Arlon Vest in Berroco Merino 401 Chunky

Arlon Vest in Berroco Merino 401 Chunky — Pattern Summary

The Arlon Vest is a chunky-weight knitted vest designed by Åsa Buchta and published by Berroco. Rated intermediate in difficulty, this pattern offers a sophisticated textured panel design worked in a relaxed, wearable silhouette. With 10 sizes ranging from a 32" to 68" finished bust measurement, the Arlon Vest is an inclusive, size-forward design suitable for a wide range of knitters ready to move beyond basic construction.

What Is Being Made

The Arlon is a pullover-style vest — a sleeveless garment designed to be worn over layered clothing or on its own as a statement piece. The pattern is shown in size 3 (40" / 100 cm bust), modeled with 4" / 10 cm of positive ease, and the recommended ease range is 4–8" / 10–20 cm, giving the finished garment a relaxed, comfortable fit. Finished lengths range from approximately 21" to 23½" depending on size, making it a versatile mid-length vest.

Construction Method

The Arlon Vest is constructed bottom-up in the round, which means knitters cast on at the hem and work upward in circular rounds, avoiding the need for seaming along the sides. This seamless approach creates a smooth, polished fabric and is a hallmark of modern knitting construction. At the underarms, stitches are divided so that the Back and Front are worked separately in flat rows, allowing for armhole shaping. Once the body is complete, stitches for the neck and sleeve bands are picked up and worked in the round, finishing the garment with clean, integrated edgings. The shoulders are joined using a 3-needle Bind Off, a technique that simultaneously joins two live sets of stitches while creating a tidy, sturdy seam — a skill well within reach for intermediate knitters.

Techniques Used

• Knitting in the round on circular needles for seamless body construction
• Flat knitting for the Back and Front sections after underarm division
• Picking up stitches along armhole and neckline edges for integrated bands
• 3-needle Bind Off for shoulder seam joining
• Blocking for final shaping and gauge measurement
• Stitch marker placement, including a distinct marker for the beginning of round (BOR)
• Holding stitches on waste yarn for underarm sections

Stitch Patterns Used

The Arlon Vest features a striking Center Panel worked over 26 stitches that forms the visual centerpiece of the design. This panel uses a combination of knit and purl stitches arranged in a repeating, shifting pattern to create a textured, cable-adjacent look without the complexity of actual cable crossings. The panel works on an 8-round repeat, with the arrangement of knit and purl columns shifting between rounds 1–4 and rounds 5–8 to produce a dynamic, woven-looking texture.

• Stockinette stitch (St st) — the primary background fabric of the vest body
• Textured Center Panel — a structured knit/purl panel worked over 26 stitches in an 8-round repeat, creating a bold vertical design element
• Ribbing or band stitches — worked in the round for the neck and armhole edgings

The interplay between the smooth stockinette background and the richly textured center panel gives the Arlon Vest a refined, architectural quality that elevates it beyond a simple beginner project while remaining accessible to intermediate knitters comfortable with reading stitch patterns and working in the round.

Yarn and Materials

The pattern calls for Berroco Merino 401 Chunky, a chunky-weight yarn sold in 150 g balls. The colorway shown is