Girls' Coats in King Cole Drifter Chunky - 4606 - Downloadable PDF

Girls' Coats Knitted in King Cole Drifter Chunky – Pattern 4606

This downloadable PDF knitting pattern from King Cole provides instructions for knitting girls' coats in King Cole Drifter Chunky yarn. The pattern covers a size range of 61–81 cm (24–32 inches), making it suitable for a broad range of girls' sizes. Rated as an advanced knitting project, this pattern is best suited to experienced knitters who are comfortable working with cable techniques and shaping. For every King Cole pattern purchased, a donation is made to the Pink Ribbon Foundation.

What Is Being Made

The pattern instructs knitters in constructing girls' coats — a classic, structured outerwear garment designed to be warm, stylish, and practical. The inclusion of a decorative cable panel adds a sophisticated textural detail that elevates the coat beyond a simple knitted garment. The finished coat is intended to fit chest sizes from 61 cm to 81 cm (24 in to 32 in), spanning a useful range of children's sizes.

Materials Required

Yarn

• King Cole Drifter Chunky is the specified yarn for this pattern. Drifter Chunky is a self-striping, multi-tonal yarn known for its softness and gently variegated colourways, which add visual interest without the need for complex colourwork.
• The yarn is a chunky weight, which means the coat works up relatively quickly and produces a warm, substantial fabric ideal for outerwear.

Needles

• The pattern specifies 6 mm knitting needles as the primary needle size to achieve the stated tension.
• A cable needle is also required for working the cable panel stitches.
• As with all knitting patterns, needle size should be adjusted if necessary to match the stated tension — thinner needles if too few stitches are produced, thicker needles if too many.

Tension

Achieving the correct tension is described as essential to ensure the finished coat matches the intended sizing. The stated tension is 14 stitches and 20 rows to 10 cm (4 inches) measured over stocking stitch on 6 mm needles. Additionally, the cable panel of 20 stitches measures 9.5 cm (3¾ inches) in width, which knitters should also check before beginning the main pieces.

Stitches and Techniques Used

Primary Stitches

• Stocking stitch — the main body fabric of the coat is worked in stocking stitch, created by knitting on right-side rows and purling on wrong-side rows. This produces a smooth, flat fabric on the right side.
• Knit (k) and purl (p) stitches form the foundation of all sections of the coat.

Cable Panel

• A cable panel of 20 stitches is incorporated into the coat design, adding a classic raised rope or twist texture. This is a hallmark of traditional British knitting design and gives the coat a premium, tailored appearance.
• The special abbreviation C4F is defined in the pattern: slip the next 2 stitches onto a cable needle and hold at the front of the work, knit 2 stitches from the left needle, then knit the 2 stitches from the cable needle. This creates a four-stitch front cable cross, which twists stitches to the left and is the building block of the cable panel design.
• Working cables requires a cable needle to temporarily hold stitches while others are worked, a technique that is straightforward once practised but is one reason this pattern is classified as advanced.

Shaping Techniques

• Increasing (inc) and decreasing (dec) are used throughout to shape the coat pieces — including armholes, sleeves, and any front or collar shaping typical of a structured coat.