Victoria In Rowan Alpaca Soft DK - Downloadable PDF

Victoria Knitting Pattern in Rowan Alpaca Soft DK – A Beginner-Friendly Vest for Every Size

Victoria is a classic, elegantly simple knitted vest designed by Quail Studio and worked in Rowan Alpaca Soft DK. Published as a downloadable PDF, this pattern is rated as a beginner skill level, making it an ideal project for those who are building confidence with garment knitting while still producing a polished, wearable result. The vest is photographed in Simply White 201, giving it a clean, timeless look that suits a wide range of styling choices.

What Is Being Made

Victoria is a knitted vest — a sleeveless, shaped garment worked in two main pieces: a back and a front. The design features a ribbed lower border, a straightforward stocking stitch body, shaped armholes, and a neat front neck shaping. The back neck is finished with stitches held on a stitch holder, allowing for a tidy neckband finish. It is a versatile layering piece suitable for everyday wear.

The pattern is offered in nine sizes, fitting actual chest measurements of approximately 92, 102, 111, 122, 132, 142, 152, 162, and 174 cm (roughly 36¼ to 68½ inches), making it genuinely inclusive across a broad range of body sizes.

Techniques Used

• Casting on – The back begins with a cast-on of between 114 and 226 stitches depending on size, using 3.25mm needles.
• Ribbing – A 2×2 rib border is worked at the lower edge, establishing structure and elasticity at the hem.
• Stocking stitch body – The main fabric of the vest is worked in stocking stitch using 4mm needles, creating a smooth, classic knitted surface.
• Armhole shaping – Decreases are worked to shape the armholes on both the back and front pieces, giving the vest a fitted, tailored silhouette.
• Front neck shaping – Stitches are divided and worked separately, with decreases worked on alternate rows and fourth rows to create a graceful front neckline.
• Back neck and shoulder shaping – Shoulder stitches are cast off and back neck stitches are placed on a stitch holder for later finishing.
• Working each side separately – Once the neck is divided, each side is worked independently with reversed shapings, a fundamental garment-knitting technique.

Stitches Used

• 2×2 Rib (K2, P2) – Used for the lower border on both the back and front, worked over a specific set-up of two rows that establish the rib pattern. This stitch creates a stretchy, textured edge that helps the garment sit neatly.
• Stocking Stitch (St st) – The primary stitch of the garment body, consisting of knit stitches on right-side rows and purl stitches on wrong-side rows. It produces a smooth, flat fabric on the right side.
• Decrease stitches – Used during armhole and neck shaping to reduce stitch counts and create clean, angled edges.

Materials – Yarn, Needles, and Extras

Yarn

The pattern calls for Rowan Alpaca Soft DK, a DK weight yarn sold in 50g balls. The quantity required ranges from 6 to 9 balls depending on the size being knitted. As the name suggests, this yarn contains alpaca fibre, which gives it a characteristically soft, lightweight handle with a subtle lustre. DK weight yarn is a popular choice for garments as it knits up at a moderate pace and produces a fabric with good drape and definition.

The tension for this pattern is 22 stitches and 30 rows to 10 cm, measured over stocking stitch using 4mm needles. Achieving this tension swatch before beginning is strongly recommended, particularly for a fitted garment offered across such a wide range of sizes.

Needles

• 1 pair 3.25mm