King Cole Knitting Patterns

What King Cole patterns are known for

King Cole has been publishing knitting patterns for generations, and the house style is consistent: clear written instructions, multiple sizes on one leaflet, and designs built around the brand's own yarns so the tension always matches. That last point matters more than it sounds. Buying a King Cole pattern alongside the King Cole yarn it names removes the most common source of a garment coming out the wrong size. The range covers baby layettes, toddler cardigans, family jumpers, hats and scarves, blankets and toys.

Finding the right leaflet

• Baby knitting patterns: matinee coats, bonnets, bootees and blankets, usually in DK or 4 ply and often covering several sizes from premature upwards.
• Children's designs: cardigans, hoodies and jumpers, most commonly in DK and aran.
• Adult knits: family jumper leaflets with both men's and women's sizes on the same sheet, in aran and chunky.
• Accessories and home: hats, scarves, snoods, cushions and blankets, ideal for the brand's textured and self-patterning yarns.

Reading a King Cole pattern

Sizes are usually printed in a bracketed sequence, with the smallest first and the rest in brackets in ascending order. Circle or highlight your size all the way through before you cast on; it saves rereading every line. The tension square is given over 10cm in the stated stitch, and the yarn quantity is listed as a number of balls in a specific King Cole quality. If you are substituting, convert to metreage first, because ball weights vary between qualities.

Yarn weights across the range

King Cole's DK is the everyday weight for children's and baby knits, aran the choice for warm family jumpers and cabled designs, and chunky for fast blankets and outerwear. Many of the brand's yarns are machine washable blends, which is the practical reason they appear so often in baby and children's patterns. Self-patterning and multi-coloured qualities do the colourwork for you and are best in simple stocking stitch, where the stripes are not fighting a stitch pattern for attention.

Getting a good result

Swatch even when using the exact yarn named, because tension is personal. Cast on with a needle a size larger if your cast-on edge tends to be tight, then switch back. When knitting a garment in pieces, block each piece to the measurement diagram before seaming; this is the step most often skipped and the one that makes a home-knitted cardigan look finished. Mattress stitch in the project yarn gives a near-invisible seam on side and sleeve edges.

Care and washing

Follow the ball band on the yarn rather than the pattern. Machine-washable King Cole blends take a cool wool cycle, which is what makes them a sensible choice for children's clothes; dry flat rather than tumbling on heat, since heat encourages pilling. Wool qualities should be hand washed in lukewarm water and dried flat. Fold knitwear for storage instead of hanging it.

King Cole pattern questions

Do I have to use King Cole yarn with these patterns? No, but the tension will match exactly if you do. Substitutes need a swatch and a metreage conversion.

Are King Cole patterns suitable for beginners? Many are. Look for designs listed as easy, worked in stocking stitch with simple shaping, in DK or aran.

Do the leaflets cover more than one size? Most do, with the sizes given in ascending brackets throughout the instructions.

Which weight should I choose for a baby cardigan? DK is the most common and gives a practical, washable, comfortable fabric; 4 ply gives a finer, more traditional finish.

Are there King Cole pattern books as well as leaflets? Yes, book collections gather several designs around a theme or a yarn quality.