Billa Jacket

Billa Jacket by Ambah O'Brien

What is Being Made

The Billa Jacket is a hooded jacket designed for children and teens, available in two distinct versions. The primary design, Billa, features a tri-color pattern with scalloped detailing, while the alternative version, Dry Billa, offers a single-color construction with a contrasting zipper. The name Billa derives from an Australian Aboriginal word meaning river. This garment is sized for children ages 2 through 16 years, with the pattern shown in size 12 featuring 4 inches (10 centimeters) of ease at the chest and 2.5 inches (6.5 centimeters) of ease at the upper arm.

Techniques Used

The Billa Jacket employs a top-down construction method, which allows knitters to try on the garment as it progresses and easily adjust the length. The hood and body are knit as a single integrated piece, eliminating the need for seaming and creating a seamless construction. Raglan increases are worked at the shoulders to create the proper shaping and fit. The sleeves are picked up from the body and knit separately, providing flexibility in sleeve length and fit. The hood is finished using a 3-needle bind off technique, which creates a strong, professional edge without requiring additional seaming work.

Stitches Used

• Raglan increases: Shaping increases worked at the shoulders to create the characteristic raglan sleeve style
• Twisted-rib zipper bands: Ribbed bands built directly into the construction to frame the zipper opening
• Make 1 right (m1r): An increase technique created by picking up the bar between stitches with the left needle from back to front, then knitting into the front of the loop
• 3-needle bind off: A joining technique that binds off two sets of live stitches simultaneously, commonly used for hood closure

Materials

The Billa Jacket is designed to be worked in worsted weight yarn, a medium-weight yarn suitable for creating durable, structured garments. The pattern calls for US 5 (3.75 millimeter) long circular needles and double-pointed needles (DPNs) of the same size, or preferred needles for small circumference knitting. The use of long circular needles accommodates the top-down construction method, while DPNs or preferred small circumference needles are used for working the sleeves and other smaller sections.

Difficulty Level

This pattern is rated as beginner level, making it an accessible project for knitters new to garment construction. Despite the seamless construction and shaping techniques involved, the straightforward top-down method and clear stitch instructions make this jacket achievable for those building their knitting skills.