Belt, Bracelet, Bags & Purses in King Cole Raffia - 4340 - Downloadable PDF

King Cole Raffia 4340: Belt, Bracelet, Bags & Purses Knitting Pattern Summary

Pattern leaflet 4340 from King Cole is a collection of knitted accessories made using King Cole Raffia yarn. The pattern covers multiple designs including a belt, a bracelet, and a selection of bags and purses. This is classed as an intermediate difficulty pattern and is available as a downloadable PDF, making it instantly accessible for knitters ready to dive into stylish, tactile accessories.

About King Cole Raffia Yarn

All designs in this leaflet are worked in King Cole Raffia, a yarn that replicates the look and feel of natural raffia. This material lends itself beautifully to structured accessories such as bags, belts, and bracelets, offering a crisp, summery aesthetic. The yarn is used both as a single strand and doubled depending on the project, which affects the needle size and tension required.

Tension and Needles

Two different tension guides are given in this pattern, reflecting the varied nature of the projects included:

• 15 stitches and 19 rows to 10cm (4in) over stocking stitch using 5.5mm needles with yarn used as a single strand.
• 10 stitches and 18 rows to 10cm (4in) over garter stitch using 8mm needles with yarn used double.

The pattern strongly emphasises the importance of knitting a tension square before beginning any of the items. If fewer stitches than stated are achieved over 10cm, knitters are advised to switch to finer needles; if more stitches are achieved, larger needles should be used. Getting tension right is especially important for structured accessories like bags and belts, where shape and size are critical to the finished result.

Double pointed needles (dpns) in 5.5mm are specifically required for at least one of the designs, notably the belt, where an i-cord technique is employed.

The Belt

The belt is constructed from three separate strips, each knitted individually and then plaited (braided) together to form the finished accessory. The strips are cast on using 5.5mm double pointed needles in Amethyst, one of the colourways of King Cole Raffia.

Construction Technique: I-Cord

Each strip is worked as an i-cord, a tubular knitted cord produced on double pointed needles. The i-cord method involves knitting a row, then — without turning the work — sliding the stitches to the opposite end of the needle and pulling the yarn tightly across the back before knitting again. This creates a neat, rounded cord with no visible wrong side. The pattern specifies working on 5 stitches per strip, with the yarn pulled firmly across the back on every row to maintain the cord's tubular structure.

Once each strip reaches the required length (the pattern notes a cord length of 26cm / 10¼ inches as a reference point during construction), the three strips are placed together onto a single 5.5mm needle and the yarn is rejoined to knit across all 15 stitches combined.

Plaiting the Belt

The three i-cord strips are plaited evenly and not too tightly to the end. Knitters are instructed to check the plait against the required finished length — if it falls short, additional rows are knitted on each strip before plaiting further; if it is too long, rows are undone. This flexible approach allows the belt to be customised to different waist sizes. Once the correct length is achieved, the strips are joined and finished accordingly. The ends are sewn in place to secure the plait.

The Bracelet

While the PDF content provided does not detail the bracelet construction in full, the bracelet is listed as one of the designs within leaflet 4340 and is also worked in King Cole Raffia. Given the overall design aesthetic of the collection and the use of i-cord and plaiting techniques elsewhere in the pattern, the bracelet likely employs similar methods on a smaller scale, creating a wearable accessory that coordinates