Cardigans Knitted in King Cole Bamboo Cotton DK - 5722 - Downloadable PDF

Cardigans Knitted in King Cole Bamboo Cotton DK – Pattern 5722

Pattern 5722 by King Cole is a downloadable PDF knitting pattern featuring a collection of cardigans worked in King Cole Bamboo Cotton DK yarn. Designed for intermediate knitters, this pattern covers a generous size range of 81–127 cm (32–50 inches), making it accessible to a wide range of body sizes. As with all King Cole patterns, a donation is made to the Pink Ribbon Foundation with every purchase.

What Is Being Made

The pattern produces cardigans — classic, versatile layering garments with an open front. Cardigans are perennially popular knitwear pieces, suitable for year-round wear, and the choice of Bamboo Cotton DK yarn makes these designs particularly well suited to warmer seasons or for those who prefer natural, breathable fibres. The pattern includes multiple cardigan designs within the same booklet, offering variety in style while sharing the same yarn and tension requirements.

Yarn and Materials

• Yarn: King Cole Bamboo Cotton DK — a double knit weight yarn blending the natural softness of bamboo with the breathability and durability of cotton. This combination produces a yarn with a beautiful drape and a subtle sheen, ideal for lightweight cardigans.
• Knitting Needles: 4mm knitting needles are recommended, or the size required to achieve the correct tension. Knitters are advised to swatch carefully and adjust needle size accordingly — moving to a finer needle if too few stitches are achieved per 10 cm, or a larger needle if too many.

Tension

The stated tension is 22 stitches and 28 rows to 10 cm (4 inches) measured over stocking stitch using 4mm needles. Achieving the correct tension is described as essential in the pattern, and knitters are encouraged to work a tension swatch before beginning. This is particularly important with bamboo-cotton blends, which can behave differently from pure wool yarns.

Techniques Used

• Stocking stitch — the primary fabric stitch, formed by alternating knit rows on the right side and purl rows on the wrong side, creating a smooth, classic knitted fabric
• 1x1 Rib — used for borders, cuffs, and edgings, created by alternating single knit and purl stitches to produce a stretchy, neat finish
• Increasing and decreasing — used for shaping the body, armholes, sleeves, and neckline throughout the construction
• Slipping stitches — referenced via the abbreviation sl1 (slip one stitch knitways), used in specific shaping techniques
• Passing slipped stitches over (psso) — a decrease technique used to shape edges neatly
• Working through the back of the loop (tbl) — a technique used to create twisted stitches for a tighter, neater finish in certain areas
• Yarn forward (yfwd) — used to create yarn-over increases, often associated with decorative detailing or buttonhole construction

Stitches Used

• Knit (K) — the foundational knitting stitch
• Purl (P) — worked on wrong-side rows to create stocking stitch, and alternated with knit stitches in ribbing
• 1x1 Rib — alternating K1, P1 across the row for stretchy edgings and bands
• Stocking stitch — the main body fabric of the cardigans

Skill Level and Suitability

Rated as intermediate difficulty, these cardigan patterns are best suited to knitters who are comfortable with basic shaping techniques such as increasing, decreasing, and working garment pieces in the round or flat. Knitters should be familiar with reading standard knitting abbreviations and construct