Hooded Boy’s Duffle Coats in Hayfield Baby Chunky - 4486 - Downloadable PDF

Hooded Boy's Duffle Coats in Hayfield Baby Chunky – Pattern 4486

This downloadable PDF knitting pattern from Hayfield provides instructions for a classic Hooded Boy's Duffle Coat worked in Hayfield Baby Chunky yarn. The pattern covers six sizes, ranging from birth (0–6 months) through to 7 years, making it a versatile choice for knitters looking to create a cosy, structured outerwear piece for babies, toddlers, and young children. The finished coat features a hood, toggle fastenings, and a timeless duffle-coat silhouette that is both practical and stylish.

What Is Being Made

The pattern produces a hooded duffle coat for boys, sized to fit chest measurements from 41 cm (16 in) up to 66 cm (26 in), with actual garment measurements ranging from 49 cm to 74 cm in width. Full lengths range from approximately 26 cm (10¼ in) for the smallest size up to 52 cm (20½ in) for the largest. Sleeve lengths are described as adjustable, running from 15 cm to 33 cm across the size range. The coat is fastened with toggles — four toggles for the three smallest sizes and six toggles for the three largest sizes — giving it that characteristic duffle-coat look.

Techniques Used

• Thumb method cast-on — used throughout for a neat, elastic edge suitable for chunky-weight garments
• Shaping — including shoulder shaping with cast-off rows and neck shaping with decreases worked at the neck edge in every row, creating a well-fitted hood and armhole structure
• Stitch holder use — stitches are placed on a stitch holder at various points, for example when working the shoulder and neckline sections, allowing sections to be rejoined later
• Loose cast-off — the pattern specifically instructs knitters to cast off loosely at key structural points such as shoulders, which is important in chunky knitting to maintain drape and ease of finishing
• Seaming and construction — the coat is worked in separate pieces (Back, Right Front, and additional sections implied) and then assembled, a traditional flat-knitting construction method well suited to structured outerwear

Stitches Used

• Garter stitch (g-st) — this is the primary and dominant stitch pattern used throughout the entire coat. Every row is knitted, producing a ridged, reversible fabric with excellent body and warmth. The pattern explicitly states that garter stitch is worked throughout all main sections. Garter stitch is particularly well suited to chunky-weight yarns as it creates a dense, insulating fabric without curling at the edges, which is ideal for a coat front band and hood.
• Knit stitch (k) — the fundamental building block of garter stitch, used on every row
• Decrease stitches — worked at neck and shoulder edges to shape the garment correctly

Materials Required

• Yarn: Hayfield Baby Chunky, shade 413 and 403 — a chunky weight yarn. The number of 100g balls required ranges from 2 balls for the smallest size (0–6 months) up to 5 balls for the largest size (6–7 years). Yarn quantities are based on average requirements when the stated tension and yarn are used.
• Needles: One pair of 6½mm knitting needles (UK size 3 / USA size 10.5), or the size needed to achieve the correct tension
• Notions: A stitch holder and 4 or 6 toggles depending on size

Tension

The stated tension is 13 stitches and 23 rows to 10 cm (4 in) over garter stitch on 6½mm needles. As with all garment knitting, achieving the correct tension is essential — the pattern advises