Plait in Rowan Cotton Cashmere - Downloadable PDF

Plait Vest in Rowan Cotton Cashmere – Crochet Pattern Summary

About This Pattern

Plait is a crochet vest pattern designed by Quail Studio and published by Rowan, available as a downloadable PDF (reference RTP019-006-EN). The design produces a fitted, structured vest worked in a textured stitch pattern that creates a plaited or woven visual effect across the fabric. It is rated as an intermediate skill level project, making it well suited to crocheters who are comfortable with shaping, turning chains, and maintaining stitch patterns through increases and decreases.

What Is Being Made

The finished garment is a crocheted vest — a sleeveless top suitable for layering. The pattern is offered in nine sizes, designed to fit chest measurements ranging from 71–76 cm (28–30 in) up to 152–157 cm (60–62 in), with actual garment chest measurements spanning from 86 cm to 164 cm, providing a comfortable positive ease across all sizes. This wide size range makes the pattern accessible to a broad range of body types.

Techniques Used

• Flat crochet construction – the fabric is worked back and forth in rows, with turning chains at the start of each row
• Armhole shaping – structured decreases are worked to shape the armhole opening, with the armhole measuring between 21 cm and 31 cm depending on size
• Shoulder and back neck shaping – stitches are worked in short rows to shape the shoulder, with decreases at the neck edge on consecutive rows to create a neat neckline
• Stitch pattern maintenance through shaping – the pattern instructs the crocheter to keep the textured stitch pattern correct while simultaneously working decreases, a key intermediate skill
• Working into the top of combination stitches – for example, working into the top of a tr2tog (treble crochet two together) on the previous row, which requires careful stitch placement to preserve the plaited appearance

Stitches Used

• Treble crochet (tr) – a tall stitch forming the main body of the textured pattern
• Double crochet (dc) – a shorter stitch alternated with treble crochet to create the plaited, woven texture
• tr2tog (treble crochet two together) – a decrease stitch worked by crocheting two treble stitches together, used during armhole and neck shaping
• Turning chain of 3 (ch 3) – used at the beginning of right-side rows, counting as one treble crochet (tch)
• Alternating tr and dc rows – the core stitch pattern alternates treble and double crochet stitches across each row, with the placement shifting on wrong-side rows to build up the characteristic plaited texture

Materials – Yarn and Hook

The pattern is designed specifically for Rowan Cotton Cashmere, a 50 g ball yarn. As the name suggests, Cotton Cashmere is a luxury blend combining the breathability and stitch definition of cotton with the softness and drape of cashmere, making it an ideal choice for a vest that sits close to the body. The smooth fibre composition helps the alternating treble and double crochet stitch pattern read clearly, enhancing the plaited visual effect. Specific yardage requirements and hook size details are contained within the full downloadable PDF.

Pattern Format and Skill Considerations

As an intermediate crochet pattern, Plait is best approached by those who already have experience working multi-row textured stitch repeats and who are confident shaping garments. The need to maintain the alternating tr/dc stitch pattern while simultaneously decreasing for armholes and neck edges requires attention to stitch counts and pattern alignment. The pattern is written with clear row-by-row instructions and stitch counts given in brackets for each of the nine sizes, making it straightforward to follow once the correct size is identified. The downloadable PDF format means the pattern can be saved, printed, and referenced