Ladies Cardigans in King Cole Cotton Top DK - 5375pdf - Downloadable PDF

Ladies Cardigans Knitted in King Cole Cotton Top DK – Pattern 5375

This King Cole pattern 5375 is a downloadable PDF for knitting ladies cardigans in King Cole Cotton Top DK yarn. Designed at an intermediate difficulty level, this pattern offers a range of sizes from 81 cm to 127 cm (32 in to 50 in) bust measurement, making it accessible to a wide variety of body types. The pattern is a great choice for knitters who are comfortable with basic techniques and ready to explore more structured garment construction, including the use of cable panels.

About the Garment

The pattern produces ladies cardigans — a classic and versatile wardrobe staple that can be worn across seasons. Given that the yarn specified is King Cole Cotton Top DK, a cotton-rich double knit yarn, the resulting cardigans are likely to be lightweight, breathable, and ideal for warmer weather or layering. Cotton DK yarns are well known for their stitch definition, which makes them particularly well suited to textured stitch patterns such as cables.

Yarn and Materials

• Yarn: King Cole Cotton Top DK
• Yarn Weight: Double Knit (DK)
• Needles: 4 mm needles, or the size required to achieve the correct tension
• Cable Needle (CN): Required for working the cable panel sections

As with all King Cole patterns, knitters are encouraged to check their tension carefully before beginning. If fewer stitches than stated are achieved, thinner needles should be used; if more stitches are achieved, thicker needles are recommended. Getting tension right is especially important in garment knitting to ensure the correct fit across the full size range.

Tension

• Cable panel: 16 stitches measures 5 cm (2 in)
• Main pattern tension: 23 stitches and 30 rows to 10 cm (4 in) over pattern on 4 mm needles
• Stocking stitch tension: 21 stitches and 28 rows to 10 cm (4 in) on 4 mm needles

Techniques Used

This is an intermediate knitting pattern, meaning knitters should have a solid foundation in basic knitting before attempting it. The following techniques are referenced within the pattern:

• Cable knitting — using a cable needle (CN) to cross stitches and create a raised, twisted rope-like texture. Cables are a classic knitting technique that add visual interest and structure to garments.
• Make 1 (m1) — a common increase technique where a stitch is created by picking up the horizontal strand between the last stitch worked and the next stitch, then working into the back of it to avoid a hole.
• Decreasing (dec) — reducing stitch counts to shape the garment, particularly around armholes, necklines, and other fitted areas.
• Slip 1 knitways (s1) — slipping a stitch knitwise, often used in decrease combinations or edge treatments.
• Working through the back of the loop (tbl) — a technique used to twist stitches, often employed alongside increases or in textured stitch patterns.
• Stocking stitch — the classic knit-on-right-side, purl-on-wrong-side fabric used as a base fabric in many sections of the cardigan.

Stitches Used

• Cable panel stitches — worked over 16 stitches to create the signature cable texture
• Stocking stitch — smooth, classic knitted fabric forming the main body sections
• Make 1 increase (m1) — worked by picking up the strand between stitches and knitting into the back of it
• Slip stitch (s1 knitways)
• Stitches worked through the back loop (tbl)
• Knit together (tog) — used for