Hozuki is a Japanese plant that bears cute, drawstring-bag-shaped fruits. Inspired by the shape of these fruits, I designed a slightly smaller, rounded slipover with a hood. The Hozuki slipover is a basic autumn/winter slipover designed for everyday wear. One of its features is that it comes with a slightly smaller hood. It is designed to provide warmth for your neck, and its relaxed fit allows for layering with other items. This slipover features a relaxed fit, ensuring a comfortable and casual fit for daily wear. This slipover is knitted from the top down. First, knit the hood, then continue knitting down to the neck. After knitting the neck, add an accent line using a welt stitch at the seam where it meets the body. Then, shape the shoulders using the German short-row technique. Next, the front and back are separated and worked separately back and forth. Afterward, the front and back are joined, and the body is worked in the round. Finally, you will knit the hem. Please choose whichever you prefer—a regular hem or a split hem.

CONSTRUCTION
HOZUKI slipover is worked from the top-down. Starting with the mid-section of hood, then, pick up sts from the sides of the mid-section for the hood. After shaping the curve at the top of the hood using German short rows and increases, knit the sides toward the neck. Once you’ve knit to the length just below the chin, join the two ends and knit the neck in the round. Finally, work a welt and start knitting the body. For the body, we will begin by shaping the neckline and shoulders using German short-row knitting combined with increases worked simultaneously. Next, knit the front and back panels separately using stockinette stitch, working back and forth. Afterward, join the front and back pieces and knit the body in the round. For the body hem, choose whichever you prefer: a 3x1 regular hem knitted in the round, or a 3x1 split hem where the front and back are knitted separately in flat.

SIZES
XXS, (XS, S)(M, L)(XL, 2XL, 3XL)
Body circumference; 35(37, 39)(42.5, 47,5)(50.75, 55.5, 60)“/88(93, 98)(107, 120)(128, 140, 151) cm.
Total body legth; 20(20.5, 21)(22, 23)(23.5, 24, 24,25)”/50.5(51.5, 52.5)(54.5, 57.5)(59, 60.5, 61) cm.

The garment is intended to be worn with 5~10 cm (3~4”) positive ease. If you’d like a looser fit, knit it one or two sizes larger. The green split-hem sample is 3”(8cm) larger than my bust size.The white sample with regular hem has approximately 5” (13 cm) positive ease. Please check the FINISHED MEASUREMENTS in the schematic in the photo gallaery. As shown in the photo gallery, if you stop knitting halfway through the armhole and knit the hem instead, you can turn it into a warm, hooded neck warmer.

GAUGE
18 sts x 24 rows = 10 x 10 cm / 4 x 4” Stockinette stitches on main needle (4.5 mm; US7) after blocking.

SUGGESTED NEEDLES
4.5 mm (US7) (60 cm 24”, 80 cm 32” or longer one) (depending on your knitting tension; If you are a tight knitter, 5 mm knitting needles might be a good choice) for main, 4 mm (US6) for hood opening and body hem, 3.75 mm (US5) for knitting a neckline welt.

SUGGESTED YARN
DROPS Design Air (65% Alpaca/28% polyamide/ 7% wool), 150 m (164 yds)/ 50 g

YARN REQUIRMENT 　
Regular hem: approx. 600(630, 660)(719, 809)(869, 945, 1019) m/ 656(689, 722)(786, 885)(950, 1033, 1114) yds.
Split hem: approx. 633(665, 697)(761, 857 )(921, 1001, 1081) m/692(727,762(832, 937)(1007, 1094, 1187) yds.

MATERIALS
Stitch markers, waste yarn or stitch holder.

SPECIAL TECHNIQUES
Incease (M1L, M1R, LL1, RL1), Decrease(ssk), long tail cast on, Icelandic bind off, welt knitting, Grman short row knitting.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I would like to thank the knitters who took part in the test knit. They produced beautiful work and helped to improve the pattern.
I will be adding the work of other test knitters to the photo gallery as it becomes available.