Free Delvin Hood Knitting Pattern. Cosy and Dramatic

The Delvin Hood Knitting Pattern creates a fun hood. This can be knitted directly into the neckline of your Delvin Vest, or as a pattern on its own. Like the vest and sweater, it’s all garter stitch, no purl stitches! So it’s faster to knit than most patterns. The lace stitch adds texture without weight, making it warm yet lightweight. This pattern is free here on the blog, or buy the ad-free PDF from Ravelry or Etsy.

Sizes for Delvin hood knitting pattern

Hood height: (adjustable): 35 cm / 13 ¾ inches

Note on hood sizes.
The hood comes in 3 sizes: small, medium and large.

If knitting the hood with scarf tie only, select the size you want.

If knitting the hood into the neckline of the Delvin vest
The vest comes in 10 sizes; however, the same neckline stitches are shared across groups of 3 or 4 sizes and correspond to a hood size.
Vest sizes 1 (2, 3, 4) correspond to a size small
Vest sizes [5, 6, 7] correspond to size medium
Vest sizes (8, 9 10) correspond to size large

If your vest is in one of the smaller sizes, but you prefer a big, dramatic hood (who doesn’t?), increase 20 stitches evenly around as indicated below and work the next size up.

Yarn and materials:

Yarn required: Yarn Vibes, Cliffs of Moher, 100% wool, Aran weight, 100g / 150 meters per skein. Sample made in colour ‘Cornflower’.

Yarn requirements for Hood
2 (2, 2, 2) [2, 2, 2] (3, 3, 3) skeins / 300 (300, 300, 300) [300, 300, 300] (450, 450, 450) meters

Requirements for Total Project (hooded pullover)
8 (8, 9, 10) [11, 11, 12] (13, 15, 15) skeins / 1,200 (1,200, 1,350, 1,500) [1,650, 1,650, 1,800] (1,950, 2,250, 2,250) meters.

Yarn substitution recommendations:

Use a thicker Aran weight yarn, with a recommended needle size of 5 – 5.5 mm.
Use a yarn with a high wool content for a similar appearance to the sample.

Needle size:

5.5 mm needles (or size required to match tension). The same size as the ‘larger needles’ used for vest or sleeves, if knitting those as well.

Circular needles with a cable of at least 80cm are required to knit the hood, if knitted into the vest neckline.

Straight needles can be used if knitting the hood by itself, not into the neckline.

Notions:

Stitch markers Between 6 and 15, depending on size. Use shaped markers such as square, hexagon or triangle ones if possible, as round stitch markers can slip under yarn overs.

Darning/wool needle (blunt needle for sewing seams and weaving in ends).

Scissors or yarn snips

Measuring tape (for checking length and fit)

Construction

You can knit the hood either as a hood to be worn by itself, or knit it into the neckline of the Delvin Sweater /Vest.

To knit the hood by itself, you will knit a narrow garter stitch tie. Then, you will pick up stitches along the side, and knit the hood in rows, from the bottom up. Finally, you will close the top by seaming or a 3 needle bind off.

If you are adding the hood to the rest of the Delvin knitting pattern, you will start by picking up stitches around the inside of the collar, with an overlap at the front. You will then knit short rows to build up the 2 fronts. At that point you will then knit straight, as for the hood knitted by itself.

Tension/gauge

The tension for the hood is identical as for the other parts of the project, repeated here for those making only the hood.

Lace stitch:
Stitch gauge: 1 full pattern repeat of 20 stitches = 12 cm / 4 ¾ inches
Row gauge: 1 full pattern repeat of 20 rows = 8 cm / 3 inches

Garter stitch:
16 stitches = 10 cm / 4 inches
32 rows = 10 cm / 4 inches

Note on matching tension. Because this dramatic stitch pattern is based on stitches waving up and down, which is created by a difference in stitch height and direction between the 2 stitches used; it can be hard to find a spot to lay a tape measure and check your tension, when working in pattern. I strongly recommend knitting a garter stitch swatch of at least 15 cm / 6 inches, and knitting a separate lace swatch of the same size, and checking both. If necessary, prioritise matching the garter stitch swatch below

To knit a garter stitch swatch:

Cast on 30 stitches.
Knit 30 rows.
Cast off loosely.

To knit a lace swatch.

Cast on 33 stitches.
Row 1: k to end.
Row 2: k2, [yo, k2tog] to last st, k1.
Repeat Rows 1 and 2 another 14 times.
Repeat Row 1 once more
Cast off loosely.

Note, this lace swatch will lean a bit drunkenly to one side, but will give you a central section to check your stitch and row count over 10 cm.

Abbreviations used in the Delvin Hood Knitting pattern

k: Knit k2tog: Knit 2 stitches together pm: Place marker psso: Pass slipped stitch over rep: Repeat RS: Right side sl: Slip sl m: Slip marker st(s): Stitch(es) WS: Wrong side yo: Yarn over ()[](): Sizes/options (e.g., 25 (25, 30)) []: stitch repeat *: Repeat from *

Note: sl1, k1, psso (slip 1, knit 1, pass slipped stitch over), is used throughout as a right leaning decrease. If you have a strong preference for an SSK (slip, slip, knit) decrease, you can substitute this, and work it anywhere the pattern calls for sl1, k1, psso, as long as it is consistent, and you make the same substitution throughout. Just be careful not to change which right leaning decrease you use mid project, as this could create a tiny but noticeable change in the lace pattern.

Stitch Pattern

‘Pattern repeats’ and ‘pattern blocks’

In this pattern, the full pattern repeat uses 20 stitches and 20 rows.

Each full pattern repeat contains 4 ‘blocks’: two in width (one garter stitch block and one lace block) and two in height (one lace block and one garter stitch block).

When the pattern refers to a ‘pattern repeat’, this means the full 20 stitches or rows. When the pattern refers to a ‘pattern block’ this refers to the 10 stitches or rows which make up half the pattern repeat (garter or lace section only).

Row 1 (RS): k to end.

Row 2 (WS): [sl 1, k1, psso, yo] 5 times, k10.

Rows 3 to 10: repeat Rows 1 and 2 another 4 times each to complete the first 10 row block.

Row 11 (RS): k to end.

Row 12 (WS): k10, [yo, k2tog] 5 times.

Rows 13 to 20: repeat Rows 11 and 12 another 4 times each to complete the second 10 row block.

A total of 20 rows have been worked, giving one full pattern repeat with 4 blocks, 2 of garter stitch and 2 of lace, which lean in opposite directions.

Delvin Hood Knitting Pattern Starts

Part 1: with scarf only and no vest

Cast on 130 (160, 190) sts.

Row 1: k to end.

Row 2: kfb, k to last 2 sts, kfb, k1. Stitch count: 132 (162, 192) – 2 sts increased

Rows 3 to 6: repeat Row 2 another 4 times. Stitch count: 140 (170, 200)

Row 7: k to end.

Row 8: k1, sl 1, k1, psso, k to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1. Stitch count: 138 (168, 198) – 2 sts decreased

Rows 9 to 12: repeat Row 8 another 4 times. Stitch count: 130 (160, 190)

Row 13: cast off 25 sts, k79 (109, 139) sts so you have 80 (110, 140) sts on needle, cast off remaining 25 sts.

Skip to hood body section below

Part 1: Neckline shaping (if working into vest)

If making size adjustments, do not incorporate these yet, pick up stitches as for the size of the vest neckline.

Use a 5.5 mm long circular needle with a cable of at least 80 cm.

Work behind the neckband into the same row where stitches were picked up for neckband, starting at the centre front at the beginning of the stitches which were on a stitch holder before the neckband was knitted.

Set up Row (RS): pick up and knit 10 (20, 30) sts behind collar across centre Front, pick up and knit 15 sts up right side of neckline, pick up and knit 30 (40, 50) sts across Back neck, pick up and knit 15 sts down left side of neckline, pick up and knit 10 (20, 30) sts behind the first stitches picked up at start of the row. Stitch count: 80 (110, 140)

Note: the first and last 10 (20, 30) sts overlap. You may find it easiest to pick up and knit the second group of sts into the row below where you picked up the first set.

Although the hood is worked in rows, for the first few rows it may feel awkward and this is why a circular needle is needed. As a little height is built up away from the collar, this awkwardness will reduce.

Row 2 (WS): k to end.

Right Front shaping

Note: as this is garter stitch, short rows don’t need wrap and turns or other special strategies, just go ahead and work as follows.

*
Row 3: k10 (20, 30), turn, leave remaining sts unworked.

Row 4: k to end.

Row 5: k to last worked st, k1, turn. Stitch count: 11 (21, 31) worked sts

Repeat Rows 4 and 5 until 25 (35, 45) sts worked, turn.

Next Row: k to end.

**

Next Row (RS): k to end, working all stitches across Back neck and right Front. Stitch count: 80 (110, 140) sts

Left Front shaping

Repeat from * to ** for right Front shaping. Note: turns will happen on WS rows instead of RS rows.

Next Row (WS): k to end, if a larger hood is desired, increase 20 sts evenly across this row.

Hood main body

Pattern set up row (RS): k10, [pm, k10] to end. Stitch count 80 (110, 140) sts and 7 (10, 12) markers placed to indicate pattern blocks

Sizes small and large

Row 2 (WS): k10, *sl m, [sl 1, k1, psso, yo] 5 times, sl m, k10, rep from * to last m, k10.

Size medium

Row 2 (WS): k10, *sl m, [sl 1, k1, psso, yo] 5 times, sl m, k10, rep from * to last 20 sts, [sl 1, k1, psso, yo] 5 times, sl m, k10.

Row 3: k to end, slipping markers as encountered.

Rows 4 to 9: repeat Rows 2 & 3 another 3 times.

Row 10: repeat Row 2.

10 rows, 1 pattern block worked

Row 11: k to end.

Sizes small and large
Row 12: k10, sl m, *k10, [yo, k2tog] 5 times, rep from * to last m, k10.

Size medium
Row 12: k10, sl m, *[yo, k2tog] 5 times, k10, rep from * to last m, k10.

Rows 13 to 20: repeat Rows 11 and 12 another 4 times.

One full pattern repeat of 2 alternating blocks is now completed, with a garter stitch band of 10 stitches at each side.

Continue as set, until hood is 4 full pattern repeats (8 blocks) worked, or desired height.

Last Row: k to end.

Cast off.

Fold hood in half and sew seam across top from the inside.

Weave in ends.

Finishing:

Gently wash, following the instructions from the yarn manufacturer. If required, lightly block. Aggressive blocking should not be necessary, and can damage your new knit.

Thanks and acknowledgements:

This pattern was Tech Edited by Louise Plumridge, my thanks as always. Any errors that remain are my own. The PDF was formatted by Dara Adams. The stitch pattern used is my own adaption of a pattern presented on page 251 of Wendy Bernard The Ultimate All Around Stitch Dictionary. published by Abrams, New York.

Copyright

This Delvin hood knitting pattern, including the wording and the pictures, are my work and copyright. Please do not distribute them in any way except by using the link to this blog post. You may not copy in any way, including by making your own videos, if they are directly based on my work.
This blog is not intended for commercial use. You may sell finished items based on this pattern only if you have made them in your own home, with your own hands. However, selling your own makes from this pattern, especially for charity, is strongly encouraged. I would love to hear about your event, and how it went