Girls' Tops in King Cole Cottonsoft Crush & Cottonsoft DK - 4771 - Downloadable PDF

Girls' Tops Knitted in King Cole Cottonsoft Crush and Cottonsoft DK – Pattern 4771

King Cole pattern 4771 is a knitted girls' tops pattern designed for children aged 2 to 11 years, covering chest sizes from 56 cm to 76 cm (22 to 30 inches). The pattern is knitted in King Cole Cottonsoft Crush and King Cole Cottonsoft DK, two popular cotton-blend double knit yarns celebrated for their softness, breathability, and suitability for children's garments. This downloadable PDF pattern is rated as intermediate in difficulty and includes instructions for a short sleeved top complete with patch pockets, making it a practical and charming wardrobe addition for young girls.

What Is Being Made

The pattern produces a short sleeved girls' top with a neat neckline finish and optional patch pockets. The design is sized across five increments to fit children from 2 to 11 years old, making it a versatile pattern that can be revisited as a child grows. The use of two different King Cole yarns — Cottonsoft Crush and Cottonsoft DK — allows for colour contrast detailing, with the contrast colour (C) used for the pockets and the main colour (M) used for the body of the garment.

Design Details

• Short sleeved top with shaped armholes and shoulder shaping
• Patch pockets worked separately and added as a decorative and functional feature
• 1x1 ribbed neckband for a neat, stretchy neck finish
• Sized for five chest sizes: 56, 61, 66, 71, and 76 cm (22–30 in), ages 2–11 years
• Two-colour design using Main (M) and Contrast (C) shades from the Cottonsoft range

Techniques Used

This pattern uses a range of classic knitting techniques suitable for an intermediate knitter. The thumb method cast on is specified for both the main body pieces and the pockets, giving a neat and elastic edge. Armhole shaping and shoulder shaping are worked using standard decreasing methods, while the neckline is finished with a picked-up ribbed neckband, requiring the knitter to pick up stitches along the neck edge and work in pattern before casting off in rib on the wrong side. Stitches are placed on a stitch holder at the back neck, which is a common intermediate technique for managing live stitches during construction.

The patch pockets are worked separately using the contrast colour yarn, beginning with increases to shape the lower edge before continuing in stocking stitch. Working pockets as separate pieces and then attaching them is a practical technique that adds dimension and visual interest to an otherwise straightforward garment.

Stitches Used

• Stocking stitch (st-st) – the main fabric of the top, worked as knit on right side rows and purl on wrong side rows
• 1x1 rib – used for the welt (lower band) and the neckband; worked as knit 1, purl 1 alternately across the row, then purl 1, knit 1 on the return row
• Increases (inc) – used in the pocket shaping to widen the lower edge
• Decreases (dec) – used for armhole and shoulder shaping
• Slip stitch (s1) and pass slipped stitch over (psso) – standard decrease techniques referenced in the abbreviations

Yarn and Materials

The pattern is written specifically for King Cole Cottonsoft Crush and King Cole Cottonsoft DK, both of which are double knit (DK) weight yarns. These cotton-rich yarns are well suited to children's clothing due to their gentle feel against the skin and their ability to hold stitch definition clearly, making the ribbing and stocking stitch fabric look crisp and tidy. The stated tension is 22 stitches and 28 rows to 10