Mafalda Waistcoat in Adriafil Parigi - Downloadable PDF

Mafalda Waistcoat in Adriafil Parigi – Free Knitting Pattern (Downloadable PDF)

The Mafalda Waistcoat is an elegant, contemporary knitted waistcoat designed to be worked in Adriafil Parigi yarn. This free downloadable PDF pattern produces a stylish sleeveless garment featuring a distinctive crossed shoulder strap construction, a shaped neckline, and a neat garter stitch border. The design is available in three sizes — 42, 44, and 46 — making it accessible to a range of knitters who want a polished, wearable piece.

What Is Being Made

The finished project is a women's waistcoat (also known as a vest), constructed in three main pieces: a back panel, a right front, and a left front. The fronts feature a striking asymmetric, wrap-style silhouette that crosses at the shoulder, secured with a single ivory triangular button for a refined finishing touch. Two crocheted fastening strings are added at the tip of each front panel to allow the waistcoat to be tied or fastened neatly. The overall aesthetic is clean and structured, with textural contrast created by combining garter stitch borders with a smooth knit stitch body.

Materials Required

• Yarn: 300 g of Adriafil Parigi in colour no. 18 — a DK weight yarn, making it suitable for a fabric with good drape and stitch definition
• Knitting needles: size 5 mm
• Crochet hook: size 3 mm (used for finishing details)
• 1 ivory triangular button
• Tapestry needle for seaming and finishing

Tension / Gauge

Achieving the correct tension is essential for a well-fitting garment. The pattern specifies two separate gauges over a 10 x 10 cm swatch using 5 mm knitting needles:

• Knit stitch: 17 stitches and 23 rows
• Garter stitch: 16 stitches and 27 rows

Because the pattern uses both stitch types in the same garment, swatching both is recommended before casting on.

Stitches and Techniques Used

This pattern is well-suited to intermediate knitters who are comfortable with shaping techniques. The following stitches and methods are employed throughout:

• Garter stitch — worked by knitting every row, this stitch creates a ridged, reversible fabric used for the lower border and upper shoulder sections, adding structure and texture
• Knit stitch (stockinette / stocking stitch) — used for the main body of the back and front panels, producing a smooth, classic fabric surface
• Chain stitch — worked with the crochet hook to create the two fastening strings attached to the front panels
• Shaping decreases — the pattern specifies directional decreases for clean, professional shaping: slip 1, knit 1, pass slipped stitch over (skpo) for right-leaning decreases, and knit 2 together (k2tog) for left-leaning decreases
• Shaping increases — used extensively on both front panels to build the angled, wrap-style silhouette from a small cast-on of just 6 stitches
• Armhole and neckline shaping — both are worked simultaneously on the front panels, requiring careful row-by-row attention
• Single crochet (sc) — used at the tip of each front panel to anchor the fastening strings securely

Construction Method

Each piece of the Mafalda Waistcoat is knitted flat and separately, then assembled. The back begins with a 15-row garter stitch border (approximately 5 cm), transitions