Hooded robe to lounge in all day

Want to live in it all day, every day

If you are spending a lot of time at home, what do you like most to lounge in all day? What about a comfy and cushy robe you can put on as both a bathrobe and a lounge wear?

Over the years, probably like many of you, I’ve purchased different kinds of robes and found all of them falling short in some way – too thick & heavy, too light and not enough coverage, too long, too short, not comfy enough to lounge in after you dried up, etc. So, when I ended up with several skeins of 100% cotton, sport-weight yarns via an impulse purchase, I decided to try a hand at knitting my “perfect” bath & lounge robe.

Main criteria were:

• Color pop – something bright & fun to cheer me up, if needed, particularly in the morning.
• Fabric – absorbs and wicks moisture after taking a shower or bath.
• Weight – solid enough to keep me warm, but not heavy to weigh me down.
• Texture – soft and cushy without being too thick.
• Size – roomy throughout.
• Length – long enough to provide a good coverage, but not too long to drag on the floor.
• Closure – to prevent it from loosening and opening unintentionally.
• Hood! – to keep the back of the neck warm and to help dry my hair after a wash without making my back too wet.
• Pockets – large pockets on both sides.

After a few rounds of wearing, so far this ones’ holing up on all ends. In the next post, I’ll be sharing a matching cami and wide leg pants.

Trying out various stitches

Deciding on the color and pattern

A few little details make a difference in comfort

To live in it for a long time time, there are a few little details that could make a difference, if you want them. It will add on some time, so they are entirely optional.

Super easy to customize

While I went with a bit over-done combo of bright color stripes, this is easily customizable. You can use a simple two or three-tone stripes, or a single color you find soothing. Because it’s top-down, you can adjust the length as you please. It was a lot of work, but it’s just the way I like it and I enjoy living in it every day.

Knitting charts and instructions

• Hood – unravel the provisional CO and pick-up stitches from the front bands. Knit flat in rectangular shape and sew the top.
• Pockets – pick up about 7″ (42 sts) from the bottom and knit up in pattern while sewing in every row as you knit. Trim with a crochet st.
• Belt – Crochet using single st and if desired, incorporate stripes.
• Side & back belt loops, back neckline hanging loop, internal closure cords, and synch cord – crochet sts.

Yarn	Needle	Gauge (4”)	Size	Construction
For S/M  or  L/XL, approximately 4,000 or 5,000 yrds of sportweight yarn. This example in S/M uses 4 skeins each of Purl Soho Cotton Pure (100g/279 yrds) in Crystal Blue, Ultramarine Blue, and Peacock Teal + about ½-skein each of Tomato Orange, and Jonquil Yellow as accent colors for the stripe.	US #4 (3.5 mm) 36″ (for body) and 16” (for neck & arms) circular needle. I have a loose gage, so used #3. #7 crochet hook.	22 sts x 26 rows in pattern stitch.	See the sizing chart. The robe is meant to be roomy and highly adjustable	Starting with provisional CO neckline, knit top-down flat in raglan until underarm. After joining, knit Body in flat until the desired length, pick up stitches from each front edge and knit in pattern st for about 5”. For Hood, pick up sts from front bands and CO neckline and knit vertically. Knit each Sleeve in round until it reaches desired length.

RS – right side WS – wrong side k – knit p – purl CO – cast on BO – bind off

m – stitch marker pm – place marker sm – slip marker

p2tog – purl 2 sts together SSK – slip, slip, knit SSP – slip, slip, purl

F – Front B – Back LF – Left Front RF – Right Front LS – Left Sleeve RS – Right Sleeve

M1L – make 1 left leaning stitch by knitting into a loop from the bar before the stitch you’re about to knit. M1R – make 1 right leaning stitch by knitting into a loop from the bar after the last stitch you knit.

Start raglan yoke shaping

This raglan seem pattern includes a 2-st garter ridge between two raglan seams, and continues until the raglan yoke reaches the desired lengths. You can choose to knit the last several rows without raglan increases if you are concerned about body or sleeve getting too wide.

• R3 (and every WS) RF [p1 + *k1,k1,p1* until 2 sts before m, p1,p1] sm, RS [k1,p1 + *k1,k1,p1* until 2 sts before m, p1,p1] sm, Back [k1,p1 + *k1,k1,p1* until 2 sts before m, p1,p1] sm, LS [k1,p1 + *k1,k1,p1* until 2 sts before m, p1,p1] sm, LF [k1,p1 + *k1,k1,p1* until 1 st before the edge, p1]
• Continue to knit as set up until the raglan seam reaches the desired lengths (between around 12” – 14”).
• In this example, repeat raglan increases 26 times every RS, then 9 more times every 2^nd RS (i.e., every 4^th row). For sleeves, depending on how roomy you want them, you can stop after 6 more times and knit the rest without increases.

Separate sleeves from the body

You are ready to separate body and sleeves by holding sleeves in stitch holders or waste yarns, and adding underarm sts.

• Underarm sts:
  • Recommended # of sts is 12 / 15 (x4 / x5 pattern repeats), and you can make adjustments based on the preferred ease for sleeves.
  • Backwards loop CO is used here, and please feel free use your preferred method.
• First round (RS) – From LF edge, work in pattern to m, remove m, CO 10 / 13 sts; transfer LS sts to stitch holder or waster yarn; continue to work in pattern to m before RS, remove m, CO 10 / 13; transfer RS sts to stitch holder or waster yarn; remove m, continue to work in pattern to RF edge.

Body

• Continue to knit Body in flat in Pattern as established while adding pattern stitches for underarms.
• 2nd round (WS)
  • To avoid “holes” for the raglan underarm, you will be adding M1 at the beginning and the end of each underarm CO, making the total # of underarm sts to 12 / 15.
  • Starting with the RF edge, continue with Pattern as established until the beginning of 1st underarm CO, M1, continue with Pattern repeat until the end of CO, M1, continue to work Back to 2nd underarm CO, M1, continue until the end of CO, M1, continue to work in Pattern until the LF edge.
• 3rd round and onward – continue to work body until it reaches the desired length. You can add side or center slits for further ease of movements.
• Loosely BO.

Sleeves

• Continue to knit each Sleeve in round in Pattern as established while adding pattern stitches for underarms.
• Pattern sts repeats for round:
  • R1 – k1,k1,p1
  • R2 – k1,p1,p1
• Picking up underarm sts – to avoid “holes” for the raglan underarm, you will be adding M1 at the beginning and the end of each underarm CO, making the total # of underarm sts to 12 / 15.
  • Pick up underarm sts and continue with Pattern as established in round.
• Continue to work in Pattern until it reaches the desired length and loosely BO.
• Optional edge – fir a tighter sleeve edge, convert 3-st repeat to 1×1 rib, i.e.:
  • Last row in pattern – k1,p1,p1
  • First row in 1×1 rib – repeat *k1,p2tog1*
  • BO loosely

Front Body Bands

You will be picking up stitches from LF/RF edges and work in Pattern horizontally. Typically, the best ratio is 3 sts per 4 rows. Continue with Pattern for about 32 rows until the band reaches 5”. BO very loosely.

Hood

You will be picking up stitches provisional CO and front body bands and work in Pattern vertically and sewing the top.

• Starting point: Once the front bands are complete, pick up sts from RF band (again, about 3 sts per 4 rows), then unravel provisional CO and knit, and continue on to pick up sts from LF band.
• Work in pattern (add one extra knit stitch for either edge) until it reaches around 13”
• Flip the hood while the sts are still live, fold in half and sew the top.