isle style vest, worked seamlessly in the round. You only ever have to work with two colours per round at the most, and there are steeks for the armholes and neckline so you do not have to purl in stranded colourwork.

I hope you will enjoy this pattern, and if you need any help, please do not hesitate to contact me in my Ravelry group ‘Skeindeer Knits’. It’s the best place for swift support. Happy knitting!

Yarn
Rauma Finull PT2 (100% Norwegian wool, 350m / 383yds, 100g).

Alternatives: Hillesvåg Ask, or Vilje, Sandnes Tove, Navia Duo, Holst Supersoft, Jamieon’s Spindrift, Jamieson & Smith 2 ply jumper weight, etc.

You will get the best result with fingering or sport weight non-superwash, woollen spun, sheep’s wool yarn.

Yarn amount
Main colour: (332, 353, 376, 398) (421, 443, 468, 487) (512, 532, 557, 577) (602, 628, 653, 679) m.
Contrast 1 (grey): (84, 90, 97, 103) (109, 116, 122, 128) (134, 140, 147, 152) (159, 167, 174, 181) m.
Contrast 2 (red): (84, 90, 97, 103) (109, 116, 122, 128) (134, 140, 147, 152) (159, 167, 174, 181) m.
Contrast 3 (brown): (56, 60, 64, 68) (73, 77, 81, 85) (90, 93, 98, 102) (106, 111, 116, 121) m.
Contrast 4 (pink): (13, 14, 15, 16) (17, 18, 19, 19) (20, 21, 22, 23) (24, 25, 26, 28) m.

Main colour: (363, 386, 412, 435) (461, 485, 511, 533) (560, 582, 609, 631) (659, 687, 714, 743) yds.
Contrast 1 (grey): (92, 99, 106, 112) (120, 126, 134, 139) (147, 153, 160, 167) (174, 182, 190, 198) yds.
Contrast 2 (red): (92, 99, 106, 112) (120, 126, 134, 139) (147, 153, 160, 167) (174, 182, 190, 198) yds.
Contrast 3 (brown): (62, 66, 70, 75) (80, 84, 89, 93) (98, 102, 107, 111) (116, 121, 127, 132) yds.
Contrast 4 (pink): (14, 15, 16, 17) (18, 19, 20, 21) (22, 23, 24, 25) (27, 28, 29, 30) yds.

Needles
Gauge-size needles for body, and 1 mm below-gauge circular needles for ribbed neckline, hem and armholes.

The sample was made using 4 mm (US 6) and 3 mm (US 2 1/2).

Gauge
24 sts x 32 rnds = 10 cm / 4” in stranded colourwork

Sizes
(1, 2, 3, 4) (5, 6, 7, 8) (9, 10, 11, 12) (13, 14, 15, 16)

To fit bust (75, 80, 85, 90) (95, 100, 105, 110) (115, 120, 125, 130) (135, 140, 145, 150) cm (30, 31, 33, 35) (37, 39, 41, 43) (45, 47, 49, 51) (53, 55, 57, 59)”.

To be worn with 0-5 cm / 0-2” of positive ease. The sample is knit in size 8.

Notions
6 stitch markers
A crochet hook about the same size as your below gauge-size needles.

Construction
The vest is worked seamlessly in the round, bottom up. The body is worked to the underarms, at which point a steek is cast on at each side of the body for armholes. The armscye is shaped along each side of the two steeks until you have the final shoulder width (which can be modified by decreasing more for narrow shoulders or less for wider shoulders).

Then you introduce a third steek for the neck, which you decrease on each side of.
To finish armholes and neckline, stitches are picked up and worked in rib in the round.