Jacket, Sweater & Scarf in King Cole Drifter DK - 4546 - Downloadable PDF

King Cole Drifter DK Pattern 4546 – Jacket, Sweater & Scarf Knitting Pattern Summary

This King Cole pattern 4546 is a downloadable PDF knitting pattern offering three separate designs in one publication: a raglan sleeve jacket, a sweater, and a scarf. All three pieces are knitted in King Cole Drifter DK yarn, making this a versatile pattern set ideal for building a coordinated handknitted wardrobe. The pattern is rated as intermediate difficulty, making it well suited to knitters who are comfortable with basic shaping techniques and are ready to tackle more structured garment construction.

Designs Included in Pattern 4546

Raglan Sleeve Jacket

The jacket is the most structured of the three designs and features a classic raglan sleeve construction. Raglan sleeves are worked so that the sleeve and body are shaped simultaneously through a series of decreases, creating a diagonal seam line that runs from the underarm to the neckline. This style is known for its comfortable, relaxed fit and is a popular choice in handknitting because the shaping is straightforward to follow once the technique is understood.

The jacket is designed to fit a range of chest sizes, specifically 86 to 112 cm (34 to 44 inches), making it suitable for a broad range of adult wearers. The garment is worked in stocking stitch as its primary fabric, which produces a smooth knitted surface on the right side and a purl texture on the reverse.

• Tension: 22 stitches and 28 rows to 10 cm (4 inches) over stocking stitch on 4mm needles
• Construction: Raglan sleeve shaping with standard garment pieces
• Primary stitch: Stocking stitch (right side knit, wrong side purl)

Sweater

The sweater is a companion design to the jacket and is also sized to fit chest measurements of 86 to 112 cm (34 to 44 inches). It is worked using a stitch pattern that differs from plain stocking stitch, requiring a slightly different tension swatch. This textured or patterned fabric gives the sweater a distinct look from the jacket despite using the same King Cole Drifter DK yarn.

• Tension: 20 stitches and 30 rows to 10 cm (4 inches) over pattern on 4.5mm needles
• Needle size: 4.5mm, slightly larger than the jacket to accommodate the stitch pattern tension
• Stitch pattern: A specific repeating pattern stitch as detailed in the PDF instructions

Scarf

The scarf is the most accessible of the three designs and provides a straightforward knitted accessory that coordinates beautifully with either the jacket or the sweater. Worked in King Cole Drifter DK, the scarf takes full advantage of the yarn's characteristic tonal or drifting colour effect, allowing the colour to do much of the decorative work. It is an excellent project for practising tension and stitch consistency before moving on to the garment pieces.

Techniques Used

This pattern draws on a range of standard and intermediate knitting techniques. Knitters working through all three designs will use or encounter the following methods:

• Raglan sleeve shaping – paired decreases worked at set intervals to shape the armhole and sleeve head simultaneously
• Increasing and decreasing – using standard inc (increase) and dec (decrease) methods to shape garment pieces
• Stocking stitch – the foundational knit fabric, worked with knit rows on the right side and purl rows on the wrong side
• Pattern stitch – a repeating stitch sequence used in the sweater, worked over a defined number of stitches and rows
• Slip stitch techniques – including psso (pass slipped stitch over) for neat, directional decreasing
• Working through back of stitches (tbs) – used to create twisted stitches where specified