Valley Yarns Michel Vest Crochet Pattern

Valley Yarns Michel Vest

Project Overview

The Michel Vest is a beginner-friendly crochet waistcoat designed by Sara Delaney. This simple mesh stitch vest serves as an excellent layering piece and provides an ideal showcase for a statement button detail. The garment is worked flat from the bottom up and features a classic lace construction that creates an open, breathable fabric perfect for warm-weather wear or layering over other garments.

What Is Being Made

This is a sleeveless vest available in six finished sizes: 32, 36, 40, 44, 48, and 52 inches. The design features a divided front and back construction with separate left and right front panels that are seamed together. The vest includes a single 1.5-inch button closure, making it both functional and decorative. The open mesh construction creates a lightweight, airy garment ideal for transitional seasons or as a layering piece over t-shirts, tank tops, or long-sleeved shirts.

Techniques Used

• Bottom-up construction: The vest is built starting from the lower body and working upward, allowing for easy length adjustments before completing the piece
• Worked flat: The entire garment is crocheted in flat rows rather than in the round, making it accessible for beginners and allowing for straightforward shaping
• Seamed assembly: Individual pieces (front panels and back) are crocheted separately and then seamed together, providing clean finishing and precise fit control
• Lace construction: The mesh stitch pattern creates an open, lacy fabric that is both visually striking and functional for warm climates
• Reverse single crochet edging: A special stitch technique is employed for finishing edges, creating a polished, professional appearance

Stitches Used

• Half double crochet (hdc): The primary stitch forming the structural foundation of the mesh pattern
• Chain stitch (ch): Used throughout for creating the open spaces that define the lace pattern
• Single crochet (sc): Referenced in the abbreviations for potential use in finishing details
• Reverse single crochet (rsc): A special stitch technique used for edge finishing that creates a textured, decorative border by working from right to left with the hook placed on top of the working yarn

The primary stitch pattern alternates between half double crochet stitches and chain-one spaces, creating a consistent mesh throughout the garment. This simple two-stitch repeat is ideal for beginners while producing an elegant, sophisticated result.

Materials

The Michel Vest requires 6 to 9 skeins of Valley Yarns Longmeadow yarn, depending on the finished size. The yarn is a cotton-microfiber blend (60% Cotton/40% Microfiber) with a yardage of 117 yards per 50-gram skein, providing excellent drape and breathability. The recommended color is Purple Haze (color 27), though the pattern is suitable for any colorway from the Valley Yarns Longmeadow collection.

Construction requires a US size D/3 (3.25mm) crochet hook or the size needed to achieve proper gauge. The only additional material is one 1.5-inch button for the closure detail.

Gauge and Sizing

The pattern is worked to a gauge of approximately 5 stitches and 3 rows per 1 inch in the mesh stitch pattern. Achieving proper gauge is essential for obtaining the correct finished measurements. The vest accommodates six different sizes with the lower body measuring 18 to 22 inches in length, depending on the size selected, with options to adjust the length to personal preference before dividing for the front and back sections.