Tao Vest by Lizzie Hester

Tao Vest

Knitting
June 2026
DK (11 wpi) ?
20 stitches and 26 rows = 4 inches
in Tao Stitch
US 6 - 4.0 mm
US 4 - 3.5 mm
524 - 1094 yards (479 - 1000 m)
1 (2, 3, 4, 5, 6) (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
English
This pattern is available for £7.00.

PATTERN COMING SOON

ABOUT
Tao Vest is an all-over textured v-neck vest design with i-cord finishings worked at a DK Weight 20st/10cm stitch gauge.

It is recommended to be worked on 4mm needles, with 3.5mm needles used for all i-cord (or needle size to meet gauge).

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

  • knitting flat
  • reading your knitting and working in stitch pattern
  • increasing and decreasing in stitch pattern
  • picking up stitches
  • I-cord

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 : 20 sts x 26 rounds on 4 mm needles

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

The vest has been designed with 1-2 cm (0.5 - 0.75 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.

I am happy for testers to vary the amount of ease from that recommended but you would be required to make a note of the amount of ease you build in to your test sample.

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 1-2 cm (0.5 - 0.75 in)

Estimated vest circ:
76 (82, 86, 92, 96, 102) (112, 122, 132, 142, 152, 162) cm

30.5 (32.75, 34.5, 36.75, 38.5, 40.75) 44.75, 48.75, 52.75, 56.75, 60.75, 64.75) in

Armhole depth:

18 (18, 20, 20, 20, 22) (22, 22, 24.5, 24.5, 24.5, 26) cm

7.25 (7.25, 8, 8, 8, 8.75) (8.75, 8.75, 9.75, 9.75, 9.75, 10.5) in

Length of garment from back neck cast-on through hem:

50 (50, 52.5, 52.5, 52.5, 54.5) (54.5, 54.5, 57, 57, 57, 59.5) cm

20 (20, 21, 21, 21, 22) (22, 22, 22.75, 22.75, 22.75, 23.75) in

YARN REQUIREMENTS

Sample made with Drops Belle (120m (100 yds) /50g)), 14% linen, 33% viscose, 53% cotton.

Single strand/double strand alternatives welcome however yarn requirements using sample yarn below:
Please note these are only estimates at this stage and if in doubt more yarn should be purchased than is required, however the estimates do include a 10% buffer already.

CC:

33 (33, 36, 36, 37, 40) (41, 42, 45, 47, 48, 51) g

1 (1, 1, 1, 1, 1) (1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1-2) skeins

78 (79, 85, 87, 88, 94) (97, 100, 108, 111, 114, 121) meters

85 (87, 93, 95, 96, 103) (107, 110, 118, 122, 125, 132) yards

MC:

186 (189, 218, 228, 234, 265) (270, 279, 323, 340, 343, 403) g

4 (4, 5, 5, 5, 6) (6, 6, 7, 7, 7, 8-9) skeins

446 (454, 523, 547, 560, 634) (647, 669, 775, 816, 822, 967) meters

487 (496, 572, 599, 613, 694) (708, 731, 848, 892, 899, 1058) yards