Valley Yarns Quilted Diamond Vest Knitting Pattern

Valley Yarns Quilted Diamond Vest

What is Being Made

The Valley Yarns Quilted Diamond Vest is a seamed knit waistcoat designed by Linda Burt, available in four finished chest measurements: 36, 40, 44, and 46 inches. This garment features a classic vest silhouette with front zipper closure and is worked in a combination of textured and patterned stitches for visual interest and dimension.

Techniques Used

This vest is constructed using a bottom-up approach, meaning knitting begins at the lower edge and progresses toward the shoulders and neckline. The garment is worked flat on straight needles rather than in the round, allowing for easier pattern work and shaping. Seamed construction is employed throughout, with shoulder seams and side seams sewn together after individual pieces are completed. This method provides clean finishing and allows for precise fit adjustments.

Stitches Used

The vest incorporates several key stitch patterns to create its distinctive appearance:

• Moss Stitch: A fundamental textured stitch created by alternating knit and purl stitches in a specific sequence across rows. The pattern begins with "purl 1, knit 1" on the first row, then knits the knit stitches and purls the purl stitches as they face you on the second row. This creates a dense, bumpy fabric with excellent structure. Moss stitch is used as a border element, particularly on the front edges and armhole edges, where it maintains 3 to 4 stitches in this pattern to frame the main design.
• Quilted Diamond Pattern: A charted pattern that forms the primary visual focus of the vest. The diamond motif is worked across the back and front pieces while maintaining the moss stitch edging. The chart is repeated across the width of each piece, with stitch counts adjusted by size to ensure proper pattern placement.

Materials and Tools

The vest is knitted using Valley Yarns Berkshire, a premium blend yarn composed of 85% wool and 15% alpaca. This fiber combination provides warmth, elasticity, and a subtle sheen. Each skein contains 141 yards and weighs 100 grams. The pattern requires 4 to 6 skeins depending on the finished size selected, with pale lilac (#36) specified in the instructions.

Construction requires US size 9 needles (or the size needed to obtain proper gauge) for working the pieces flat. The finished vest is closed with 1 zipper, which is inserted during the finishing phase.

Gauge and Sizing

The pattern specifies a gauge of 16 stitches and 22 rows over 4 inches in the pattern stitch. Achieving this gauge is essential for obtaining the correct finished measurements. The vest is available in four sizes with finished chest measurements of 36, 40, 44, and 46 inches, accommodating a range of body types.

Construction Details

The back piece is cast on with 73 to 91 stitches depending on size. After establishing the moss stitch foundation, the diamond chart pattern is introduced and worked while simultaneously shaping the sides. Armhole decreases are worked at both edges, with 4 to 7 stitches bound off at the armhole edge and additional single-stitch decreases worked over several rows. The armhole depth ranges from 6 to 7.5 inches across sizes.

Each front piece is cast on separately with 40 to 49 stitches. The front pieces maintain moss stitch on the center front edge (3 stitches) and incorporate the same diamond pattern as the back. Front pieces include side shaping that mirrors the back, as well as armhole shaping. Neck decreases are worked by binding off 13 to 14 stitches at the neck edge, followed by single-stitch decreases worked every other row for 4 rows to create a smooth neckline curve.

After all pieces are completed, shoulder and side seams are sewn together using a seaming method appropriate to the yarn and stitch pattern. Stitches are picked up around the neckline (70 to 74 stitches depending on size) to create a finished neck edge, and the zipper is installed to complete the garment.