A love song to Cordova, Alaska. Silty river deltas fed by glaciers, mountains reflected in a smooth lake as the sun sets near midnight. A dizzying interplay of water, sky, and land. A community built on the elemental drive of salmon to return home.

The Salmon Coming Home vest uses 10 colors of Jamieson’s Shetland Spindrift fingering-weight yarn; it is knit in the round, with instructions for steeks, optional waist shaping, and optional shoulder shaping. The pattern is written for seven sizes, ranging from 34.25” to 51.5”. The vest requires from 12 to 18 balls of yarn; specifics can be found in the pattern.

Complete steeking instructions are included. The vest in the photograph has waist and shoulder shaping; it has ~ 1” of ease.

I’d like to thank Karen Clerke for test knitting this pattern and Katherine Clerke for the photos of the sweater being worn. I would also like to express my gratitude to Dotty Widmann for inviting me to teach at The Net Loft in Cordova.

It’s hard to knit an anatomically accurate salmon—please forgive any deviation from reality!