Cozy Knitted Round Dickey — Free Pattern & Step-by-Step Instructions

Knitted round dickeys are charming, lightweight accessories that add vintage flair and extra warmth without the bulk of a sweater. This easy circular dickey pattern creates a neat, ribbed neck and a textured body that sits comfortably under dresses, blouses, or coats. The pattern below fits a head circumference of 53–58 cm and can be adjusted for larger sizes by using larger needles or adding stitches as noted.

Knitting materials and tools:

• 16” Circular Knitting Needles 4.5 mm (US7/UK7)
• Lion Brand, Heartland (4) – 100% Acrylic Yarn: 230 meters per 142 grams skein. In total: 100-105 grams.
• Stitch marker, scissors, tapestry needle.

Gauge: 17-18 stitches = 4 inches

Knit dickey size: Head Circumference: 53-58 cm. If you are knitting a man's dickey, use bigger size knitting needles or add 4-8 sts and follow the same pattern.

Common abbreviations of knitting stitches:

• K – knit
• P – purl
• Pm – place marker
• LLI – left lifted increase: insert the left-hand needle from back to front into the stitch two rows below the one you just knitted on the right-hand needle. Lift it to your left needle without twisting and knit it through the back loop.
• LLPI – left lifted purl increase: insert the left-hand needle from bottom to top into the stitch one row below the one you just purled on the right-hand needle. Lift it to your left needle and purl it.
• st(s) – stitch(es)

Dickey knitting pattern:

Cast on 80 stitches (or any number multiple of 4) plus 1 extra stitch if you are going to use the invisible joining method. Place marker and join in round. Rib k2, p2 until the neck part reaches 14-15 cm. I knitted 34 Rounds.

Round 35: [k1, LLI, k1, p2] – repeat till the end – 100 sts

Round 36: [k3, p1, LLPI, p1] – repeat till the end – 120 sts

Rounds 37-43: [k3, p3] – repeat till the end – 120 sts

Round 44: [k2, LLI, k1, p3] – repeat till the end – 140 sts

knit dickey for men and women - front view

Round 45: [k4, p2, LLPI, p1] – repeat till the end – 160 sts

Rounds 46-52: [k4, p4] – repeat till the end – 160 sts

Round 53: [k2, LLI, k2, p4] – repeat till the end – 180 sts

Round 54: [k5, p2, LLPI, p2] – repeat till the end – 200 sts

Rounds 55-62: [k5, p5] – repeat till the end – 200 sts

Bind off all stitches.

On the wrong side weave in ends. For a polished finish, gently block the dickey to even out the stitches and shape it before wearing.

Quick tips: Use stitch markers to track pattern repeats, check gauge before starting, and adjust needle size or stitch count for different neck sizes. If you prefer a different texture, swap the rib repeats for a pattern you like while keeping increases in the same rounds.