Women's Vest in Sirdar Cotton DK - 10247 - Downloadable PDF

Women's Boxy Tank Vest in Sirdar Cotton DK – Pattern 10247

This downloadable PDF knitting pattern (Design No. 10247) from Sirdar guides you through creating a women's boxy tank vest, a relaxed and contemporary silhouette perfectly suited to warm-weather knitting. Rated intermediate in difficulty, the pattern is designed to fit a wide range of sizes, covering bust measurements from 81 cm to 137 cm (32 in to 54 in), making it an inclusive and versatile project for knitters who already have a solid foundation of skills and are ready to develop their garment-making confidence further.

Design Overview

The finished garment is a boxy tank top, styled as a sleeveless vest with a relaxed, contemporary fit. The design is worked in two shades of Sirdar Cotton DK — shade 514 and shade 501 — creating a colour-blocked or contrast-detail aesthetic that gives the piece a fresh, modern look. The use of two colours adds visual interest without requiring complex colourwork techniques such as Fair Isle or intarsia, making it an approachable multi-colour project for intermediate knitters.

The boxy silhouette is a flattering, on-trend shape that sits comfortably away from the body, making it easy to wear over swimwear, with linen trousers, or layered over a summer dress. The tank styling — with no sleeves and a simple neckline — keeps the construction streamlined while still offering a satisfying and skill-building knit.

Yarn: Sirdar Cotton DK

Sirdar Cotton DK is the recommended yarn for this pattern, and Sirdar explicitly states that every pattern is triple-checked to guarantee success when worked with the recommended Sirdar yarn. Cotton DK is described as a cool, silky summer yarn with a subtle sheen, inspired by the colours of the Mediterranean. Its double knitting weight makes it ideal for warm-weather garments — light enough to wear comfortably in summer while still providing enough structure to hold the shape of a tailored vest.

• Yarn brand: Sirdar
• Yarn name: Cotton DK
• Weight: Double Knitting (DK)
• Shades used: Shade 514 and Shade 501
• Fibre character: Cool, silky handle with a flattering sheen

Cotton yarn at DK weight is a popular choice for spring and summer knitting projects. Unlike wool, cotton has very little stretch, which means gauge swatching is especially important — the fabric will behave differently on the needles and the finished garment relies on accurate tension to achieve the correct fit across such a wide size range.

Techniques and Construction

As an intermediate-level knitting pattern, Design No. 10247 is best suited to knitters who are comfortable with the fundamental skills of garment construction and are looking to build on their experience. The boxy tank format typically involves working the back and front panels separately in flat knitting, then seaming them together at the shoulders and sides — a classic construction method that helps knitters practise neat seaming and finishing.

Key Techniques Likely Involved

• Flat knitting — working back and forth in rows to create the garment panels
• Shaping — armhole and neckline shaping using increases and decreases to create the sleeveless silhouette
• Two-colour knitting — working with shade 514 and shade 501 to introduce colour contrast or blocking within the design
• Tension/gauge management — particularly important when working with cotton yarn, which has minimal elasticity
• Seaming and finishing — joining front and back panels and neatening edges for a polished result
• Ribbing or edging — typically used at armholes, neckline, and hem to provide structure and a clean finish

Stitches Used

• Knit and purl stitches — the foundation of flat knitting used throughout the body panels
• Rib stitch — commonly used for hems, armhole bands, and neckbands in tank-style gar