Beginner Hooded Vest Free Knitting Pattern

This pattern is for a women’s hooded vest knit with two strands of LION BRAND® HOMESPUN® yarn held together, creating a bulky-weight fabric. The vest is constructed in five pieces: Back, two Fronts, and two Pockets. The main body is worked in Garter stitch (knit every row), and the pockets are worked in Stockinette stitch with Garter stitch borders. The hood is picked up and knit directly from the neck edge, and it features an I-cord edging and ties.

Skill Level: Easy/Beginner

Sizes: S (M, L, 1X) (2X, 3X, 4X, 5X)

Finished Measurements:

Finished Chest: 35 (38, 42, 45) (48, 51, 54, 58) in. (89 (96.5, 106.5, 114.5) (122, 129.5, 137, 147.5) cm)
Finished Length: 23 1/2 (24, 24 1/2, 25) (25 1/2, 26, 26 1/2, 27) in. (59.5 (61, 62, 63.5) (65, 66, 67.5, 68.5) cm)

Materials Used:

Yarn: LION BRAND® HOMESPUN® (Art. #790) #312 Edwardian: 7 (7, 8, 9) (10, 11, 11, 12) skeins.
Needles: Circular knitting needle size 11 (8 mm), 29 in. (73.5 cm) long or longer. Double pointed needles size 11 (8 mm), set of 2 (for I-Cord).
Notions: LION BRAND® stitch markers, LION BRAND® large-eyed blunt needle, 5 buttons (3/4 in. / 19 mm diameter), sewing needle and thread.

Gauge: 10 sts + 20 rows = about 4 in. (10 cm) over Garter st (k every st of every row) with 2 strands of yarn held together.

Beginner Hooded Vest Free Knitting Pattern

Free Pattern

Stitch Guide:

Garter Stitch: Knit every stitch of every row.
Stockinette Stitch (St st): Knit on RS, purl on WS.
M1 (make 1): An increase worked by lifting the horizontal strand lying between needles and placing it onto the left needle. Knit this new stitch through the back loop.

Pattern Notes:

The vest is made from 5 pieces: Back, 2 Fronts, and 2 Pockets.
The Back and Fronts are worked in Garter stitch from the lower edge upwards.
The Pockets are worked in Stockinette stitch with a Garter stitch edge.
The Hood is worked directly onto the neck edge of the Vest.
Two strands of yarn are held together throughout.
A circular needle is used to accommodate the stitches. Work back and forth in rows on the circular needle as if working with straight needles.
“Work even” means to continue in the established pattern stitch without changing the stitch count.

Pattern Pieces:

Back: Worked flat in Garter stitch from the bottom up. Includes side shaping using decreases and armhole shaping with bind-offs and decreases. Shoulders are shaped with bind-offs.
Left Front: Worked flat in Garter stitch from the bottom up. Includes side shaping (one side only), armhole shaping, and neck shaping, all using decreases and/or bind-offs.
Right Front: Worked flat in Garter stitch from the bottom up. Includes side shaping (one side only), armhole shaping, and neck shaping, all using decreases and/or bind-offs. Also includes buttonholes on the front edge.
Pockets (make 2): Worked flat in Stockinette stitch with a Garter stitch border.
Hood: Stitches are picked up around the neck edge. Worked in Garter stitch with increases to shape the crown, then decreases to shape the top. An I-cord edging and ties are worked along the front edge of the hood.

Finishing: