Berroco Cosette Top Knitting Pattern

Berroco Cosette Knit Top

What is Being Made

The Cosette is an intermediate-level knit top designed by Amy Christoffers. This garment is a pullover-style top worked in one continuous piece from side to side, beginning at the right sleeve cuff and concluding at the left sleeve cuff. The finished measurements accommodate multiple sizes, with bust measurements ranging from 36 inches to 60 inches and length ranging from 22 inches to 24 inches, offering versatility for different body types.

Knitting Techniques Used

The Cosette employs several fundamental and intermediate knitting techniques that build structural shaping and visual interest into the garment. The construction method of working from side to side creates a unique fabric flow and allows for seamless integration of sleeve and body sections. Increases are strategically placed using make-one stitches (M1R and M1L) to shape the sleeves and create the proper fit at the bust and shoulders. The pattern incorporates ribbed edging for cuffs and hems, which provides elasticity and a finished appearance. Knitters will also work with waste yarn to temporarily hold stitches, a technique that allows for later pickup and continuation of knitting in different directions or for grafting sections together.

Stitches and Stitch Patterns

The primary stitch used throughout the Cosette is stockinette stitch (St st), which creates a smooth, classic fabric with a flat appearance on the right side and a bumpy texture on the wrong side. Ribbing, created by alternating knit and purl stitches in a 1x1 pattern (k1, p1), is used for the sleeve cuffs and provides stretch and recovery. The ribbed sections are worked flat rather than in the round, with alternating right-side and wrong-side rows establishing the rib pattern. Increases using make-one stitches (both right-leaning M1R and left-leaning M1L) are incorporated to add stitches while maintaining a neat, nearly invisible increase line.

Materials and Tools

The Cosette is designed to be worked with Berroco Pima 100, a yarn that provides a smooth, breathable fabric ideal for a top garment. The pattern calls for 4 to 7 hanks (each 100 grams) depending on the size being knitted, with the color shown as Chrysanthemum (#8431). Knitters will need two 29-inch circular needles in sizes 5 (3.75 mm) and 7 (4.50 mm), as well as one 16-inch circular needle in size 5 (3.75 mm). The smaller needles are used for ribbed sections, while the larger needles accommodate the stockinette stitch body. Waste yarn is required to hold stitches temporarily during construction. The recommended gauge is 20 stitches and 32 rows over 4 inches when worked in stockinette stitch on the larger needle, and checking gauge before beginning is essential to ensure proper fit.

Pattern Overview and Construction

The garment begins with the right sleeve, where stitches are cast on and worked in 1x1 ribbing for 1 inch. After a decrease row, knitters transition to the larger needle and work increases on every right-side row for 10 rows to shape the sleeve cap. The back section is then worked by slipping held stitches from waste yarn and casting on additional stitches to create the body width. This innovative side-to-side construction method reduces seaming and creates a garment with interesting fabric characteristics. The pattern accommodates seven different sizes, making it accessible to a wide range of knitters and body types.