My husband and I are both a little nerdy, and with a baby boy on the way, I have been looking for inspiration to make some cute baby stuff! In browsing on Pintrest, I saw a pin in which someone knit together some arm bands using little metal scales. You can find her pattern here. While the arm bands were cute, it was the idea that got me thinking!

So I decided to try it out and ordered a bunch of scales from The Ring Lord. After watching and attempting to follow a (very confusing) tutorial on YouTube, I decided that maybe knitting with these bad boys was maybe not the best idea. I am much more comfortable with crocheting, and found more luck with this crocheting tutorial. In my actual pattern I use my own variant on her method.

With the technique of crocheting with scales, I decided to make my little baby an itty bitty scale mail vest (to wear in itty bitty battle of course).

This is the first pattern I’ve ever written, so hopefully it’s not too confusing!

UPDATE:

Our little nugget has joined the outside world. Here is a picture of him in the vest!



Scale Mail Vest Materials –

– ~215 small size scales

– About 3/4 ball of medium weight yarn (mine was 100g and 200 yards with a suggestion of a 5mm hook)

– 4 mm crochet needle (or less depending on your gauge, bigger than that may not fit through your scale’s hole)

– 2 buttons

– yarn needle

– sewing needle for buttons Gauge –

My gauge was roughly 4.5 (~4.75) stitches across per 2 inches Abbreviations –

ch – chain

sc – single crochet

sc2tog – single crochet two together

hdc – half double crochet FRONT

ch 36

Row 1 – Skip 1, sc in 2nd stitch from hook. Sc until end [35 stitches]

Row 2 – ch 1 (sc scale on *, sc x2)x11, sc scale on, sc [12 scales]

Row 3 – ch 1, sc to end (35 stitches)

Row 4 – ch 1, sc, (sc scale on, sc x2)x11, sc scale on [12 scales in the gaps of previous row of scales]

Row 5 – ch 1, sc to end (35 stitches)

Row 6 – Row 25 – Continue row 2-5 pattern **

Row 26 – ch 1, sc2tog, sc x31, sc2tog [33 stitches] Row 27A – ch 1, sc2tog adding scale on ***, sc2tog, (sc scale on, sc x2)x5. Turn work to start working on side A of the vest.

Row 28A – ch 1, sc2tog x2, sc x7, sc2tog x2

Row 29A – ch 1, sc, (sc scale on, sc x2)x4

Row 30A – sc2tog, sc x6, sc2tog

Row 31A – ch 1, sc, (sc scale on, sc x2)x2, sc scale on

Row 32A – ch 1, sc x8

Row 33A – ch 1, (sc scale on, sc x2)x3, sc

Row 34A – ch 1, sc x8

Row 35A – Row 41A – repeat row 31A-34A pattern

Row 41A – finish side A

Row 27B – cast on from last scale of row 27 [scale in middle of work], ch 1, (sc x2, sc scale on)x4, sc2tog, sc2tog adding scale on, sc

Row 28B – ch 1, sc2tog x2, sc x7, sc2tog x2

Row 29B – ch 1, sc, (sc scale on, sc x2)x4

Row 30B – ch 1, sc2tog, sc x6, sc2tog

Row 31B – ch 1, sc, (sc scale on, sc x2)x2, sc scale on [starts repeating side A at this point]

Row 32B – ch 1, sc x8

Row 33B – ch 1, (sc scale on, sc x2)x3, sc

Row 34B – ch 1, sc x8

Row 35B – Row 41A – repeat row 31A-34A pattern

Row 41B – finish side B

* Insert needle, add scale on from back of work (convex side out), yarn over hook, pull through, yarn over hook, pull through all to complete stitch.

**

V – – V – – V – – V – – V – – V – – V – – V – – V – – V – – V – – V –

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

– V – – V – – V – -V – -V – – V – – V – – V – – V – – V – – V – – V

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

*** Insert needle, add scale on from back of work (convex side out), yarn over hook, pull though, insert needle into next stitch, yarn over hook, pull through, yarn over hook, pull through all to complete stitch.

BACK

ch 36

Row 1 – Skip 1, sc in 2nd stitch from hook. Sc until end [35 stitches]

Row 2 – Row 25 – ch 1, sc x35

Row 26 – ch 1, sc2tog, sc x31, sc2tog

Row 27 – ch 1, sc2tog x2, sc x25, sc2tog x2

Row 28 – ch 1, sc2tog, sc x25, sc2tog

Row 29 – ch 1, sc x27

Row 30 – ch 1, sc2tog, sc x23, sc2tog

Row 31 – Row 38 – ch 1, sc x25

Row 39A – ch 1, sc x8. Turn work to start working on side A of shoulder straps.

Row 40A – Row 46A – ch 1, sc x8

Row 47A – ch 2, hdc x4, ch 2, hdcx4 [you might need to adjust this row depending on the size of your buttons]

Row 48A – Row 49A – ch 1, sc x8

Row 49A – finish side A

Row 39B – cast on 9 stitches from opposite end, ch 1, sc x8

Row 40B – Row 46B – ch 1, sc x8 [same pattern as side A at this point]

Row 47B – ch 2, hdc x4, ch 2, hdcx4 [you might need to adjust this row depending on the size of your buttons]

Row 48B – Row 49B – ch 1, sc x8

Row 49B – finish side B

FINISHING

Invisibly fasten off all ends

Sew one button near the top of the front piece on the inside of each strap

Use yarn to sew together sides of vest

Bask in the glory of your work