Etta in Berroco Summer Sesame - Downloadable PDF

Etta Sweater in Berroco Summer Sesame – Knitting Pattern by Alison Green

Etta is a beautifully constructed top-down seamless sweater designed by Alison Green and published by Berroco. Worked in the lightweight and breathable Berroco Summer Sesame yarn, this design is an excellent choice for knitters looking to create a relaxed, wearable pullover with a refined finish. The pattern is available as a downloadable PDF and is rated Intermediate in skill level, making it a rewarding project for knitters who are comfortable with circular knitting, yoke shaping, and reading charts.

What Is Being Made

Etta is a seamless, circular-knit pullover sweater worked from the neck down. It features a yoke construction that is divided at the underarms to separate the body and sleeves — a technique that eliminates the need for seaming and allows for easy fit adjustments as the knitting progresses. The finished garment is designed with a 2–4 inches / 5–10 cm of positive ease, giving it a comfortable, slightly relaxed silhouette that suits a wide range of body types.

The pattern offers an impressive ten sizes, with finished bust measurements ranging from 32½ inches up to 68½ inches (approximately 82.5 cm to 174 cm), making Etta an inclusive and versatile design. The sample shown in the pattern photography is knitted in size 36½ inches / 93 cm. Finished lengths range from approximately 20½ to 24 inches depending on size, providing a flattering mid-torso length suitable for wearing tucked or untucked.

Construction Technique

Etta uses a top-down, in-the-round construction method, which is a popular and practical approach in modern knitwear design. Knitting begins at the neckline, where stitches are cast on and joined for working in the round. The beginning of the round is positioned at center back, an intentional placement that helps center any stitch pattern or chart work symmetrically across the garment.

The yoke is shaped using increases worked in conjunction with a chart, building out the fabric from the neck downward. As stitch counts grow during yoke shaping, knitters transition from a shorter 16-inch circular needle to a longer 32-inch circular needle to accommodate the increasing number of stitches comfortably — a standard technique when working top-down yoke sweaters in the round.

Once the yoke reaches the underarms, stitches are divided and held on waste yarn to separate the sleeve stitches from the body stitches. The body is then continued in the round down to the lower edge. This construction approach means the sweater is virtually seam-free, resulting in a smooth, polished finish with minimal finishing work required.

Stitches and Techniques Used

• Stockinette stitch (St st) in the round — the primary stitch used throughout the body, worked by knitting every round
• Purl rounds — used at the beginning of the yoke to create a subtle textural detail or turning ridge at the neckline, adding a refined edge finish
• Chart-based stitch pattern — the yoke features a charted design that guides the increase shaping and any decorative stitch work across the yoke section
• Circular knitting in the round — the entire garment is worked on circular needles, requiring comfort with joining rounds and managing stitch markers
• Stitch marker placement — five stitch markers are used to track sections of the yoke and body, a key organizational technique for top-down construction
• Holding stitches on waste yarn — used at the underarm division to separate sleeves from the body without binding off, preserving live stitches for later finishing
• Gauge-critical knitting — the pattern emphasizes the importance of achieving the correct gauge before beginning, as the fit across ten sizes depends on accurate tension

Yarn and Materials

Etta is specifically designed for Berroco Summer Sesame, a DK weight yarn sold in 100-gram balls. The sample is knitted in colorway #5237 Mint, a