Rowan Austwick Vest Knitting Pattern

Rowan Austwick Knitted Vests by Lisa Richardson

What Is Being Made

The Austwick is a collection of knitted vests designed by Lisa Richardson for Rowan. These are sleeveless garments fitted to the bust, available in five sizes ranging from 81–86 cm to 122–127 cm bust measurements (32–34 in to 48–50 in). The vests feature a classic construction with shaped armholes, tailored shoulders, and a back neck shaping for a refined fit. Pocket flaps and button details add functional and decorative elements to the design.

Techniques Used

The Austwick vests are constructed using bottom-up knitting, meaning the garment is worked from the lower edge upward. The pieces are worked flat on straight needles rather than in the round, and the finished sections are seamed together to create the final garment. This traditional approach allows for precise shaping and control over the fit.

Key shaping techniques include strategic decreases at the armhole edges—worked over multiple rows in a combination of consecutive and alternating row decreases—to create a tailored sleeve opening. The back neck and shoulder shaping employ cast-off stitches at the beginning of rows to form clean, structured edges. Pocket flaps are worked separately and attached to the completed vest.

Stitches Used

The primary stitch throughout the Austwick is moss stitch (also called seed stitch), a textured fabric created by alternating knit and purl stitches in a checkerboard pattern. Moss stitch is worked as follows: on right-side rows, knit one stitch then purl one stitch, repeating to the end; on wrong-side rows, the pattern reverses to maintain the texture. This stitch creates a dense, reversible fabric with excellent drape and visual interest, making it ideal for a classic vest silhouette.

Materials: Yarn and Needles

The Austwick is knitted using Rowan Valley Tweed yarn, photographed in the colorway Littondale. Valley Tweed is supplied in 50-gram balls, and the pattern calls for 6 balls total across all sizes. This yarn choice contributes to the textured, traditional aesthetic of the finished vest.

The pattern is worked on 3¼mm (US 3) needles (UK size 10). The recommended tension is 26 stitches and 47 rows to 10 centimeters measured over moss stitch using the specified needles. Achieving the correct tension is essential for proper fit and garment proportions.

The vests are finished with 6 buttons (Groves and Banks reference BF/8847), which are used to close the front opening and provide both closure and design detail.