Berroco Culet PDF

Berroco Culet – Knitted Lace Yoke Pullover by Amy Christoffers

The Berroco Culet is a beautifully constructed pullover sweater designed by Amy Christoffers and published by Berroco. Available as a downloadable PDF, this intermediate-level knitting pattern produces a seamless, top-down sweater featuring a delicate lace yoke and a clean, wearable silhouette. With nine sizes ranging from a 35" to 69¾" finished bust, the Culet is designed with approximately 0–4 inches of positive ease, making it a relaxed yet refined fit for a wide range of body types.

What Is Being Made

The Culet is a pullover sweater worked in one piece from the neck down. The yoke is shaped using short rows, creating a smooth, contoured fit across the back and shoulders without the need for seaming. Once the yoke is complete, the body and sleeves are separated and worked independently in the round. The finished garment features a lace-patterned yoke that transitions into a stockinette body, giving it an elegant yet understated aesthetic. The sample shown is knitted in size 35" / 89 cm.

Finished lengths range from approximately 21 to 23½ inches down the center back, depending on size, making this a versatile mid-length pullover suitable for layering or wearing on its own.

Construction Techniques

• Top-down construction: The sweater begins at the neckline and is worked downward, allowing knitters to try on the piece as they go and adjust fit before committing to the full length.
• Short row yoke shaping: The yoke is shaped using wrap and turn (w&t) short rows, a technique that adds extra fabric at the back neck for a more comfortable, anatomically correct fit. Wraps are picked up and worked together with their stitches on subsequent rows to eliminate gaps.
• Worked in the round: The body and sleeves are knitted in the round using circular needles, eliminating side seams for a smooth finish.
• Worked flat: Portions of the yoke construction are worked flat, back and forth in rows, before joining to work in the round — a hallmark of top-down seamless construction.
• Lace patterning: The yoke features lace detailing, adding visual interest and a light, airy texture to the upper portion of the sweater. Lace knitting typically involves a combination of yarn overs and decreases to create decorative openwork motifs.

Stitches Used

• Stockinette stitch (St st): The primary stitch used for the body and sleeves, creating a smooth, classic fabric. Gauge is measured in stockinette: 22 stitches and 30 rounds = 4 inches on larger needles after blocking.
• Lace stitches: Used throughout the yoke section, incorporating yarn overs and paired decreases to form the openwork pattern.
• Wrap and turn (w&t): A short-row technique used during yoke shaping to create smooth curves without visible holes or steps in the fabric.
• Ribbing or edging stitches: Smaller needles are used at the cast-on edge, suggesting a neckline edging or ribbed border for a neat, finished look.

Materials – Yarn

The pattern calls for Berroco Spree, a DK weight yarn sold in 50-gram balls. The sample is knitted in colorway #9452 Meadow. Depending on size, the pattern requires between 6 and 12 balls. Berroco Spree is a yarn well-suited to lace and fine stitch definition, making it an ideal choice for the delicate openwork yoke of the Culet. As with all Berroco patterns, knitters are encouraged to use the specified yarn to achieve accurate results, though substitutions in a comparable DK weight with similar stitch definition and drape may be considered.

A Note on Gauge and Blocking

The stated gauge of 22 stitches and 30 rounds to 4 inches in stockinette