Sweater & Cardigan in King Cole DK - 4373 - Downloadable PDF

King Cole DK Pattern 4373 – Roll Neck Sweater and Cardigan Knitting Patterns

Pattern leaflet King Cole 4373 is a downloadable PDF knitting pattern offering two classic knitwear designs for adults: a Roll Neck Sweater and a Cardigan, both worked in King Cole DK (double knitting weight) yarn. The pattern is rated as intermediate in difficulty, making it well suited to knitters who are comfortable with basic shaping and are ready to explore textured stitch patterns including cables. Sizes range from 81 cm to 117 cm (32 in to 46 in) chest, giving a broad fit range for a variety of body types.

A donation is made to the Pink Ribbon Foundation for every King Cole pattern purchased.

Roll Neck Sweater

What Is Being Made

The first design in this pattern is a Roll Neck Sweater — a close-fitting, textured pullover featuring a generous roll neckline. The garment is constructed in separate pieces (back, front, and sleeves) that are seamed together, a traditional construction method well suited to intermediate knitters looking to practise shaping and seaming skills.

Techniques Used

• Back neck shaping — stitches are cast off at the centre back neck and each shoulder section is worked separately to create a neat neckline finish.
• Tension/gauge checking — the pattern strongly emphasises working a tension square before beginning, as achieving the stated tension is essential for correct sizing.
• Increasing and decreasing — used throughout for sleeve shaping and armhole shaping.
• Cable knitting — multiple cable techniques are employed to create the textured pattern panels that define the aesthetic of this sweater.
• Rib and roll neck construction — the neckband is worked to create the characteristic rolled edge.

Stitches and Stitch Patterns

The sweater features a rich combination of knit and purl stitches arranged into decorative panels, alongside a variety of cable stitches. The following special cable abbreviations are used throughout the pattern:

• C4 — Cable 4: slip 2 stitches to a cable needle held at the back, knit 2 from the left-hand needle, then knit 2 from the cable needle. Creates a simple 4-stitch right-leaning cable twist.
• C3B — Cable 3 Back: slip 2 stitches to a cable needle held at the back, knit 1 from the left-hand needle, then knit 2 from the cable needle. Produces a right-leaning 3-stitch cable cross.
• C3F — Cable 3 Front: slip 1 stitch to a cable needle held at the front, knit 2 from the left-hand needle, then knit the stitch from the cable needle. Produces a left-leaning 3-stitch cable cross.
• C6B — Cable 6 Back: slip 3 stitches to a cable needle held at the back, knit 3 from the left-hand needle, then knit 3 from the cable needle. Creates a bold right-leaning 6-stitch rope cable.
• C6F — Cable 6 Front: slip 3 stitches to a cable needle held at the front, knit 3 from the left-hand needle, then knit 3 from the cable needle. Creates a bold left-leaning 6-stitch rope cable.

These cables are set against a background of knit and purl stitches (including panels of stocking stitch and reverse stocking stitch), giving the fabric a deeply textured, tactile quality. The combination of C3B and C3F worked together is a classic technique for creating travelling cable or lattice effects, while C6B and C6F produce the chunky rope cables that are a hallmark of traditional Aran-influenced DK knitwear.

Materials

• Yarn: King Cole DK (double knitting weight yarn)
• Needles