Pattern Review: The Vantis Peplum

by Isabella


Posted on December 6, 2019


Over the past month I had the privilege to work with a group of testers on the Vantis Peplum by White Owl Crochet Co! When I saw Mollie post a tester call for this beauty I knew I had to apply! I just knew this was gonna be a special piece in my wardrobe and hopefully in yours as well! Mollie is launching the pattern for the Vantis really soon, so definitely keep a close eye for its release!

*You can now found the Vantis Peplum from White Owl Crochet Co HERE!

First off, you should buy Mollie’s patterns, whether you intend to make the item or not, just to look at the pattern itself. The document alone is a work of art. Seriously. While I can’t show you her masterful pattern design skills (cause, duh, you have to pay for it), I can say that out of ANY designer I have ever made a pattern from- knit or crochet- Mollie’s are my favorite. She is incredibly thorough, and everything is laid out in such a beautiful yet functional way. No weird fonts. No confusing implied things to leave you guessing. Mathy stuff for the mathy folks, visual stuff for the visual folks. The only downside is because of all this detail, and the fact the pattern includes 22 (!!) sizes from 28-70″ busts , the PDF itself is definitely LONG. If you’re someone that prints their patterns like I am, it is a lot of paper and ink, but it’s totally WORTH IT. There are blank charts for you to fill in for your size, a full schematic for the lace section (which is pretty enough to frame and hang on your wall), pages for notes, pages with tester photos to give you inspiration, and just really everything you’ll need to make yourself a really beautiful piece of crochet art!

The original pattern was designed in collaboration with Hello Stella using her DK weight yarn (the name “Vantis” is a nod to her two sons Van and Otis). I however opted for a…budget…option and used Hobby Lobby’s Soft and Sleek DK in Oxblood and Dijon. Although the yarn is categorized as a DK, it’s more towards a fingering weight and I ended up having to hold it double to meet gauge. But for $4.99 a skein (less on 30% off weeks!), I didn’t mind having to pick up some extra yardage! Although I haven’t worn the item enough to speak to the durability of this yarn, I have to say I really did like working with it and the color range is pretty fun!

The Vantis Peplum by White Owl Crochet Co modeled by Bella's Custom Crochets

I made a size 6 for myself, which was a 38″ bust according to the pattern. Mollie designed it to fit with no positive ease (so perfectly fitting to your body, no extra fabric and no stretching out to fit- “just right”), but I prefer a little more room in my garments. Typically I wear a 34-36,” so I liked the few extra inches I gained by sizing up a little. Because my bust to waist ratio is kinda a big jump, I wanted to add a little shaping to the waist area, but I didn’t want to do any decreases because I needed a certain stitch count to work the peplum, so instead I sized down on my hook size for the rows between the armpits and the waist. Obviously this tightened up the gauge a little, but I don’t think there is anything visible weird looking to it, especially to a non-crocheter, and I like the little bit of shaping it accomplished! I also added 4 extra rows to the bodice to accommodate my long torso. Some testers chose to crop the top shorter and some added quite a few extra rows. It’s super easy to adjust the fit so the peplum hits just where you want it to!

The Vantis Peplum by White Owl Crochet Co modeled by Bella's Custom Crochets

The lace section seemed a little daunting at first, I have to say! I have never really crocheted lace before and I definitely have never followed a lace schematic (don’t worry, there’s written instructions too!), but I got through that section with no trouble! I love how Mollie has taken a classic like pineapple lace and made it so modern! I am planning on wearing this garment for Christmas cause it just has such a festive feel to it! Another tester made hers in all black and it’s so chic! If I make another, I definitely want a black one!

The Vantis Peplum by White Owl Crochet Co modeled by Bella's Custom Crochets

After finishing the test and getting all my notes and yardages and such (like a good little tester!) I decided I wanted to add sleeves to mine! I did love the “sleeveless” version that the pattern creates, but knowing that I wanted to wear it for Christmas time in New England, I definitely needed a sleeve on my arms!

I tried it on initially with a black cropped cardigan, which was cute, but I thought the 3rd color took away from the drama of the design?

The Vantis Peplum by White Owl Crochet Co modeled by Bella's Custom Crochets

If you’ve ever made sleeves on a sweater before it should be easy enough if you’d like to add your own. I made my 3/4 length based off the sleeves for my Manoa Cardi. Since that is a paid pattern of mine I am not going to tell you the full details on that , but if you want some details on how I modified the pattern to include my sleeves, I lay out a rough method of what I did in my ravelry project page. In fact, you can find ALL the details of my whole project there, if you’d like to get more details!

So that’s it, folks! My Vantis Peplum! Super excited to have this fun piece in my handmade wardrobe, especially since I typically make garments in neutrals! I can’t wait to rock it at my family’s Christmas gatherings this year! If you happen to want to see me talk about it in video format I mention it here and here in podcast episodes!

Definitely make sure you’re keeping an eye out in Mollie’s feed for the release (I think coming next week but she is still smoothing out the final details!) annnnnddd make sure you come back here next Friday, I’ve got a treat! Mollie has agreed to do a little interview (you can read it HERE)! She and I will be “talking” all about her fiber story, her design process (knit and crochet! And she is prolific!), and how she balances all of the 7,000 things she’s got going on! So make sure to check back for that!

crochet pattern , maker community , pattern review , pineapple lace , vantis peplum , white owl crochet co

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