Wildflowerknits Maria Vest Knitting Pattern

Wildflowerknits Maria Vest

What Is Being Made

The Maria vest is a sleeveless pullover garment designed by Kennita Tully for Wildflowerknits. This vest is suitable for a range of sizes from XS through 3X, with finished chest measurements ranging from 34.5 inches to 58.5 inches and finished lengths from 26.5 inches to 30 inches. The sample shown was knit in size Small. This is an easy skill level project, making it accessible to knitters with basic experience.

Construction Method and Techniques

The Maria vest is knit flat in a bottom-up construction method, meaning the knitter begins at the lower edge and works upward toward the neckline. The vest is knit all in one piece with minimal seaming, which streamlines the finishing process. The garment features strategic shaping through decreases for body definition and armhole construction.

The vest begins with a Long Tail cast-on of 194 (209, 224, 242, 260, 275, 290) stitches depending on size. After an initial setup row, the knitter places stitch markers to divide the work into distinct sections for shaping. The body shaping is accomplished through decrease rows worked every 3 inches, with decreases positioned 2 stitches in from the edges using k2tog (knit two together) and ssk (slip, slip, knit) techniques. Four decrease rows total are worked to create waist shaping.

At approximately 20 inches from the cast-on edge, the work is divided for armholes. The knitter binds off stitches in the center front and back sections, then joins new balls of yarn to work the front and back pieces separately. This division creates the characteristic armhole openings of the vest.

Stitches Used

The Maria vest primarily uses two fundamental knitting stitches:

• Stockinette Stitch — the main stitch used for the majority of the vest fabric, created by alternating knit rows on the right side with purl rows on the wrong side, producing a smooth, flat appearance
• Reverse Stockinette Stitch — used for border sections at the sides and edges, creating a textured, bumpy surface that contrasts with the Stockinette sections

The pattern incorporates decrease stitches (k2tog and ssk) for body shaping and armhole definition. Stitch markers are used throughout to help the knitter track shaping sections and maintain consistency across the multiple sizes.

Materials and Tools

The Maria vest is designed to be knit with Tahki Yarns "Ripple", a mercerized cotton yarn. The yardage is 142 yards per 50-gram ball, and the fiber content is 100% mercerized cotton. The yardage required varies by size, ranging from 6 balls for the smallest sizes (XS and S) to 10 balls for the largest size (3X).

The recommended needles are US 8 (5mm) knitting needles, or the size needed to achieve the correct gauge. The pattern specifies a gauge of 16 stitches and 24 rows in Stockinette stitch over a 4-inch square, and the pattern notes emphasize checking gauge before beginning to ensure proper fit across all sizes.

Additional tools required include removable stitch markers for tracking shaping sections, a stitch holder for temporarily holding stitches during armhole division, and a tapestry needle for seaming and weaving in yarn ends during finishing.