Smock Tunic & Matching Gilet in King Cole Opium Palette & Opium - 4669 - Downloadable PDF

King Cole Pattern 4669: Smock Tunic & Matching Gilet in Opium Palette & Opium

King Cole pattern 4669 is a downloadable PDF knitting pattern offering two coordinating designs: a Smock Tunic and a Matching Gilet. Both garments are knitted in King Cole Opium Palette and King Cole Opium chunky-weight yarn, making this a cosy, stylish set suitable for a wide range of sizes from 81 cm to 137 cm (32 in to 54 in) bust/chest. The pattern is rated as intermediate difficulty, making it ideal for knitters who are comfortable with basic shaping and have some experience beyond beginner level.

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The Smock Tunic

The Smock Tunic is a relaxed, longline knitted top designed to be worn as a tunic-length garment. Its generous sizing range — spanning six sizes from 81 cm to 137 cm — makes it an inclusive and versatile pattern. The tunic features a front neck shaping with picked-up stitches worked evenly along the right front neck edge, giving the neckline a neat, professional finish. The construction includes working a set number of rows per section, with the pattern specifying 40 to 52 rows depending on the chosen size, indicating careful, proportional length adjustments throughout the sizes.

Techniques Used in the Smock Tunic

• Stocking stitch (st-st): The main fabric stitch, worked by knitting on right-side rows and purling on wrong-side rows, creating a smooth, classic knitted surface.
• Garter stitch (g-st): Every row knitted, producing a ridged, reversible fabric often used for borders, hems, and trims.
• Increasing and decreasing: Used for shaping the body and armholes of the tunic.
• Picking up and knitting stitches: Applied along the front neck edges to create a tidy neckband finish.
• Slipping stitches and passing slipped stitches over (psso): A decrease technique used in shaping.
• Alternating rows (alt): Shaping worked on alternate rows for smooth, gradual curves.

The Matching Gilet

The Matching Gilet is a sleeveless waistcoat designed to coordinate with the Smock Tunic, making the two pieces a cohesive knitwear set. A gilet is a practical and fashionable layering piece — sleeveless and open or fastened at the front — that adds warmth without the bulk of full sleeves. Like the tunic, the gilet is knitted in King Cole Opium or King Cole Opium Palette chunky yarn and covers the same size range of 81 cm to 137 cm (32 in to 54 in).

The gilet uses the same core stitch repertoire as the tunic, combining stocking stitch for the main body panels with garter stitch for edgings and borders. As a waistcoat, it is shaped at the armholes and neckline, with stitches picked up around the edges for a clean finish consistent with the tunic's construction style.

Techniques Used in the Gilet

• Stocking stitch (st-st): The primary fabric construction stitch throughout the main body.
• Garter stitch (g-st): Used for borders and edgings to prevent curling and add texture.
• Armhole and neck shaping: Achieved through increases, decreases, and working on alternate rows.
• Picking up and knitting stitches: Used to finish armhole and neck edges neatly.

Stitches Used Across Both Designs

• Stocking stitch (st-st): Knit on right side (RS), purl on wrong side (WS).
• Garter stitch (g-