What you need
| Sizes | XS, S, M, L, XL, 2XL · To fit bust 28, 32, 36, 40, 44, 48 inches · Finished chest 32, 36, 40, 44, 48, 52 inches — about 4 inches of positive ease, longline. |
|---|---|
| Yarn | Smooth plied super bulky wool or wool blend, about 87 yd / 80 m per 100 g: 380 to 790 yards (5 to 9 balls), all in one dye lot. |
| Needles | US 15 / 10 mm: a 32-inch circular for the body, a 16-inch circular for the neck and armholes, and straights or a second circular for the yokes. |
| Gauge (tension) | 10 sts and 13 rows = 4 inches in stockinette, relaxed after blocking — the only gauge in the pattern. |
Skills you’ll use
- Knit
- Purl
- Knitting in the round
- K2tog and ssk
- Picking up stitches
- Three-needle bind-off
- If you have knitted a hat in the round and a scarf, you can knit this - there is no increase anywhere, and only six decreases in the whole vest.
What’s in the PDF
- 12-page PDF, fully written out for six sizes
- A row-by-row map of the front neck, showing exactly which rows shape it
- A construction diagram, a rolled-edge diagram and a full schematic
- A table of safe changes and a page of what-went-wrong fixes
- Below the underarm nothing is shaped at all; above it there are four bind-offs and six decreases in the whole vest
- Every stitch count checked by calculation - cast-on, underarm division, front and back neck close exactly at every size
Questions about this pattern
Why is there no ribbing?
By design. Every edge - hem, neck, both armholes - is a rolled stockinette edge: picked up, worked four rounds, bound off loosely and left to roll. It is the whole look of the vest.
Is the neck supposed to be that wide?
Yes - a rolled edge does not stretch the way ribbing does, so every size is cut to clear a 23-inch head without being forced.
Is this really a beginner pattern?
If you have knitted a hat in the round and a scarf, you can knit this. There are no increases, six decreases in total, and the deep armholes mean almost no shaping.
