Increase size by 2”

Hello friends, I am making a vest, and their sizes are 40, 44, etc. well my measurements across my chest is 42” and the pattern doesn’t give me that option, how and how many stitches would I need to increase in order for it to fit me???
Please offer some guidance, thank you so much

Hello
Patterns often give only the finished size of a garment so you’d need to check carefully if the measurements you are looking at are for the body size or the finished garment size.
If you have a 42" chest it’s unlikely you’d want a vest that is 42", unless you wanted it skin tight and hard to get into.
Measuring a sweater or vest you like the size of, layed flat, and checking this against the measurements of the different sizes available in the pattern would give a good idea of which size to choose.

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You usually want a minimum of 4" of positive ease, meaning a garment should be 4" larger than your body measurement in order to fit without being tight. 4"-6" is a common range, so if your chest measures 42", you’d want to make a 46.

Does the pattern say if it’s giving body size or finished size, or does it say anything like “model shown with X” positive ease"?

What is the name of your pattern and designer?