Story Behind the Design of Costa Maya—4 Reasons Why I’m Relaunching the Pattern
If you haven’t seen Costa Maya, it’s one of my most popular designs—a flattering cardigan that features lovely lace detailing in the back. It is definitely one of my favorite patterns. I first launched it in 2018, but since it’s been a while (and I love wearing it so much), I just couldn’t shake the idea of updating it. There are so many potential ways we can have more fun with Costa Maya!
To answer those of you who’ve already purchased the Costa Maya video sweater class, I want to deep dive into the reasons I’m relaunching it on my education website:
With sweater modifications, knitting how-to’s, and hours of videos, you’ll be able to make your dream sweater. You’ll learn how to change up the size, the length, the neck depth, the sleeves—you name it. And this piece has some of my favorite shaping EVER. The math of it nearly broke my brain, but it’s super fun to knit. The front of Costa Maya has a very unique shape, unlike any short row shaping you’ve ever done; it’s my kind of unvented short row shaping.
It features two new yarns for different seasons. Because the original yarn was discontinued, I went searching for some gorgeous replacements. I re-knit the sweater in two yarns—a cotton version for spring/summer and a wool version for fall/winter.
I’ve always wanted to have a vanilla version in wool, so I also made a tapered sleeve wool version for myself, without the lace on the back, just plain vanilla. The class includes tips for making a fall/winter version by eliminating the lace and tapering the sleeve.
Everyone’s body has a different shape and size. To fit and flatter all kinds of frames, the pattern has now been fully rewritten and regraded to TEN sizes (from 32″/81.5 cm – 62″/157.5 cm). No matter how you like your Costa Maya to fit, you can make your perfect piece!
Streaming class (no ads!) on my fully interactive education site. You’ll take the Costa Maya class with me on my education website. Launched in 2021, the site is fully interactive, and you’ll find all your tools, pattern PDF, videos, text tutorials, and community groups in the same place. No ads!
All content can be both streamed (to save room on your device) AND downloaded (to view offline). Don’t forget to check out the discussion threads for each part of the class so you can ask questions—plus a community group to chat, share pictures, cheer each other on, and enter for prize drawings.
Last but not least! This Costa Maya knit-along (KAL) sweater class is now 15% off until we cast on on February 26th! (Click HERE to join!) The discount will be automatically applied, no coupon needed. The first set of video lessons on fit and gauge are already live, so you’ll get them as soon as you sign up.
Wondering what size Costa Maya sweater you should knit? Read my previous blog post, “The Many Shapes of Costa Maya,” in which I showcase the versatility of the pattern. It will hopefully illuminate the possibilities.
Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed this article! Drop me a comment and let me know if I’ll see you in class!
