Sundowner Sessions Vest in Sirdar Stories DK in Sirdar - 10536 - Downloadable PDF

Sundowner Sessions Vest – Sirdar Stories DK Pattern No. 10536

The Sundowner Sessions Vest is a stylish, fashion-forward knitted vest designed by Sirdar and worked in their cotton-rich Stories Double Knitting yarn. Pattern number 10536, this design captures the relaxed, sun-soaked aesthetic of summer knitwear while incorporating a distinctive decorative scallop detail that gives it a crochet-inspired look — perfect for knitters who want to tap into current fashion trends without picking up a hook. The pattern is rated intermediate in difficulty, making it a rewarding project for knitters who have moved beyond the basics and are ready to work with shaping and textured stitch patterns.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a knitted vest — a sleeveless top suitable for warm-weather wear. The garment is designed with a comfortable, relaxed silhouette and features a scallop stitch detail that adds visual interest and a contemporary edge. The vest is sized to fit a wide range of bodies, covering UK sizes 6–28 (US sizes 2–24), with chest measurements ranging from 81/86 cm (32/34 inches) up to 132/137 cm (52/54 inches). Finished widths span from 93 cm (36¾ inches) to 144 cm (56¾ inches), and full lengths range from 58 cm (22¾ inches) to 68 cm (26¾ inches) depending on the size chosen.

Yarn and Materials

The pattern is designed specifically for Sirdar Stories Double Knitting yarn, product code F137, in 50g balls. Two colourway options are highlighted as the main shades:

• Shade 835 – Smile
• Shade 803 – Pillow Talk

Additional shades shown in the pattern's colour palette include 812 Sunseekers, 819 Pool Party, and 806 Dreamers, giving knitters a range of summery tones to choose from. The yarn quantity required varies by size, ranging from 4 balls for the smallest sizes up to 7 balls for the largest sizes. These quantities are based on achieving the correct tension with the recommended Sirdar yarn.

Sirdar Stories DK is described as a cotton-rich acrylic blend, combining the cool, comfortable feel of natural cotton with the practical benefits of acrylic — including lightness and shape retention. This makes it particularly well suited to summer garments like this vest.

Needles Required

Two pairs of knitting needles are needed to complete this project:

• 4mm needles (UK 8 / USA 6) – used for the main body of the vest
• 3¼mm needles (UK 10 / USA 3) – used for any ribbing or edging sections

Tension

The stated tension for this pattern is 21 stitches over 10 cm / 4 inches using 4mm needles. Additionally, 1 scallop repeat measures 10 cm / 4 inches, which is an important measurement to check when working the decorative scallop sections of the design. Achieving the correct tension is essential to ensure the finished vest matches the intended measurements across all sizes.

Techniques and Stitches Used

As an intermediate-level knitting pattern, the Sundowner Sessions Vest calls upon a combination of foundational and more decorative knitting techniques. Key elements include:

• Scallop stitch pattern – the signature design feature of this vest, creating a decorative, wave-like edge or panel detail that echoes the look of crochet lace. Scallop stitches typically involve a combination of increases and decreases worked across a set number of stitches to form the curved, shell-like repeats.
• Knit and purl stitches – the fundamental building blocks used throughout the body of the garment
• Ribbing – commonly used on vests for neat, stret