Sweater and Cardigan in King Cole DK - 4725 - Downloadable PDF

King Cole DK Sweater and Cardigan – Pattern 4725 Summary

This downloadable PDF knitting pattern (King Cole pattern number 4725) provides instructions for two classic garments: a pullover sweater and a cardigan, both knitted in King Cole DK weight yarn. The pattern is rated as intermediate difficulty, making it well suited to knitters who have moved beyond the basics and are comfortable working with stitch patterns, shaping, and garment construction. The designs are sized to fit chest measurements from 81 cm to 107 cm (32 in to 42 in), covering a broad range of adult sizes.

Garments Included

Pullover Sweater

The pullover is a knitted sweater worked in the round or in flat pieces and seamed, featuring a textured stitch pattern that gives the finished fabric visual interest beyond plain stocking stitch. Because the pattern specifies a separate tension for the stitch pattern section — 28 stitches and 28 rows to 10 cm (4 in) over pattern — the sweater incorporates a defined decorative or textured panel or all-over pattern stitch as a key design element. This makes achieving the correct tension particularly important before casting on.

Cardigan

The cardigan is the open-fronted companion piece to the sweater, sharing the same yarn, needle size, and size range. Like the sweater, it is worked in King Cole DK yarn on 4 mm needles. The cardigan likely features a button band or front opening, and the same textured stitch pattern is used to maintain a cohesive design aesthetic across both garments. Cardigans at this construction level typically include set-in or drop-shoulder shaping, neckband finishing, and picked-up or knitted-on front bands.

Techniques Used

Both garments are constructed using a range of standard and intermediate knitting techniques. Knitters working through this pattern will use:

• Flat knitting – working back and forth in rows to create garment pieces that are later seamed together
• Shaping – including increasing and decreasing to form armholes, necklines, and sleeve tapers
• Tension/gauge checking – the pattern strongly emphasises knitting a tension square before beginning, with two separate tension measurements given (one for stocking stitch, one for the stitch pattern)
• Seaming – joining front, back, and sleeve pieces using mattress stitch or a preferred seaming method
• Picking up stitches – typically used to work neckbands, collars, and cardigan front bands neatly after the main pieces are complete

Stitches Used

The pattern draws on a combination of foundational and textured knitting stitches, as listed in the abbreviations section of the PDF:

• Knit (K) and Purl (P) – the fundamental building blocks of all knitted fabric
• Stocking stitch (st-st) – knit on the right side, purl on the wrong side; used for areas such as sleeves or body sections, with a tension of 22 stitches and 28 rows to 10 cm
• Reversed stocking stitch (rev st-st) – purl on the right side, knit on the wrong side; creates a bumpy, textured surface often used as a contrast element within a pattern
• Garter stitch (gst) – every row knitted, producing a ridged, non-curling fabric frequently used for borders, hems, or cuffs
• Pattern stitch (patt) – a defined stitch repeat forming the main textured design of the garments, worked to a tension of 28 stitches and 28 rows to 10 cm
• Increases (inc) and Decreases (dec) – used throughout for shaping
• Pass slipped stitch over (psso) – a decrease technique that creates a left-leaning reduction, commonly used in decorative or structured shaping

Materials

Both the sweater and the cardigan are designed to be knitted in King Cole DK