Sweater and Top in King Cole Opium - 4182 - Downloadable PDF

King Cole Pattern 4182: Sweater and Top Knitted in King Cole Opium

Pattern 4182 from King Cole is a downloadable PDF knitting pattern featuring two garments: a classic sweater and a shorter top, both knitted in King Cole Opium chunky yarn. Designed for intermediate knitters, this versatile pattern covers a generous range of sizes from 71/76 cm to 112/117 cm (28/30 in to 44/46 in), making it suitable for a wide variety of figures.

About the Designs

The Sweater

The sweater is a full-length, long-sleeved knitted garment featuring set-in sleeves with careful shaping. The construction involves working armhole shaping with decreases at each end of alternate rows, creating a neat and fitted silhouette. Sleeves are folded in half lengthways and sewn into position with the fold aligned to the shoulder seam, a classic finishing technique that ensures a clean, structured shoulder line. The sweater includes a neckband worked after the main pieces are assembled, with the left shoulder and neckband seams joined as part of the make-up process. Side seams and sleeve seams are joined to complete the garment.

The Top

The top is a shorter, sleeveless or reduced-sleeve variation worked in the same yarn and tension, offering a lighter, more casual alternative to the full sweater. Like the sweater, it is shaped at the armholes using decrease rows on alternate rows, with cast-off stitches at the beginning of rows to form the armhole base before the gradual shaping continues. The top shares the same size range and construction principles as the sweater, making the pattern an excellent two-in-one resource for knitters who want flexibility in their finished project.

Knitting Techniques Used

Both garments in this pattern make use of a range of standard and intermediate knitting techniques, including:

• Armhole shaping — stitches are cast off at the beginning of rows to set the armhole, followed by paired decreases worked at each end of alternate rows to create smooth, curved shaping
• Sleeve shaping — decreases worked at each end of every following alternate row to taper the sleeve from cuff to underarm
• Seaming and making up — including joining shoulder seams, setting in sleeves by folding lengthways and aligning to shoulder seams, and joining side and sleeve seams
• Neckband construction — picked up and worked after the main body pieces are assembled
• Decreasing — including the use of psso (pass slipped stitch over) as a special abbreviation, indicating directional decreases for neat, professional shaping

Stitches Used

The pattern is worked in a stitch pattern that produces a tension of 18 stitches and 28 rows to 10 cm (4 in), consistent with chunky-weight yarn knitting. The abbreviations referenced in the pattern include standard knitting terms alongside the special abbreviation psso, suggesting the use of:

• Knit and purl stitches forming the main fabric
• Decrease stitches including slip, knit, pass slipped stitch over (skpo/psso) for left-leaning shaping
• Cast-off and cast-on techniques for armhole and neckline shaping

Materials: Yarn, Needles, and Hooks

Both the sweater and the top are knitted in King Cole Opium, a chunky weight yarn. King Cole Opium is a popular choice for garment knitting thanks to its soft handle and the speed with which chunky yarn works up on the needles. The pattern is rated as intermediate difficulty, reflecting the shaping and making-up techniques involved rather than any complex stitch patterns, making it an excellent project for knitters looking to develop their garment-making skills. Specific needle sizes and yarn quantities are detailed within the downloadable PDF pattern.

Pattern Format and Sizing

• Format: Downloadable PDF
• Brand: King Cole
• Yarn: King Cole Opium (