Free Vintage Crochet Sleeveless Jacket Pattern - Handbook of Wool Knitting and Crochet

This free vintage crochet Ladies' Sleeveless Jacket or Hug-Me-Tight pattern is from the Handbook of Wool Knitting and Crochet. The pattern has been updated to modern use with AI. You will find the original text from the book at the bottom of this page in italics. The book's how to crochet section is here: A Lesson In Crochet - Handbook of Wool Knitting and Crochet.  The modern pattern is untested. I am adding these free vintage crochet patterns to my blog so they are in one place and easily searched.

Modern Pattern:

This vintage crochet pattern creates a garment (like a short jacket or shrug) using worsted weight yarn. You'll need a hook size that works well with your chosen yarn.

Body of Jacket:

Chain 140. Turn.

Row 1: Skip the first 3 chains (these count as a treble crochet), treble crochet (tr) in each of the next 68 chains. Make a shell (3 tr, chain 2, 3 tr) in the following chain (this widens the center back). Tr in each of the remaining chains. Turn.

Row 2: Chain 3 (counts as the first tr), tr in each tr across, including the 3 tr of the shell, until you reach the chain-2 space. Make a shell (3 tr, chain 2, 3 tr) under the chain-2 space. Tr in each remaining tr to the end of the row. Turn. Work in the back loop only of each stitch to create a ribbed or striped effect.

Rows 3-23: Repeat Row 2. The body of the jacket is now complete and ready to be joined.

Joining the Back:

Starting at the center back point, count 26 stitches along the edge. Fold the piece, bringing the other end of the same row to meet this point. Working through both thicknesses, crochet the two sides together for 25 stitches (one stitch from each side). This will leave approximately 65 stitches for the armhole (armscye).

Border:

Row 1: Make a shell (6 tr in the same stitch), skip 2 stitches, tr in the next stitch, skip 2 stitches. Repeat from * around. Begin with chain 3 (counts as the first tr of the first shell) and join to that chain to form a circle.

Row 2: Make a shell (6 tr in the space between the 3rd and 4th tr of the shell in the previous row), tr in the single tr. Repeat from * around.

Row 3 (Picot Edging): Chain 4, slip stitch in the first chain of the chain-4 (this creates a picot), dc between the next two tr. Repeat from * around the shell, making 5 picots total. Dc in the single tr. Repeat from * around.

Work around the armhole in the same way (shells with picots).

Original Text:

Use Germantown worsted, white or any desired color, with a hook large enough to carry the yarn smoothly. Commence with a chain of 140 stitches, turn.

1. Miss 3, 1 treble in each of 68 stitches following, shell of 3 trebles, 2 chain and 3 trebles in next stitch, to widen for center of back, a treble in each remaining stitch, turn.

2. Chain 3 for 1st treble, a treble in each treble, including the 3 trebles of shell, up to the 2 chain, make a shell as before under 2 chain, then a treble in each following to the end, turn. Work always in back vein of stitch to produce the ribbed or striped effect.

3 to 23. Same as 2d row. The jacket is now ready for joining.

Commencing at the point in center of back, count 26 stitches, then fold over and, starting from the other end of the same row, crochet the two sides together for 25 stitches, taking a stitch from each side. This will leave about 65 stitches for armscye.

For the border:

1. Shell of 6 trebles in a stitch, miss 2, a treble in next, miss 2; repeat. Commence with 3 chain for 1st treble of 1st shell, and join to that.

2. Shell of 6 trebles between 3d and 4th trebles of shell in previous row, and treble in treble; repeat.

3. Chain 4, fasten back in 1st stitch for a picot, a double between 2 trebles, repeat, making 5 picots around the shell, a double in single treble; repeat.

Work around the armscye in same way.

Happy Hooking!

 

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This free vintage crochet pattern is from Handbook of Wool Knitting and Crochet by Anonymous. It is available for download on Project Gutenberg at https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/26113 . The wording has been updated for modern readers with the assistance of  Google Gemini 2.0 Flash.