Tops Knitted in King Cole Summer 4Ply - 5664 - Downloadable PDF

Tops Knitted in King Cole Summer 4Ply – Pattern 5664

Pattern 5664 from King Cole is a downloadable PDF knitting pattern featuring tops knitted in King Cole Summer 4Ply yarn. Designed for intermediate knitters, this pattern covers a generous size range of 76/81 cm to 117/122 cm (30/32 in to 46/48 in), making it accessible to a wide range of body sizes. The pattern includes at least one clearly detailed design — a Round Neck Top — with fully written instructions for shaping the front, back, and neckline.

For every King Cole pattern purchased, a donation is made to the Pink Ribbon Foundation, so buying this pattern also supports a charitable cause.

Design Overview

Round Neck Top

The Round Neck Top is a classic, wearable summer garment worked in lightweight 4ply yarn. It features a neat round neckline and is constructed in separate pieces — at minimum a front and back — which are then seamed together. The shaping is achieved through a combination of cast-off rows and paired decrease stitches, giving the garment a clean, tailored silhouette. The front begins with a ribbed lower edge worked on finer needles before transitioning to the main body fabric on larger needles, a standard technique that ensures the hem sits neatly without flaring or rolling.

The construction follows a traditional bottom-up approach. Stitches are cast on and the piece is worked upward through the body, with armhole and neckline shaping introduced at the appropriate points. Decreases are worked a few stitches in from the edge — for example, using K2tog and s1, K1, psso — which creates a smooth, mirrored decrease line that is both tidy on the right side and easy to seam. Shoulder shaping is worked via cast-off rows on alternating sides, a method commonly used to create a gentle slope across the shoulder seam.

Techniques Used

• Bottom-up flat knitting — pieces are worked flat and seamed
• Ribbed edging — worked on smaller needles to create a firm, elastic border
• Stocking stitch body — the main fabric of the garment
• Moss stitch — referenced in the pattern's special abbreviations, likely used as a textural detail
• Paired decreases — K2tog (right-leaning) and s1, K1, psso (left-leaning) for symmetrical shaping
• Cast-off shaping — used at armholes and shoulders to create structured edges
• Tension square — strongly recommended before beginning, as the pattern emphasises the importance of achieving the correct tension

Stitches Used

• 1x1 Rib — alternating knit and purl stitches across the row, repeated to form an elastic ribbed fabric; used for welts and edgings
• Stocking Stitch (St-St) — knit on right side rows, purl on wrong side rows; forms the smooth main fabric of the top
• Moss Stitch — a textured stitch created by alternating knit and purl stitches and offsetting them on each row, producing a firm, non-curling fabric
• Knit (K) and Purl (P) — the two fundamental stitches from which all pattern elements are built
• Slip stitch decrease (s1, K1, psso) — a left-leaning decrease used in shaping
• K2tog — a right-leaning decrease used in shaping
• P2tog — a purl-side decrease used during neckline and armhole shaping on wrong side rows

Materials

• Yarn: King Cole Summer 4Ply — a lightweight 4ply yarn suited to warm-weather garments, providing good stitch definition and a comfortable drape
• Main needles: 3.25mm knitting needles —