This bear coat I got from the army surplus has pretty much achieved 'go-to' status in my wardrobe. For something that costed a paltry fourteen bucks, that's quite a feat. The actual name on the tag is "Shirt, Cold Weather," but it's generally referred to as a 'bear coat' or 'bear jacket.' It's typically worn under a military parka, so the sleeves run short to accommodate layering. I wear it like a jacket though, and that draft at the sleeves makes for an uncomfortable bike ride.
So what's a knitter to do? Well, okay, you can see what I did already because of the huge pictures. The only appropriate black I could find in my stash for this was a batch of Red Heart that I bought back when I didn't know any better. But in actuality, an acrylic yarn seems appropriate considering the shirt is polyester to begin with.
As far as the knitting goes, it's really not all that complicated. I casted on 52 stitches and worked 30 rows of 2x2 ribbing, casting off with all knits so that the seam edge would be uniform enough to sew into the sleeve.
What's cool is that I can fold them inward if I want to layer over it. But the main reason for this modification was to seal the sleeves because they ride up when I'm on my bike, and I hate having to bother with gloves. Anyone who rides a bike in cold weather can appreciate sealed sleeves and warm knuckles.
