Coastal hoodie

Coastal Hoodie by Tori Gurbisz

What is Being Made

The Coastal Hoodie is a casual, lightweight knitted cardigan-style hoodie designed by Tori Gurbisz and presented by Lachesis and Co. This garment is engineered as a versatile layering piece suitable for multiple seasons, from breezy spring and summer evenings at the beach to fall and winter wear. The hoodie features a relaxed, roomy fit with practical design elements including a spacious hood, deep pockets, and a streamlined one-piece buttonband combined with the bottom hem for a polished finish.

Sizing and Fit

The Coastal Hoodie is available in seven sizes with bust measurements ranging from 31.25 inches to 51.5 inches. The pattern provides options: 31.25 [34.5, 37.5, 40.75, 44.75, 48, 51.5] inches. The sample shown was knitted in the 34.5-inch size with minimal ease, offering a close but comfortable fit.

Knitting Techniques and Stitches

This pattern is worked top down, a construction method that allows knitters to try on the garment as they progress and easily adjust length to personal preference. The primary stitch pattern is reverse stockinette, which creates a textured, bumpy surface that beautifully showcases the color variations inherent in hand-dyed yarns. Reverse stockinette is achieved by purling on right-side rows and knitting on wrong-side rows, reversing the traditional stockinette structure. This technique transforms what is typically considered the "wrong side" of stockinette into an intentional design feature.

The pattern incorporates striping worked in reverse stockinette, allowing the dimensional texture of the stitch to interact with multiple yarn colors for visual depth and interest. The one-piece buttonband and bottom hem construction demonstrates intermediate-level shaping and finishing skills.

Yarn and Materials

The Coastal Hoodie is designed for sport weight yarn, a lightweight classification that makes this hoodie ideal for layering without bulk. The recommended yarn is Madelinetosh Tosh Sport, which is composed of 100% superwash merino wool. Each skein contains 270 yards (247 meters), providing excellent stitch definition and drape.

The color palette consists of four hand-dyed shades:

• Color 1 - Smokestack: 3 [3, 3, 3, 4, 4, 4] skeins
• Color 2 - Tern: 3 [3, 3, 3, 3, 4, 4] skeins
• Color 3 - Windowpane: 1 [1, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2] skeins
• Color 4 - Curiosity: 1 skein for all sizes

The superwash merino wool fiber is particularly suited to this design, as it is durable, breathable, and easy to care for—essential qualities for a garment intended for frequent wear across multiple seasons.

Gauge and Blocking

Proper gauge is critical for achieving the correct finished measurements. The pattern specifies a gauge of 20 stitches and 28 rows equal 4 inches (10 centimeters) in reverse stockinette. The pattern instructions emphasize the importance of washing and blocking your gauge swatch before beginning the project to ensure an accurate fit, as blocking can significantly affect the final dimensions of the finished garment.

Difficulty Level

Rated as intermediate difficulty, the Coastal Hoodie is suitable for knitters with foundational skills who are ready to tackle top-down construction, color work, and finishing techniques such as the integrated buttonband and hem.