Cardigan & Waistcoat in King Cole Drifter Chunky - 4850 - Downloadable PDF

Pattern Summary: Cardigan & Waistcoat in King Cole Drifter Chunky (Pattern 4850)

This King Cole pattern 4850 is a downloadable PDF knitting pattern offering two classic knitwear designs in one leaflet: a chunky-weight cardigan and a chunky-weight waistcoat. Both garments are sized to fit a wide range of bust/chest measurements, from 71/76 cm (28/30 in) up to 112/117 cm (44/46 in), making the pattern suitable for a broad range of knitters. The difficulty level is rated as intermediate, meaning it is best suited to knitters who are comfortable with shaping techniques such as increasing, decreasing, and working armhole and neckline shaping, but who may not yet have tackled highly complex construction methods.

Both designs are worked in King Cole Drifter Chunky yarn, a distinctive chunky-weight yarn known for its softly variegated, tonal colour effects that give finished garments a rich, textured appearance without the need for complex stitch patterning. The self-striping and blended nature of Drifter Chunky means the yarn itself does much of the decorative work, making these patterns an excellent choice for knitters who want a visually interesting result with straightforward construction.

King Cole donates to the Pink Ribbon Foundation with every pattern purchase.

Design One: The Cardigan

The cardigan is a classic, structured design featuring set-in sleeves and a neat front opening. It is worked in separate pieces — left front, right front, back, and sleeves — which are then seamed together. The construction follows a traditional approach familiar to intermediate knitters.

Techniques Used

• Armhole shaping — stitches are cast off at the beginning of rows and then further decreased to create a clean, fitted armhole curve
• Sleeve top shaping — the sleeve cap is shaped by casting off stitches at the beginning of rows and working decreases to fit the set-in armhole
• Neck shaping — stitches are decreased at the neck edge on the first and then every following fourth row to create a gradual, shaped neckline
• Sleeve increases — stitches are increased at each end of the fifth row and then every following 14th, 11th, 9th, 11th, or 9th row (depending on size) to shape the sleeve from cuff to underarm
• Stitch holder usage — a portion of the front band rib stitches are slipped onto a stitch holder partway through the front pieces, a technique used to create the button band or front border
• Tension/gauge matching — the pattern strongly emphasises working to the stated tension, with clear guidance to switch to finer or larger needles if the stitch and row count does not match

Stitches Used

• Stocking Stitch (St-St) — the main fabric stitch, worked by knitting on right-side rows and purling on wrong-side rows; this forms the smooth, classic body of both garments
• 2x2 Rib — worked as K2, P2 repeated across the row, with the return row worked as P2, K2 repeated; used for the welts, cuffs, and front bands to create a stretchy, neat border
• Garter Stitch (G-st) — every row knitted; referenced in the pattern's special abbreviations, likely used for specific border or trim details

Key Shaping Details

• Left front begins with 42, 46, 50, 54, or 58 stitches cast on using 5mm needles, working 11 rows of 2x2 rib before transitioning to the main body
• Armhole shaping involves casting off 4, 4, 4, 6, or 6 stitches depending on size, followed by paired decreases using s1, K1, psso and K2tog to reduce the stitch count neatly
• Sleeves are worked over 43, 46, 46, 47, or 48 cm before sleeve top shaping begins