Craft Enabled, Domestically Disabled:

After three months of work, here it is: this year's Halloween costume!

Sadly, I didn't photograph in it so well (dear god, I have no idea how to pose for anything AND IT SHOWS), but you get the drift.

It's fairly big (about 40 inches around the boobs), so one size fits uh... well, whoever gets into it. I think my friend looks cuter in it than I do at this point :)

So, I bet you're wondering... is there a pattern for this? Yes, yes there is.

Note to readers: this is my first pattern of this ilk before, and I'm offering it free because well, I'm a noob at pattern design and if you want to try this, do so at your own risk. I did the best I could, but there may still be weirdnesses here and there that I'm not aware of. If you reach a point of weirdness, WING IT and do the best you can to make things look right, because I don't know how long I'll remember how to make this thing. Possibly more of a "for intermediate/advanced knitters" project than for beginners, but it's up to you. It's not overly hard except for the patterned stitches at the bottom, and even that isn't too bad once you get used to how it's supposed to go. It took me 3 months to finish it and I knit at medium speed, so keep that in mind for your costume-making needs. Especially since this is made from the top down and after awhile is just way too big to haul around to work on in public.

A note to yarn snobs: yes, this isn't the best yarn ever and gets kind of saggy in stockinette stitch. (I do wish I'd made the top of this jacket smaller now and shortened the blue by a few inches at the waist... oh well) However, buying The Best Yarn Ever would have cost me a hell of a lot more (and didn't have the nice sheen that the Caron does), and I for one am fine with the sag on a giant jacket for a winter weather costume anyway. Given the nature of this thing, I would expect it to sag, right? If you'd like to make it in better yarn, try Cascade 220 or some other worsted weight.

Crochet is required for the eyes.

One size fits most. It's around 40 inches wide under the armpits and designed for extra room/warmth. Bottom half is supposed to flare at the hips/waist area and not hang down straight.

Needed:

1 16 inch circular needle, size 7, or DPN's if you prefer.
1 36 inch circular needle, size 7. (I highly recommend having a set of customizable circular needles for this (or any other, really) project, so you can alter the size depending on what part you are working on. The large size is more for the collar, 29 inches would work for the rest of it.)
F crochet hook.
1 7/8 inch button. I ordered a Czech peacock one off of eBay (sadly unphotographed 'cause I'm not good at small shiny object photography), but go with what you'd like. I've also seen those buttons on Etsy if you'd like to look there.
Yarn needle.
Sewing needle and blue thread to sew button on.

3 skeins of Caron Simply Soft Ocean yarn
3 skeins of Caron Simply Soft Dark Sage yarn
1 skein of Caron Simply Soft Dark Country Blue yarn
1 skein of Caron Simply Soft Blue Mint yarn
1 skein of Caron Simply Soft Chocolate yarn
1 skein of Caron Simply Soft Limelight yarn
1 skein of Caron Simply Soft Plum Wine yarn
1 skein of Caron Simply Soft Forest Floor yarn

Jacket Top:

CO 60 sts with Ocean color. Place markers after 1 stitch, 12 sts, 34 sts, 12 sts, and 1 stitch at the end. KF&B on the first and last stitch on every row and before and after every marker on the front side rows, knit the rest of the row as usual. Do this on every front side row and purl the wrong side ones until the total number of stitches across the entire project reach 160. End with RS row.

On next WS row: purl across to first marker, put sts between first and second marker (arm #1) on waste yarn. CO 20 stitches, then connect with stitches left on needle and purl across to third marker. Put sts between third and fourth marker (arm #2) on waste yarn. CO 20 stitches, then connect with stitches left on needle and purl across to the end. Should have 200 stitches by this point.

Continue to work in stockinette stitch for 11 inches (or however long you want the blue of the jacket to hit, I intended it as semi-bolero style), finishing on a WS row. Put stitches on waste yarn or leave on pair of needles.

Go back to one of the armholes that you put on waste yarn. Remove waste yarn and thread 16 inch needle through the stitches, then pick up and knit enough stitches on the rest of the armhole to go around (84 for me). Knit in stockinette in the round until sleeve is 21 inches long, BO. (Stockinette has a deliberate roll at wrists for decorative effect/to match collar. If you feel like doing something else on the ends like ribbing or garter, feel free.) Do this for other sleeve too.

With largest needle, pick up and knit starting at right hand side waist, going around the neckline and finishing at left hand waist (where your stitches are on waste yarn). Pick up an even number so that you can do K2P2 ribbing.

Start k2, p2 ribbing, work for three more rows. On fourth row, BO 4 stitches approximately 2 inches up from the waist, then continue knitting ribbing. On fifth row, CO 4 stitches above where you bound off the first time. Knit in pattern for 3 more rows, finishing on right side bottom of garment.

Place stitch markers 8.5 inches from bottom of ribbing on each side (or wherever you'd like to position this). BO from edge of garment to stitch marker, then knit only until you get to second marker. At second marker, continue knit stitch till the end.

On next row, BO from edge until you reach the first stitch marker, then purl entire row until you reach the second stitch marker.

For the next 16 rows, k2tog at the start and end of each row. Continue knitting in stockinette stitch (knit on front side, purl on back). Collar should develop a natural roll at this point. After last row, BO.

With F crochet hook, sc around edge of buttonhole to tighten it up. Sew on button on opposite side of ribbing from buttonhole.

Jacket Bottom (Shake Your Tailfeather!):

Switch to Dark Sage yarn. With right side facing towards you, pick up and purl 6 sts on the buttonhole side (adding to the count on your needles already). Pick up and purl 5 sts on the button side (also adding to the count on your needles already). You should have increased your total number of stitches by 11. Before you start the patterns, make sure your stitches on the needle can be divided equally by 11.

Now you are ready to begin the Scale Stitch pattern.

Row 1 (RS): {k10, p1}, repeat to end.
Row 2 (WS): {k2, p8, k3, p8, k1}, repeat to end.
Row 3 (RS): {p1, k8, p3, k8, p2}, repeat to end.
Row 4 (WS): {k3, p6, k5, p6, k2}, repeat to end.
Row 5 (RS): {p3, k4, p7, k4, p4}, repeat to end.
Row 6 (WS): {p5, k1, p10, k1, p10, k1, p5}, repeat to end.
Row 7 (RS): {k4, p3, k8, p3, k4}, repeat to end.
Row 8 (WS): {p4, k3, p8, k3, p8, k3, p4}, repeat to end.
Row 9 (RS): {k3, p5, k6, p5, k3}, repeat to end.
Row 10 (WS): {p2, k7, p4, k7, p4, k7, p2}, repeat to end.

Repeat rows 1-10 3 more times, then repeat rows 1-5 once.

Now you are ready to begin the tree stitch.

Row 1 (RS): {p5, k1, p5}, repeat to end.
Row 2 (WS): {k4, p3, k4}, repeat to end.
Row 3 (RS): {p3, k1, p1, k1, p1, k1, p3}, repeat to end.

Row 4 {WS}: {k2, p1, k2, p1, k2, p1, k2}, repeat to end.
Row 5 (RS): {p1, k1, p2, k3, p2, k1, p1}, repeat to end.
Row 6 (WS): {k3, p1, k1, p1, k1, p1, k3}, repeat to end.
Row 7 (RS): (p2, k1, p2, k1, p2, k1, p2), repeat to end.
Row 8 (WS): {k1, p1, k2, p3, k2, p1, k1}, repeat to end.
Row 9 (RS): {p3, k1, p1, k1, p1, k1, p3}, repeat to end.

Repeat rows 4-9 until work from beginning of tree stitch is 14 inches long.

Decreasing edges and bind off: You are going to k2tog (or ssk, if you prefer) or p2tog (or ssp if you prefer) on every edge from now on, which ever one fits best into the continuing pattern of the tree stitch as you decrease the edges. Continue established pattern in between decreases.

New Row 1 (ws): k2tog, p1, k2, p1, k2, p1, k2. Continue as in Row 4 until the last two stitches, ssk.
New Row 2 (rs): p2tog, p1, k3, p2, k1, p1. Continue as in Row 5 until the last two stitches, ssp.
New Row 3 (ws): p2tog, k1, p1, k1, p1, k3. Continue as in Row 6 until the last two stitches, ssk.
New Row 4 (rs): p2tog, p1, k1, p2, k1, p2. Continue as in Row 7 until the last two stitches, ssp.
New Row 5 (ws): p2tog, p1, k2, p1, k1. Continue as in Row 8 until the last two stitches, p2tog.
New Row 6 (rs): k2tog, p1, k1, p3. Continue as in Row 9 until the last two stitches, p2tog.
New Row 7 (ws): k2tog, p1, k2. Continue as in Row 4 until last 2 stitches, ssk.
New Row 8 (rs): p2tog, p1, k1. Continue as in Row 5 until last 2 stitches, p2tog.
New Row 9 (ws): k2tog, k4, p1, k1, p1, k1, p1, k3. Continue as in Row 6 until last 2 stitches, ssk.
New Row 10 (rs): p2tog, p3, k1, p2, k1, p2, k1, p2. Continue as in Row 7 until last 2 stitches, p2tog.
New Row 11 (ws): k2tog, k1, p1, k2, p3. Continue as in Row 8 until last 2 stitches, ssk.
New Row 12: bind off all stitches.

Belt loops (make 2):
With needles and Ocean yarn, cast on 5 sts. Knit in stockinette for 10 rows, BO. Have a friend pin them on at either side of your hips (wherever it's comfortable for you) and sew them on at the short edges.

Crocheted Trims:

Sash:
With F hook and Ocean yarn, make a long enough chain to go around your waist with some extra for tying. Do sc back and forth for 4 rows. Cord should nicely curl at the edges into a spiral when you are done.

Crocheted eyes: make 47 of them.
With size F hook (or whatever tiny-ass hook you need to make an eye that is about 2 inches wide--may want to do some test runs first):

With Dark Country Blue color, chain 5, triple c in 4td chain from hook, slip stitch into same st, ch 2, triple c in remaining original ch, slip stitch into same ch, cut string and attach new color.

With Blue Mint color, ch1, sc 5 times through back loop, do 2 triple c in center of work, sc 5 more times tbl, slip stitch at the starting point, cut string and attach new color.

With Chocolate color, ch2, do 3 triple c, ch2, sc 6 time tbl, 2 sc in same sc tbl, sc 6 times tbl, slip stitch at the starting point, cut string and attach new color.

With Limelight color, ch1, 10 sc tbl, 2 sc in same sc tbl, sc 10 times tbl, slip stitch at starting point, cut off.

With Plum Wine color, ch1, 6 sc tbl, cut string and attach new color.

With Forest Floor color, ch1, 5 sc tbl, 2 sc in same sc tbl, 5 sc tbl, 2 sc in same sc tbl, 5 sc tbl, 2 sc in same sc tbl, 6 sc tbl, slip stitch at starting point, cut string and attach new color.

Entire eye should come out to be approximately 2 inches around.

You will position the eyes in 5 different rows (9/10/9/10/9 eyes), positioning each row a few inches apart from the others and alternating the placement of the eyes. Be sure to place each eye on every other tree stitch section. Pin into place and sew onto jacket with Forest Floor yarn and yarn needles.