Men Hooded Jacket in Bergere de France Alaska - 71136-300 - Downloadable PDF

Men's Hooded Jacket in Bergere de France Alaska – Knitting Pattern 71136-300

This intermediate-level knitting pattern from Bergere de France produces a men's hooded jacket featuring a bold Fair Isle colorwork design, a structured hood, and a separating zipper closure. The pattern is available as a downloadable PDF and is worked in the brand's chunky-weight Alaska yarn, making it a satisfying project for knitters who are comfortable with colorwork and basic garment shaping. The finished jacket is a substantial, warm outerwear piece suited to cooler seasons.

What Is Being Made

The pattern instructs knitters on how to construct a full men's hooded jacket with set-in sleeves, ribbed edgings, and a front zipper opening. The design is offered in four sizes: S, M, L, and XL, making it accessible to a wide range of body types. The jacket is worked in separate pieces — front panels, back, sleeves, and hood — which are then seamed together. A grey separating zipper, 70 cm (27½ in) long (reference 16300) is sewn in at the front opening to finish the garment neatly.

Yarn and Materials

The pattern calls for Bergere de France Alaska yarn used in two colorways:

• Souris (A) – shade 25379: the main color, requiring 14 balls (S), 15 balls (M), 17 balls (L), or 18 balls (XL).
• Hamster (B) – shade 23428: the contrast color for the Fair Isle sections, requiring 6 balls (S, M, L) or 7 balls (XL).

Alaska is a chunky-weight yarn, which contributes to the jacket's cozy, substantial drape and means the project works up relatively quickly on larger needles despite its size. Two needle sizes are used throughout the construction:

• 4.5 mm needles – for the ribbed sections.
• 5.5 mm needles – for the main body, Fair Isle colorwork, and stocking stitch sections.

Stitches and Techniques Used

This pattern employs a combination of classic knitting stitches and colorwork techniques, making it an excellent project for intermediate knitters looking to develop their skills:

• 1x1 Rib (1/1 Rib): Worked on 4.5 mm needles, this classic alternating knit-and-purl stitch is used for the cuffs, hem, and hood edgings. Ribbing creates a stretchy, neat border that helps garment edges lie flat and maintain their shape over time.
• Stocking Stitch (St st): Worked on 5.5 mm needles, stocking stitch forms the smooth, even fabric of the main body panels and sleeves. It is created by knitting all stitches on right-side rows and purling all stitches on wrong-side rows.
• Fair Isle: Worked on 5.5 mm needles, this traditional two-color stranded colorwork technique is used to create the decorative patterned sections of the jacket. Knitters follow dedicated charts provided in the PDF, with the chart sections varying according to the size being made. Fair Isle involves carrying both yarn colors across the row, catching floats at regular intervals to keep the fabric tidy and even.
• Patterned Fair Isle (Patt Fair Isle): A specific Fair Isle variation noted in the pattern, worked on an uneven number of stitches on 5.5 mm needles. This structured colorwork section follows the charts included in the PDF and forms the signature decorative motif of the jacket.

Garment Shaping and Construction Details

The pattern includes detailed shaping instructions for a well-fitted, professional finish. Key construction elements include:

• Armhole shaping: Stitches are cast off at the beginning of every row in a stepped sequence that varies by size. For example, size S casts off 2 stitches twice then 1 stitch 6 times, while size XL casts off