Valley Yarns Laurel Top-Down Hoodie Knitting Pattern

Valley Yarns Laurel Top-Down Hoodie

What Is Being Made

The Laurel Top-Down Hoodie is a knitted pullover sweater with an integrated hood, designed by Kirsten Hipsky. This garment is constructed from the top down, beginning at the neckline and working downward to create the body and sleeves in a single, seamless piece. The hoodie features a relaxed fit available in five finished sizes ranging from approximately 36 inches to 48 inches in circumference, making it suitable for various body types and layering preferences.

Construction Techniques

The Laurel Top-Down Hoodie employs several key knitting techniques that define its construction method:

• Top-Down Construction: The garment is worked from the neckline downward, allowing for easy fitting adjustments and the ability to try on the piece as it develops. This method eliminates the need for seaming multiple pieces together.
• Worked in the Round and Worked Flat: The pattern combines circular knitting for the body sections with flat knitting for specific components, providing versatility in construction and shaping options.
• Buttonhole Placement: Strategic buttonholes are incorporated into the right front edge, spaced approximately every 4 inches along the length of the garment. These buttonholes are worked during the flat knitting sections and allow for closure options or decorative button placement.
• Increases for Shaping: The pattern uses make-one (M1) increases worked symmetrically around stitch markers to create the necessary shaping for sleeve cap development and body expansion as the knitter works downward from the neckline.

Stitches Used

The Laurel Top-Down Hoodie incorporates fundamental knitting stitches combined in a structured pattern:

• Garter Stitch: Knit on every row to create a textured, reversible fabric with excellent drape and structure. This stitch forms the primary fabric of the garment.
• Garter Rib: A combination of knit and purl stitches (worked as k2, p2 repeats) that creates vertical columns of texture. This stitch pattern appears throughout the pattern rows and provides elasticity and visual interest.
• Knit Two Together (K2tog): A right-leaning decrease used for shaping and creating the buttonhole edges.
• Slip, Slip, Knit (Ssk): A left-leaning decrease that pairs with K2tog decreases for balanced shaping.
• Make One (M1): An increase worked by inserting the needle into the thread running between stitches and knitting into the back of it, creating a new twisted stitch. This increase is used repeatedly at marked intervals to expand the garment width.

Materials and Tools

The Laurel Top-Down Hoodie requires specific materials to achieve the intended finished garment:

• Yarn: Valley Yarns Superwash (100% extrafine superwash merino wool, 50 grams per 97 yards). The pattern calls for 13 to 19 skeins depending on the finished size selected, with larger sizes requiring additional yardage.
• Needles: US Size 7 circular needles and double-pointed needles. The circular needles accommodate the in-the-round sections, while double-pointed needles are used for smaller circumference areas such as sleeves.
• Notions: Stitch markers are essential for tracking the pattern repeats and marking increases at regular intervals throughout construction. Buttons are required for the buttonhole closures along the right front edge.
• Gauge: 18 stitches and 30 rows measured over 4 inches in Garter Rib stitch. Achieving proper gauge is critical for obtaining the correct finished measurements.

Pattern Structure and Progression

The pattern is organized into repeating rows that create the fabric and shaping simultaneously. An 8-row repeat is worked multiple times (5 to 9 times depending on size), with increases occurring every other row at marked positions around the neckline. This systematic increase creates the necessary width expansion for the body and sleeve cap shaping. The buttonholes are integrated into the right front section during Row 1 of each repeat, placed every 4 inches along the front edge. The pattern provides clear abbreviations and stitch definitions, making it accessible to knitters with beginner to intermediate experience.