Headliner Stripe Vest in Sirdar Stories DK - 10537 - Downloadable PDF

Headliner Stripe Vest in Sirdar Stories DK – Pattern 10537

This intermediate-level knitting pattern from Sirdar produces a stylish striped vest top worked in the brand's cotton-rich Stories Double Knitting yarn. Rated as intermediate in difficulty, the design is suitable for knitters who are comfortable with shaping and working across multiple yarn colours. The pattern is available as a downloadable PDF and has been triple-checked by Sirdar to guarantee a successful result when used with the recommended yarn.

What Is Being Made

The finished garment is a sleeveless vest top featuring bold horizontal stripes worked in five coordinating shades of Sirdar Stories DK. The vest is designed to be a comfortable, lightweight wardrobe staple, ideal for warmer seasons thanks to the cotton-rich composition of the yarn. It is knitted in the round or flat and then seamed, producing a clean, structured finish with a neat ribbed hem and neckline.

The pattern covers six size ranges, spanning UK sizes 6–8 through to 26–28 (US sizes 2–4 through to 22–24), making it genuinely inclusive across a wide range of body measurements. Finished chest widths range from 92 cm (36¼ inches) up to 144 cm (56¾ inches), and finished lengths range from 53 cm (21 inches) to 64 cm (25¼ inches) depending on the size chosen.

Design Details and Colourwork

The defining feature of this vest is its multicolour stripe sequence, worked using five separate shades from the Sirdar Stories DK range. The specific shades used in the pattern are:

• Yarn A – Shade 835 Smile
• Yarn B – Shade 810 Spicy
• Yarn C – Shade 834 Beach Club
• Yarn D – Shade 815 Picnic
• Yarn E – Shade 803 Pillow Talk

These shades are described as part of the Stories DK colourway collection, which includes vibrant and fashion-forward tones suited to summer and transitional knitting projects. The stripe format means knitters work with one colour at a time across rows, making the colourwork accessible even at an intermediate level — there is no stranded or intarsia technique required.

Techniques Used

As an intermediate knitting pattern, Design No. 10537 incorporates a range of standard but important techniques, including:

• Stripe sequence management – joining and carrying multiple yarn colours across the work
• Armhole and neckline shaping – using decreases to create the sleeveless silhouette and a neat neckline
• Ribbing – typically used at the hem and neckline edges to create a tidy, stretchy finish
• Tension/gauge matching – essential when working with multiple yarns to ensure correct sizing
• Seaming – joining front and back panels to complete the vest

The stripe construction means knitters will regularly cut or carry yarn between colour changes, and neat finishing of yarn ends is an important part of completing this project successfully.

Stitches Used

The pattern primarily uses fundamental knitting stitches and stitch patterns, including:

• Knit and purl stitches – forming the main stocking stitch (stockinette) fabric of the vest body
• Rib stitch – most commonly a knit 1, purl 1 or knit 2, purl 2 rib used at the hem and neckline edges for elasticity and structure
• Decrease stitches – such as knit two together (k2tog) or slip, slip, knit (ssk) used in armhole and neck shaping

Materials Required

The pattern calls for Sirdar Stories DK yarn (50g balls, shade