Julie Weisenberger grew up in Austria with an early passion for knitting design. She studied there and learned to knit at a shop in her town. When she came back to the US she wanted to develop designs of her own.
As her business grew she sold designs to major retailers including Nordstrom, before building Cocoknits into a brand of its own.
Why independent designers matter
The knitting world has changed enormously over the last two decades, and independent designers are most of the reason.
Before, patterns came from yarn companies and magazines. Both had house styles, both were conservative, and both were slow.
A designer can now write a pattern, have it tested, and sell it directly. The result is far more variety, far more experimentation, and construction methods that a yarn company would never have risked.
What distinguishes a good designer
Not the photographs, though those matter for selling.
Construction. The best designers solve problems – a sweater that fits real shoulders, a seamless method that avoids a bulky join, a shaping approach that is easier than the standard one.
Grading. A pattern that works across a genuine size range takes real work. Many patterns are designed at one size and scaled arithmetically, which produces garments that fit badly at the extremes.
Clarity. Tested instructions, stated gauge, honest yardage, and support if you get stuck.
A recognisable point of view. You can tell a Cocoknits pattern from across a room, and that consistency is what builds a following.
What you get from buying a pattern
A free pattern can be excellent. What you tend to pay for is more sizes, tested instructions, and someone to answer a question.
On a garment in expensive yarn taking many weeks, that is usually worth the price of a single ball.
Following designers
If you find a designer whose garments fit you well, look at everything else they have made. Fit is largely a matter of how a designer shapes shoulders and armholes, and that tends to be consistent across their work.
It is a far more reliable route to garments that fit than choosing patterns one at a time on appearance.
