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| The photo above © sofiecat |
Looking for a playful hooded baby and child knitting pattern? The design shown here is Duck Soup by annypurls, a clever nearly seamless jacket with a distinctive knotted hood, decorative i-cord closures, and generous sizing designed to give growing children extra wear.
Originally published in 2008, Duck Soup combines practical construction with whimsical details. It can be worn first as a roomy little coat and later as a more fitted cardigan as the child grows.
Duck Soup Hoodie Pattern at a Glance
Pattern: Duck Soup
Designer: annypurls
Craft: Knitting
Category: Baby / Child Hooded Jacket
Construction: Top-down and nearly seamless
Yarn Weight: Bulky
Gauge: 16 stitches and 24 rows = 4 inches in stockinette
Main Needle Size: US 8 / 5.0 mm
Additional Needle Size: US 2 / 2.75 mm
Yardage: Approximately 400–900 yards (366–823 m)
Sizes: 3 months to 4/5 years
Pattern Availability: Paid pattern
About the Duck Soup Hoodie
Duck Soup is a hooded jacket designed by annypurls for babies, toddlers, and young children. The pattern stands out because of its playful knotted hood and handmade i-cord closures.
The jacket is worked mostly back and forth on a circular needle, while the sleeves are knitted in the round. This keeps seaming to a minimum and gives the finished garment a clean construction.
A Jacket Designed to Grow with a Child
One of the most interesting features of Duck Soup is its generous fit. The design was intentionally created so that a child could wear it in more than one way as they grow.
It can begin as a roomy three-quarter-length coat with folded cuffs and a folded hood brim. Later, those sections can be unfolded so the same garment works more like a fitted cardigan.
That makes this pattern especially appealing for knitters who want to put time into a handmade garment that can be worn for more than a very short baby-size window.
Available Sizes
The current Ravelry listing includes the following sizes:
- 3 months
- 6 months
- 18 months
- 2–3 years
- 4–5 years
Always check the original pattern page before choosing a size, since the designer's current listing is the authoritative source for measurements and construction details.
Yarn and Yardage
The jacket is designed primarily for bulky-weight yarn. The original samples used Classic Elite Yarns Countess for the main garment.
Depending on size, the listed total yarn requirement is approximately:
400–900 yards (366–823 meters)
Small amounts of contrasting yarn can also be used for the decorative i-cord closures, making this a nice project for adding colorful accents.
Needles and Gauge
The published main gauge is:
16 stitches × 24 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch
The listing includes US 8 / 5.0 mm needles for the main bulky-weight fabric and US 2 / 2.75 mm for smaller details.
Row gauge is especially important in this design because it affects the depth of the armholes and the overall fit.
Knotted Hood and I-Cord Closures
The details are what make Duck Soup memorable. Instead of a conventional hood, the design finishes with a playful knot at the top.
The front uses knotted i-cord buttons together with i-cord loops, creating decorative frog-style closures rather than standard buttons.
The original pattern also includes a photo tutorial for making these closures.
Construction and Skills
Duck Soup is worked top-down and is described as nearly seamless. Depending on your experience, the project may involve:
- Top-down garment construction
- Raglan-style shaping
- Knitting back and forth on circular needles
- Knitting sleeves in the round
- I-cord
- Decorative frog closures
- Picking up or managing stitches around garment edges
The combination makes it more involved than a very basic baby cardigan, but also gives the finished jacket much more character.
Is Duck Soup a Free Knitting Pattern?
No. The Duck Soup pattern by annypurls is currently a paid pattern on Ravelry.
At the time this Amazing Knitting page was originally created, availability or external links may have been presented differently. We now direct readers to the designer's current Ravelry listing so they can see the latest price and availability.
Amazing Knitting does not reproduce the designer's copyrighted knitting instructions.
View the Duck Soup Pattern
Visit the original Ravelry page to see the current pattern details, price, sizing information, designer notes, and purchase options.
Pattern credit: Duck Soup was designed by annypurls. Pattern price, availability, sizing, and technical details are controlled by the designer and may change over time.
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Before You Start
Check the original Ravelry listing before buying yarn or beginning the project so you can confirm the current price, size information, materials, gauge, and any pattern updates from the designer.