Hayfield Grow Your Own Duffle Coat Knitting Pattern

Hayfield Grow Your Own Duffle Coat

What Is Being Made

This is a duffle coat designed for babies and young children aged 1 to 4 years. The garment features classic duffle coat styling with button closures and is available in four graduated sizes to accommodate growth from age 1 year through 4 years. The coat provides full-length coverage with set-in sleeves, making it a practical layering piece for young children.

Techniques Used

The duffle coat is constructed using fundamental knitting techniques suitable for an intermediate-level knitter. The pattern requires shaping at multiple points throughout construction, including armhole shaping achieved through decreasing stitches at armhole edges, and neck shaping using cast-off stitches and decreasing techniques. The garment is worked in pieces—including separate front, back, and sleeve sections—which are then assembled. Stitch holders are used to manage live stitches during construction, and the pattern includes detailed row-by-row instructions for shaping the neckline and armholes to achieve proper fit across the four size options.

Stitches Used

The primary stitch throughout this pattern is garter stitch, which creates a textured, reversible fabric ideal for a durable children's coat. Garter stitch is formed by knitting every row, producing horizontal ridges on both sides of the fabric. The pattern also employs k2tog (knit two together) decreases for shaping the armholes and neck, and cast-off stitches to bind off sections during neck shaping. These fundamental stitches combine to create a sturdy, classic coat suitable for a child's active wear.

Materials

The duffle coat is knitted using Hayfield Baby Blossom Chunky yarn in shade 371 Tiger Lily. This is a chunky-weight yarn supplied in 100g balls. The yarn quantity varies by size: sizes for ages 1 and 2 years require 3 balls each, while the 3-year size also requires 3 balls, and the 4-year size requires 4 balls. The pattern is worked on 6½mm knitting needles (UK size 3 / USA size 10.5). Additional materials needed include stitch holders for managing stitches during construction and six 19mm buttons for the duffle coat closures, regardless of size. The tension is worked at 13 stitches and 23 rows over 10cm (4 inches) in garter stitch.

Sizing Information

The pattern provides four size options accommodating growth from 1 year to 4 years of age:

• 1 Year: Chest 49cm (19¼"), full length 34cm (13½"), sleeve length 20cm (8")
• 2 Years: Chest 53cm (21"), full length 36cm (14"), sleeve length 22cm (8¾")
• 3 Years: Chest 56cm (22"), full length 39cm (15½"), sleeve length 25cm (9¾")
• 4 Years: Chest 59cm (23¼"), full length 41cm (16"), sleeve length 27cm (10¾")

Pattern Features

The duffle coat pattern includes detailed piece measurements and construction diagrams showing the dimensions of the back, front panels, and sleeves for each size. The pattern provides comprehensive abbreviations and stitch explanations, including standard knitting notation such as alt (alternate), cont (continue), dec (decrease), foll (following), inc (increase), and m1 (make one). Row-by-row instructions guide the knitter through armhole and neck shaping with specific stitch counts for each size, ensuring proper fit and professional finishing. The downloadable PDF format allows knitters to access the complete pattern with all measurements and instructions in one document.