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# Classic Worsted Gilet
### A beginner-friendly, button-front sleeveless layering vest

A gilet is a sleeveless, front-opening vest — perfect over a shirt or jumper. This version is worked flat in simple stockinette stitch with tidy ribbed edgings and a buttoned front band. Only knit and purl stitches and basic decreases are needed.

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## Sizes
XS [S, M, L, XL, 2XL]

**Finished chest (buttoned):** 82 [89, 100, 110, 120, 131] cm / 32 [35, 39, 43, 47, 51]"
**Finished length:** 56 [58, 60, 62, 64, 66] cm

*Sample shown in size M with approximately 5 cm positive ease.*

> Numbers are given for the smallest size first, with larger sizes in square brackets. Where only one number appears, it applies to all sizes.

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## Materials
- **Yarn:** Worsted weight (Aran/medium, category 4). Approx. 600 [650, 750, 850, 950, 1050] m
- **Needles:** 4.5 mm (UK 7 / US 7) straight or circular needles for main fabric; 4 mm (UK 8 / US 6) for ribbed edgings
- **Notions:** Stitch markers, stitch holders or waste yarn, tapestry needle, 5 [5, 5, 6, 6, 6] buttons (approx. 18–20 mm)

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## Tension (Gauge)
20 sts × 28 rows = 10 cm over stockinette stitch on 4.5 mm needles, after blocking.
**Take time to check your tension — it determines the finished size.**

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## Abbreviations
- k = knit
- p = purl
- st(s) = stitch(es)
- k2tog = knit two together (right-leaning decrease)
- ssk = slip, slip, knit (left-leaning decrease)
- RS / WS = right side / wrong side
- st st = stockinette stitch (k on RS, p on WS)
- rep = repeat
- beg = beginning

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## Construction Notes
The gilet is worked flat in five stages: the **Back**, the **Left Front**, the **Right Front**, then **finishing** (shoulder and side seams) and **edgings** (armhole bands, then a continuous neck/front button band). Optional patch pockets are included at the end.

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## BACK

With 4 mm needles, cast on 82 [90, 100, 110, 120, 132] sts.

**Ribbed hem:**
Row 1 (RS): *k1, p1; rep from * to end.
Row 2 (WS): *k1, p1; rep from * to end.
Rep these 2 rows until rib measures 5 cm, ending after a WS row.

Change to 4.5 mm needles.
Beginning with a RS (knit) row, work in st st until back measures 36 [37, 38, 39, 40, 41] cm from cast-on, ending after a WS row.

### Shape armholes
Cast off 4 [5, 5, 6, 6, 7] sts at the beginning of the next 2 rows.
**Check:** 82 − (4×2) = 74 sts (size XS) → 74 [80, 90, 98, 108, 118] sts.

Then decrease at each armhole edge:
Next row (RS): k1, ssk, k to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1.
Next row (WS): p to end.
Rep these 2 rows 3 [4, 5, 6, 7, 8] more times — i.e. 4 [5, 6, 7, 8, 9] decrease rows total.
**Check:** 74 − (2 × 4) = 66 sts (XS) → 66 [70, 78, 84, 92, 100] sts.

Continue straight in st st until armhole measures 20 [21, 22, 23, 24, 25] cm, ending after a WS row.

### Shape shoulders and back neck
Cast off 6 [6, 7, 8, 9, 10] sts at beg of next 2 rows → 54 [58, 64, 68, 74, 80] sts.
Cast off 6 [7, 7, 8, 9, 10] sts at beg of next 2 rows → 42 [44, 50, 52, 56, 60] sts.
Cast off remaining 42 [44, 50, 52, 56, 60] sts for the back neck.

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## LEFT FRONT
*(As worn — wearer's left; the buttonhole/button band is added later.)*

With 4 mm needles, cast on 40 [44, 50, 54, 60, 66] sts.

**Ribbed hem:**
Work k1, p1 rib as for back until rib measures 5 cm, ending after a WS row.

Change to 4.5 mm needles.
Beginning with a RS row, work in st st until front measures the same as back to armhole, 36 [37, 38, 39, 40, 41] cm, ending after a **WS** row.

### Shape armhole (begins at side edge — RS rows)
Next row (RS): cast off 4 [5, 5, 6, 6, 7] sts, k to end.
**Check:** 40 − 4 = 36 sts (XS) → 36 [39, 45, 48, 54, 59] sts.
Next row (WS): p to end.

Decrease at armhole edge (side edge) on the next RS rows:
RS row: k1, ssk, k to end.
WS row: p to end.
Rep these 2 rows for a total of 4 [5, 6, 7, 8, 9] armhole decreases → 32 [34, 39, 41, 46, 50] sts.

### Shape V-neck
**At the same time** as the final armhole decreases, once armhole shaping is complete begin the V-neck on the **front (neck) edge**:
Neck decrease row (RS): k to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1.
Work 1 [1, 1, 2, 2, 2] rows straight.
Rep the neck decrease every 2 [2, 2, 3, 3, 3]th row a total of 14 [14, 17, 16, 19, 21] times, until 18 [20, 22, 25, 27, 29] sts remain.

Continue straight, if necessary, until armhole measures the same as the back, 20 [21, 22, 23, 24, 25] cm, ending after a WS row.

### Shape shoulder
Cast off 6 [6, 7, 8, 9, 10] sts at beg of next RS row (armhole edge) → 12 [14, 15, 17, 18, 19] sts.
Work 1 WS row.
Cast off remaining 6 [7, 7, 8, 9, 10] sts (note: small rounding may leave ±1 st; cast off all remaining sts).

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## RIGHT FRONT
Work as for Left Front, **reversing all shaping**:
- Work st st to the same length, ending after a **RS** row before armhole shaping.
- Cast off for the armhole at the beginning of a **WS** row.
- Armhole decreases on RS rows: k to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1.
- V-neck decreases on the **neck edge** at beginning of RS rows: k1, ssk, k to end.
- Cast off shoulder at beginning of a WS row.

Stitch counts mirror the Left Front exactly.

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## FINISHING
Block all pieces to measurements.
1. Sew shoulder seams.
2. Sew side seams, leaving the ribbed hem matched.

### Armhole bands (make 2)
With 4 mm needles and RS facing, beginning at the underarm seam, pick up and knit 88 [92, 96, 100, 104, 108] sts evenly around the armhole.
Work k1, p1 rib for 3 cm.
Cast off loosely in rib.
**Tip:** Pick up roughly 3 sts for every 4 rows along straight edges and 1 st for each cast-off st.

### Neck & front button band
This single continuous band runs up the right front, around the V-neck and back neck, and down the left front.

With 4 mm needles and RS facing, beginning at the **lower right front**, pick up and knit:
- Up right front to V-start: 70 [73, 76, 79, 82, 85] sts
- Up right neck slope: 38 [40, 44, 46, 50, 54] sts
- Across back neck: 42 [44, 50, 52, 56, 60] sts
- Down left neck slope: 38 [40, 44, 46, 50, 54] sts
- Down left front: 70 [73, 76, 79, 82, 85] sts

**Total:** 258 [270, 290, 302, 320, 338] sts.

Work k1, p1 rib for 1 row (WS).

**Buttonhole row (RS):** Decide your button side (traditionally buttonholes on the wearer's right front for ladies, left for gents). On the front edge, space 5 [5, 5, 6, 6, 6] buttonholes evenly, beginning 2 cm from the lower edge and ending at the start of the V-neck.
To make each buttonhole: work to position, k2tog, yo, continue. (The yo replaces the decreased st, keeping count even.)

Continue in k1, p1 rib until band measures 3 cm.
Cast off loosely in rib.

Sew buttons to the opposite front to match buttonholes.

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## OPTIONAL PATCH POCKETS (make 2)
With 4.5 mm needles, cast on 24 sts.
Work in st st for 12 cm, ending after a WS row.
Change to 4 mm needles and work k1, p1 rib for 3 cm.
Cast off in rib.
Position each pocket on the lower front, a few cm above the hem and in from the front band, and sew the sides and lower edge neatly in place.

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## Final Measurement Check
- Back width: 100 sts ÷ 20 sts per 10 cm = 50 cm (size M)
- Two fronts: 50 sts each ÷ 20 × 10 = 25 cm each = 50 cm total
- **Finished buttoned chest (M):** 50 + 50 = 100 cm ✓ (matches stated 100 cm / 39")
- Armhole depth front = back = 22 cm (M) ✓
- Shoulder sts: front shoulder 13 sts ≈ back shoulder 14 sts; seamed evenly ✓

Weave in all ends. Give the finished gilet a final gentle steam or wet block. Enjoy your new layering piece!