Sweater & Cardigan in King Cole Luxury Merino DK - 5243 - Downloadable PDF

King Cole Luxury Merino DK Sweater & Cardigan – Pattern 5243

This downloadable PDF knitting pattern from King Cole (pattern number 5243) offers two classic knitwear designs in one package: a pullover sweater and a cardigan. Both garments are worked in King Cole Luxury Merino DK yarn, making this an excellent intermediate-level project for knitters who are comfortable with shaping, tension management, and working stripe sequences. The pattern covers a generous size range of 81–107 cm (32–42 in) chest, making it suitable for a wide variety of adult figures.

About the Designs

The Sweater

The sweater is a pullover style garment featuring a distinctive stripe pattern as its primary design element. The stripe sequence gives the finished piece a bold, graphic quality while remaining a satisfying knit for those at an intermediate skill level. The sweater is worked at a tension of 26 stitches and 28 rows to 10 cm (4 in) over the stripe pattern using 4mm needles, which is the standard gauge for DK-weight yarn. Achieving the correct tension before casting on is strongly recommended, as the stitch and row counts differ meaningfully between the two garments in this pattern.

The Cardigan

The cardigan is the second design included in this pattern and also features a stripe pattern construction. It is worked at a slightly different tension of 22 stitches and 32 rows to 10 cm (4 in) over the cardigan stripe pattern on 4mm needles. This difference in tension between the two garments underlines the importance of knitting a tension swatch specific to each design before beginning. The cardigan format adds versatility to the pattern collection, offering a layering option alongside the pullover sweater.

Techniques and Stitches Used

Both garments draw on a range of fundamental and intermediate knitting techniques. Knitters working from this pattern will use the following stitches and methods:

• Stocking stitch (st-st) – worked with the right side knit and wrong side purl, forming the smooth, classic fabric surface familiar in most knitwear
• Reversed stocking stitch (rev st-st) – the inverse of stocking stitch, with the right side purled and the wrong side knitted, creating a textured, bumpy surface often used as a contrast element
• Garter stitch (gst) – every row knitted, producing a ridged, reversible fabric commonly used for borders, hems, and edgings
• Stripe pattern – a structured sequence of colour or texture changes that defines the visual character of both garments
• Increasing (inc) and decreasing (dec) – standard shaping techniques used to create the fitted silhouette of sleeves, armholes, and necklines
• Passing a slipped stitch over (psso) – a decrease technique used to shape edges neatly
• Slipping stitches (sl) – used in conjunction with decrease methods for clean, professional shaping
• Working through the back of stitches (tbs) – a technique that twists the stitch for a tighter, neater finish in specific applications
• Knitting stitches together (tog) – another standard decrease used throughout shaping sections

Materials

Yarn

Both the sweater and the cardigan are designed to be knitted in King Cole Luxury Merino DK, a double knit (DK) weight yarn. Merino wool is prized in knitwear for its exceptional softness against the skin, its natural elasticity that helps garments hold their shape, and its excellent stitch definition — all qualities that make it particularly well suited to stripe patterns where clean colour or texture transitions are important. The Luxury Merino designation suggests a refined fibre quality that elevates the finished garment.

Needles

Both garments are worked on 4mm knitting needles, which is the standard needle size recommended for DK-weight yarn. As noted in the pattern, tension swatches should be knitted on 4mm needles