After seeing some great circular vests and talking about them with a fellow crocheter last festival, I came home inspired to do something I’ve had in my notebook for a while – rework my Lotus Throw pattern into a mandala-based circular vest! Which I did, and actually I did twice, which is why this post is a two-parter – each with a different FREE pattern guide based on my FREE Lotus Throw design.
Act 1 can be found here.
UPDATE 1/31/17: I have added a FAQ Page for this pattern to answer some commonly asked questions!
UPDATE AGAIN 7/26/17: I have created a tutorial for adding sleeves to this vest! See this post for the free add-on 🙂
ACT 2
This pattern sizes the armholes wider and and further apart than the small-sized duster to be more size-inclusive and also because it’s a more open style vest, but it’s very easy to modify this to make it smaller or larger by moving the armholes closer together / further apart and chaining fewer/more stitches. Just remember that the stitch counts may not be the same – but since it’s worked in a circle, just make sure you follow the rounds and begin & end the rows as instructed and the count shouldn’t matter too much.
This pattern uses 8 skeins of Lion Brand 24/7 Cotton, 1 ea of the first four colors in the inner ring and 2 ea of the 2 outer colors.
Lion Brand 24/7 Cotton doesn’t have the same springy soft feel as Cotton-Ease (a cotton blend yarn I like for crochet halter tops) but what it does have is a bright sheen and a great color selection. Combined with the #4 weight and sleek durable texture, it’s lovely for swingy fringe-y summer outwear and bags – not to mention drippily colorful hippie coverups. Speaking of which, it was the PERFECT yarn for this bright mandala vest.
Lotus Circular Vest
Materials:
5.50 mm crochet hook
Lion Brand 24/7 Cotton in Tangerine (1 skein), Rose (1 skein), Silver (1 skein), Lilac (1 skein), Purple (2 skeins), and Denim (2 skeins)
OR
Lion Brand Shawl in a Ball (2 skeins)
Notes:
You can change colors on any round, but I changed colors at the beginning of the following rounds: 10, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 30, following the same color order as listed in the materials for 24/7 Cotton. The first 16 rounds of the Mandala are kinda complex HOWEVER they are identical to the first 16 rounds of the Lotus Duster, the sister pattern to this design, and that pattern has a full-length video tutorial for the first 16 rounds on my YouTube channel here – so if you struggle during those rounds, please refer to the video to help clarify! 🙂
Gauge: 3.25″ measured across the diameter after Rnd 3.
Final Dimensions:
22.5″ radius (measured from center of motif to bottom edge)
50″ diameter (measured from collar to bottom edge
Terms:
Dc with last loop on the hook: YO once, insert hk into next st/sp, draw up a loop. YO and pull through 2 lps on the hook. 2 lps remain on the hook (1 original and 1 left unworked from the dc stitch).
4-DC Cluster – Work 4 dc stitches, keeping the last loop on the hook for each. YO and draw through all 5 loops on the hook.
Shell – 2 hdc, 1 dc, 1 tr, 1 dc, 2 hdc
Tr3tog: *YO twice, insert hk into indicated st or sp and draw up a loop. (YO and draw through 2 loops) twice, leaving one loop unworked.* Rpt from * to * two more times – 4 lps on the hook. YO and draw through all 4 loops.
Tr2tog: *YO twice, insert hk into indicated st or sp and draw up a loop. (YO and draw through 2 loops) twice, leaving one loop unworked.* Rpt from * to * once more – 3 lps on the hook. YO and draw through all 3 lps.
Scallop: 1 hdc, 1 dc, 1 tr, 1 dc, 1 hdc
Instructions
Make Magic Ring.
- 8 sc into the ring, tighten. Join with a slip stitch in first sc of the round. – 8 sc
- Ch 4 – counts as first dc + ch 1. (Dc in the next sc, ch 1) 7 times. Join with a sl st in the 3rdch of beg ch-4. – 8 dc + 8 spaces
- Sc into the next ch-1 space, ch 1 – counts as first dc with last loop on the hook. Dc into the same space 3 more times, keeping last loops on the hook. YO, draw through all four loops on the hook. Ch 3. (Work 1 4-dc cluster in the next ch-1 sp, ch 3) 6 times. Work 1 4-dc cluster in the next ch-1 sp, ch 1. Hdc in the top of the first cluster to join. This positions your hook in the middle of a ch-3 sized space to begin your next round. – 8 clusters + 8 spaces
- Ch 2 – counts as first dc with last lp on hk, dc into the same space 3 more times, keeping last loops on the hook. YO, draw through all four loops on the hook – first 4-dc cluster made. Ch 2. (Work 1 4-dc cluster in the next ch-3 sp, ch 2, 4-dc cluster in the same sp, ch 2) 7 times. Ch 2, work 1 4-dc cluster in next ch-3 space, work 1 hdc in the top of the first cluster to join. 16 clusters + 16 spaces
- Ch 2 – counts as first dc with last lp on the hk. Dc into the same space 3 more times keeping last lps on hk. YO, draw through all four lps. Ch 3. (Work 1 4-dc cluster into the next ch-2 space, ch 3) 14 times. Work 1 4-dc cluster in the next ch-2 sp, dc in the top of the first cluster to join. – 16 clusters + 16 spaces
- Ch 3 – counts as first dc, 2 more dc in same space, Ch 3. (3 dc in the next ch-3 sp, ch 3) 15 times. Join with a sl st in the 3rdch of beg ch-3. – 16 sets of 3 dc + 16 spaces
- Sl st in the top of the next dc. (Sk next dc. In the next ch-3 space work 2 hdc, 1 dc, 1 tr, 1 dc, 2 hdc – shell made. Sk next dc, sl st in the next dc) 16 times. Join with a sl st in first sl st. – 16 shells
- Ch 6 – counts as first dc + ch 3, sc in the top of next tr stitch in the middle of the shell, ch 3. (Dc in the next sl st between shells, ch 3, sc in next treble, ch 3) 15 times. Join with a sl st in the 3rdch of beg ch-3. – 32 spaces
- Ch 3. Yarn over twice, insert hook into next sc and draw up a lp, (YO and draw through 2 lps on the hk) twice – one treble stitch leaving last lp on the hk made. Treble in next dc, leaving last lp on the hk – 3 lps remain on the hk. YO, draw through all 3 lps, ch 7. (In same dc in which you worked the previous treble, work 1 treble crochet leaving last lp on hk. Work 1 treble in next sc leaving last lp on hk. Work 1 treble in next dc leaving last lp on hk – 4 lps on the hk. Fig 1. YO, draw through all four lps on hk – tr3tog made, ch 7. Fig 2.) 15 times. Join with a sl st in top of first tr3tog. – 16 tr3tog + 16 spaces
- Ch 4 – counts as first dc + ch 1. (Work 1 4-dc cluster in the next ch 7 space, ch 2, 4-dc cluster in the same space, ch 2. 4 dc cluster in the same sp, ch 1. Work 1dc in the top of the next tr3tog st, ch 1) 15 times. Work 1 4-dc cluster in the next ch 7 space, ch 2, 4-dc cluster in the same space, ch 2. 4 dc cluster in the same sp, ch 1. Sl st into 3rdch of beg ch-4. Fig 3. – 48 clusters + 16 dc
- (Ch 3. Sk next space and next cluster, work 1 4-dc cluster in next ch-2 space, ch 2. Skip next cluster, work 1 4-dc cluster in the next ch-2 space, ch 3. Sk next cluster and space, sl st in next dc. Fig 4.) 15 times. Ch 3. Sk next space and next cluster, work 1 4-dc cluster in next ch-2 space, ch 2. Sk next cluster, work 1 4-dc cluster in the next ch-2 space. Sk next cluster and space, dc in same st as the sl st join of the previous round. – 32 clusters
- Ch 3 – counts as first tr with last loop on the hk. Work 1 tr with the last lp on the hk in the next cluster. 5. YO and draw through both lps on the hook – first tr2tog made. Ch 4, work 1 4-dc cluster in next ch-2 space, ch 4. Fig 6. (Work 1 tr with the last lp on the hk in the top of the next cluster. Sk next 2 chain-3 spaces, work 1 tr with the last lp on the hk in the next cluster. YO and pull through all 3 lps. Fig 7. Ch 4, work 1 4-dc cluster in next ch-2 space, ch 4) 15 times. Join with a sl st in the first tr2tog. – 16 clusters + 16 tr2tog + 32 chain spaces
- Sl st in the next ch-4 space, ch 3 – counts as first dc. Work 4 dc in the same space. (1 dc in top of the next cluster, 5 dc in next ch-4 space, 1 dc in top of the next tr2tog, 5 dc in next ch-4 space) 15 times. Work 1 dc in top of next cluster, 5 dc in next ch-5 space, 1 dc in top of tr2tog. Join with a slip stitch to the 3rd ch of beg ch-3. – 192 dc sts
- Ch 4 – counts as first dc + ch-1. Sk next dc. (Dc in next dc, ch 1, sk next dc) 95 times. Join with a sl stitch to the 3rdch of beg ch-4. – 96 dc + 96 ch-1 spaces
Rnds 10-14 are highlighted below.
- (Sk next ch-1 space. Work 1 hdc in the next dc. In the same st work 1 dc, 1 tr, 1 dc, 1 hdc – scallop made. Skip next ch-1 space, sl stitch in next dc) 48 times. Join with a sl st in the same st as join from the previous rnd. – 48 scallops
- Ch 3 –counts as first dc. Sk next st, 1 hdc in next st, 1 sc in next st (1 hdc in the next st, sk next st, 1 dc in the next st, sk next st, 1 hdc in the next st, 1 sc in the next st) 47 times. Hdc in next stitch, sk next st, join with a sl st to the 3rdch of beg ch-3. – 192 sts
Extra Sizing Option: Dc, ch-2 rpts. You can add one or two Extra Rounds as written below to increase the size by a few inches.
Extra Rnd 1: Ch 5 – counts as first dc + ch 2, sk next st. (Dc in the next st, ch 2, sk next st) 94 times. Dc in the next st, join with a hdc in the 3rd ch of beginning ch-5.
Extra Rnd 2: Ch 5 – counts as first dc + ch 2. (Dc in the next ch-2 space, ch 2) 94 times. Dc in the next space, join with a hdc in the 3rd ch of beg ch-5.
Armhole Round:
If you worked the extra rounds, follow the Alternate Rnd 17 instructions presented in italics under the original Rnd 17 below.
- Ch 43 – counts as first dc + ch 40. Sk next 24 sts, dc in the next st, ch 1, sk next st. (Dc in the next st, ch 1, sk next st) 22 times. Dc in the next st, ch 40, sk next 24 sts. Dc in the next st, ch 1, sk next st. (Dc in the next st, ch 1, sk next st) 47 times. Join with a sl st in the 3rdch of beg ch-43.
17 (Alternate).Ch 43 – counts as first dc + ch 40. Sk next 11 spaces, dc in the next space, ch 1. (Dc in the next space, ch 1) 22 times. Dc in the next space, ch 40, sk next 11 spaces. Dc in the next space, ch 1. (Dc in the next space, ch 2) around. Join with a sl st in the 3rd ch of the beg ch-43. If you worked the extra rounds, you can resume the pattern as written from here.
Check to see if it fits!
The horizontal distance between the armholes should match the distance between your shoulders. You can move the armholes closer together for smaller width shoulders, or further apart for wider. This can also change the fit of the vest – closer armholes mean a closer fit at the neck, further armholes mean a more draping back and open neckline.
Measuring from the lower half of the armhole should match the measurement around the back of the ribcage, or from armpit to armpit if you measure from the bottoms of the armholes
Since the human body isn’t a circle, this isn’t an exact science, so don’t worry if you don’t get your measurements exactly right. This is meant to be a draping piece and not a tailored suit anyway.
Here are some tips for adjusting:
– If your Fig 9 measurement is too small, place more repeats between the armhole chains to make them further apart. If your Fig 9 measurement is too large, place fewer repeats between armholes to make them closer together.
– You can add or subtract chain stitches in the armhole round to make the armholes smaller or larger.
-You can skip more or less stitches/spaces underneath the armhole chain to make the armhole smaller or larger
Keep in mind that making these changes will alter the total stitch count from what is written – as long as you make the repeats around, the counts aren’t as crucial from here.
18. Ch 3 – counts as first dc. 1 Dc in ea dc or ch st around entire circle. Sl st in the 3rd ch of beg ch-3 to join. – 224 sts
19. (Sc in the next dc, ch 3, sk next st***) 111 times. Sc in the next dc, ch 1, hdc in the first sc of the round. – 112 ch-3 spaces
*** If you have worked the Extra Rounds and Alternate Rnd 17, work the repeat as follows: (Sc in the next dc, ch 3, sk next 2 sts) around.
20. Sc in the same ch space, ch 3. (Sc in the next ch sp, ch 3) 110 times. Sc in the next ch space, ch 1, hdc in the first sc of the round. – 112 ch-3 spaces
21. Rpt Rnd 20
22. Ch 3. (1 dc in the next ch space, ch 3, 1 dc in the same space) 111 times. 1 dc in the next ch space, ch 1, join with a hdc in the 3rd ch of beg ch-3. – 112 ch-3 spaces
23. Sc in the space formed by the side of the hdc join of the previous round. Ch 4. (Sc in next ch-3 space, ch 4) 110 times. Sc in the next ch-1 sp, ch 1, dc in the first sc of the round. – 112 ch-4 spaces
24. Sc in the same space, ch 4. (Sc in the next ch sp, ch 4) 110 times. Sc in the next ch sp, ch 1, dc in the first sc of the round. – 112 ch-4 spaces
25. Sc in the same sp, ch 5. (Sc in the next ch sp, ch 5) 110 times. Sc in the next space, ch 2, dc in the first sc of the round. – 112 ch-5 spaces
26-28. Rpt rnd 25.
29. Sc in the same sp, ch 6. (Sc in the next ch sp, ch 6) 110 times. Sc in the next space, ch 3, dc in the first sc of the round. – 112 ch-6 spaces
Extra sizing option: If you are making a larger vest, you can add extra repeats of Rnd 29 here. Remember however that there are only so many repeats you can achieve in a circle before you have to increase the amount of chain sts between sc stitches to account for the added diameter.
30. Sc in the same sp, 6 dc in next sc – one fan made. (1 sc in next ch-6 sp, 6 dc in next sc) 111 times, join with a sl st in first sc of the round. – 112 fans
31. Ch 5 – counts as first dc + ch 2. Sc in 3rd dc of fan, ch 1, sc in the next dc, ch 2. (Dc in next sc, ch 2. Sc in the 3rd dc of next fan, ch 1, sc in the next dc, ch 2) 110 times. Dc in the next sc, ch 2, sc in the 3rd dc of next fan ch 1, sc in the next dc, work 1 hdc in the 3rd ch of beg ch-5. – 336 ch spaces
32. Ch 3 – counts as first dc. 2 dc in the same space, ch 1. (3 dc in the next ch-2 space, ch 1, 1 dc in the next ch-1 sp, ch 1, 3 dc in the next ch-2 sp, ch 1) 111 times. 3 dc in the next ch-2 sp, ch 1, 1 dc in the next ch-1 sp, ch 1. Sl st in the 3rd ch of beg ch-3. – 784 dc sts + 336 ch spaces
Cut yarn and tie off. Weave in all ends.
Close-ups of the first 23 or so rounds…
Armhole measuring…
I made the shoulder width around 15″ for the basic pattern.
The colors of the yarn are so addictive combined with this pattern, I am sure I’ll be making more of these!
-MF
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I’m almost finished! Thank you for posting these directions. If you have the directions for the other vest I would appreciate a copy. Thank you again!
Hooray and you’re welcome! 🙂 Not sure what you mean by “the other vest” though?
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im almost done, had fun
making this vest – i want to do another!
Addictive, aren’t they? 😉 Glad you enjoyed!
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Hi there Regina…I am having problems with the final chain space counts after row 19 which read as 112 chain 3 spaces. Impossible if you are repeating 111 times and then joining with a chain 1 and hdc in first stitch! I did complete round 18 with 224 stitches so that’s not the problem. I see that the space count of 112 continues on with rows 20,21,etc. Is there something I’m missing? Thank you!
Hi Gwyn! The final chain space count on that row and on the rows afterward all include the ch-1, hdc combination join as a chain space, since you will be working into the side of the hdc join as if it were a chain space. 🙂
I don’t know what I did wrong but my stitch count is waaaaay off 😂😂😂 instead of 96 stitches in row 14 I ended up with over 100. Seemed to work in my favor though as my sizing is a little bigger
Well as long as it works out! lol. The culprit is probably an extra repeat in one of the rows below – happens to me a lot 😉
love it, love it , love it! it’s soooo beautiful :o) and you are wonderful to make patterns like this.. i made it of thinner yarn, so i had to make up just few more rows of my own and it was really, really hard.
Thank you for this amazing vest!
Aww thank you so much! I am so glad you enjoyed making it! 🙂 🙂
Hi!! I am doing this in another Yarn. It’s like a fine yarn as I live in the Tropic. My temperature is in the 90’s. So my work is considerably smaller. I sm usin a 3.75mm. When i got into the arm instead of 43 ch i made 93 as inother way it won’t fit me. I also increased on round 16 as instructed. But i am in round 24 and i sm start to feel i did it wrong? Because i am not having exactly a circle? I am wondering if at the end this will function…. i plan to increase on rnd 29 also but not sure if this will resolve the fact that i need it to be bigger on the ruffle part…. any suggestions?
Can you tell me if what i did with the armhole is a good idea?
Or
Do i have to keep increasing on rnd 16 and 29??
Please help🙏🙏🙏
Hi there! It’s awesome that you’re doing this in a smaller yarn, but unfortunately because the yarn and hook combination is so much smaller than the one recommended, I am not really sure how to help you. I’ve never done one of these that small – maybe someone on the Ravelry project page has?
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/lotus-circular-vest/people
Well, I’ll check there then and I’ll keep doing this to see where i go. LOL! I am not frogging at this point. I’ll keep until the very end. je,je..
I have crocheted a couple of these in a finer yarn. You need to do trebles instead of doubles or singles where you can.
There are measurements of roughly how many inches across it should measure at certain points.
The first few rows you need to do exactly as it says upto and including round 3. The inch measurement given in the pattern i found to be bigger than what mine measured but thats where you have to alter the pattern from there!
You may have have to increase the chains between them too so for example add 3 chains instead of two etc to stop it curling up.
Add extrra rounds wherever you can.
You need to be doing it in a bigger hook size too ideally.
Using a finer yarn you still get ruffles but these won”t be as pronounced as they would be if you usef the wool and hook size the pattern asks for! The ruffles lay flatter and drape flat.
I have a few up on my facebook page “Hot Off The Hook UK” if you want to have a look.
Good luck!!
Lisa xx
Thanks for the tips Lisa! 🙂
Tks so much!!! You are very kind!!
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I just started crocheting circular vest and my friends sent me a pic of yours. It’s beautiful. Thank you for having the pattern on here for free. I’ll be making this one and look forward to viewing others you share. Thank you.
You are so welcome! I am so glad you like it – let me know if you have any questions 🙂 🙂
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Great pattern!
I am a little confused by round 16.
Is there a pattern I should be following…ie hdc in the dc or tr in a dc or hdc?
I hope this makes sense.
I see what you mean! Yes there is a pattern, it should be dc in every sl st, skip every hdc, hdc in every dc, and sc in every tr. 🙂 Hope that helps!
I’m having trouble with row 9, I don’t understand going back to the previous double crochet then to the next single crochet, I just can’t get it right
Hi Sandra! There is a close-up of a section including this row at the very bottom of the post – scroll down and you can see the last round worked in orange, which is Round nine (There is a circle in this photo indicating some later rows, you can ignore that for now). The tr3togethers form the triangular shape in that round, with the two outside trebles of the triangle sharing the same stitch (the dc referred to in the pattern), the middle tr worked into the sc in between each dc on the previous round, and the ch 7 spaces in between each triangle. Hopefully the picture is helpful!
ok, thank you I am really enjoying making this, it’s for a friend and she loves how it looks! I will be making more but once I do this one I know the rest will be easier. It’s a beautiful vest!
hello, how many skeins of shawl in a ball do i need for this pattern?
2 skeins for just the vest, 3 if you are wanting to add the sleeves 🙂
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Making this for my niece and loving it. Was wondering if there is a pattern to have flared sleeves
I just found the flared Sleevie Nicks pattern lol. Thank you for these patterns. Love them. Can I use red heart unforgettable yarn without it changing the size cuz after I finish my nieces I’d like to make one for myself
Oh good lol! Yes the Lotus Mandala Duster (aka the Stevie or Sleevie) is almost the same as the Vest but with flared sleeves 🙂 If you make the Duster version, the recommended yarn is #2 weight so it will definitely change the size if you substitute Unforgettable – although it is doable, I have seen more than a few people do that design with a #3 or #4 weight.
Thank you sooooo much for sharing this beautiful pattern with us! I just have to say one thing, and maybe I’m too professional or just think that your work deserves better than the YouTube tutorial that was made with your permission…she gives the wrong directions and was very unprepared to make the video in my opinion. I got so confused with the video so I just used the written pattern instead. There was two times that she guided me to making the wrong stitches. Especially round 19 joining to round 20!!! The video is wrong and it took me awhile to figure out what looked off. So I frogged a few rows and went by the written pattern and it was fine. Just thought I should mention it in case you didn’t know about the video. Thanks again for sharing this with us!
Hi Jill! Glad you enjoyed the pattern – I have had a few people mention that the directions for the video are different than mine, so I will probably edit in a mention of that with the links. Thanks!
Hi. Did you use Lion Brand 24/7 Cotton yarn 3.5 oz. or 7 oz. skeins ? Thank you.
3.5 oz 🙂 I’ve never seen the 7 oz but that would be sweet!
Awesome, thanks!!! I’m actually stuck on Row 9 right now. Am I repeating it 15 times from the beginning of what’s written? (If that makes sense to you) My 3rd “triangle” isn’t coming out like a triangle. IDK what I’m doing wrong.
Hi Terrie! So the part of Rnd 9 that is in the parentheses is the portion that is repeated 15 times:
“(In same dc in which you worked the previous treble, work 1 treble crochet leaving last lp on hk. Work 1 treble in next sc leaving last lp on hk. Work 1 treble in next dc leaving last lp on hk – 4 lps on the hk. YO, draw through all four lps on hk – tr3tog made, ch 7. ) 15 times”
The first triangle is made from the instructions in the first half of the paragraph, before the parentheses quoted here. Then you repeat the parentheses show here 15 times for a total of 16 triangles (including the first one you made in the first part of the instructions). It’s a tricky round so hopefully that helps but if you are still having trouble just let me know we’ll get you there 😉
You’re so awesome for getting back to me so quickly! And even awesomer for this BOMB pattern! On row 13 now, I tackled the triangle stage! haha IT’S SO PRETTY! Thanks again girl!!!
Aww thanks <3 <3 My pleasure!
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Hi, Regina! I love this pattern! I’m almost finished my vest and have encountered an issue. I’m using a skein of Caron Big Cakes, but since having moved, I can’t find all my hooks so I used a 5.0 instead of 5.5, thinking it wouldn’t make a huge difference. Well, it did. I’m at row 29; would any of the other rows work at this stage, just to add texture? Or should I keep doing the SC/chain rows and adding to the chains? Thank you! I’ve come too far to frog it at this point. (The colors are gorgeous, though!)
Thank you! I do hate it when I experience hook disappearance 😛 I swear my 3.25 has a mind of its own, lol! Anyway, if you are experiencing issues that make the mesh look too tight due to the change in gauge with the smaller hook, I would say that you should go ahead and move up to the Rnd 31 instructions, which is a (sc, ch-6) repeat of the mesh pattern. You can repeat Rnd 31 for 2-4 times to make up for the gauge difference and the skipped rounds, then if that looks good you can move on to the last few rounds of the pattern 🙂
Thank you! I may do a round or two of sc/ch7 as well since right now, the vest doesn’t hit my hips. (Or I could sell it and start over on one for myself with maybe even a J hook–I’m a medium with broad shoulders). I’m also reconsidering frogging it and buying a new hook (which’ll just mean I’ll find my old ones right after lol!)
You’re so far along it would be a shame to frog! I vote to keep going. Also, what kind of yarn are you using?
I’m using a skein of Caron Big Cakes.
I ended up frogging since I’m an OCD designer and I wanted this to be perfect. That said, the extra rows you have at row 17 made the medallion fall at the right spot, so I’m glad I did. I wanted the variety in the pattern so it wasn’t all sc/ch mesh (I like how the row of all dc adds a visual break).
Yep I’ve been in that position before! I have frogged tons of stuff that I put a lot of time and effort into because I just wasn’t happy with it no matter how I tried to fix it. I always chalk those projects up to learning experiences – and they always seem to come in handy as lessons later if I try again or work on something with similar elements!
I did this lovely vest with 2 strands of cotton crochet not for just one vest but am now starting my 4 one!!! I absolutely love this pattern!! Changing sizes of needle made the vest the right size even fit my 8 yr old grand daughter who absolutely had to have one.
That is awesome! I’m so glad you like it so much. Making them with two strands of cotton thread sounds like it would be very pretty and lacy 😀
I am wanting to get this started and was wondering if you can use Lion Brand Mandala yarn for this? I did thumb through past comments and saw that you mentioned you have seen others use #3 yarn. I only have 3 skeins. I have a feeling this will not be enough, but man it would be pretty!
I think Mandala has about 500 yards a skein right? 1500 yards should be plenty I think! Sounds lovely 🙂
I am loving the Mandala yarn, but crochet so tight that it may fit a kid. Does gauge matter or hook size? I am on row 22 and am thinking about starting over to fit me. I am plus size, what are your thoughts??
Hi Jenny! If you’re project is coming out too small, I would definitely check your gauge again and try to match it to the gauge listed, using whichever hook size is necessary to obtain the gauge. If you want to stick with the Mandala yarn you might even try to get a larger gauge than the one listed. In my experience, the yarns made with 100% acrylic do not drape as well for this garment as yarns made with cotton, and so a looser gauge might also be good to help counteract that. The finished measurements for this garment can be found on the FAQ page under sizing:
https://moralefiber.blog/2017/01/31/lotus-mandala-vest-faq/
Thank You! I restarted it last night and went up to a M hook. This should be better, we will see. Thank you for the response and will check out the FAQ!
Thank you for the inspiration. I was surprised at how easy it actually was too make.
Thank you and you’re welcome! ^_^ Glad you enjoyed making it
This is a great pattern and I’m giving it a go, but I’m a plus size gal and can use some guidance. I’ve repeated extra rounds 1 & 2 2 times, for a total of 4 extra rounds. I thought I could figure out the arm holes round on my own, but I’m not entirely sure, because I’m thinking that I’m going to want to add sleeves using your pattern and don’t want to totally screw up the count.
My idea for the arm holes is to measure the width from the top of my shoulder to a comfortable spot under my arm for the stitches I skip, but not sure how many to chain for each arm hole. Would it be to much of a bother to ask you for some guidance here? Or have you written this pattern somewhere for a 2x size? I thank you in advance for any direction you can give.
Hi Rhonda! You are right on track for your measurement – the width from the top of the shoulder to a comfortable spot under your arm should be the number of spaces skipped for the armhole. As far as how many more to chain, you’ll want to keep the ratio of skipped spaces to chain stitches roughly the same as it was in the original – so for the pattern with extra rounds, that’s 11 spaces skipped / 40 chain stitches made. For the sake of simplifying the math, we’ll call that a ratio of 1 space skipped per 4 chains made (10/40 = 1/4) So if you decide you need to skip 15 spaces, you will want to chain an extra 20 chains (5 extra spaces x 4 chains per space = 20 chains, + the original 40 = 60 chain stitches total) and then you could throw in a few more chains than that if you wanted to correct for the rounding down, but that should get you in the ballpark.
As for adding the sleeves later, you can still follow the basic instructions for that part but just remember your counts won’t be the same – there are plenty of pictures in the beginning when you are first working into the armhole space so hopefully it won’t be too difficult to adjust to your project. You may end up wanting to add more rounds where there is a decrease, since your sleeve will start out wider at the top. If you have any specific questions when you get to the sleeves, you know where to find me!
I am curious though- every time I try to add more than 2 extra rounds to this pattern right before the armhole round, my circle starts to curl inward from lack of increasing. Did you encounter this problem when making your 4 extra rounds?
Thank you for getting back to me so quickly!! And thanks for the increase advice. That sounds totally doable to me. I really appreciate the support and guidance!
Initially I followed the pattern with the 2 extra rounds and then did the alternate round 17 to check for fit. Round 17 did curl in and I assumed that has to do with it having a chain 1 between the dc’s in the spaces rather than a chain 2 as in the extra rounds. It makes sense to me that it would curl, and my thought was since this garment is an ever increasing circle that I would just do round 17 with a chain 2 and see how it looks. I haven’t made that round yet, but will see how it looks after it’s done.
Absolutely! 🙂 I had considered changing Rnd 17 to ch-2’s after the extra rounds option was added into the pattern, so that the curling would be eliminated – but I thought it might alter the rest of the pattern too much and I didn’t have time to rewrite the rest. I’d be very interested to see how yours works out, maybe I will try it myself if yours goes well 😀
I’ll let you know how it turns out. And I’ll reach out if I have more questions. Thanks again!!
Oh mylanta!!!! This is such a great pattern. I’ve been crocheting since I was a child but have only learned to read patterns for about a year so having a pattern that’s easy to follow is awesome. I’m making one right now and will post a picture of my finished product.
That’s wonderful, I’m so glad to hear you are enjoying it! If you’re on Facebook you can send pictures to my business page if you’d like (I’d love to see) http://www.facebook.com/MoraleFiber
And if you have any questions you know where to find me 🙂
Well I got to round 18 and ended up having to frog it and start again 😣
Had I read the comments I would have chosen a bigger hook size because of my choice of yarn. Bright side I’m confident about a couple of the rounds I wasn’t so sure about the first go around
Ah dang, no one likes to frog! But you’re right, it’ll probably help to have done the hard part once before (it gets much easier after the armhole round!)
Love this design.
😀 😀 Thank you!
I love this pattern! Thank you for posting it.
🙂 🙂 So glad to hear you like it!
You’ve made this look so easy, had no trouble following along, on row 24 almost done
That is awesome to hear! 🙂 🙂 Glad you like it
Where can I buy one?
pia@bennbenn.com
0719189520
Hi there! I do not currently have any of these in my shop, but if you search “Lotus Mandala Vest” on Etsy, you will find quite a few made from this pattern by other sellers! 🙂 🙂
Love this pattern and can’t wait until I’m finished so I can send it off to it’s new owner. I want to make another one & was just wondering if I make it using Caron Cakes (worsted weight 4), how many yards would I need?
Hi Colleen! So glad you like the pattern 🙂 I checked on the Ravelry project page for this design and some crocheters have used Caron Cakes for it. One said that it used 804 yards (2.1 skeins) in that yarn – if you’d like to have a look you can find that info here:
https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/lotus-circular-vest/people
You may have to scroll down a bit 🙂 Thanks and let me know if you have any other questions!
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Half way through. Thank you for the easy to follow instructions. Would loveto receive more such patterns.
Thanks, so glad you like it! 🙂 🙂
My aunt found this pattern and asked if I could crochet her one…. So like a good niece I did. Then I made 3 for myself, one for 3 of my nieces, one for another lady, one for my daughter, and I’m sure I will make many more.
That is awesome Donna! I am so glad you liked it so much! 😀
My daughter Melanie McCarty was making these for her and I. She got half way thru them both but she died. 26 year old. AML. I WOULD LOVE TO FIND SOMEONE WHO COULD finish them for me. I have all the yarn. I am in South Jersey.
Hi Susan, I am so sorry to hear that 🙁 🙁 I would definitely recommend asking around on some of the large crochet groups on Facebook, there are tons and tons of people on those pages and they are all super sweet – I bet you could find someone to finish your daughter’s work there.
My deepest sympathy as I too know that pain. My only daughter who was just 24 was killed 3 days after learning she was to be a mom. I’m too far away to help as am in Oklahoma & my love of crocheting went with her. Good luck on finding someone to help!
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So I just realized I read it wrong and it had a link to a different pattern. I’m sorry. I wish I could delete the comment. If you can please do. Sorry again.
No worries Dee! 🙂 🙂 I took care of it!
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Just finished this for my granddaughter and it is soooo beautiful!!! Thanks so much for the pattern. Just a quick question. Did you block this after you made it? If so, how? Will definitely be making more…
Thank you Sandy, I am so glad you enjoyed it! I usually do not block these in the traditional way, but if you have used acrylic yarn I would recommend blocking by wetting the garment and then hanging it on a hanger to dry so that all the ruffles settle downward 🙂
Thanks so much for your really quick response. Will definitely try that.
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How do you get the free download
Hi Loretta! The free version is only available on my blog – if you’d like the downloadable PDF version, it is available for purchase in my Etsy shop or Ravelry store, which are linked to at the top of the page. 🙂
I REALLY like the pattern and I have done it up to the point of finishing off the circular part and on to the armholes. But I tried it on and I would like it to be MUCH longer. How would I go back and what Rnds would I have to repeat for it to be longer in the back but at the top?? Thanks again for the pattern and it is BEAUTIFUL once finished…
Hi Beth! I recommend checking out the Lotus Duster pattern, which is the sister pattern to this mandala vest – that pattern has two sizes, small and Large, and you can make it longer by using the “extra round” options written into the pattern for the large size. If you’d rather just work the Mandala circular vest the same way you already have, and then make it longer, you can do so by repeating the mesh pattern rounds right before the final round of shells. However, since this is a circular piece you’ll have to make the top longer as well as the bottom.
Would like to get the patterns for lotus patterns thank you
Hi Louise! If you are looking for the downloadable PDF version of these patterns, both the Lotus Vest and the Lotus Duster pdf patterns can be purchased in my Etsy shop or Ravelry store:
https://www.etsy.com/shop/moralefiber
https://www.ravelry.com/stores/morale-fiber
The free versions, of course, are located on the blog here and on this post (for the Lotus Duster):
https://moralefiber.blog/2017/08/04/lotus-duster-2-0/
Thank you! 🙂
I made one for my sister & it was 1st one I ever made I loved it so did she ,I had fun making it & really rewarding My sister loved it
That is so awesome to hear, I’m glad you all enjoyed it so much 😀 😀 Thank you!
I am making this for my daughter for Christmas. It is a beautiful pattern. I am using Lionbrand Mandala yarn in unicorn. Absolutely perfect for your pattern. Thank you for sharing.
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I am having trouble after I do the extra two rows on the vest. Maybe the count is off for the armhole rose which come next. Can anyone help
HI there! What row are you on specifically, and what is the stitch count you are coming up with? 🙂
Im on the alternate rnd 17. I tried to see if it fits and no go. Any advice on increasing?
Hi Elizabeth! If you have made the alternate rounds and you are still having problems with the fit, I would try either moving the armholes to a later round, moving them further apart, or possibly making the armholes larger by increasing the amount of chains – these options would give you more room in the shoulder area of the vest 🙂