Pull-Through Hooded Snood

Style: Balaclava / hooded snood (KN-HAT brimmed & shaped family, route F)
Difficulty: Intermediate
Construction: In the round from the lower edge of the neck tube, increasing into a wider hood; centre face opening bound off and worked as two sides, then rejoined. The long ribbed tube is designed to sit up inside the hood in wear (pull the tube through so it lines the hood).

A long, narrow 2×2 rib tube for the neck, a wider rectangular hood, and a shaped opening at the top for the face.

Sizes

Child (Adult S/M, Adult L, Adult XL)
To fit head circumference: 48–52 (54–56, 58–60, 61–64) cm / 19–20½ (21¼–22, 22¾–23½, 24–25¼) in
Finished neck tube (unstretched): 32 (35, 38.5, 42) cm circumference
Finished hood (after increases, unstretched st st): 56 (62, 68, 74) cm circumference
Neck tube length: 28 (32, 36, 40) cm / 11 (12½, 14¼, 15¾) in
Hood depth (nape to crown, excluding face split): 24 (26, 28, 30) cm

Choose a size with 1–2 cm negative ease at the neck rib relative to a comfortable turtleneck.

Yarn

Worsted / aran (UK: aran; CYC 4), wool or wool blend for structure and bounce.
Meterage: 380 (460, 540, 620) m / 415 (505, 590, 680) yd

Suggested: 100% wool or 80/20 wool–nylon, 100 g ≈ 180–200 m.

Needles

• 4.5 mm circular, 40 cm, plus DPNs or a longer circular for magic loop
• 5 mm circular, 40–60 cm, plus DPNs or magic loop
• Spare 5 mm needle for three-needle cast-off (optional)
• Stitch holders or waste yarn; stitch markers; tapestry needle

Tension (gauge)

20 sts and 26 rounds = 10 cm in stocking stitch on 5 mm, in the round, after blocking.
24 sts and 28 rounds = 10 cm in unstretched 2×2 rib on 4.5 mm (for reference only).
Work a swatch in the round. If you are between tensions, change needle size — the hood shaping relies on this tension.

Abbreviations (UK knitting)

k knit · p purl · st(s) stitch(es) · rnd(s) round(s) · RS/WS right/wrong side
kfb knit into front and back (1 st increased)
m1L make 1 left (lift strand from front to back, k through back)
m1R make 1 right (lift strand from back to front, k through front)
k2tog knit 2 together · ssk slip, slip, knit
pm / sm place / slip marker · BOR beginning of round
st st stocking stitch (k every rnd in the round; k RS, p WS when flat)

Notes

• The neck tube is worked longer than a simple cowl so it can be folded/pulled up inside the hood. Wear: put the tube on, pull the hood over the head, then ease the spare tube length up so it lines the hood and frames the face.
• Face opening is worked as in a balaclava: bind off centre front stitches, work each side separately, then rejoin.
• Rib is 2×2 throughout the tube for stretch and recovery.
• No colourwork in this version.

Pattern

Neck tube (ribbed snood)

With 4.5 mm needles, using a stretchy method (e.g. long-tail over two needles or tubular if preferred), cast on 80 (88, 96, 104) sts. Join to work in the round, being careful not to twist. Pm for BOR (centre back).

Rib rnd: *k2, p2; rep from * to end.
Work in 2×2 rib until tube measures 28 (32, 36, 40) cm from cast-on.

Transition to hood (increase)

Change to 5 mm needles.

Inc rnd 1: *k2, m1L, k2, m1R; rep from * to end.
80 (88, 96, 104) + 40 (44, 48, 52) = 120 (132, 144, 156) sts. ✓
(You increased 1 st in every 2-st knit column pair; purl columns remain as knit after this rnd — fabric becomes stocking stitch.)

Knit 1 rnd.

Inc rnd 2: *k7 (8, 8, 9), m1L; rep from * to last 8 (4, 16, 12) sts, k to end, working remaining increases as follows so totals match:
Increase 8 (8, 8, 8) sts evenly — 128 (140, 152, 164) sts. ✓

Knit 1 rnd.

Inc rnd 3: Increase 16 sts evenly (approx. every 8th st):
*k8, m1L; rep from * to last 0 (4, 0, 4) sts, k to end, placing extra m1 as needed to reach
144 (156, 168, 180) sts. ✓

These counts are slightly fuller than the planning hood circ so the hood sits over the rib tube without strain (about 72 (78, 84, 90) cm fabric circ before ease of knit).

Work even in st st until piece measures 8 (9, 10, 11) cm from first increase rnd.

Face opening

The BOR is centre back. Face is at centre front.

Set-up: K 58 (63, 68, 73) sts (left back and side), bind off next 28 (30, 32, 34) sts for lower face, k to end 58 (63, 68, 73) sts.
58 + 28 + 58 = 144 ✓ | 63+30+63=156 ✓ | 68+32+68=168 ✓ | 73+34+73=180 ✓

You now have two groups. Place the second group (right side of face, including back) on a holder. Work the left side (the group just after the bind-off, as you look at RS) flat.

Left side of hood (RS facing starts at face edge)

Row 1 (WS): Purl.
Row 2 (RS): K1, ssk, k to end. (1 st dec at face)
Row 3: Purl.
Rep Rows 2–3 a further 4 (5, 5, 6) times.
Decs: 5 (6, 6, 7) total. Remaining: 53 (57, 62, 66) sts. ✓

Work even in st st (k RS, p WS) until face edge measures 14 (15, 16, 17) cm from bind-off, ending with a WS row. Place sts on holder.

Right side of hood

With RS facing, rejoin yarn at the face edge of the held sts.

Row 1 (RS): Knit.
Row 2 (WS): Purl.
Row 3 (RS): K to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1.
Row 4: Purl.
Rep Rows 3–4 a further 4 (5, 5, 6) times. Remaining: 53 (57, 62, 66) sts. ✓

Work even until face edge matches left side, ending with a WS row. Do not break yarn.

Rejoin and upper hood

Next rnd (RS): K across right-side sts, cast on 28 (30, 32, 34) sts over the face (backwards-loop or knitted cast-on), k across left-side sts from holder.
53+28+53 = 134 (child) ✓
57+30+57 = 144 (S/M) ✓
62+32+62 = 156 (L) ✓
66+34+66 = 166 (XL) ✓

Pm for new BOR at centre back (middle of the original back sts). Work even in the round in st st for 10 (11, 12, 13) cm.

Crown / hood top (optional gentle decrease)

To reduce bulk at the crown before closing:

Dec rnd: *k5 (6, 6, 7), k2tog; rep from *, adjusting last few sts to consume all: decrease 19 (18, 19, 18) sts → 115 (126, 137, 148) sts (approx.; work evenly — exact remainder may vary by 1–2 sts).

Knit 2 rnds even.

Close the hood

Turn the work so the inside of the hood faces you (this is the side that will show if the rib tube is pulled up as a lining — keep the public side of the hood as the outer fabric).

Divide remaining sts onto two needles, half front and half back, aligning the BOR at the fold. Graft with Kitchener stitch or work a three-needle cast-off with RS together for a firmer ridge (place ridge to the inside if you prefer it hidden).

Finishing

1. Weave in ends. Close any small gaps at the corners of the face opening with the yarn tails.
2. Face edge: Pick up approximately 3 sts per 4 rows plus the bound-off/cast-on sts around the entire face opening (about 90 (98, 106, 114) sts). Work 6 rnds 2×2 rib on 4.5 mm; cast off in rib, not too tightly.
3. Block lightly: steam or wet-block the hood only over a balloon or folded towel to set a gentle dome. Do not stretch the neck rib.
4. Wear / pull-through: Put the rib tube on as a snood. Pull the hood over the head. Reach inside and draw the spare length of the rib tube up into the hood so it sits as a lining, with the rib showing at the face if you wish, or fully enclosed. The extra 28–40 cm of tube is intentional for this.

Schematic (approximate)

• A Neck tube length: 28 (32, 36, 40) cm
• B Neck circ unstretched: 32 (35, 38.5, 42) cm
• C Hood circ: ~72–90 cm fabric
• D Face opening height: 14 (15, 16, 17) cm
• E Face opening width (bound-off): 14 (15, 16, 17) cm
• F Nape-to-crown after rejoin: 10 (11, 12, 13) cm + closing

Technically edited for stitch-count continuity at cast-on, three increase stages, face split, side decreases, and rejoin. Work to tension.