Puff sleeves

Name: O – The Skirt - The Statement Skirt
Brand: Cosymonday
Price: 130.0 NOK
Availability: InStock

Puff sleeves are the detail that turns up in most of my patterns — seventy of them. Here's how the volume is made, and why gauge matters more here than anywhere else.

How the puff sleeve is shaped

The volume comes from the sleeve having more stitches than the shoulder is meant to take. The width is gathered either up towards the raglan or down towards the cuff, and that's where the puff happens.

Where the width is gathered decides the look. Gathered at the top, the silhouette is dramatic and broad across the shoulder. Gathered at the bottom, it's softer and more romantic.

Why gauge matters extra here

A puff sleeve magnifies mistakes. Knit half a stitch too loosely per ten centimetres and you'll barely notice it on the body — but on a sleeve with extra width the difference is multiplied, and the puff ends up heavier and limper than it should be.

Knit a gauge swatch. This is the one place I really mean it.

Needles and gauge

In 61 of the 70 patterns the main needle is 7 mm, and the gauge 12 stitches to 10 cm. Cuffs and ribbing often go down to 5 or 6 mm — it's the tighter edge that holds the volume above it.

If you want to swap the yarn, it's the gauge that decides, not the brand.

Blocking

Block the garment lightly after washing to bring out the airy structure. The combination of mohair and alpaca gives extra volume and an even, luxurious look that only gets more beautiful with wear.

Finishing the sleeve

The transition from puff sleeve to cuff is what separates a neat sleeve from a sloppy one. I've made a video about exactly that.

Puff sleeves are often combined with half brioche, which gives the sleeve volume on its own. Twenty-nine of the patterns below also have an eyelet pattern.