Seamed sweaters and seamless - it's like chocolate and vanilla

We can like two things at once.  Chocolate and vanilla. Red wine and white wine, rice and pasta. We may have a preference and generally choose one over the other, but it doesn’t mean that you can’t see the merits of both, right?  I fall into the chocolate, red wine, and pasta camp, but I can certainly appreciate crème brulee, a nice crisp chardonnay, and a creamy risotto.  Boy, I must be hungry.

It’s the same with sweaters construction.  Bottom up and seamed is my preference, but I can see the appeal of top-down seamless.  Not all top down seamless, but some.  Especially Cocoknits. 

Every time I teach a Cocoknits workshop, I find myself explaining why this method is great, but so many other top-down methods and patterns are not.  It comes down to shaping and methodology.  First, Cocoknits sweaters fit and look good.  That’s because they have set-in sleeves which are universally flattering.  That’s a huge piece of it.  The shoulder line is another piece of it.  She has invented a shaped shoulder technique for handknitting that creates a clean shoulder line and  reduces bulk, but still gives us the shoulder shape we need with a set in sleeve.   

Most Cocoknits sweaters, though not all, are worked seamlessly from the top down with Julie’s terrific worksheet helping you to track your rows and manage all the simultaneous shaping that happens in the yoke area.  After that, it’s smooth sailing – or knitting, rather – to the hem. 

There is a bit of a learning curve, as there is with any new technique.  The special increases and pick-up methods can be a bit fiddly until you get the hang of it, which is why I’m offering this class. There are tons of great Cocoknits patterns, but you’ll need to get the basics down first.   

All in all, it’s a pretty awesome and fast way to knit a sweater.  I have knit three, and I am looking forward to knitting a fourth with you during this class.  Join me for four sessions across two Saturdays, and you’ll be well on your way to a complete Cocoknits sweater. 

Sign up for the class here