Sweater and Cardigan Knitted in King Cole Subtle Drifter DK - 5672 - Downloadable PDF

Pattern Summary: Sweater and Cardigan Knitted in King Cole Subtle Drifter DK – Pattern 5672

This King Cole pattern 5672 is a downloadable PDF offering instructions for two classic knitwear designs: a pullover sweater and a cardigan. Both garments are worked in King Cole Subtle Drifter DK yarn and are sized to fit bust measurements of 81–107 cm (32–42 inches), making them suitable for a wide range of adult sizes. The pattern is rated intermediate in difficulty, making it ideal for knitters who are comfortable with basic shaping and stitch patterns but are ready to develop their skills further.

Purchasing this pattern contributes to the Pink Ribbon Foundation, as King Cole donates to the charity with every pattern sold.

What Is Being Made

• Sweater (Pullover): A classic pullover with identical back and front pieces, shaped armholes, and a structured neckline. The front features a centre neck opening with stitches left on a thread for finishing, giving a neat, professional result.
• Cardigan: A separate design worked in the same yarn and stitch pattern, offering an open-front alternative to the pullover silhouette.

Yarn and Materials

Both designs are worked in King Cole Subtle Drifter DK, a double knitting weight yarn. The "Subtle Drifter" range is known for its softly variegated, tonal colour effects that create gentle colour drift across the fabric without the need for colour changes, adding visual interest to even straightforward stitch patterns.

• Needles required: 3.75mm needles for the ribbed or textured border sections, and 4.5mm needles for the main body pattern.
• A stitch holder or length of thread is also needed to hold centre neck stitches during shaping.

Tension

The stated tension is 24 stitches and 36 rows to 10 cm (4 inches) measured over the stitch pattern on 4.5mm needles. As with all garment knitting, checking tension before beginning is strongly recommended. If your tension produces fewer stitches or rows than stated, switch to finer needles; if it produces more, switch to larger needles. Getting tension right is especially important across the six sizes in this pattern to ensure an accurate fit.

Stitches and Techniques Used

The pattern makes use of several classic knitting stitches and techniques, combining texture with structure:

• Stocking stitch (st-st): The foundation of most knitted fabric — knit on the right side, purl on the wrong side — used throughout the main body sections.
• Reversed stocking stitch (rev st-st): The mirror image of stocking stitch, with purl on the right side and knit on the wrong side, used to create textural contrast within the pattern.
• Garter stitch (gst): Every row knitted, producing a ridged, reversible fabric. Often used for borders, button bands, and edgings in cardigans.
• Textured rib/pattern stitch: The cast-on section begins with a structured repeating pattern — P1, K3, P1 on the right side and K2, P1, K3 on the wrong side — creating a defined ribbed or mock-cable effect that adds elasticity and visual interest to the lower edges.
• Armhole and sleeve top shaping: Worked using cast-off rows at the beginning of rows combined with paired decreases on alternate rows and every 4th row, producing smooth, tailored armhole curves.
• Neckline shaping: The sweater front features a divided neckline with centre stitches left on a thread, and each shoulder is worked separately with cast-off rows to create a clean neck opening.
• Yarn forward (yfwd), yarn over needle (yon), yarn round needle (yrn): These yarn-positioning techniques are referenced in the abbreviations and may be used within the stitch pattern to create eyelets or to manage yarn placement between knit and purl stitches.