Knitting the Perfect Pockets

It has pockets!!! Whether they're used for storing snacks or keeping your hands warm, pockets sure come in handy. Most of the pockets you'll find in our patterns are seamless, or nearly seamless, and knit as you go. Our patterns also feature a handful of different styles of pockets, so it's a new adventure almost every time you knit one. Although your pattern will provide all the direction you need, we still have a few tips to ensure that your pockets are perfect. 

All The Things...

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Tips

-If you want your pockets to be a little more relaxed and less bulky, try going up a needle size while knitting the inside of the pockets. 

-When knitting with interchangeable needles (Julie's favorites are Addi Clicks), you can use the smallest Stitch Stoppers to hold body stitches on the longer cord with the needle tips off. Then you can pop the tips on a shorter cord to knit the pockets. This way you won't need to transfer all those stitches to put them on hold, making the whole setup way less fussy.

-Everybody likes their pockets at a different height - Julie likes a higher pocket so you can expect that from the patterns. Take a moment to note where the pockets are created in your pattern. If you want to knit them lower or higher, simply knit more or less length on the body before you start your pockets. 

-If you have a tighter-than-called-for gauge (or just want wider pockets) you can add a few extra stitches to your pockets to get the desired width. As long as it's stockinette or garter, this should be as easy as knitting more stitches across.  

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Switch it Up!

As mentioned before, we love pockets! They're included in most of our cardigan patterns (and some of our pullovers) and each features its own unique style. If you have eyes for another pocket, it can be fun to switch it up and customize your pattern! For example, let's say you're knitting the Zoe (pictured, worn by Julie) but would like fabric-lined pockets like Emma Version C - we welcome that! It will of course require a little bit of planning on your part...first figure out the finished dimensions of the pocket you'd like, then determine the sts/rows you'll need in your current gauge to match - from there it should be pretty simple to adapt the directions. 

Maybe your pattern doesn't have pockets and you want one? The more the merrier is what we say! In the nearest picture you can see Julie's Emma Version A KAL project (worn by her daughter). For this one she added one Franca pocket to her finished sweater. 

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Resources

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Next Steps

Once finished with the information above, you can continue moving forward with content guiding you through a Cocoknits Method sweater on our EVERLASTING KAL PAGE. If you're signed up for our emails, you'll receive a new email in two weeks all about Finishing & Blocking. 

If you don't know about it, our Everlasting KAL is our knit-a-long that's going on well...forever! You can join by yourself, with friends, or with an LYS. Best part? You get to pick what sweater to knit. Learn more by visiting the EVERLASTING KAL PAGE

Comments

Anonymous

Hi Cathy,

To make your sweater (or pocket) longer, you just keep knitting until you like the length (you can put the stitches on a holder or yarn to check).

Julie used the instructions in her Franca pattern to add the pocket to the Emma A in the picture. The “6 Patterns with Pockets” article shows a variety of pockets. If you don’t want to purchase the Franca pattern, you may find that searching the internet for how to knit “kangaroo” or “pouch-style” pockets will get you what you need. Good luck and enjoy!


Cathy

I have the Sweater Workshop book and would like to make the Emma sweater shown here with a pocket. I do t really know how to do that modification, or how to make it longer. Can you help?


Anonymous

Hi Anna, Thank you for your interest! We are working to translate patterns. Please check back later.


Anna

Mi piacerebbe molto fare una vostra mglia, ma con il pattern in italiano.


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