The Jolly Roger Hoodie

A Boxy Drop-Shoulder Pullover Hoodie with Skull & Crossbones Colourwork

Skill level: Beginner (with a first taste of stranded colourwork)

Sizes

5 sizes: S (M) L (XL) (2XL)

Sample shown in size M. Numbers for other sizes follow in brackets in the same order as above.

This is a deliberately boxy, relaxed drop-shoulder fit with generous ease.

Materials

• Yarn: Worsted weight (Aran/10-ply), approx. metres:
  • Main Colour (MC – black): 900 (1000) 1100 (1200) 1300 m
  • Contrast Colour (CC – white/cream): 120 (130) 140 (150) 160 m
• Needles:
  • 5 mm (metric) for main body/stocking stitch (US 8)
  • 4.5 mm for ribbing (US 7)
• Notions: Tapestry needle, stitch markers, waste yarn or stitch holders.

Tension (Gauge)

20 sts and 26 rows = 10 cm over stocking stitch on 5 mm needles, after blocking. Colourwork tension: keep floats relaxed so the panel does not pucker.

Abbreviations (UK)

k = knit; p = purl; st(s) = stitch(es); st st = stocking stitch; MC = main colour; CC = contrast colour; RS = right side; WS = wrong side; BO = cast/bind off; CO = cast on; rep = repeat.

Stitch Count Reference

Body stitch count = finished chest (cm) ÷ 2 × (20 sts ÷ 10 cm):

Check: M = 56 cm × 2 sts/cm = 112 sts ✓

BACK

1. With 4.5 mm needles and MC, CO 102 (112) 122 (132) 142 sts.
2. Rib: Work (k1, p1) rib for 6 cm.
3. Change to 5 mm needles. Work in st st (k on RS, p on WS) straight until piece measures 58 (60) 62 (64) 66 cm from cast-on edge, ending after a WS row.
4. Shoulders/Neck: BO all sts. (For this hooded version the neckline is created by leaving centre stitches open when joining — see Joining.)

FRONT (with Jolly Roger Colourwork)

The front is worked exactly like the back but carries the attached Skull & Crossbones chart, centred.

1. With 4.5 mm needles and MC, CO 102 (112) 122 (132) 142 sts.
2. Rib: Work (k1, p1) rib for 6 cm.
3. Change to 5 mm needles. Work in st st straight until piece measures 20 cm from cast-on, ending after a WS row.

Placing the chart

The attached chart is 35 sts wide and 40 rows tall.

Centring margins = (body sts − 35) ÷ 2:

Check (M): 38 + 35 + 39 = 112 ✓ (Where the count is odd, place the extra stitch on the left-hand side after the chart, as shown above.)

1. Begin chart row (RS): k the "before" margin in MC, work the 35 chart stitches following the attached chart (introducing CC as directed), then k the "after" margin in MC.
2. Continue for all 40 chart rows, then break CC and continue in MC only.
3. Work straight in st st until Front measures the same length as the Back, ending after a WS row.
4. BO all sts.

JOINING THE SHOULDERS

1. Place Front and Back with RS together.
2. Seam (or 3-needle BO) the outer 34 (37) 40 (43) 46 sts of each shoulder.
3. Leave the centre 34 (38) 42 (46) 50 sts of the neck open — this forms the neckline the hood is picked up from.

Check (M): 37 + 38 + 37 = 112 ✓

SLEEVES (worked down from the armhole)

Drop-shoulder sleeves are picked up from the straight vertical armhole edge — there is no sleeve cap.

1. Measure 25 cm down from the shoulder seam along the front and back side edges and mark. This 25 cm (× 2 sides = 50 cm) armhole depth gives the pick-up.
2. With 5 mm needles and MC, RS facing, pick up and knit 100 sts evenly along the armhole edge (50 sts each side of the shoulder seam). Check: 50 cm × 2 sts/cm = 100 sts ✓
3. Work in st st, and shape the taper:
   • Dec row (RS): k2, k2tog, k to last 4 sts, ssk, k2. (2 sts decreased)
   • Rep Dec row every 6th row a total of 28 times: 100 − 56 = 44 sts remain.
4. Work straight until sleeve measures 40 (40) 42 (42) 43 cm from pick-up, ending after a WS row.
5. Change to 4.5 mm needles. Work (k1, p1) rib for 6 cm. BO in rib.
6. Repeat for second sleeve.

Cuff circumference check: 44 sts ÷ 2 sts/cm = 22 cm ✓

HOOD (added per your request)

The hood is picked up around the neck opening and worked upward, then seamed across the top.

1. With 5 mm needles and MC, RS facing, begin at the right front neck edge. Pick up and knit evenly around the neckline:
   • 92 sts total (up the right shoulder edge, across the back neck, down the left shoulder edge). Aim for an even number so the top seam matches; adjust by 1–2 sts if needed.
2. Work in st st for 28 cm, ending after a WS row.
3. Shape the crown (optional, for a rounded hood):
   • Next row (RS): k to centre, place a marker, k to end.
   • Dec row: k to 3 sts before marker, k2tog, k2, ssk, k to end. Rep every RS row 4 times. (8 sts decreased → 84 sts)
4. BO all sts.
5. Seam the top of the hood: fold with RS together and seam the cast-off/top edge closed.
6. Optional hood edging: With 4.5 mm needles, pick up sts along the front opening of the hood and work 4 rows (k1, p1) rib; BO in rib. This gives a tidy, non-curling face edge.

Hood depth check: 28 cm body + rounded crown gives a comfortable, generously sized hood suited to the boxy style.

FINISHING

1. Weave in all ends, paying particular attention to the CC floats behind the skull motif.
2. Seam the sleeve and side seams in one continuous line from cuff to hem.
3. Block the whole garment to measurements — this is essential to even out the colourwork and relax any puckering.
4. Steam the Jolly Roger panel gently to make the skull crisp and flat.

ATTACHED STITCH CHART

Use the separate attached chart panel provided with this pattern for the Skull & Crossbones (Jolly Roger) visual grid. It is not reproduced in the pattern text.

Where it is placed: The chart is worked on the Front only, beginning after 20 cm of plain st st from the cast-on edge (see Front, step 3–4). It spans 35 stitches wide and 40 rows tall, centred using the margin table above.

How to read the chart (knitting, worked flat):

• Read RS (odd) rows from RIGHT to LEFT.
• Read WS (even) rows from LEFT to RIGHT.
• Begin at the bottom-right of the chart and work upward.
• Each square = 1 stitch; the two colours are keyed as MC (black) and CC (white/cream).

Colour / yarn management:

• This is stranded colourwork (Fair Isle style): carry the unused colour loosely across the WS as a float.
• Where a float would span more than 5 sts, catch (twist) the carried yarn behind the middle stitch to avoid long snags.
• Keep floats relaxed — pulling tight will pucker the skull. Spread stitches on the right needle before changing colour.
• The skull (CC) sits on an MC background; the crossbones are the CC diagonals framing/behind the skull. Both elements — skull and crossbones together — are included in the single attached chart, as requested.

Stitch-count integration (must match):

• Margin + chart + margin = full body count.
• Size M example: 38 + 35 + 39 = 112 sts ✓
• Confirm your live stitch count equals the CO count on every chart row; the chart adds no stitches and removes none.

Enjoy your jolly new hoodie — fair winds and following seas! 🏴‍☠️