Hoodie & Cardigan in King Cole Bramble DK - 5644 - Downloadable PDF

King Cole Bramble DK Hoodie & Cardigan – Pattern 5644: Detailed Summary

Pattern 5644 from King Cole is a downloadable PDF knitting pattern offering two children's designs worked in King Cole Bramble DK yarn: a Hoodie and a Cardigan. Both garments are sized to fit chest measurements of 56–76 cm (22–30 inches), making them suitable for younger children across a range of ages and builds. The pattern is rated intermediate in difficulty, meaning knitters should have a comfortable grasp of shaping, ribbing, and working pieces in one continuous section before attempting either design.

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About King Cole Bramble DK

Both garments are specifically designed for King Cole Bramble DK, a double knitting weight yarn. DK (double knitting) is one of the most versatile yarn weights in hand knitting — lighter than Aran but with enough body to produce well-defined stitch textures and a cosy, structured fabric. Bramble DK from King Cole is known for its soft handle and suitability for children's knitwear. Knitters should always check the yarn label for fibre content and care instructions before beginning.

Needles Required

The pattern calls for two needle sizes:

• 3¼mm needles – used for ribbed borders, hems, and cuffs
• 4mm needles – used for the main body fabric in stocking stitch

Needle size may need to be adjusted to achieve the correct tension. The pattern recommends using the thumb method for casting on.

Tension

The stated tension is 22 stitches and 28 rows to 10 cm (4 inches) over stocking stitch on 4mm needles. Achieving the correct tension is described as essential to ensure the garment comes out at the correct size. If fewer stitches than stated are produced over the tension square, thinner needles should be used; if more stitches appear, thicker needles are required.

The Hoodie

Construction Method

The Hoodie features a distinctive and clever construction: the body is knitted in one piece from cuff to cuff. This seamless-style approach means the knitter begins at one sleeve cuff, works across the body, and finishes at the opposite cuff, reducing the number of seams required and creating a smooth, comfortable finish for a child to wear. This method is particularly well-suited to children's garments where minimising bulk at seams adds to wearability.

Stitches and Techniques

• Stocking stitch – the primary fabric stitch, formed by alternating knit and purl rows, producing a smooth right side and a textured wrong side
• 2×2 rib – used extensively for cuffs, hems, and borders, formed by repeating k2, p2 across right-side rows and p2, k2 across wrong-side rows; this creates an elastic, neat edging that retains its shape through wear and washing
• Shaping – the pattern includes side seam shaping through cast-off rows, with specific stitch counts given for each of the five sizes
• Joining sections – the back and right front are joined mid-construction by knitting across held stitches and casting on additional stitches to bridge sections, a technique that requires careful attention to right and wrong sides
• Picking up and knitting – used to create the Right Front Hem Border, where stitches are picked up evenly along the lower row-end edge of the right front section, from the side seam cast-off edge to the front opening edge
• Casting off in rib – borders are finished by casting off while maintaining the rib pattern, which keeps the edge flexible and visually consistent

Key Pattern Details

The body begins with 38[42:46:46:50] stitches cast on using 3¼mm needles and the thumb method, working in 2×2 rib for the cuff. After the cuff, the