Tao Slipover by Lizzie Hester

Tao Slipover

Knitting
October 2026
both are used in this pattern
yarn held together
DK
+ Lace
= Worsted (9 wpi) ?
17 stitches and 27 rows = 4 inches
in Tao Stitch
US 8 - 5.0 mm
US 6 - 4.0 mm
545 - 1082 yards (498 - 989 m)
1 (2, 3, 4, 5, 6) (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
English
This pattern is available for £7.00.

PATTERN COMING AUTUMN 2026

About
Tao Slipover is a worsted-weight, textured, crew-neck vest knit seamlessly from the top down.

The slipover is worked in Tao stitch, an offset 1x1 rib interspersed with purl rows, creating a richly textured fabric that will make you promise yourself ‘just one more round’.

Tao Slipover is a sister pattern to Tao Sweater
Other designs in the Tao series include:

Construction
First, stitches are cast on for the back, and increases are worked on every right and wrong side to shape the shoulders. The back panel is worked, then left to rest whilst the right and left shoulders are picked up and neck shaping is created.

Stitches are cast on for the front neck, the work is joined, and the front panel is worked. The work is joined in the round at the underarms. A faux seam is worked down both sides of the body until the piece is finished with a split hem worked in 1x1 rib.

The collar and armhole trims are picked up and finished in matching 1x1 rib.

Difficulty
The difficulty of this pattern is rated as ‘intermediate’. You will need to be familiar with the following techniques:

  • knitting flat and in the round
  • reading your knitting and working in stitch pattern
  • increasing and decreasing in stitch pattern
  • picking up stitches

Needles
Tao Slipover is recommended to be worked on 5 mm needles (US 8), with 4 mm (US 6) needles used for all ribbing (or needle size to meet gauge).

Gauge
The following stitch count are taken from the finished garment, washed and blocked and measured over 10 x 10 cm (4 x 4 in).
The needle sizes below are recommendations only.

Stitch pattern : 17 sts x 27 rounds on 5 mm needles (US 8)

Sizing & Ease
This pattern has been professionally graded into 12 sizes to fit bust circumference from 75cm (30in) to 160cm (64in).

The slipover has been designed with 5 cm (2 in) positive ease at the bust built into each size. This is a recommendation only; the amount of ease can be easily adjusted by knitting a smaller or larger size.

Sizes:
1 (2, 3, 4, 5, 6) (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)

To fit bust:
75 (80, 85, 90, 95, 100) (110, 120, 130, 140, 150, 160) cm
30 (32, 34, 36, 38, 40) (44, 48, 52, 56, 60, 64) in

Recommend ease to bust 5 cm (2 in)

Finished chest circumference (cm): 81 (86, 90.5, 95.5, 100, 104.5) (114, 126, 135.5, 144.5, 154, 166)
Finished chest circumference (in): 32.5 (34.25, 36.25, 38, 40, 42) (45.75, 50.25, 54, 58, 61.75, 66.25)

Slipover length (cm): 53 (54, 54, 54, 54.5, 55.5) (57, 57, 58.5, 59, 60, 62)
Slipover length (in): 21.25 (21.5, 21.5, 21.5, 21.75, 22.25) (22.75, 22.75, 23.5, 23.5, 24, 24.75)

Armhole depth (cm): 21.5 (22, 22, 22, 23, 23.5) (25, 25, 26.5, 27, 28, 29.5)
Armhole depth (in): 8.5 (9, 9, 9, 9.25, 9.5) (10, 10, 10.75, 10.75, 11, 11.75)

Yarn requirements
Tao slipover is designed to be knit at a worsted weight gauge. The sample was knit using one strand of Sandnes Garn Peer Gynt (100% wool; 91 m/100 yd per 50 g) held together with one strand of Drops Kid Silk (75% mohair, 25% silk; 210 m/230 yd per 25g)

Approximate yarn quantities required are as follows (sample yarn, including 10% buffer):
Size: 1 (2, 3, 4, 5, 6) (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)

Peer Gynt (g): 274 (287, 301, 314, 330, 347) (377, 404, 438, 467, 497, 543)
Peer Gynt (m): 498 (523, 548, 572, 601, 631) (687, 735, 797, 850, 905, 989)
Peer Gynt (yd): 545 (572, 599, 626, 657, 690) (752, 804, 871, 929, 990, 1082)

Kid Silk (g): 59 (62, 65, 68, 72, 75) (82, 88, 95, 101, 108, 118)
Kid Silk (m): 498 (523, 548, 572, 601, 631) (687, 735, 797, 850, 905, 989)
Kid Silk (yd): 545 (572, 599, 626, 657, 690) (752, 804, 871, 929, 990, 1082)