Cardigans in King Cole Bamboo Cotton - 4321 - Downloadable PDF

Cardigans in King Cole Bamboo Cotton 4321 – Knitting Pattern Summary

This downloadable PDF knitting pattern from King Cole (Leaflet 4321) provides instructions for knitting children's cardigans in King Cole Bamboo Cotton DK yarn. The pattern is rated as intermediate in difficulty and covers a range of sizes to fit chest measurements from 51 cm to 71 cm (20 in to 28 in), making it suitable for younger children through to older kids. Purchasing this pattern also contributes a donation to the Pink Ribbon Foundation, a charitable cause supported by King Cole across their pattern range.

What Is Being Made

The pattern produces children's cardigans featuring a combination of textured stitch patterns and cable detailing. The design is classic yet tactile, blending structured cable panels with an all-over textured ground stitch to create a garment with visual interest and a neat, fitted finish. The cardigans are designed to be practical everyday knitwear for children, worked in a yarn blend that offers comfort and breathability.

Yarn and Materials

The specified yarn is King Cole Bamboo Cotton DK, a double knit weight yarn that blends the natural softness of bamboo with the durability and washability of cotton. This combination makes it an excellent choice for children's garments, as it is gentle against sensitive skin, lightweight, and easy to care for. The yarn's smooth texture also helps stitch definition show clearly, which is particularly beneficial for the cable and textured stitch elements featured in this design.

• Yarn: King Cole Bamboo Cotton DK
• Weight: Double Knit (DK)
• Needles: 4 mm needles are specified for the main body fabric; a cable needle (CN) is also required for working the cable panel

Tension

Achieving the correct tension is emphasised as essential in this pattern. The stated tension is 22 stitches and 31 rows to 10 cm (4 in) over Irish moss stitch on 4 mm needles. The Cable Panel, which spans 26 stitches, measures 8.5 cm (3¼ in) in width. Knitters are advised to adjust needle size accordingly — using thinner needles if fewer stitches are produced per 10 cm, or thicker needles if more stitches result — to ensure the finished garment matches the intended measurements.

Stitches and Techniques Used

This pattern employs a combination of classic knitting stitches and techniques that place it firmly in the intermediate skill category. Knitters should be comfortable with basic knit and purl stitches before attempting this pattern, and should have some prior experience with cables and textured stitch patterns.

• Irish Moss Stitch: The main body fabric is worked in Irish moss stitch, a reversible textured stitch pattern created by alternating knit and purl stitches in a specific sequence across rows. It produces a dense, slightly raised fabric with a pleasing, tactile surface that differs from standard stocking stitch or seed stitch. Irish moss stitch is known for lying flat without curling, making it ideal for cardigan fronts and body panels.
• Cable Panel: A 26-stitch cable panel is incorporated into the design. Cables are created by temporarily placing stitches onto a cable needle, working subsequent stitches from the left needle, and then knitting the held stitches. This crossing technique produces the characteristic twisted rope or plait effect associated with traditional cable knitting. The cable panel adds a focal decorative element to the cardigan.
• Knit (k) and Purl (p): Fundamental stitches used throughout, forming the basis of both the Irish moss stitch pattern and the cable panel construction.
• Decreasing (dec): Shaping techniques are used to form the garment's armholes, neckline, and other fitted areas, worked by decreasing stitches at specified points.
• Right Side (RS) and Wrong Side (WS) Working: The pattern distinguishes between right side and wrong side rows, which is important for maintaining the correct orientation of both the Irish moss stitch and the cable panel throughout construction.
• Alternating Rows (alt): Certain shaping or pattern instructions are worked on alternate rows, a common technique