Making the Flock Vest in Loch Lomond – and an invitation to knit along
Some projects are just a pleasure to knit, and the Flock Vest by Andrea Mowry was one of those for me. It was a fun, quick make, with enough going on to keep me interested and that ever-effective “I’ll just finish the next stripe…” feeling to keep you going.
I made mine in BC Garn Loch Lomond, a GOTS Certified lofty, tweedy wool, and I’m so pleased with how the yarn and pattern work together. So pleased, in fact, that I’m inviting you to make one too, with a relaxed knit-along starting on Saturday 21st November.
A lovely pattern to follow
I like a knitting pattern where it feels like the designer has thought extra carefully about the person following it. I want clear instructions, the information I need where I need it, and to understand what I’m being asked to do without having to stop and puzzle over it.
That’s what I enjoyed about Flock. The instructions are clear and carefully thought through, which makes it easy to settle into the knitting and enjoy watching your vest take shape. I particularly appreciated the charted increases for the neck and armhole shaping which make it really simple to keep track of the shaping for your size alongside keeping the stripes correct.
It’s worked from the top down, with no seams to sew up, and you can choose between a cropped and a full-length version. The button band and armhole ribbing finish everything off beautifully.
And those stripes are excellent motivation. Each one gives you a little milestone, and then, of course, you want to see how the next one looks.
My finished vest measures as a size 5, rather than the size 4 I’d normally choose for my bust, giving it a more generous, boxy fit than the original. I knitted the cropped version. If you’d like a similar look, consider going up a size, checking the finished measurements and your washed tension swatch before deciding.
Why I chose Loch Lomond
Loch Lomond is such a great yarn. I love its soft, woolly texture and the little tweedy flecks that give the knitted fabric so much character. Even the plain sections have something lovely going on.
It’s woollen spun, giving it a lovely airy quality, so you get warmth without a heavy garment. In Flock, the texture brings the colours together beautifully: the stripes have definition, but there’s a softness to the overall effect that I really like.
Then there are the colours. Putting combinations together is one of my favourite parts of running a yarn shop, and I’ve spent a very happy time arranging and rearranging skeins of Loch Lomond. There are so many possibilities!
Now for the fun part: choosing your colours
My vest is knit in Fresh Green 24 (main colour), Moss 17 (outer colour on narrow stripes) and Light Beige 13 (inner colour on narrow stripes).
Loch Lomond has such a beautiful palette, from soft neutrals and gentle pastels to rich, deep shades and bright pops of colour.
I’ve photographed six combinations to spark a few ideas, but they’re only a tiny taste of what’s possible. You’ll spot some shades appearing more than once – I love seeing how different a colour can look depending on its neighbours.
You can choose any three shades you like, then decide which will be your main colour and how to arrange the stripes. If something else in the range catches your eye, just ask, I’m happy to photograph your chosen colours together.
-
Green-blue 10, Curry 01 and Light Beige 13 – gentle colour with a little golden warmth.
-
Forest Green 28, Sand 19 and Light Beige 13 – earthy greens and soft neutrals.
-
Dark Blue 26, Eggshell 14 and Green-blue 10 – a beautiful mix of blues and greens.
-
Dark Brown 07, Copper 09 and Sand 19 – rich, earthy shades with a lovely warmth.
-
Eggshell 14, White Confetti 30 and Dusty Rose 23 – soft colours with a lovely strong pink in the mix.
-
Silver 06, Black 05 and Curry 01 – greys brought to life with a splash of mustard.
Each trio can work in any order, so these suggestions give you far more than six possible vests.
Your main colour will set the overall feel of the garment. Then you can decide which way round to use your two stripe colours. Will you use the darker shade to “outline” a softer middle stripe, as I did in mine? Or put the softer shade on the outside and let the stronger middle stripe really pop?
Try swapping the skeins around, giving each shade a turn as the main colour. You might be surprised by which arrangement you like best.
These are colour suggestions, so you can choose whichever shade you’d like as your main colour and buy the quantities you need for your size and preferred length. And if you want to see how any other colours would work together, just drop me an email and I'll reply with photos of your chosen combination(s).
I’d love to see how different our vests could look, even when we’re using the same three colours.
Other yarn possibilities
Loch Lomond is my featured yarn, but you’re welcome to choose another suitable yarn from the shop. Skadi and Beara by Hey Mama Wolf are two other options to explore, and I’m happy to help you find colours and check quantities. As always, I'd recommend swatching to check you can get gauge and you're happy with the fabric.
Whichever yarn you choose, making and washing a swatch will help you check both your tension and whether you like the fabric before you begin.
How much Loch Lomond will you need?
Loch Lomond comes in 50g skeins containing 150 metres. I’ve calculated the quantities below using the meterage specified in the pattern, rounding up to whole skeins for each colour.
A is the main colour; B and C are the two stripe colours. The quantities for B and C are the same for both lengths.
Loch Lomond quantities
| Pattern size | Finished chest circumference | A: cropped | A: full length | B: either length | C: either length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 79 cm | 2 skeins | 3 skeins | 1 skein | 1 skein |
| 2 | 86 cm | 3 skeins | 3 skeins | 1 skein | 1 skein |
| 3 | 94 cm | 3 skeins | 3 skeins | 1 skein | 1 skein |
| 4 | 101.5 cm | 3 skeins | 3 skeins | 1 skein | 1 skein |
| 5 | 109 cm | 3 skeins | 4 skeins | 1 skein | 1 skein |
| 6 | 117 cm | 4 skeins | 4 skeins | 1 skein | 1 skein |
| 7 | 124.5 cm | 4 skeins | 4 skeins | 1 skein* | 1 skein |
| 8 | 132 cm | 4 skeins | 4 skeins* | 2 skeins | 1 skein |
| 9 | 140 cm | 4 skeins | 5 skeins | 2 skeins | 1 skein |
| 10 | 147.5 cm | 5 skeins | 5 skeins | 2 skeins | 1 skein |
| 11 | 155 cm | 5 skeins | 5 skeins | 2 skeins | 1 skein |
| 12 | 162.5 cm | 5 skeins | 6 skeins | 2 skeins | 1 skein |
The starred quantities leave very little spare yarn. An extra skein in the marked colour is advisable to allow for swatching and small variations in tension.
The chest measurements above are the finished garment measurements. Andrea recommends choosing a size with 2.5–7.5 cm of positive ease — that much larger than your own chest measurement.
These quantities assume you achieve the pattern tension of 21 stitches and 28 rows per 10 cm after blocking. Do make a swatch before choosing your size, and allow extra yarn if you’re planning to add length or make other alterations.
This table is specifically for Loch Lomond. If you choose a different yarn, I can help you calculate quantities using its meterage.
You’ll also need your own copy of the Flock Vest pattern by Andrea Mowry, which is purchased separately. It's available on Andrea Mowry's website, or on Ravelry.
Local and still deciding?
Pop into the studio at Chesterblade Hills on the afternoon of Saturday 14th November.
You can see my finished Flock Vest, play with the Loch Lomond colour combinations or explore other yarns in the shop that would work beautifully for the pattern. I’ll be happy to help you choose, with time for you to swatch before we begin on the 21st.
Cast on with us at the shop
On Saturday 21st November, 11am–1pm, we’ll have a relaxed get-together at the shop to start our vests, with knitting, tea and biscuits.
It’s free if you’re buying your yarn for the vest from All About The Yarn. If you’re using stash yarn or yarn bought elsewhere, you’re still very welcome, I just ask for a £5 contribution for the get-together.
Spaces are limited, so please book your place, including if your place is complimentary.
Bring your copy of the pattern, yarn and needles, and ideally a washed tension swatch so you’re ready to get started. It’ll be a social knitting session with help getting going, rather than a taught workshop.
If you can’t come along in person, we’ll also be getting started in the Substack KAL Chat that day.
Join the Flock Vest knit-along
We’ll start on Saturday 21st November and knit through until after New Year, leaving plenty of time for some lovely Betwixtmas knitting.
Everyone is welcome, whether you’re choosing yarn from All About The Yarn or using something you already have.
I’ll be hosting the knit-along on Substack, where we can share progress photos, ask questions and enjoy seeing everyone’s colour choices come together. I’ll post a weekly check-in on the progress chat thread, and you can join in whenever it suits you. There’s no need to keep up with anyone else, the idea is to enjoy making something together.
If you’d like to buy your yarn from All About The Yarn, the colour suggestions and Loch Lomond quantity table above will help you get started. I’m also happy to help you choose from the other suitable yarns in the shop.
I’m ordering more Loch Lomond and hoping to start posting orders needing the new stock from 7th November, subject to delivery.
I’ll be sharing the knit-along updates on Substack, starting with getting ready to cast on. I haven't used Substack for a knit-along before, so I'll be figuring out the best way to use it as we go along. I've already set up a chat space. All you need to do to join in is subscribe for free to my Substack:
For now, there’s the very enjoyable business of choosing colours…
Nicky