Perham Sweater in Berroco Coco - Downloadable PDF

Perham Sweater by Margaux Hufnagel in Berroco Coco – Pattern Summary

The Perham Sweater is a cozy, relaxed-fit pullover designed by Margaux Hufnagel and knitted in Berroco Coco, a super chunky weight yarn. This pattern is rated Easy and is an excellent project for knitters who are comfortable working both in the round and flat, making it a satisfying and relatively quick knit thanks to the large gauge and chunky yarn. The design features a classic, wearable silhouette with a rich textural surface created entirely through a repeating Basketweave Pattern.

What Is Being Made

The Perham is a seamless pullover sweater worked primarily in the round from the bottom up. It is available in a wide range of sizes, with a finished bust measurement spanning from 39 inches up to 67½ inches, accommodating a broad range of body types. The pattern recommends 2–4 inches of positive ease, giving the finished garment a comfortable, relaxed fit. The sample shown in the pattern photography is knitted in size 42½ inches. Finished lengths range from approximately 22 to 25½ inches depending on the size chosen.

Construction and Techniques

The Perham Sweater uses a bottom-up, seamless construction method, which is a popular approach among knitters who prefer to avoid sewing seams at the end of a project. Key construction details include:

• Bottom-up construction: The body is cast on and worked upward from the hem toward the underarms.
• Worked in the round: The body is knitted in the round on circular needles up to the underarm, creating a tube with no side seams.
• Divided at the underarms: At the underarm point, the work is divided so that the back and front are worked separately in flat rows, allowing for armhole and neckline shaping.
• Sleeves picked up and worked downward: Rather than knitting the sleeves separately and seaming them in, the sleeves are picked up from the armhole opening and worked downward toward the cuff. This technique keeps the project largely seamless and is a hallmark of modern, streamlined sweater construction.

Stitch Patterns Used

The primary stitch pattern throughout the Perham Sweater is the Basketweave Pattern, which is worked over a multiple of 8 stitches. This classic knit-purl combination creates a visually engaging, grid-like texture that adds depth and interest to the fabric without requiring complex techniques. The pattern is defined in two versions to accommodate the construction method:

Basketweave Pattern in the Round

• Rounds 1–4: Alternate knit 4, purl 4 around.
• Rounds 5–8: Alternate purl 4, knit 4 around, shifting the blocks to create the woven effect.
• These 8 rounds are repeated throughout the body of the sweater.

Basketweave Pattern in Rows

• When working flat for the back, front, and sleeves, the Basketweave Pattern is adapted for right-side and wrong-side rows, maintaining the same visual result as the in-the-round version.
• Right-side and wrong-side rows are carefully mirrored so the blocks of knit and purl stitches align correctly across the fabric.

The Basketweave Pattern is a beginner-friendly textured stitch that relies only on knit and purl stitches, making it accessible even for those newer to textured knitting. Despite its simplicity, it produces a fabric with excellent visual dimension and a satisfying, structured drape.

Yarn and Materials

The pattern calls for Berroco Coco, a super chunky weight yarn sold in 100-gram balls. The colorway used in the sample is #4932 Villa. Depending on the size being knitted, the pattern requires between 8 and 16 balls of Berroco Coco, with larger sizes naturally requiring more yardage. The gauge for this pattern is 9 stitches and 16 rows over