Sweater & Cardigan in King Cole Drifter Chunky - 4852 - Downloadable PDF

Pattern Summary: King Cole Drifter Chunky Sweater & Cardigan – Pattern 4852

This King Cole pattern 4852 is a downloadable PDF knitting pattern offering two classic garment designs in one leaflet: a pullover sweater and a cardigan, both knitted in King Cole Drifter Chunky yarn. Rated as intermediate difficulty, this pattern is ideal for knitters who are comfortable with shaping techniques and are ready to tackle the satisfying challenge of fully fashioned raglan construction. The pattern covers a wide range of adult sizes, from 71/76 cm (28/30 in) up to 112/117 cm (44/46 in) chest, making it a versatile choice for a variety of figures.

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Garment 1: The Sweater

The sweater is a classic pullover featuring a raglan sleeve construction, one of the most timeless and practical approaches to garment shaping. Raglan sleeves run diagonally from the underarm to the neckline, creating a smooth, comfortable fit across the shoulders without a traditional set-in sleeve seam. In this pattern, the raglans are worked as fully fashioned armholes, meaning the decreases are placed deliberately a stitch or two in from the edge, creating a visible and decorative shaping line that is a hallmark of quality knitwear.

Construction and Shaping

The sweater is worked in separate pieces — front, back, and sleeves — which are then seamed together. The front is cast on using 5mm needles for the ribbed welt, then the body is worked on 6mm needles to achieve the correct tension. Raglan shaping involves carefully placed decreases at each raglan edge, worked on right-side rows and alternating rows, producing the characteristic diagonal lines. The pattern specifies precise stitch counts at each stage of the shaping, guiding the knitter through the narrowing of stitches down to the neckline.

Neckline Finishing

The neckline is finished with a neat 2x2 rib neckband, worked over six rows and cast off loosely in rib to ensure a comfortable, stretchy opening. The make-up instructions begin with joining the left back raglan seam, followed by picking up stitches for the neckband, ensuring a tidy and professional finish.

Garment 2: The Cardigan

The cardigan shares the same raglan sleeve structure and overall aesthetic as the sweater but opens at the front, making it a practical layering piece. Like the sweater, it is designed with fully fashioned raglan shaping for a polished, structured look. The cardigan would typically feature button bands or front borders worked in rib, consistent with the pattern's use of 2x2 rib throughout for welts and edgings.

Stitches and Techniques Used

• Stocking Stitch (St-St): The main fabric of both garments. Worked by knitting right-side rows and purling wrong-side rows, stocking stitch creates a smooth, classic knitted surface that shows off the tonal, drifting colour effects of the yarn beautifully.
• 2x2 Rib: Used for welts, cuffs, neckbands, and edgings. Formed by repeating K2, P2 across the row, this stitch creates a stretchy, structured border that helps garments hold their shape at hems and openings.
• Fully Fashioned Raglan Decreases: A key technique in this pattern, these shaped decreases are worked at set intervals on raglan edges, typically using K2tog (knit two together) and sl1, K1, psso (slip one, knit one, pass slipped stitch over) to create mirrored, decorative shaping lines.
• Raglan Sleeve Construction: Both garments use raglan sleeves, which integrate the sleeve and body shaping into a continuous diagonal line from underarm to collar, offering excellent ease of movement.
• Casting Off Loosely in Rib: Used at neckbands and cuffs to maintain