Hooded Neckwarmer in Plymouth Baby Alpaca Grande Tweed - F420

Hooded Neckwarmer in Plymouth Baby Alpaca Grande Tweed – Pattern F420

This free downloadable knitting pattern from Plymouth Yarn Design Studio guides knitters through creating a cozy Hooded Neckwarmer sized for adults. Combining the warmth and luxury of alpaca fiber with a structured cable pattern, this accessory functions as both a cowl-style neckwarmer and a hood, making it a versatile cold-weather piece. The finished dimensions are approximately 22½ inches long and 22 inches in circumference, offering generous coverage for the neck, head, and shoulders.

What Is Being Made

The Hooded Neckwarmer is a seamless, knitted-in-the-round accessory that begins as a wide tube worked in a decorative cable pattern stitch, then transitions into stockinette stitch as it tapers and divides to form a hood. The result is a single integrated piece that pulls over the head and drapes around the neck and upper chest, providing warmth without the bulk of a separate hat and scarf combination.

Materials Required

• Yarn: Plymouth Yarn Baby Alpaca Grande Tweed – 3 skeins of 100g each, shown in color 2726 Orange. This yarn is a chunky-weight alpaca blend with a tweedy texture, prized for its softness, warmth, and natural luster.
• Needles: US Size 10½ (6.5mm) 16-inch circular needle
• Notions: Cable needle, stitch marker, stitch holder

Gauge

Achieving the correct gauge is important for this project. The pattern calls for 14 stitches and 20 rows to equal 4 inches in stockinette stitch on US Size 10½ needles. In the cable pattern stitch, the gauge is approximately 4 stitches to 1 inch when slightly stretched. Knitters are encouraged to swatch before beginning to ensure proper fit and finished dimensions.

Techniques Used

• Knitting in the round on a circular needle – the body of the neckwarmer is worked as a seamless tube, eliminating the need for seaming and creating a clean, professional finish
• Cable knitting – the lower portion of the neckwarmer features a repeating cable pattern worked with the aid of a cable needle
• Shaping and decreasing – the piece transitions from the wider cable section to a narrower stockinette section through evenly spaced decreases and paired decrease rounds using ssk and k2tog
• Dividing for the hood – stitches are divided and worked separately to shape the hooded upper portion of the piece
• Stitch holder usage – stitches are placed on hold during the hood construction

Stitches Used

• Stockinette stitch (st st) – knit every round when working in the round; used for the upper body and hood sections
• Purl stitches (p2) – used as ribbed columns within the cable pattern repeat to frame the cables
• C2B (Cable 2 Back) – a right-leaning cable crossing worked over two stitches using a cable needle held to the back
• C2F (Cable 2 Front) – a left-leaning cable crossing worked over two stitches using a cable needle held to the front
• ssk (slip, slip, knit) – a left-leaning decrease used in shaping rounds
• k2tog (knit two together) – a right-leaning decrease used in shaping rounds, paired with ssk for symmetrical tapering

Pattern Structure and Construction

The pattern begins with a cast on of 86 stitches, joined in the round with a stitch marker. The lower section is worked in the 6-stitch repeat cable pattern (multiple of 6 stitches plus 2) for approximately 8 inches. This two-round repeat alternates a cable crossing round with a plain knit-