Sweater & Cardigan in King Cole Luxury Merino DK - 5246 - Downloadable PDF

Sweater & Cardigan Knitting Pattern – King Cole Luxury Merino DK (Pattern 5246)

This downloadable PDF knitting pattern from King Cole presents two classic knitwear designs: a sweater and a cardigan, both worked in King Cole Luxury Merino DK yarn. The pattern is rated intermediate in difficulty, making it an excellent project for knitters who have moved beyond the basics and are ready to tackle shaping, stitch pattern work, and garment construction with confidence. Both garments are sized to fit chest measurements of 81–107 cm (32–42 in), covering a generous range of adult sizes.

About the Designs

The Sweater

The sweater is a pullover-style garment knitted in the round of sizes suited to everyday wear. As a classic knitwear staple, it is constructed in separate pieces — typically front, back, and sleeves — which are then seamed together. The design incorporates a defined stitch pattern that gives the fabric texture and visual interest beyond plain stocking stitch.

The Cardigan

The cardigan shares the same yarn and needle specification as the sweater, offering an open-front alternative that is equally versatile. Cardigans of this style typically feature button bands or front borders worked in garter stitch or rib, adding a neat, structured finish. Like the sweater, the cardigan is shaped through increases and decreases to achieve a well-fitted silhouette across the full size range.

Techniques Used

Both garments draw on a range of intermediate knitting techniques, including:

• Stocking stitch (st-st) – the right side is knitted and the wrong side is purled, forming the smooth, classic fabric used across much of both garments
• Reversed stocking stitch (rev st-st) – the opposite of stocking stitch, with the purl side used as the right side, creating a textured, bumpy surface often used as a contrast panel or design detail
• Garter stitch (gst) – every row knitted, producing a ridged, reversible fabric commonly used for borders, hems, and button bands
• Shaping via increases and decreases – the pattern uses standard increase (inc) and decrease (dec) methods to shape armholes, necklines, and sleeve tapers
• Passing slipped stitches over (psso) – a decrease technique used to create neat, directional shaping, particularly at raglan or armhole edges
• Slipping stitches (sl) – used in conjunction with psso and other decrease methods for clean stitch manipulation
• Working through the back of stitches (tbs) – a technique that twists stitches to tighten joins or create a crisper line in the fabric
• Yarn forward (yfwd) and yarn back (ybk) – used to manage yarn position when moving between knit and purl stitches, or as part of a lace or eyelet detail within the stitch pattern

Stitches Used

• Knit (K) and Purl (P) – the foundational stitches from which all textures in the pattern are built
• Stocking stitch – smooth, classic fabric for main body sections
• Reversed stocking stitch – textured contrast surface used as a design element
• Garter stitch – ridged, flat fabric for edgings and borders
• Defined stitch pattern (patt) – the pattern references a specific stitch pattern worked across the fabric, with a tension gauge of 28 stitches and 28 rows to 10 cm (4 in) over this pattern, indicating it is not plain stocking stitch and may include a combination of knit, purl, and yarn-over movements

Materials – Yarn and Needles

Both the sweater and cardigan are designed specifically for King Cole Luxury Merino DK yarn, a DK (double knit) weight yarn. Merino wool is prized in knitwear for its exceptional softness against the skin, natural elasticity, and excellent stitch