Baby Set in King Cole DK - 4900 - Downloadable PDF

Baby Set in King Cole DK – Pattern 4900: Complete Knitting Guide

This King Cole pattern 4900 is a comprehensive baby set knitted in King Cole DK weight yarn, designed to outfit a newborn or young infant from head to toe. The collection includes multiple coordinating pieces — cardigans, dresses, tops, shorts, and hats — all worked in the same yarn weight and tension, making it straightforward to mix and match pieces into a complete wardrobe. Sizes range from 36 cm to 56 cm (14 to 22 inches), covering a broad span of early infant sizes. This pattern is rated advanced, making it best suited to knitters who are already comfortable with shaping, stitch pattern variations, and reading multi-piece garment instructions.

For every King Cole pattern purchased, a donation is made to the Pink Ribbon Foundation, so buying this pattern also supports a charitable cause.

Materials: Yarn, Needles, and Tension

All pieces in this baby set are worked in King Cole DK (double knit) yarn. DK weight is one of the most popular yarn weights for baby knitting — it strikes the ideal balance between speed of knitting and a fine, soft fabric that is gentle against delicate infant skin. The recommended needle size is 4mm, which is standard for DK weight projects.

Two tension measurements are specified for this pattern:

• 22 stitches and 28 rows to 10 cm (4 inches) over the stitch pattern on 4mm needles
• 22 stitches and 28 rows to 10 cm (4 inches) over stocking stitch on 4mm needles

The pattern strongly advises knitters to check tension before beginning by knitting a tension square. Achieving the correct tension is especially important in baby garments, where even small deviations can result in significant size differences across the narrow size range.

Stitches and Techniques Used

This pattern draws on a variety of classic knitting stitches and techniques, giving it its advanced difficulty rating. Knitters working through this set will encounter and apply the following:

Core Stitches

• Stocking stitch (st-st) — the right side is knitted and the wrong side is purled, creating the smooth, classic fabric used throughout many garment sections
• Reversed stocking stitch (rev st-st) — the opposite orientation, with the right side purled and the wrong side knitted, producing a textured, bumpy surface often used as a contrast or decorative element in baby garments
• Garter stitch (gst) — every row is knitted, creating a ridged, reversible fabric that lies flat and is commonly used for borders, hems, and edgings in baby knitting
• Pattern stitch (patt) — a specific stitch pattern is used across multiple pieces, contributing to the decorative character of the set

Shaping Techniques

• Increasing (inc) — used to add stitches and shape garment pieces such as sleeves and body panels
• Decreasing (dec) — used to reduce stitches for armhole shaping, necklines, crown shaping on hats, and other fitted areas
• Pass slipped stitch over (psso) — a decrease technique where a slipped stitch is passed over the working stitch, commonly used in neckline and raglan shaping
• Knitting through the back of stitch(es) (tbs) — a technique that twists the stitch, often used to tighten decreases or create a neater finish
• Knitting two stitches together (tog) — a standard decrease used throughout shaping sections

Additional Techniques

• Slipping stitches (sl) — stitches are slipped without being worked, used in decreases and certain stitch patterns
• Yarn back (ybk) — the yarn is moved to the back of the work between needles, used in combination with slip stitches and certain pattern sequences
• Alternating rows (alt) — instructions are worked on every other row, a common approach in gradual shaping