Apparel Accessories Knitted in King Cole Merino Blend DK - 5859 - Downloadable PDF

Apparel Accessories Knitted in King Cole Merino Blend DK – Pattern 5859

This King Cole pattern 5859 is a collection of knitted apparel accessories, presented as a downloadable PDF designed for intermediate-level knitters. The pattern features multiple accessory designs worked in King Cole Merino Blend DK yarn, making it an excellent choice for knitters who want to expand their skills while creating practical, stylish pieces. As part of King Cole's ongoing commitment to charitable giving, a donation is made to the Pink Ribbon Foundation with every pattern purchase.

About the Yarn and Materials

All designs in this pattern are worked in King Cole Merino Blend DK, a double knitting weight yarn that combines the natural warmth and softness of merino wool with the durability and easy-care properties of a blended fibre. DK weight yarn is one of the most versatile yarn weights in hand knitting, sitting between lightweight sport yarn and heavier aran weight, making it ideal for accessories that need to be both comfortable against the skin and hardwearing in everyday use. Knitters are advised to check their tension carefully before beginning any of the projects, as achieving the correct tension is essential to ensuring each accessory comes out to the correct size and shape.

Recommended Needles

As with all DK weight knitting patterns, appropriately sized knitting needles for the stated tension are required. Knitters should work a tension square before commencing any project and adjust needle size accordingly — using a larger needle if there are too few stitches to 10cm, or a smaller needle if there are too many.

Techniques and Construction

The pattern employs a range of classic and intermediate knitting techniques suited to accessory construction. These include:

• Stocking stitch (st-st) – worked with the knit side as the right side and purl side as the wrong side, creating a smooth, classic fabric ideal for structured accessories
• Reversed stocking stitch (rev st-st) – the mirror of standard stocking stitch, with the purl side used as the right side for a textured, ridged surface effect
• Garter stitch (gst) – every row knitted, producing a reversible, slightly elastic fabric with a characteristic ridged appearance, often used for borders, edgings, and simple panels
• Increases and decreases – standard shaping techniques used to create fitted or tapered sections within the accessories
• Slipping stitches – used for decorative or structural purposes, including the pass slipped stitch over (psso) technique commonly found in decrease sequences
• Yarn forward (yfwd) and yarn round needle (yrn) – techniques used to create yarn-over increases, often forming eyelets or lace-effect details
• Knitting through the back of stitch (tbs) – a technique that twists the stitch, adding definition and structure to certain pattern elements
• Working with main yarn (M) and contrast yarn (C) – indicating that at least some designs incorporate two-colour knitting or contrast colour detailing

Stitches Used

The pattern draws on a solid foundation of core knitting stitches, making it accessible to intermediate knitters while still offering enough variety to keep the projects engaging. Key stitches and stitch techniques referenced throughout the pattern include:

• Knit (K) and purl (P) – the fundamental building blocks of all the fabric structures used
• Knitting and purling together (tog) – used for decreasing stitch counts during shaping
• Slip (sl) – slipping stitches either with yarn in back (wyib) or with yarn in front (wyif), depending on the pattern requirement
• Pass slipped stitch over (psso) – a left-leaning decrease commonly paired with a slip stitch
• Yarn forward (yfwd) and yarn round needle (yrn) – used to create new stitches or decorative openwork effects

The Accessory Designs

Pattern 5859 presents four individual accessory designs, as indicated by the numbered layout (1, 2, 3, 4) visible within