Calliope Vest Slipover Knitting Pattern

Calliope Vest in Juniper Moon Moonshine

What is Being Made

The Calliope Vest is a sleeveless knitted garment designed by Ruth Garcia-Alcantud for Juniper Moon Farm. This vest features minimal but decidedly feminine shaping, combining both decorative cable work and simple stockinette stitch construction. The design offers seven size options ranging from XS to 3X, with finished chest measurements from 30 inches to 54 inches, making it accessible for a wide range of body types. The vest is suitable for layering and provides warmth while maintaining a fashionable appearance.

Techniques Used

The Calliope Vest employs several key knitting techniques to achieve its structured yet elegant design. Cable knitting is featured prominently on the front of the garment, creating visual interest and texture. The pattern uses decreasing techniques including slip, slip, knit (ssk) and knit two together (k2tog) to shape the armholes and neckline. Ribbed edging is worked both flat and in the round to create finished edges that provide elasticity and structure. The back is kept simple with stockinette stitch, allowing the cabled front to be the focal point. Shaping while maintaining pattern is incorporated throughout, requiring knitters to work partial pattern repeats by knitting the knits and purling the purls as decreases occur.

Stitches Used

• Stockinette Stitch (St st): Used for the back and portions of the front, creating a smooth, classic knit fabric
• Cable Stitch (C4b): A four-stitch cable worked by placing 2 stitches on a cable needle, holding at back, knitting 2 stitches, then knitting the held stitches. This cable is crossed every 8 rows to create the distinctive texture
• Cable Pattern: A repeating 8-stitch pattern combining purl stitches and cable crosses, worked over 8 rows with alternating cable and stockinette rows
• 2x2 Ribbing (flat): Alternating knit 2, purl 2 stitches, used for finishing edges and creating elasticity
• 2x2 Ribbing (in the round): The same knit 2, purl 2 pattern worked circularly for seamless ribbed sections
• 4x4 Ribbing (flat): A wider rib pattern alternating purl 2, knit 4, purl 2 stitches for additional structure
• Slip, Slip, Knit (ssk): A left-leaning decrease used for shaping
• Knit Two Together (k2tog): A right-leaning decrease used for shaping

Materials

The Calliope Vest is knitted using Juniper Moon Farm Moonshine yarn in color #04 Seaside. The yardage requirement varies by size, requiring 4 hanks for size XS up to 9 hanks for size 3X. Two needle sizes are required: US 7 (4.5mm) needles for stockinette stitch sections, which produces a gauge of 20 stitches and 30 rows over 4 inches, and US 8 (5mm) needles for cable pattern sections, which produces a gauge of 16 stitches and 28 rows over 4 inches. A cable needle is necessary for working the cable stitches, and stitch markers are used to track pattern repeats and shaping points throughout the construction.