Tunic & Cardigan in King Cole DK - 4951 - Downloadable PDF

Tunic & Cardigan in King Cole DK – Pattern 4951

This King Cole pattern 4951 is a downloadable PDF knitting pattern offering two classic children's garments: a tunic and a cardigan, both featuring a distinctive raglan sleeve construction. Designed for an intermediate knitter, the pattern covers chest sizes from 54 cm to 71 cm (21 in to 28 in), making it suitable for growing children across a range of ages. Both garments are worked in King Cole DK (double knit) weight yarn, producing neat, wearable results that are practical for everyday use.

As with all King Cole patterns, a donation is made to the Pink Ribbon Foundation with every purchase, adding a charitable dimension to your crafting.

Garments Included

The Tunic

The tunic is a relaxed, longer-length top designed to be worn over leggings or trousers. Its raglan sleeve shaping gives the garment a smooth, seamless-looking yoke that is both comfortable to wear and satisfying to knit. Raglan construction is a popular technique in children's knitwear because it allows ease of movement and a neat, structured fit without the complexity of set-in sleeves. The tunic combines areas of stocking stitch and garter stitch or reversed garter stitch for textural interest and neat finishing at hems and edges.

The Cardigan

The cardigan shares the same raglan sleeve silhouette as the tunic, offering a coordinating layering piece. Cardigans in this style are a wardrobe staple for children, providing warmth and versatility. Like the tunic, it is worked in King Cole DK and uses a combination of knit and purl-based stitch patterns to create a clean, classic finish. The open-front design is typical of a traditional cardigan construction.

Techniques Used

• Raglan sleeve shaping – a key structural technique where the sleeve and body are decreased simultaneously to form a diagonal seam from underarm to neckline, creating a smooth, fitted yoke
• Increasing and decreasing – used throughout the raglan shaping and garment construction; the pattern references inc (increase) and dec (decrease) methods
• Slipping stitches – referenced via sl (slip) and psso (pass slipped stitch over), commonly used in paired decreases for neat raglan lines
• Working from tension squares – the pattern emphasises the importance of knitting and measuring a tension square before beginning, an essential intermediate skill
• Yarn forward and yarn round needle – referenced as yfwd and yrn, these techniques are used to create yarn-over movements, often for decorative detail or buttonholes

Stitches Used

• Stocking stitch (st-st) – knit on the right side, purl on the wrong side; used for the main body fabric of both garments
• Garter stitch (gst) – every row knitted; used for borders, hems, or textural contrast sections
• Reversed garter stitch (rev gst) – every row purled; a variation of garter stitch used for decorative or structural detail

Tension

The pattern specifies two tension gauges depending on the stitch pattern being worked:

• 22 stitches and 28 rows to 10 cm (4 in) over stocking stitch using 4 mm needles
• 22 stitches and 40 rows to 10 cm (4 in) over garter stitch using 3.75 mm needles

Achieving the correct tension is especially important in a pattern with raglan shaping, as stitch counts and row counts directly affect the fit and proportions of the finished garment. Knitters are strongly advised to work a tension square in each stitch pattern before casting on.

Materials

Both the tunic and cardigan are