Tahki Yarns Echo Lake Vest Knitting Pattern

Tahki Yarns Echo Lake Vest

What Is Being Made

The Echo Lake Vest is a sleeveless pullover garment designed by Teresa Chorzepa. This knitted vest is available in four sizes—Small, Medium, Large, and XL—with finished bust measurements ranging from 34 inches to 45½ inches. The vest is designed to fit with 2–4 inches of positive ease and features a length that varies from 20 to 23 inches depending on size, making it a versatile layering piece suitable for various body types and styling preferences.

Techniques Used

The Echo Lake Vest employs several key knitting techniques to create its finished structure. The garment is worked flat on straight needles, meaning it is constructed in separate pieces rather than in the round, which allows for easier stitch manipulation and shaping. The vest features seamed construction, where individual pieces are sewn together to form the final garment. Stripe patterning is incorporated into the design, created through color changes between the yarn colors provided. The striped section uses a Broken Rib stitch pattern worked with two colors in alternating rows before transitioning to the main body pattern.

Stitches Used

Two primary stitch patterns form the foundation of this design. The Broken Rib stitch is used for the striped section at the beginning of the vest. This stitch is worked over an odd number of stitches and alternates between knit and purl stitches on the wrong-side rows, with all knit stitches on the right-side rows, creating a subtle textured effect.

The main body of the vest features the Ladder Slipped Stitch pattern, which is a multiple of 4 stitches plus 3. This stitch pattern uses slipped stitches worked with yarn in back (wyib) and yarn in front (wyif) to create a distinctive ladder-like texture. The pattern repeats over four rows and creates visual interest while maintaining a relatively smooth drape suitable for a vest silhouette. Slipped stitches are a fundamental technique in knitting that involves moving stitches from one needle to another without working them, allowing for decorative effects and stitch manipulation without increasing overall bulk.

Materials

The Echo Lake Vest is knitted using Tahki Yarns RENO, a luxury blend yarn composed of 45% merino, 37% bamboo, 10% yak, and 8% polyamide. This fiber combination provides breathability, softness, and durability. The yardage per ball is 110 yards (99 meters) with a weight of 50 grams per ball. The pattern requires 6 to 9 balls total depending on size, with the majority worked in color #6454 sky (the main color A) and accent stripes in color ##6453 sand (color B), using 1 to 2 balls of the sand shade.

The needles required include US size 8 (5mm) straight needles for the initial cast-on and ribbed sections, a US size 8 (5mm) circular needle measuring 24 inches long, and US size 9 (5.5mm) needles for the main body sections or as needed to obtain proper gauge. Additional notions include stitch markers for tracking pattern repeats and shaping points, and a yarn needle for seaming and weaving in ends.

Gauge and Construction Details

Achieving the correct gauge is essential for proper fit. The pattern specifies a gauge of 19½ stitches and 32 rows over 4 inches (10 centimeters) when working the Ladder Slipped Stitch pattern on the larger size needles in a blocked state. Knitters are advised to take time to check gauge before beginning the project to ensure finished measurements match the intended dimensions.

The construction begins with casting on 83 to 111 stitches depending on size, worked on smaller needles with the main color. The initial Broken Rib section establishes the striped detail, with the contrast sand color introduced for 2 rows, then alternating with 2 rows of the sky color for a total of 5 pattern repeats. After this striped section measures approximately 9½ inches from the cast-on edge, the knitter switches to larger needles and continues in the Ladder Slipped Stitch pattern with the main color only. Armhole shaping is achieved through strategic bind-offs at the beginning of rows followed by decreases worked on right-side rows. The vest continues even until armholes reach their full depth, ranging from approximately 9¾ to 12¾ inches depending on size.

Difficulty Level