Petra Waistcoat Dress Knitting Pattern

Petra Waistcoat in Rowan Kid Classic

What is Being Made

The Petra Waistcoat is a sleeveless knitted garment designed to fit bust measurements ranging from 71-76 cm (28-30 inches) up to 152-157 cm (60-62 inches). This intermediate-level knitting project creates a fitted waistcoat with structured armholes and a shaped neckline, suitable for layering over other garments.

Techniques Used

This pattern employs several key knitting techniques to achieve its finished structure:

• Cable work: The pattern incorporates cable stitches using abbreviations C4B (slip next 2 stitches onto cable needle and leave at back of work, knit 2, then knit 2 from cable needle) and C4F, requiring the use of a cable needle
• Shaping: The waistcoat features shoulder shaping through strategic cast-offs at the beginning of rows, creating a tailored fit across the shoulders
• Neck shaping: Front neck shaping is achieved through decreasing stitches at the neck edge while simultaneously casting off stitches to form the shoulder line
• Armhole construction: The pattern includes worked armholes that measure between 23 and 33 cm depending on size, with continuous straight sections followed by shaped shoulder caps
• Stitch holders: The pattern uses stitch holders to manage stitches during construction, particularly for the neckband and back neck shaping

Stitches Used

The Petra Waistcoat is worked using a combination of knit and purl stitches arranged in a stitch pattern. The pattern maintains correct stitch pattern alignment throughout shaping rows, indicating a textured or decorative stitch repeat rather than simple stockinette stitch. Cable stitches are integrated into the overall pattern design.

Materials: Yarn and Needles

This pattern is designed for Rowan Kid Classic yarn, a luxury fiber requiring 8 to 11 balls of 50-gram weight depending on the finished size selected. The photographed version is worked in the colorway Champagne 898.

Two pairs of needles are required for construction:

• 1 pair of 4½mm (US 7) needles
• 1 pair of 5mm (US 8) needles

Additionally, a cable needle is needed for working the cable stitches throughout the pattern.

Tension and Gauge

The pattern is worked to a tension of 27 stitches and 32 rows over 10 cm (4 inches) when measured over the stitch pattern using 5mm (US 8) needles. Achieving correct gauge is essential for proper fit across all nine available sizes.

Pattern Construction

The waistcoat is constructed in separate pieces: a back and a front. The back piece is worked straight until the armhole depth is reached, then shoulders are shaped through a series of cast-offs. The front follows the same construction method until several rows before the back reaches shoulder shaping, allowing for front neck shaping to be worked separately on each side. A neckband is created using stitches held during the shaping process.