Jacket Knitting Patterns

What counts as a knitted jacket

A jacket sits somewhere between a cardigan and a coat: heavier fabric, more structure, usually a proper collar or hood, and often no fastening at all beyond a single button or a wrap. This collection covers a wide span of jacket options: there are baby and toddler jackets in enormous number, often as part of a leaflet set with a hat, mittens, bootees and a blanket in Sirdar Snuggly DK. There are aran-weight jackets in Sirdar Supersoft and Hayfield Bonus Aran with real body to them. And there are indie designs with more attitude, such as the Ziggerzagger Jacket, the Line Jacket and a classic boyfriend cardigan jacket.

Construction, and what it means for you

Most jackets here are worked flat in pieces and seamed, which is the traditional method and the right one for a garment that needs structure; seams stop a heavy jacket sagging out of shape. Garter stitch jackets, of which there are several for babies, are often knitted sideways or in one piece with minimal sewing, and are the easiest possible introduction to garment knitting. Hooded wrap designs add a hood picked up around the neckline, which is simply a rectangle worked upwards and grafted or seamed across the top.

Choose a project by experience

• Beginner: a garter stitch baby jacket, worked in one or two pieces with almost no shaping.
• Next step: a plain DK jacket in pieces, teaching armhole shaping and seaming.
• Confident: an aran jacket with a shawl or flat collar and set-in sleeves.
• Adding texture: cabled or ribbed fronts, and jackets with a wide textured border.
• Most involved: a full-length coat with pockets, a deep collar and lined button bands.

Yarn weight, warmth and drape

Aran and chunky dominate for adult jackets because they give the density a jacket needs, and they knit up fast enough that the project stays enjoyable. DK is the right choice for babies and children, where bulk is uncomfortable and washability is essential. Wool and wool blends hold their shape and block well, so collars sit properly and button bands stay flat; pure alpaca is warm but heavy and drapey, which is lovely on a loose swing jacket and disastrous on a fitted one. For quantity, work from the pattern's metreage: an adult aran jacket often calls for something in the region of 1,200-2,000m depending on size and length, and a hood or deep collar adds meaningfully to that.

Pockets, buttons and other details

Patch pockets are the easiest option and can be added to almost any plain jacket after the fact; knit two squares, block them, and sew them on with the fabric under slight tension so they lie flat. Inset pockets need a lining knitted earlier in the body, so read the pattern through before you start. Buttons should be chosen before you knit the band, because the buttonhole is sized to a particular diameter, and heavy jackets want a substantial button that will not pull through under weight. Reinforce the button side with grosgrain ribbon on a long coat if you want it to hang perfectly for years.

Finishing and care

Block every piece to the schematic before seaming; jacket fronts in particular will not hang straight otherwise. Use mattress stitch on side and sleeve seams and backstitch across the shoulders, where firmness matters under the weight of sleeves. Pick up collar and band stitches evenly, around three stitches for every four rows, and lay the band against the front edge before casting off. Wash according to the ball band, dry flat, and never hang a wet knitted jacket; the weight will pull the body several centimetres longer and it will not recover.

Common questions

What is the easiest knitted jacket pattern? A garter stitch baby jacket, often worked in one piece with only a couple of short seams.

Which yarn weight suits a jacket? Aran or chunky for adults, DK for babies and children.

How much yarn will I need? Follow the pattern's metreage for your size, keep one dye lot and add a spare ball for a hood or longer sleeves.

Do I have to seam it? Most jackets here are worked flat and seamed, and the seams are what give a heavy garment structure.

Can I add pockets to a plain pattern? Yes. Patch pockets can be knitted separately and sewn on once the body is blocked.