I am considering making a insulated jacket and I am trying to decide between making a kinsman or kennebec pullover. I know that I want to use momentum for the shell and liner and 2.5 oz climashield for the insulation. I am wondering what are the main differeneces between the two kits if I am using the same fabric and insulation. The main differences I have found on the website descriptions is that the kinsman gives the option of athletic or relaxed fit and the kennebec does not list that option, and the kennebec is $7 more expensive when made in momentum. I also want to know one of the kits is more conducive to the addition of a hood.

I apoligize if these questions have already been answered on the forums, when I searched I did not find what I was looking for.

Hi burkest-

The Kennebec was originally designed for 4 or 6 oz insulation, and the pattern is tough to modify because of the way the sleeves and yoke are made.

I think you’d be happier with the Kinsman which was designed for 1.8 to 3 oz insulation and includes lots of alteration info, including a ‘relaxed neckline’ which will make the addition of a hood much easier.  Make sure you mock up the pattern with the hood, though, as the standard instructions don’t include that kind of modification.

AYCE

Thanks for the info AYCE!

Does the kinsman pattern give any hints on how to size it down even further?  My fiance wears a womens XS, so a mens or unisex XS is likely too big.  Thanks.

I have a friend who is on the thin side as well and she found the pattern to fit fine. I would say it’s cut on the “athletic side”. You could just simply make a quick one from cotton and try it on.

Joe F

I’m Joe’s friend who’s on “thin side.” This is my 2nd Kinsman, size small, that I did not alter, despite early temptations (b/c I felt the puffy sleeves made me look a bit like the Pillsbury dough boy).  I can easily wear a layer under it and am happy I left it alone.

Another great job- love the kangaroo pocket.  You could probably also have gone with the XS but this would probably have impacted your ability to layer something thick underneath.

Thanks for sharing the pic!

AYCE

Thanks for the info everyone.  But back to the original question, if it looks like I would need to size it down smaller than the usual pattern XS, are any hints provided in the Kinsman pattern?

There are no hints, tips or other info in the directions or pattern to size it down.

You will need to figure it out from the tips and hints we provided above. ;-)

JFF