Boleros in King Cole DK - 4547 - Downloadable PDF

Boleros in King Cole DK & 4Ply – Pattern 4547: Knitted Children's Boleros with Raglan Sleeves

Pattern 4547 from King Cole is a downloadable PDF knitting pattern designed for children aged 2 to 8 years, covering chest sizes from 53.5 cm to 66 cm (21 to 26 inches). The pattern presents boleros — short, open-fronted jackets that sit above the waist — worked in either DK weight or 4ply weight yarn, giving knitters the flexibility to choose a yarn weight that suits their preferred drape, stitch definition, and finished fabric weight. This is rated as an intermediate level knitting project, making it well suited to knitters who are comfortable with basic shaping techniques and ready to develop their skills further.

Garment Design Overview

The pattern features children's boleros with raglan sleeves. A bolero is a classic, versatile garment that works beautifully as a layering piece over dresses, tops, or shirts, making it a practical and stylish addition to a child's wardrobe. The raglan sleeve construction is a defining feature of this design — raglan sleeves run diagonally from the underarm to the neckline, eliminating a traditional shoulder seam and creating a smooth, comfortable fit that is especially practical for children's knitwear. This construction method also produces a neat, stretchy armhole that allows for ease of movement.

Techniques Used

• Raglan sleeve shaping — the signature construction technique of this pattern, where sleeves are joined to the body and decreased simultaneously to form the yoke
• Increasing and decreasing — used throughout the raglan shaping to achieve the correct silhouette
• Slipping stitches — referenced in the abbreviations, typically used in decorative or shaping details
• Pass slipped stitch over (psso) — a decrease technique used in shaping, creating a neat left-leaning decrease
• Tension square knitting — the pattern emphasises the importance of working a tension swatch before beginning, an essential technique for achieving the correct finished size
• Stocking stitch (st-st) — the primary stitch fabric of the garment, worked with knit stitches on the right side and purl stitches on the wrong side

Stitches Used

• Stocking stitch (st-st) — the main fabric stitch, producing a smooth knit surface on the right side and a ridged purl texture on the wrong side
• Knit (K) — fundamental stitch used throughout
• Purl (P) — used on wrong-side rows in stocking stitch and potentially in any edging or border details
• Slip stitch (sl) — used in shaping sequences
• Pass slipped stitch over (psso) — a decrease stitch worked in combination with slip stitch

Materials – Yarn, Needles, and Tension

The pattern is designed to be knitted in King Cole DK or King Cole 4ply yarn, giving knitters two distinct options for the finished fabric weight and appearance. DK (double knitting) weight yarn is one of the most popular yarn weights for children's garments, offering a good balance of stitch clarity and knitting speed. 4ply yarn produces a finer, lighter fabric with greater stitch definition, ideal for a more delicate finished look.

• DK version: worked on 4mm knitting needles, with a tension of 22 stitches and 28 rows to 10 cm (4 inches) over stocking stitch
• 4ply version: worked on 3.25mm knitting needles, with a tension of 28 stitches and 36 rows to 10 cm (4 inches) over stocking stitch

The pattern strongly advises knitters to check their tension carefully before beginning by knitting a tension square. If fewer stitches or rows than stated are achieved