Cosette Top in Berroco Pima 100 - 385-2 - Downloadable PDF

Cosette Top in Berroco Pima 100 – Pattern Summary

The Cosette Top is an elegant, wearable knitting pattern designed by Amy Christoffers and published by Berroco as part of Booklet #385. Worked in the luxurious Berroco Pima 100 yarn, this intermediate-level knitted top is a sophisticated project for knitters ready to move beyond basic construction methods. The pattern is available as a downloadable PDF, making it immediately accessible for knitters eager to cast on.

What Is Being Made

The Cosette Top is a pullover-style knitted top designed for a range of sizes, with finished bust measurements spanning 36, 40, 44, 48, 52, 56, and 60 inches. The sample shown in the pattern is knitted in size 40". Finished lengths range from 22 to 24 inches depending on the size chosen, making this a flattering, versatile garment suitable for a variety of body types. The colorway shown is #8431 Chrysanthemum, a warm and inviting shade from the Berroco Pima 100 palette.

Construction Technique

One of the most distinctive and interesting aspects of the Cosette Top is its side-to-side construction. Rather than being worked from the bottom hem upward in the traditional manner, this garment is knitted in one piece, beginning at the right sleeve cuff and ending at the left sleeve cuff. This method of construction creates a seamless, flowing fabric and is a hallmark of thoughtful, architectural knitwear design.

The side-to-side approach means knitters will experience the garment growing horizontally across the body rather than vertically. Sleeves are shaped first, body stitches are cast on to create the width of the front and back panels, and the piece is then mirrored as work progresses toward the left sleeve. This technique requires careful attention to row counts and stitch placement, which contributes to the intermediate difficulty rating.

A key construction detail involves placing stitches on waste yarn to hold them while other sections are worked — a technique commonly used in one-piece garment construction to allow knitters to work different sections independently before rejoining. Specifically, back stitches are slipped to waste yarn while the front body is worked, and yarn is rejoined to complete the back section separately.

Stitches Used

• Stockinette Stitch (St st): The primary stitch pattern used throughout the body and sleeves of the Cosette Top. Stockinette is formed by alternating knit rows on the right side and purl rows on the wrong side, creating a smooth, classic fabric surface.
• Seed Stitch / 1x1 Rib: The sleeve cuffs are worked in a 1x1 ribbing pattern, alternating knit and purl stitches across each row. This elastic ribbing provides a neat, fitted finish at the cuffs and is worked on the smaller needle size for approximately 1 inch before transitioning to the main body fabric.
• M1R and M1L (Make 1 Right and Make 1 Left): These directional increase stitches are used during sleeve shaping to add stitches symmetrically on either side of the sleeve. M1R creates a right-leaning increase, while M1L creates a left-leaning increase, resulting in a tidy, professional-looking sleeve taper. The Inc Row is repeated every right-side row during sleeve shaping to gradually widen the sleeve from cuff to underarm.

Yarn and Materials

The Cosette Top is knitted in Berroco Pima 100, a 4-ply weight yarn made from 100% Pima cotton. Pima cotton is prized for its exceptional softness, subtle sheen, and breathability, making it an ideal choice for a warm-weather or transitional-season top. Each hank weighs 100 grams, and the pattern calls for 4 to 7 hanks depending on the size being knitted — with smaller sizes requiring 4 hanks and the largest size requiring 7 hanks.

Needles and Notions