How to Customize Your Cocoknits Sweater

Hi Diana,
The easiest way to change a size is to use a different gauge yarn. Because the Cocoknits Method keeps the same proportions as gauge is modified, this works, while it may not on other types of sweaters. So one possibility is to knit Molly with a slightly larger gauge: at 4.25 sts/in, you would get a bust measurement of 56.5” for the largest size and at 4 sts/in you would get 56” for the 2nd largest size. To figure out what size a different gauge would give, take the total stitches for front and back (near bottom of p. 101), and multiply by two. For the largest size, that gives us 240. Then divide by the number of sts per inch. Often we find that knitting a size with no ease at the bust works well if you add bust darts (see Julie’s “How (& Why) to Work Bust Darts” tutorial here on the website), avoiding an overly large sweater.
That said, we don’t usually recommend Molly as a first sweater – it has various extras that complicate it a bit. If you wanted to knit one of the easier sweaters first, here are some suggestions for those patterns. Emma A, B, or C knit at 2.75 sts/in over 160 sts (2 times back sts, 2nd paragraph, p. 64) yields a bust measurement of 58.25”. Tilda knit at 3 sts/in would yield a largest size of 61”. Lizzie knit at 4.5 sts/in would yield a largest finished bust of 61.5”.
Another solution is to knit Emma at the suggested gauge and add extra stitches in the yoke, at the armhole edges of the back and front. So if you were to use the 3X to start, you would build the shoulders as written in the pattern, and get your worksheet set up. Then if you wanted a 60" finished bust, you would need 180 sts total on the bust. Dividing by 2 gives 90 sts each Front/Back. You will be casting on 8 sts at each underarm, so at the end of the worksheet you would need 82 sts ea for back and front. That is 10 more sts than the 3X, or 5 more increase rows. Now you would add extra inc’s to your worksheet at each edge of the Back in the 5 Right Side rows above those already written in for the size 3X. And then do the same for the armhole edge of each Front. Then you would knit the yoke according to your adjusted worksheet.
Lots of ideas :). Please feel free to email us at knit@cocoknits.com with any questions.

Hello. I love your workshop book and would like to make the Molly version B sweater in light blue. However, I am new and never made a sweater before. I’m struggling with measurement for the sweater, my fullest bust size is 56 inches. My size is larger than what you have in the book so what steps should I take to get the correct amount of stitches for this sweater?

Hi Ilene,
There are two ways to do this.
You can knit it as instructed, then go back and fill in the neckline with ribbing (see the Finishing a V-neck with Ribbing video).
Or you can fill in the neckline faster. As you mark the increases on your worksheet, count how many increases are called for on each Front, we’ll say it’s 12 inc’s on each Front. Rather than do them every 4th row X times, then every RS row X times, you can do all 12 inc’s every RS row. Your V neckline would be filled in after row 24. Hope that helps!

I’m beginning the Emma sweater Version A. I have filled out the worksheet. Where do I make the adjustment so that the V front doesn’t come down so low. I woild like to raise it about 1-2 inches about the pattern directions.
Thank you.

Hi Sharon, This is Lizzie. It is included in the book Cocoknits Sweater Workshop, available here on the website or at your LYS.

What is the pattern for the sweater featured in the photo on the “How to Customize your Cocoknits Sweater”? Is it available for purchase?