Man's Crocheted Vest (1920): vintage crochet pattern

Materials

• Medium (CYC #4) wool yarn — the original was Lion Brand Knitting Yarn, 3 hanks
• Crochet hook (original: No. 1, a small hook for a firm fabric)
• Ribbon to bind the bands
• Buttons
• Tapestry needle
• Hook: Start with 4 mm (US G-6) for a firm fabric — approximate; no gauge or measurement is printed, so compare a swatch with a vest that fits

Abbreviations (US terms)

ch

chain

sc

single crochet

sk

skip

st

stitch

sts

stitches

rep

repeat

row

row

inc

increase

dec

decrease

sl st

slip stitch

WS

wrong side

Notes before you start

• Source: "Man's Crocheted Vest", Lion Yarn Book: Describing Latest Creations in Worsted Work, The Lion Yarn Co., 1920. Public domain in the USA.
• As printed — materials: 3 Hanks Lion Brand Knitting Yarn.; 1 Crochet Hook No. 1.. Gauge: Not given.
• Modernisation note: The book prints no crochet lesson and no definitions of its basic stitches; it defines only star stitch (with the Auto Scarf) and a picot edge (with the Filet and Knitted Sweater). Its s. c. and d. c. are read as American terms, which are the same as modern US sc and dc, for this reason: the filet designs build open meshes out of d. c. worked on a chain ("Ch. 94 sts. and work 92 d. c. on ch.", then "46M"). Only a tall stitch (modern US dc) forms filet meshes; a British-style "double crochet" (= US sc) could not. The book is an American (New York) publication. So no stitch changes height; s. c. = sc, d. c. = dc, ch. = ch, slip st. = sl st.
• Modernisation note: Period abbreviations and wording modernised: s. c., d. c., ch., st./sts. written as sc, dc, ch, st/sts; M and B written as mesh and block; "skip" as sk; "yarn over" as yo; "fasten wool on" and "fasten yarn at" as join yarn; "fasten back in" as sl st in; "break off" as fasten off; "crochet needle" as hook; "repeat from star" as rep from *; "sts." after a chain count dropped ("Ch. 94 sts." written as "Ch 94"); ordinal row names ("Second Row") written as Row 2 (or Rnd 2 when worked in the round).
• Modernisation note: Long printed paragraphs split into one row, round or step per line; stitch order and counts unchanged. Section headings added for navigation.
• Modernisation note: Hook numbers (No. 1–5, bone or amber) are 1920 makers' numbers; the book prints no diameters, so no exact metric size can be read from it. The suggested modern hook is an approximate starting point for the yarn weight, to be adjusted to the printed measurements.
• Modernisation note: No stitch gauge is printed anywhere in the book; work a swatch and match the printed measurements (given in the modern gauge line) before starting.
• Modernisation note: Lion Brand yarns of 1920 have no exact modern equivalent. The modern CYC weights are approximations only: Lion Brand Shetland Floss (a soft, lofty yarn) as fine (CYC #2); Lion Brand Knitting Yarn / Knitting Worsted as medium (CYC #4) — the book's own advertisement page lists Lion knitting worsted in "4 oz. hanks"; 3-fold (3-ply) Saxony as super fine (CYC #1); Pompadour Wool as fine (CYC #2); Lion Brand Crochet Wool (used doubled in the sacque) as fine (CYC #2), so the doubled strand works roughly as light (CYC #3). Yardage is never printed — the book gives skeins, hanks or balls only.
• Modernisation note: Size is given only as "Ladies'", "Misses'" or an age; vintage sizing and ease differ from today's — compare the printed lengths with a garment that fits before starting.
• Modernisation note: "Band around sleeves" written as "armhole bands" (the vest is sleeveless).
• Modernisation note: "Add the 3 sts. on the ch. of 4" written as "work the 3 sts on each ch-4".
• Modernisation note: Check: Row 2 prints "1 s. c. in each of 2 sts. and 2 s. c. in last 2 sts." on a 4-st row. Left as printed.
• Modernisation note: Check: the ch 3 turning chains at one end appear to add a stitch at the point edge each time; the book does not say whether the ch 3 counts as a stitch. Left as printed.
• Modernisation note: Check: the back starts on 64 ch but is later increased "until there are 58 sts in row" for the shoulders; the back is presumably decreased well below 58 at the armholes first. Left as printed.