Joseph Hoodie in Ella Rae Classic Heathers - E18-01 - Downloadable PDF

Joseph Hoodie in Ella Rae Classic Heathers – E18-01 Pattern Summary

The Joseph Hoodie is a classic knitted youth hoodie designed for older children and teenagers, offered in three sizes to fit chest measurements of 80 cm, 90 cm, and 100 cm, corresponding to ages 11–12, 13–14, and 15–16 years. The design features a front opening, a hood, set-in sleeves with ribbed cuffs, and a ribbed hem, making it a practical and stylish everyday garment. It is worked flat in separate pieces — front, back, sleeves, and hood — and seamed together, a construction method well suited to knitters who are comfortable with basic shaping and finishing techniques.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a hooded pullover-style sweater with a divided front opening, designed to be worn as a casual hoodie. The garment includes shaped armholes, tapered sleeves, and a hood knitted separately and attached at the neckline. Three buttons are incorporated into the front opening, adding a functional and decorative detail. The overall silhouette is relaxed and comfortable, appropriate for everyday wear by tweens and teenagers.

Construction and Techniques

• Flat knitting: All pieces — front, back, sleeves, and hood — are worked flat on straight needles, then seamed together at completion.
• Front opening division: The front is worked as a single piece up to a set point, then divided at the centre front opening, with each side worked separately to shape the neckline and button band area.
• Armhole shaping: Stitches are cast off at the beginning of designated rows to create the armhole curve, a standard set-in sleeve technique that gives the garment a neat, fitted shoulder line.
• Sleeve shaping: Sleeves are increased gradually at each end — once on a specified row interval and then repeatedly on every fourth row — to create a tapered shape from cuff to underarm. This gradual increase method ensures a smooth sleeve cap fit.
• Holding stitches: When dividing the front opening, stitches are placed on a holder and returned to the needles later, a common technique for working both sides of a neckline or opening independently.
• Ribbed borders: Both the body hem and sleeve cuffs begin with a k1, p1 rib worked over 8 cm, providing elasticity and a neat, professional finish at the edges.
• Hood attachment: The hood is knitted as a separate section and joined to the neckline, a technique that allows precise shaping of the hood opening and crown.
• Button fastening: Three buttons are used to close the front opening, requiring the knitter to create or incorporate buttonholes during finishing.

Stitches Used

• Stockinette stitch (St st): The primary stitch pattern for the body, sleeves, and hood, worked by alternating knit rows on the right side and purl rows on the wrong side. Stockinette creates a smooth, flat fabric with excellent drape and stitch definition.
• k1, p1 Rib: Used for the hem borders and sleeve cuffs. This two-row rib pattern alternates knit and purl stitches to produce a stretchy, reversible fabric ideal for cuffs and hems.
• k2tog (knit two together): A standard right-leaning decrease used in shaping sections.
• p2tog (purl two together): A purl-side decrease used to maintain shaping on wrong-side rows.
• psso (pass slipped stitch over): A left-leaning decrease technique used in conjunction with a slipped stitch for directional shaping.
• tbl (through back loop): Working into the back of a stitch to create a twisted stitch, typically used to tighten or neaten specific decreases or increases.

Materials Required

• Yarn: Ella Rae Classic Heathers in shade #131, a worsted weight yarn. The quantity required is 700 g for size 11–12, 800 g for size 13–14, and 900 g for size 15–16.