Knitting Sweaters from the Top Down: Fabulous Seamless Patterns to Suit Your Style

by Cathy Carron

Sweaters are the ultimate showcase for knitters—but most patterns require tricky and complicated piecing. These don’t…and they look fantastic, too! The seamless, top-down knitting method eliminates challenging construction, allowing knitters to focus on the individual details that make each sweater special. Not only does this guide thoroughly explain how the technique works, but it also teaches beginners how to design their own generic patterns for pullovers and cardigans in different yarn gauges. All the sweaters are organized by yarn weight, and the projects include an elegant rolled-collar pullover, dramatic capelet, and Asian-inspired top.

 

Genres: Knitting, Nonfiction, Crafts

128 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2007

Reviews

[Ligaya · Rating 2 out of 5]

I almost exclusively knit top down and I'm very familiar with the concept so I was looking through this book for more ideas. Unfortunately, this book is almost 15 years old but strangely, the garments look even older than that! Many are lumpy and baggy. I loved the Elements of the Sweater section, very useful! This is a good start for those new to top down knitting, but there are more modern alternatives out there now.

[Mckinley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Basic shapes

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cherry Blossom

Some of the math instructions seem to be funky - “difference” but she adds.

[Kristina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dated.

[Jessica · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ew. Even the models look grouchy -- they know they are being forced to wear the most fugly sweaters ever knitted. It could be that the patterns are well-written, but I wouldn't know because I couldn't get past the hideousness. Bad 80s sweaters, but I think the book was published semi-recently.

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good resource for reading and understanding top-down patterns. Chapter on designing your own sweater with top down math and how to determine yardage. Includes 40 sweater projects for bulky, chunky, heavy worsted, and dk weight yarn.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

An inspirational book for a novice knitter like me who wants to avoid sewing a lot of pieces together at the end of a project. I have already tackled two of the sweaters and they are fairly simple.

[Jaq · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting concept....

[Linda · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very clunky projects, wouldn't make or wear any of them.

[Sue Klasing · Rating 3 out of 5]

A few patterns I may try, mostly with bulky yarn so they should go quickly.