Vest in Schachenmayr Silk Wool - 1928

Vest in Schachenmayr Silk Wool – Free Knitting Pattern (PDF Download)

This free downloadable PDF pattern from Schachenmayr provides instructions for knitting a textured vest using the luxurious Schachenmayr select Silk Wool yarn. The design features a structured body panel with decorative cable and textural stitch work, finished with neat ribbed borders and a distinctive bobble edge. The vest is worked flat in separate pieces and is available in three size ranges to suit a wide range of figures.

What Is Being Made

The pattern produces a knitted vest — a sleeveless garment designed to be worn over other clothing or as a standalone layer. The construction includes a back panel and a separate border or trim section (referred to as Umrandung), which adds a polished, finished edge to the garment. The vest is sized for EU clothing sizes 32–36, 38–42, and 44–48, making it suitable for a range of body types. The finished back panel measures approximately 26–28–30 cm in height, and the border section spans approximately 17–19.5–22 cm in width depending on the chosen size.

Yarn and Materials

The pattern calls for Schachenmayr select Silk Wool, a premium chunky-weight yarn with a sophisticated fibre blend of 64% virgin wool (Schurwolle), 27% silk, and 9% polyamide. This combination gives the finished fabric a beautiful drape, a subtle sheen from the silk content, and excellent durability from the polyamide. The yarn runs approximately 120 metres per 50g ball, and the pattern requires 200g, 250g, or 300g depending on the size being knitted. The colourway specified is Ocean Melange, shade 07163, a tonal, heathered blue-green that complements the textural stitch patterns beautifully.

Knitting needles from Milward in size 5–6 mm are recommended to achieve the correct tension and fabric hand.

Tension and Gauge

Achieving the correct tension is essential for a well-fitting vest. The pattern specifies a gauge of 17–18 stitches and 24 rows to 10 cm × 10 cm in the main textural stitch pattern. The 10-stitch cable panel measures approximately 4 cm wide. Knitters are encouraged to work a tension swatch before beginning and adjust needle size as needed.

Stitches and Techniques Used

• Bobble Edge Stitch (Knötchenrandm): A decorative selvedge in which every stitch on every row is knitted on the right side, creating a neat, textured border along the edges of the work.
• Rib Stitch (Bündchenmuster): A classic alternating knit-one, purl-one ribbing used at the cuffs and borders to provide elasticity and a tidy finish.
• Textural / Structural Stitch Pattern (Strukturmuster): A four-row repeating pattern worked over a stitch count divisible by 4 plus 3 stitches. The pattern alternates knit and purl stitches in a shifting arrangement across rows 1 and 3, with rows 2 and 4 worked entirely in purl on the wrong side. This creates a raised, dimensional fabric with visual interest.
• Cable Stitch (Zopf): A 10-stitch cable panel worked from a chart. Only the right-side (RS) rows are charted; wrong-side rows are worked as the stitches appear. The cable adds a classic, structured vertical element to the border section of the vest.
• Short Rows (Verkürzte Reihen): The pattern references the use of short rows, with a technique tip provided at the end of the PDF. Short rows are used to shape sections of the garment without binding off, allowing for smooth, seamless shaping.

Construction Method

The vest is knitted flat, working back and forth in rows on straight needles. The back piece is cast on with 73, 81, or 89 stitches depending on