Blankets & Cushions in King Cole Melody DK - 4676 - Downloadable PDF

Blankets & Cushions Knitted in King Cole Melody DK – Pattern 4676

This downloadable PDF knitting pattern from King Cole presents a collection of blankets and cushions worked in King Cole Melody DK yarn. Designed for intermediate knitters, the pattern offers a satisfying combination of cosy home accessories that make excellent projects for those looking to expand their skills beyond basic garments. Each purchase of this pattern contributes a donation to the Pink Ribbon Foundation, making it a meaningful choice as well as a practical one.

What Is Being Made

The pattern covers two distinct categories of home accessory:

• Blankets and throws – cosy, generously sized knitted blankets suitable for home décor or gifting.
• Cushions – decorative knitted cushion covers designed to complement the blankets and create a coordinated look.

Yarn and Materials

The specified yarn for all designs in this pattern is King Cole Melody DK, a double knit weight yarn. Melody DK is known for its softness and its gently variegated or tonal colour qualities, which add visual interest to simple stitch patterns without requiring complex colourwork techniques. The DK weight (double knit) sits in the middle of the yarn weight spectrum, making it a versatile and widely available choice that works up at a satisfying pace on medium-sized needles.

The recommended tools are 4mm knitting needles, though knitters are advised to adjust needle size as necessary to achieve the correct tension for their individual knitting style.

Tension

Achieving the correct tension is essential for home accessories such as blankets and cushions, where dimensions directly affect the finished size and fit of cushion covers. Two tension measurements are given in this pattern:

• Stocking stitch tension: 22 stitches and 28 rows to 10cm (4 inches) using 4mm needles.
• Garter stitch tension: 21 stitches and 42 rows to 10cm (4 inches) using 4mm needles.

Knitters are advised that if fewer stitches than stated are achieved over 10cm, they should switch to a finer needle to bring their tension in line with the pattern requirements.

Stitches and Techniques Used

The pattern makes use of several classic and fundamental knitting stitches and stitch patterns, making it an excellent project for intermediate knitters looking to practise core techniques:

• Stocking Stitch (St-St): The most widely used knitting stitch, created by alternating knit rows on the right side and purl rows on the wrong side. It produces a smooth, flat fabric on the right side and a textured, ridged surface on the reverse. Stocking stitch is ideal for showcasing the colour qualities of a yarn such as King Cole Melody DK.
• Garter Stitch (G-St): Formed by knitting every single row, garter stitch creates a ridged, reversible fabric with natural stretch and body. It lies flat without curling at the edges, making it particularly well suited to blankets and throws where a neat, stable edge is desirable.
• 1x1 Rib: Worked by alternating one knit stitch with one purl stitch across the row, repeated throughout. Ribbing creates a stretchy, elasticated fabric and is commonly used for borders, edgings, and cushion bands. In this pattern it is defined as: 1st Row: *K1, P1, repeat from * to end.

Key Knitting Techniques and Skills

Working through this pattern will involve a range of standard intermediate knitting techniques, including:

• Decreasing – reducing the number of stitches on the needle to shape pieces where required.
• Slipping stitches – moving a stitch from one needle to the other without knitting it, used in shaping and certain stitch patterns (abbreviated as sl in the pattern).
• Yarn forward (yfwd) – bringing the yarn to the front of the work between needles, used to create decorative effects or as part of specific stitch constructions.
• Pass slipped stitch over