Women's Shawl Collar Vest Slipover Knitting Pattern

Women's Shawl Collar Vest in Plymouth Yarn De Aire

What Is Being Made

This is a sleeveless vest designed for women, featuring a distinctive shawl collar that drapes elegantly across the neckline. The vest is a fitted, tailored garment with a structured silhouette, available in four sizes with finished chest measurements of 34 inches, 38 inches, 42 inches, and 45 inches, and finished lengths ranging from 23 inches to 26 inches depending on size.

Knitting Techniques Used

This pattern employs several fundamental knitting construction techniques to create a polished, professional-looking garment:

• Ribbed edging: The vest begins with 1x1 ribbing (alternating knit and purl stitches) worked on smaller needles to create an elastic, fitted edge at the lower body
• Gauge shaping: The pattern uses strategic needle size changes—size 13 needles for ribbed sections and size 15 needles for the main body—to achieve proper fabric density and drape
• Increases: Subtle shaping is created through strategic increases worked at each end of the piece every 16th or 18th row (depending on size), adding gentle width to the garment
• Armhole shaping: Bind-offs at the beginning of rows create the armhole openings, followed by decrease rows that taper the armholes for a fitted sleeve opening
• Neck shaping: The shawl collar is created through a combination of bind-offs at the center back neck and graduated decreases at the neck edge, worked every 10th, 8th, or 12th row depending on size
• Seaming: Shoulder and side seams are sewn together after blocking, creating clean, finished edges

Stitches Used

The pattern utilizes two primary stitches:

• Stockinette stitch (st st): The main fabric throughout the body of the vest, created by alternating knit rows on the right side with purl rows on the wrong side, producing a smooth, classic knitted appearance
• 1x1 ribbing: Used for the lower edge and cuff areas, created by alternating single knit and purl stitches across each row, providing elasticity and a refined finished edge

Materials and Gauge

The vest is designed to be knitted with Plymouth Yarn De Aire in color 100, requiring 4 to 6 skeins (100 grams each) depending on the size selected. The pattern specifies two needle sizes to achieve proper gauge: US size 13 straight and circular needles (16-inch and 24-inch circular options) and US size 15 straight needles. The working gauge is 9 stitches and 13 rows per 4 inches in stockinette stitch on size 15 needles, while the ribbed sections work to 3 stitches per 1 inch on size 13 needles. Additional notions required include a stitch marker and stitch holders for managing stitches during construction.

Pattern Structure and Construction

The vest is constructed in pieces—a back panel and front panels—which are then seamed together. The back begins with a cast-on of 45 to 63 stitches (depending on size) and is worked in ribbing for 2 inches before switching to the larger needles and stockinette stitch. The body is increased gradually, then worked straight until the armholes are reached at approximately 15 to 16.5 inches from the cast-on edge. Armhole shaping is accomplished through bind-offs and decrease rows, while the neck shaping creates the characteristic shawl collar through a series of decreases worked at regular intervals. The finished garment is blocked to measurements before seaming, ensuring proper fit and professional appearance.