Noro Waistcoat Vest Knitting Pattern

Noro Waistcoat - Designer Mini Knits

What is Being Made

The Noro Waistcoat is a fitted sleeveless vest designed by Jenny Watson, featured as Design 20 from the Mini Knits 4 collection. This garment is a classic wardrobe piece available in five size options ranging from 81cm to 127cm bust measurements (32 to 50 inches). The waistcoat features a button-front closure with three buttons and is designed to be worn as a layering piece or standalone garment.

Techniques Used

This waistcoat is constructed using bottom-up seamed construction, meaning the pieces are knitted from the lower edge upward and then sewn together. The garment is worked flat on straight needles rather than in the round, allowing for traditional shaping techniques to be applied to the front and back panels. The design incorporates strategic shaping at the neck and armholes to create a tailored fit.

Stitches Used

• Garter Stitch (G-St) – Used for the lower ribbed edging, worked over 15 rows on the left front and 6 rows on the right front using 3.25mm needles. This textured stitch creates a neat, elastic finish at the waistcoat's hem and provides structure to the button band.
• Stocking Stitch (St-St) – The primary stitch used throughout the main body of the waistcoat after the garter stitch edging. This classic smooth stitch creates the refined appearance of the finished garment and is worked over the majority of the piece using 4mm needles.
• Decreasing stitches – Decreases are worked at regular intervals (every 4th row) at the neck edge to create the shaped neckline, with K2tog (knit two together) used to reduce stitch count progressively.

Materials

The Noro Waistcoat requires Noro Kibou yarn in Shade 1, with yardage varying by size: 3 balls for the smallest size (81cm bust) up to 5 balls for the largest size (127cm bust). Each ball weighs 100 grams. The project calls for two pairs of knitting needles: 4mm (US6) needles for the main stocking stitch sections and 3.25mm (US3) needles for the garter stitch edgings. Additional notions include stitch holders for managing stitches during construction and three buttons for the front closure. The tension is set at 21 stitches and 28 rows over 10 centimeters (4 inches) in stocking stitch using 4mm needles.

Pattern Details

The waistcoat features distinct left and right front panels with button bands and a shaped back. The left front begins with a cast-on of 56 to 77 stitches depending on size, worked in garter stitch before transitioning to stocking stitch. The right front includes a buttonhole placement (cast off 2 stitches on row 7) and mirrors the left front's shaping. Both fronts include neck shaping worked over multiple rows with decreases at the neck edge every 4th row. The garment reaches a full length of approximately 46 to 54 centimeters (18 to 21¼ inches) depending on size, with armhole depth ranging from 19 to 27 centimeters (7½ to 10¾ inches).