Cardigan, Hat & Blanket in King Cole Stripe DK & Comfort DK - 5593 - Downloadable PDF

King Cole Stripe DK Cardigan, Hat & Blanket – Pattern 5593 Summary

Pattern 5593 from King Cole is a charming collection of three coordinating knitted designs for babies and young children aged 0 to 7 years, covering chest sizes from 41 cm to 66 cm (16 to 26 inches). The set includes a Cardigan, a Hat, and a Blanket, all worked in King Cole Stripe DK yarn, making it an ideal project for knitters looking to create a complete, coordinated gift set or wardrobe addition for a little one. The pattern is available as a downloadable PDF and is rated as intermediate in difficulty.

About the Yarn and Materials

All three designs in this pattern are knitted using King Cole Stripe DK, a double knitting weight yarn that delivers a self-striping colour effect without the need to change yarns manually. The pattern also references King Cole Comfort DK in its full title, suggesting that one or more of the designs may incorporate this yarn as a coordinating solid shade, ideal for contrast details or trims. DK weight yarn is a versatile, widely available weight that works up quickly and produces a fabric with good stitch definition, making it well suited to children's knitwear. Knitters will need 3¾ mm knitting needles as the primary needle size, along with a stitch holder for managing live stitches during shaping.

Tension

Achieving the correct tension is essential for all three pieces to come out at the right size. The stated tension for this pattern is 20 stitches and 40 rows to 10 cm (4 inches) measured over garter stitch using 3¾ mm needles. Knitters are advised to check their tension swatch carefully — if fewer stitches are produced, switch to thinner needles; if more stitches appear, switch to thicker needles. Because children's sizing is precise, matching tension is especially important across all three items in the set.

The Cardigan

Design Overview

The Cardigan is the centrepiece of this pattern set, designed to fit babies and children from 0 to 7 years. It is a classic, practical style suited to everyday wear, with shaping worked across multiple sizes to ensure a neat, comfortable fit. The self-striping nature of King Cole Stripe DK means the colour pattern develops automatically as the knitting progresses, adding visual interest without complex colourwork.

Techniques and Construction

• Garter stitch is the primary stitch pattern used throughout the cardigan, creating a reversible, slightly textured fabric with natural elasticity — ideal for children's garments that need to be durable and easy to care for.
• The construction involves shaping through increases and decreases, with the pattern specifying exact stitch counts at each stage, for example working to 59[67:77:90:100] stitches and 61[70:80:93:103] stitches at various points depending on the size being made.
• Stitch holders are used to hold live stitches while other sections are worked, a standard technique in garment knitting for managing necklines, shoulders, and button bands.
• The pattern instructs knitters to join a second ball of yarn at a specific point, indicating that both sides of the front opening are worked simultaneously or that a symmetrical section is divided and worked separately — a common method for neat, even fronts on cardigans.
• Rows without shaping are worked in plain garter stitch between shaped sections, keeping the pattern straightforward for intermediate knitters.

Stitches Used

• Knit (k) — the foundation of garter stitch, worked on every row on both right side and wrong side
• Purl (p) — referenced in the abbreviations, likely used in specific sections such as ribbing or edging
• Yarn forward (yfwd) — referenced in the abbreviations, typically used to create decorative eyelets or buttonholes
• Increase (inc) and Decrease (dec) — used to shape the body, sleeves, and