A modular checkerboard vest, worked flat from the bottom up in two scales of texture.

The Hunter Grid Vest is a cropped, boxy, drop-shoulder vest worked as separate front and back pieces. The surface shifts from four tiers of large knit-and-purl checkerboard to six tiers of medium checkerboard across the upper body and shoulders. The front V-neck begins during the fourth and final large tier. Contrast neck and armhole bands finish the piece.

This is a modular knitting recipe rather than a conventionally graded XS–5X pattern. Stitch gauge and block width generate the body-width counts, while an adjustable neck-decrease count sets the neckline and shoulders. The 16-page PDF includes exact instructions for the original sample, sizing formulas, worksheets, a schematic, construction guidance, and finishing instructions.

Finished sample

Approx. 43 in / 109 cm chest circumference
Approx. 24.5 in / 62 cm total length
Approx. 8.5–9 in / 21.5–23 cm armhole depth
Intended to be worn with about 4–8 in / 10–20 cm positive ease

Skill level: Adventurous intermediate
Suggested yarn: DK or light worsted, or finer strands held together to achieve a similar fabric
Gauge: 24.5 sts = 4 in / 10 cm in blocked checkerboard
Recommended purchase: Approx. 1,050–1,250 yd / 960–1,145 m

Designed and knitted by Craig Hunter.
Photography by Benjamin Fredrickson, 2026.
Pattern for personal use only.