Rose Column Hoodie: Free Knit Pattern

Rose Column Hoodie: Free Knit Pattern

Introduction

The Rose Column Hoodie is a relaxed, boxy men's pullover knit from a simple rectangle body and two straight sleeves, so the shaping stays easy even though the finished piece looks anything but basic. It's designed for knitters who are comfortable with stockinette and simple increasing and want a project with a little texture interest. The whole garment is worked in 8-row horizontal stripes of dusty rose and grey, and a band of five drop-stitch ladders runs sideways across the chest for an airy, open look. Knit in a sport-weight linen and cotton blend, it feels cool and crisp with a soft drape — a Mediterranean summer layer you'll reach for all season.

Materials Needed

• Yarn: Sport weight linen blend (approx 50% linen, 50% cotton). Total approx 1200 (1300, 1400) yd: Dusty Rose (A) 600 (650, 700) yd, Grey (B) 600 (650, 700) yd.
• Needles: 4.0 mm (US 6) circular needle, 80 cm long, plus 4.0 mm (US 6) double-pointed needles for sleeves.
• Notions: Stitch markers, stitch holders or waste yarn, a spare ball of yarn for the front neck split, tapestry needle, tape measure.
• Finished size: Chest circumference 112 (122, 132) cm; length 68 (70, 72) cm; sleeve length from underarm 50 (51, 52) cm. Shown in size M (122 cm chest).

Abbreviations

• CO — cast on.
• St st — stockinette stitch: knit on right-side rows, purl on wrong-side rows.
• K — knit.
• P — purl.
• RS / WS — right side / wrong side of the fabric.
• Inc — increase by one stitch (use your preferred lifted or make-one increase).
• Dec — decrease by one stitch (knit two together at the neck edge).
• BO — bind off.
• St(s) — stitch(es).
• Rem — remaining.
• Beg — beginning.
• Rep — repeat.
• K1p1 rib — knit 1, purl 1 ribbing.

Gauge

22 sts and 30 rows = 10 cm in stockinette stitch after blocking. Knit a swatch, block it, and measure a 10 cm section in the middle — if you have more stitches, go up a needle size; if fewer, go down.

Tips Before You Start

• Change colors at the beginning of a row to keep the stripe joins tidy, and carry the unused color loosely up the side edge rather than cutting it each time.
• The front neck split needs two balls of yarn working at once — wind a second small ball before you get there.
• Linen and cotton relax and grow slightly with blocking, so trust your blocked gauge, not your unblocked swatch.
• When working the drop-stitch band, drop only the single stitch indicated and let it unravel fully to the row below before moving on.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Body (worked flat in one piece to underarm, then divided)

Row 1 (set-up): With A, CO 246 (270, 294) sts.

Rows 1-8: Work in St st in A (246 (270, 294) sts).

Rows 9-16: Change to B and work in St st (246 (270, 294) sts).

Rows 17-96: Continue in St st, changing color every 8 rows (A, B, A, B, A, B, A, B, A, B), until piece measures 40 (41, 42) cm from CO edge, ending with a WS row (246 (270, 294) sts).

Next row (RS): K123 (135, 147) for back, place marker, K123 (135, 147) for front.

Back

Rows 1-30: Work back and forth on back sts only in St st for 10 cm, continuing the 8-row stripes (123 (135, 147) sts).

Row 31: BO 10 (11, 12) sts, work to end (113 (124, 135) sts).

Row 32: BO 10 (11, 12) sts, work to end (103 (113, 123) sts).

Row 33: BO 10 (11, 12) sts, work to end (93 (102, 111) sts).

Row 34: BO 10 (11, 12) sts, work to end (83 (91, 99) sts).

Row 35: BO 10 (11, 12) sts, work to end (73 (80, 87) sts).

Row 36: BO 10 (11, 12) sts, work to end (63 (69, 75) sts).

Next row: BO rem 63 (69, 75) sts.

Front

Rows 1-18: Rejoin yarn to front sts and work even in St st for 6 cm, continuing stripes (123 (135, 147) sts).

Next row (RS): Work to center, join second ball of yarn, BO center 23 (25, 27) sts, work to end. You now have two sides worked separately.

Rows 1-10 (each side): Dec 1 st at neck edge every other row 5 times (from 50 (55, 60) sts to 45 (50, 55) sts per side).

Next rows: Work even until front measures the same as back to shoulder.

Shoulder shaping (each side): BO 10 (11, 12) sts at beg of next 6 rows, then BO rem sts to match back.

Sleeves (make 2)

Row 1: With A, CO 54 (58, 62) sts.

Rows 2-8: Work in St st, changing color every 8 rows as for body (54 (58, 62) sts).

Rows 9-104: Work in St st, inc 1 st each end every 8th row 12 times, continuing the 8-row color stripes (78 (82, 86) sts).

Next rows: Work even until sleeve measures 50 (51, 52) cm from CO edge.

Final row: BO all sts.

Hood

Row 1: With A, CO 120 (130, 140) sts.

Rows 2-90: Work in St st for 30 cm (120 (130, 140) sts).

Final row: BO all sts.

Fold hood in half and sew the top seam.

Drop-Stitch Columns (worked horizontally across chest)

Set-up: With RS facing, using B, pick up and knit 1 st in each of 20 (22, 24) sts along a row 10 cm below the neck on the front.

Row 1: Work 1 row (20 (22, 24) sts).

Row 2 (WS): *K1, drop next st (allow to unravel to row below)*, rep to end.

Rows 3-5: Work 3 rows in St st.

Rows 6-9: Change to A and work 4 rows in St st.

Row 10: Rep drop-stitch row.

Rows 11-45: Continue in this manner, working drop-stitch rows every 5th row and changing color every 4 rows, until 5 drop-stitch columns are complete.

Final row: BO.

Assembly and Finishing

Sew shoulder seams. Set in sleeves, then sew sleeve and side seams. Sew the hood to the neck edge, easing it to fit. For the edging, with RS facing and A, pick up and knit 1 st in each st around the neck edge (including the hood), work 2 cm in k1p1 rib, and BO in rib. Work a similar edging around cuffs and hem if desired. Weave in all ends and block to measurements.

Pro Tips and Variations

• Swap the stripe colors for a tonal look, or work the chest band in a single color for a subtler ladder effect.
• Add ribbed cuffs and a ribbed hem for a sportier finish and a slightly more fitted silhouette.
• For a lighter summer version, work the body in a cotton-linen blend in a single color and keep the drop-stitch band as the only texture.