Peace Vest Knitting Pattern

Peace Vest in Rowan Cotton Revive

What Is Being Made

The Peace Vest is a sleeveless knitted garment designed to fit chest measurements ranging from 71–76 cm up to 152–157 cm, with corresponding finished garment chest measurements from 84 cm to 165.5 cm. This intermediate-level knitting project features a structured vest silhouette with shaped front slopes, neck shaping, and a finished neckband. The pattern is available in nine size options, making it suitable for a wide range of body types.

Techniques Used

This vest employs several fundamental and intermediate knitting techniques. The garment begins with a ribbed cast-on edge worked in an uneven rib pattern to create elasticity at the lower edge. Stockinette stitch forms the main fabric body. Shaping is achieved through strategic decreasing at the neck edge and front slope using knit-two-together (K2tog) decreases. The pattern includes working sections separately after dividing stitches—the back is worked in one piece, while the front is shaped with a distinctive sloped edge that requires turning and working one side at a time. A neckband worked on a circular needle finishes the neck opening.

Stitches Used

• Ribbing: Uneven rib pattern combining knit and purl stitches (K2, P2 repeat with adjustments at pattern edges)
• Stockinette stitch: The primary fabric structure, created by alternating knit rows on the right side with purl rows on the wrong side
• Knit-two-together (K2tog): A single decrease used for shaping the front slope and neck edges
• Cast-off: Used to bind off stitches at armholes, shoulders, and neck shaping

Materials: Yarn and Needles

Yarn: Rowan Cotton Revive, a 100-gram ball weight. Yardage requirements vary by size, ranging from 3 balls for the smallest size to 6 balls for the largest sizes. The pattern photographed sample is shown in Breeze 006, a colorway within the Cotton Revive range.

Needles: The pattern requires two pairs of straight needles—3¼mm (US 3, UK size 10) for the ribbed edging and initial cast-on, and 3¾mm (US 5, UK size 9) for the main stockinette fabric. Additionally, a 3¼mm (US 3) circular needle at least 80 cm long is needed for working the neckband in the round.

Tension

The pattern is designed to a tension of 25 stitches and 34 rows over 10 cm measured in stockinette stitch using the 3¾mm (US 5) needles. Achieving correct tension is essential for the garment to fit as intended across the full range of sizes.