Cardigan and Top in King Cole Cottonsmooth DK - 5745pdf - Downloadable PDF

King Cole Cottonsmooth DK Pattern 5745: Knitted Cardigan and Top

Pattern 5745 from King Cole is a downloadable PDF knitting pattern offering two classic warm-weather designs: a cardigan and a top, both knitted in King Cole Cottonsmooth DK yarn. The pattern covers a generous size range of 81–127 cm (32–50 in), making it accessible to a wide range of body types. Rated as intermediate in difficulty, this pattern is ideal for knitters who are comfortable with shaping, working from stitch holders, and following multi-row pattern repeats. As with all King Cole patterns, a donation is made to the Pink Ribbon Foundation with every purchase.

Materials and Tension

Both designs are worked in King Cole Cottonsmooth DK, a double knitting weight yarn. Two needle sizes are called for throughout the pattern:

• 3.25mm knitting needles — used for ribbed welts, neckbands, and border sections
• 4mm knitting needles — used for the main body fabric, or the size required to achieve the correct tension

The stated tension is 22 stitches and 30 rows to 10 cm (4 in) over stocking stitch using 4mm needles, and 24 stitches and 30 rows to 10 cm (4 in) over rib using 4mm needles. As with all knitting patterns, achieving the correct tension is essential before beginning, and knitters are advised to switch to finer needles if their stitch count is too low, or larger needles if it is too high.

Design One: The Cardigan

The cardigan is a structured, shaped garment featuring a left front, right front, back, and sleeves. It is constructed in separate pieces and seamed together, a traditional approach that gives the finished garment excellent shape and stability.

Construction and Shaping

The cardigan fronts are cast on using 3.25mm needles and begin with a 1x1 rib border worked over 14 rows, before transitioning to the main body fabric on 4mm needles. Shaping is worked at the armhole and neck edges using standard decrease techniques, including P2tog at neck edges. Stitches for the neckband are placed onto a stitch holder and returned to needles later to complete the neckband finishing. The armhole depth varies by size, measuring 10–18 cm depending on the size being made.

Stitches and Stitch Patterns Used in the Cardigan

• 1x1 Rib: Worked as K1, P1 across right-side rows and P1, K1 across wrong-side rows. Used for welts, cuffs, and neckband edgings, this classic rib stitch creates a neat, stretchy border that frames the garment cleanly.
• Stocking Stitch (St-St): The foundation fabric of the cardigan body, worked as knit on right-side rows and purl on wrong-side rows, producing a smooth, classic knitted surface.
• Textured Pattern Stitch: A four-row repeating pattern is used across the cardigan fronts and likely the back, incorporating combinations of knit and purl stitches in a structured arrangement. The pattern rows include sequences such as (K1, P2) repeats combined with larger knit panels, creating a subtle raised texture across the fabric. This four-row repeat is maintained consistently throughout the body shaping.

Shaping Details

• Armhole shaping: Decreases are worked at the armhole edge on every 4th row, reducing from the cast-on stitch count to the shaped armhole count — for example, reaching 40–52 stitches depending on size.
• Neck shaping: A set number of stitches (varying by size, from 4 to 9 stitches) are slipped onto a stitch holder at the neck edge to form the neckband, with the remaining