Jojoland Braided Grid Vest Waistcoat Knitting Pattern

Jojoland Braided Grid Vest

Project Overview

The Jojoland Braided Grid Vest is a knitted waistcoat designed by Lijuan Jing, offering an easy skill level project suitable for knitters seeking a straightforward construction with visual interest. This vest features a distinctive braided grid stitch pattern worked in a classic bottom-up, seamed construction method, making it an accessible choice for those new to garment shaping.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a sleeveless vest with seven finished bust size options ranging from 28 inches to 52 inches, accommodating a wide range of body measurements. The vest is constructed with separate front and back pieces that are worked flat on straight needles and later seamed together, creating a structured, tailored silhouette typical of traditional waistcoat styling.

Techniques Used

• Bottom-up construction: The vest is built from the lower edge upward, beginning with cast-on stitches at the hem and progressing toward the armholes and neckline
• Worked flat: All pieces are knitted on straight needles in rows rather than in the round, allowing for easy pattern reading and adjustments
• Seamed assembly: Individual pieces (left front, right front, and back) are joined together using seaming techniques to create the finished garment
• Ribbed edging: The pattern begins with a one-inch knit-purl ribbed band at the lower edge, providing elasticity and a finished appearance
• Armhole shaping: Strategic bind-offs and decreases create fitted armholes, with variations in shaping depth across the seven size options
• V-neck shaping: The front pieces feature progressive decreases to form a classic V-neckline

Stitches Used

The primary stitch pattern is the Braided Grid Stitch, a charted stitch pattern that repeats over eight rows. This stitch combines basic knit and purl stitches with cable crosses to create visual texture and dimension.

• Knit stitch (k): The fundamental stitch used throughout the pattern
• Purl stitch (p): Used to create contrast and define the grid structure within the braided pattern
• C2B (2-stitch right cross): A cable technique where one stitch is slipped to a cable needle and held to the back, the next stitch is knitted, and then the stitch from the cable needle is knitted. This creates the braided effect that gives the pattern its name
• Ribbing (k1, p1): Alternating knit and purl stitches used for the one-inch cuff at the lower edge

Materials

The Jojoland Braided Grid Vest is designed to be worked in Jojoland Rhythm yarn, a 100% wool fiber with a yardage of 110 yards per ball. Yarn requirements vary by size, ranging from 7 balls for the smallest size (28" bust) to 16 balls for the largest size (52" bust). The sample shown in the pattern was created using color RS65.

Needles required include U.S. size 6 (4.0mm) needles for the ribbed cuff and U.S. size 7 (4.5mm) needles for the main braided grid stitch pattern. The pattern also calls for a cable needle to execute the C2B cable crosses that are central to the braided grid stitch.

Gauge and Fit

The pattern is worked at a gauge of 5.75 stitches and 6.4 rows per one-inch square when measured over the braided grid stitch using the larger needles. Achieving the correct gauge is essential for obtaining the intended finished measurements and proper fit across all seven size options.