Knitted Hooded Sleeveless Pullover in Lion Brand Homespun - 975A

Knitted Hooded Sleeveless Pullover in Lion Brand Homespun – Pattern #975A

This free downloadable knitting pattern from Lion Brand provides complete instructions for a hooded sleeveless pullover — sometimes called a hooded vest — worked in the beloved Lion Brand Homespun yarn. The design combines the cozy warmth of a hood with the relaxed, layering-friendly silhouette of a sleeveless garment, making it a versatile wardrobe piece suitable for transitional seasons. The pattern is written for four sizes, with finished chest measurements of 38, 42, 46, and 50 inches, so it accommodates a generous range of adult figures.

What Is Being Made

The finished project is a pullover vest with an attached hood. Unlike a traditional sleeveless vest that ends at the neckline, this design features a fully knitted hood constructed separately and seamed on after the body is complete. A standout design detail is a front kangaroo-style pocket worked with a separate pocket lining and ribbed pocket edges, adding both function and visual interest. Armhole edges are finished with neat ribbed armbands picked up and worked directly onto the body, giving the garment a clean, polished look without the need for set-in sleeves.

Materials Required

• Yarn: Lion Brand Homespun, Art. No. 790, in 6 oz. skeins. The sample shown uses shade #325 Cascade, though any color of your choice may be substituted. Quantities needed are 3 skeins (size 38"), 4 skeins (size 42"), 5 skeins (size 46"), or 6 skeins (size 50").
• Needles: One pair of US size 9 (5.50 mm / UK size 5) knitting needles and one pair of US size 10 (6.00 mm / UK size 4) knitting needles, or the size needed to achieve the correct gauge.

Lion Brand Homespun is a thick, textured yarn with a distinctive looped, woven character that gives finished knits a rich, fabric-like appearance. It knits up quickly on larger needles and is well-suited to straightforward stitch patterns where its texture can shine without competing with complex cable or lace work.

Gauge

The pattern specifies a gauge of 14 stitches and 20 rows equal 4 inches worked in Stockinette stitch on the larger US size 10 needles. Checking gauge carefully before beginning is essential to achieving the correct finished measurements across all four sizes.

Techniques Used

• Casting on — the back begins with a cast-on of 67 to 85 stitches depending on size; the hood begins with a cast-on of 106 to 112 stitches.
• Binding off — standard bind-offs are used at shoulders, armholes, pocket lining, and hood shaping.
• Shaping via bind-offs and decreases — armhole shaping on the back involves binding off 2 stitches at the beginning of two rows, followed by single decreases at each end every other row for 7 rows. Neck shaping on the front uses a stepped bind-off sequence (3 stitches once, 2 stitches three times, 1 stitch twice on each side) to create a smooth curved neckline.
• Picking up stitches — stitches for the armbands, pocket lining, and pocket edges are all picked up and knitted directly from the existing fabric, a technique that creates seamless, integrated edgings.
• Seaming — shoulder seams are sewn after blocking, and the pocket lining is sewn invisibly to the wrong side of the front.
• Hood construction — the hood is shaped with decreases along its length to create a fitted, rounded top before being seamed and attached at the neckline.

Stitches Used

• Stockinette Stitch (St st) — the primary stitch pattern used throughout the body, front, and hood. Worked by knitting on right-side rows and purling on wrong-side rows, Stockin