Highgate Raglan Slipover

A top-down, seamless raglan vest in DK yarn. Skill level: Intermediate. A confident beginner can manage it: one colour, no seams, mostly plain trebles. The care needed is in tension and in tracking the two increase-round types. Terminology: UK crochet terms throughout.

Construction

This slipover uses a top-down seamless raglan. The steps are:

1. A neckline chain is joined into a round.
2. Four raglan points are increased to shape the shoulders.
3. At the underarm, the two "sleeve" sections are left unworked. They become the top of each armhole.
4. A chain across each underarm joins the front and back, and the body is worked in rounds to the hem.
5. The neckband and armhole bands are worked directly from the edges.

Sizes

Ease: about 5 cm positive. Crochet fabric relaxes and grows with wear, so it needs less ease than a knitted vest. Choose your usual size; do not size up.

Materials

• Yarn: DK (3) wool or wool blend, about 550 / 620 / 700 / 800 / 900 m. Cotton also works, but it has less give, so the fit is less forgiving.
• Hooks:
  • 4.0 mm (US G/6) for the main fabric.
  • 3.5 mm (US E/4) for the rib and bands.
• Other: 4 locking stitch markers, tapestry needle.

Tension (Gauge)

20 tr × 11 rounds = 10 × 10 cm over treble worked in the round on a 4.0 mm hook, after blocking.

Work your swatch in the round, or work it flat cutting the yarn at the end of every row, so it matches the in-the-round fabric. Fit depends on tension. If you have more stitches than stated, use a larger hook; if you have fewer, use a smaller hook.

Abbreviations (UK)

Pattern notes:

• The ch 3 at the start of a round counts as 1 tr.
• The raglan ch-1 spaces are never counted as stitches.
• Do not turn between rounds; work with the right side facing throughout.

Yoke

Foundation: With the 4.0 mm hook, ch 120 / 124 / 132 / 136 / 144. Join with sl st into the first ch, taking care not to twist the chain.

Setup round: This round divides the chain into back, sleeve, front and sleeve sections, with a ch-1 corner between each.

1. Ch 3, then tr in the next 33 / 35 / 37 / 39 / 41 ch. This gives back 34 / 36 / 38 / 40 / 42 tr.
2. Ch 1, skip 1 ch.
3. Tr in the next 24 / 24 / 26 / 26 / 28 ch for the sleeve. Ch 1, skip 1 ch.
4. Tr in the next 34 / 36 / 38 / 40 / 42 ch for the front. Ch 1, skip 1 ch.
5. Tr in the next 24 / 24 / 26 / 26 / 28 ch for the sleeve. Ch 1, skip the last ch.
6. Join with sl st to the top of the ch 3, then sl st into the next tr.

You now have 116 / 120 / 128 / 132 / 140 tr and 4 ch-1 corners. (34 + 24 + 34 + 24 = 116 ✓ for XS.) Place a marker in each corner space.

Round A (+8 sts):

• Ch 3 (counts as tr).
• Tr in each tr to the corner, then work (tr, ch 1, tr) in the corner sp.
• Repeat to the end and join.

Each of the 4 sections gains 2 tr.

Round B (+12 sts): Work as Round A, but on the front and back only, work 2 tr in the first tr and 2 tr in the last tr of the section.

Front and back each gain 4 tr; each sleeve gains 2 tr.

Order of rounds:

Odd-numbered rounds in the alternating section are A rounds; even-numbered rounds are B rounds.

Stitch counts at the end of the yoke:

The yoke should measure about 16.5 / 17.5 / 18 / 19 / 20 cm deep.

Divide for the armholes

1. Ch 3, then tr across all the back sts.
2. Skip the corner sp, all the sleeve sts and the next corner sp.
3. Ch 4 / 6 / 6 / 8 / 8 for the underarm.
4. Tr across the front.
5. Skip the corner sp, the sleeve sts and the next corner sp.
6. Ch 4 / 6 / 6 / 8 / 8 for the second underarm. Join to the top of the ch 3.

The body now has 172 / 192 / 212 / 232 / 252 sts (XS: 82 + 82 + 4 + 4 = 172 ✓). Divided by 2 sts/cm, this gives a chest of 86 / 96 / 106 / 116 / 126 cm ✓.

Body

Round 1: Ch 3, then tr in each st and in each underarm ch. Join. Keep the count at 172 / 192 / 212 / 232 / 252.

Next rounds: Repeat Round 1 for 27 / 28 / 29 / 30 / 31 more rounds, so the body is 28 / 29 / 30 / 31 / 32 rounds in total. It should measure about 25.5 / 26.5 / 27 / 28 / 29 cm from the underarm. Lengthen or shorten here if needed, keeping the stitch count even.

Hem rib

Change to the 3.5 mm hook.

Rib round: Ch 2 (does not count as a stitch). *Rtrf around the next st, rtrb around the next st; repeat from * to the end. Join.

Work 5 rib rounds in total (about 6 cm). The count stays at 172 / 192 / 212 / 232 / 252; it is even, so the 2-st repeat fits ✓. Fasten off.

Neckband

1. With the 3.5 mm hook, join yarn at the back raglan line on the underside of the foundation chain.
2. Round 1: Ch 1, then dc in each ch, 120 / 124 / 132 / 136 / 144 dc. Join.
3. Round 2: Dc in each st, working dc2tog over the 2 sts centred on each of the 4 raglan lines (−4). Join.
4. Rounds 3–4: Repeat Round 2.

You finish with 108 / 112 / 120 / 124 / 132 dc (120 − 12 = 108 ✓). Fasten off. The dc band draws the neck in snugly.

Armhole bands (both alike)

1. With the 3.5 mm hook, join yarn at the centre of the underarm chain.
2. Round 1: Ch 1. Work 1 dc in each underarm ch, 1 dc into each corner gap, and 1 dc in each sleeve tr. This gives 66 / 70 / 74 / 78 / 82 dc (XS: 4 + 2 + 60 = 66 ✓). Join.
3. Rounds 2–3: Dc BLO in each st. Join.

Fasten off.

Finishing

• Ends: Weave in ends vertically through solid tr columns, never across chain spaces.
• Blocking: Wet block or steam block to the measurements in the size table, opening up the trebles evenly. Do not stretch the rib. Lay flat to dry.

Tip: Try the slipover on after Round 1 of the body. If the armholes are tight, add 2 extra underarm chains per side (+4 sts in the body). This adds 2 cm to the chest.