Damenweste in Schachenmayr Trachetenwolle - 5429 - Downloadable PDF

Damenweste in Schachenmayr Trachtenwolle – Knitted Women's and Children's Waistcoat Pattern (Free Downloadable PDF)

This free downloadable PDF knitting pattern from Schachenmayr provides instructions for two classic knitted waistcoats: a Damenweste (ladies' waistcoat) and a Kinderweste (children's waistcoat). Both designs share a traditional, structured aesthetic that draws on the heritage of Trachten styling — the folk costume tradition of the German-speaking Alpine regions — making them ideal for festive, rustic, or everyday wear. The pattern is worked in Schachenmayr Trachtenwolle, a yarn specifically associated with this cultural knitting tradition.

What Is Being Made

The pattern covers two separate garments:

• Damenweste – A fitted ladies' waistcoat worked in multiple sizes, featuring a shaped back, armhole shaping, and a neckline with gradual decreases for a neat, tailored finish.
• Kinderweste – A children's waistcoat worked from a reduced stitch count, using the same decorative stitch pattern but scaled appropriately for younger wearers.

Construction and Structure

The Damenweste is constructed in separate pieces. The back panel (Rückenteil) is cast on with 94, 100, or 108 stitches depending on size, worked in Sisal meliert colourway. The stitch layout across the back is carefully structured: selvedge stitches frame the work, with sections of glatt links (reverse stocking stitch) alternating with two 28-stitch pattern stripes (Musterstreifen) that run vertically as decorative focal points. The number of plain stitches between and beside the pattern stripes varies by size (14/16/19 stitches and 8/10/12 stitches respectively).

Armhole shaping (Armausschnitte) begins at a height of 28 cm (76 rows), with a cast-off of 5 stitches on each side, followed by decreases every second row — twice of 3 stitches and twice of 1 stitch — reducing the stitch count to 68, 74, or 82 stitches. The neckline (Halsausschnitt) is shaped at 49 cm (132 rows) by casting off the central 20 stitches, then decreasing on each side every second row: once by 3 stitches and once by 2 stitches. The remaining shoulder stitches (19, 22, or 26 per side depending on size) are then finished at 51 cm.

The Kinderweste begins with 22 stitches and opens with a specific row arrangement: 2 stitches purl, 2 stitches twisted knit (rechts verschränkt), 2 stitches purl, 10 stitches knit, 2 stitches purl, 2 stitches twisted knit, 2 stitches purl. The chart section used for the children's version spans rows 14 to 52 of the stitch diagram, indicated by the grey-shaded area on the chart.

Techniques Used

• Flat knitting – Both garments are worked back and forth in rows on straight or circular needles.
• Selvedge stitches (Randmaschen) – Used throughout to create clean, seam-ready edges.
• Armhole and neckline shaping – Achieved through structured cast-offs and paired decreases worked every second row, a standard technique for fitted garment construction.
• Stitch pattern chart reading – The decorative Musterstreifen are worked from a written stitch diagram with row-by-row instructions; the children's version uses a grey-highlighted subset of the same chart.
• Twisted stitches (rechts verschränkt) – Used in the children's waistcoat ribbing or border section to create a firm, defined texture typical of traditional Alpine knitwear.
• Gauge