Wildflowerknits Mary Jane Vest Knitting Pattern

Wildflowerknits Mary Jane Vest

What Is Being Made

The Mary Jane is a knitted vest designed by Kennita Tully, offered in seven sizes ranging from XS to 3X. This garment features a classic silhouette with finished chest measurements from 32.25 inches (XS) to 56.25 inches (3X) and finished lengths ranging from 20.75 inches to 26.75 inches depending on size. The vest is suitable for knitters of all skill levels, classified as an easy project.

Techniques Used

The Mary Jane vest is constructed using several key knitting techniques that create a polished, professional finish. The garment is worked flat on circular needles, meaning pieces are knitted in rows rather than in the round. It is assembled using a seamed construction, where individual pieces are sewn together after knitting. The vest is knitted bottom-up, beginning with the cast-on at the lower edge and working upward toward the neckline and armholes.

The pattern incorporates short-row shaping for collar shaping, a technique that creates three-dimensional shaping by knitting partial rows. To prevent holes from forming during short-row construction, stitches are wrapped at the turning points, then the wraps are knitted or purled together with their stitches when encountered on subsequent rows. This advanced shaping technique adds sophisticated contouring to the neckline.

Decreases are strategically placed on right-side rows to shape the garment. At the beginning of decrease rows, a knit stitch is followed by a slip-slip-knit decrease (ssk); at the end of decrease rows, a knit-two-together decrease (k2tog) is worked before the final knit stitches. These decreases are worked symmetrically across multiple stitch sections marked with removable stitch markers, creating balanced shaping on both sides of the vest.

Stitches Used

The primary stitch throughout the Mary Jane vest is Stockinette stitch, the most fundamental and versatile stitch in knitting. Stockinette stitch is created by alternating knit rows on the right side with purl rows on the wrong side, producing a smooth, flat fabric with characteristic V-shaped columns on the front. This classic stitch provides an elegant canvas that allows the yarn's qualities and drape to shine.

Shaping decreases include ssk (slip, slip, knit), a left-leaning decrease worked by slipping two stitches individually as if to knit, then inserting the left needle through both stitches from left to right and knitting them together. The k2tog (knit two together) decrease is a right-leaning decrease created by inserting the right needle through two stitches from left to right and knitting them together as one stitch. These decreases are paired on opposite sides of the garment for balanced, symmetrical shaping.

Materials

The Mary Jane vest is designed to be knitted with Tahki Yarns "Alden," a luxurious blend composed of 50% fine merino wool, 25% superfine alpaca, and 25% acrylic. This yarn provides a soft hand combined with excellent durability and elasticity. The yardage is 250 yards per 50-gram ball. Depending on size, the project requires between 2 and 4 balls of yarn in the color #05 cherry, a rich red shade.

The pattern calls for Size US5 (3.75mm) circular knitting needles in a 36-inch length for the main body construction, worked flat. A shorter 16-inch circular needle in the same size is used for finishing the armhole trim. Knitters should verify their gauge before beginning; the pattern specifies a gauge of 20 stitches and 28 rows over 4 inches (10 centimeters) in Stockinette stitch. Additional supplies include removable stitch markers to track shaping sections and a tapestry needle for seaming and weaving in ends.

Construction Overview

The vest begins with a long-tail cast-on of 103 to 163 stitches depending on size. Stitch markers are placed on the first row to divide the work into sections, with 2 edge stitches on each side and three marked sections of 33 to 53 stitches each. The back is worked in Stockinette stitch for approximately 3 inches before back shaping begins on a right-side row. Decreases are worked symmetrically within each marked section, reducing 4 stitches per decrease row. This shaping continues for 2 additional inches, creating a tapered silhouette.