Mod Waterfall is an unstructured vest made of simple rectangles. The finished piece is shawl-like and subverts its rectangular shapes with lots of drape and flexibility in wearing. Play around with wearing it. I like to lean towards asymmetry if I pin Mod Waterfall closed. Open or closed, I sometimes turn the back neck to make a bit of a collar.

The vest’s construction pays homage to one of my favorite designers from the 1970s, Judith Copeland. Copeland’s classic book, Modular Crochet, has just been re-released by Dover Publications, and I encourage you to check it out. Her designs are nothing like Mod Waterfall, but they embody a cozy, patternless sweater style you can endlessly adapt. The modular style of crochet is so called because garments are built in seamless sections that grow from the center outward. The back of Mod Waterfall is created with a row of foundation half double crochet that is then worked from the center outward on both sides. The fabric is turned on its side, meaning your row edges become the neckline and waist edges of the garment.