Snuggly Hoodie Dress Knitting Pattern

I have lately been enjoying knit dresses as a way to keep extra warm when the weather is cold. Toward the end of 2022/beginning of 2023 I made a bulky sweater into a tunic but I don’t think I fully appreciated it at the time.

This winter I am loving it (and recently knit another worsted weight sweater dress; I guess that’s my December knitting project now?) so I’ve had my eye on more warm sweater dresses lately.

I really like this one from Minimi Knit Design. It’s called Forever 16, and is a longer version of a regular length hoodie by the same designer. It uses a combination of shaping methods in the top down design to give it a relaxed fit. The curved hem is shaped with short rows, and the hoodie is picked up and knit after the body of the dress is done.

There’s also an option to make a super cute crocheted drawstring, and the pattern includes written instructions, a chart and a video for the drawstring so you should be able to do it even if you aren’t that comfortable with crochet. You can also do an I-cord drawstring if you want to stick to all knitting.

The pattern includes 10 sizes, ranging in size from a chest measurement of 39.5 to 72.25 inches, or 100.5 to 183 cm. It’s meant to be worn with 7 to 9.5 inches, or 18 to 24 cm, of positive ease, but you can pick the size that gives the ease you like for your body measurements.

This dress uses worsted weight yarn so it will be super cozy. It’s pretty worked in a solid color as shown, but it would be cute to throw in some stripes or even make it a stash busting project with all the yarn leftovers you’ve collected.

You can buy the pattern directly from Minimi Knit Design.

[Photo: Minimi Knit Design]

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Knitters are always looking for ways to continue to knit and to wear their knits even when it’s hot outside, so there are tots of great T0shirt knitting patterns to choose from. I love knitting short-sleeved shirts because they feel so much faster than sweaters, and you can wear them on top of dresses or even longer-sleeved items when it gets cooler.

There are lots of different styles of knit tops, from the basic to the more detailed. On the more basic side are things like the Perfect T-Shirt from Originally Lovely, a basic raglan tee with nine sizes and worked in worsted weight yarn; Paper Bloom by Yvonne Hugo (free on Ravelry), available in six sizes and worked with cotton and silk yarn for extra coolness; or Iris H’s Amelia Top, also on Ravelry, a slim fit, DK weight top with nine size.

Jazz it up with a bit of lace like on the Athens Lace Hem top by Sarah Hatton (Ravelry). This otherwise simple project has a bit of lace at the bottom, which is an easy way to make a project more interesting without a ton of work. This one uses fingering weight yarn and comes in nine sizes.

Another simple embellishment is to emphasize the lines of your top with different stitches. The Spring Lines top uses twisted ribbing at the center front and V-neck and along the raglan lines to give it a slimmer fit and more interest. This design from Turquoise Toque Designs has 11 size options and is available on Ravelry.

Silfurberg by Joji Locatelli uses both of these elements, with lace panels at the center front and back and purl ridges throughout to make it a little more fun to knit and to wear. The pattern uses fingering weight yarn and comes in 10 sizes. Learn more on Ravelry.

Keep it simple or add puffed sleeves (and/or long sleeves) to the slim fit Knitty Committee top by Lily Kate France. This one has two length options, waist shaping and optional bust darts to fulfill all your curvy top dreams, and it comes in nine sizes. You’ll find it on Ravelry.

Take it even more romantic with the Daphne Top from Friday Knits, which has puffed sleeves and applied I-cord to emphasize the bust and sweetheart neckline. It comes in eight sizes and uses DK weight yarn.

Or add some sweet flowers with the Gigio pattern from Emilie Luis. This pretty pattern found on Ravelry has cable panels running up the front with the option for adding sweet embroidered flowers. You can also add decorative buttons if you like. It comes in 11 sizes and calls for sport weight yarn.

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