Shirt & Top in King Cole Opium Palette - 5356 - Downloadable PDF

King Cole Opium Palette Pattern 5356 – Knitted Shirt & Top Summary

Pattern 5356 from King Cole is a downloadable PDF knitting pattern featuring two garment designs: a Shirt and a Top, both knitted in King Cole Opium Palette yarn. The pattern is rated as intermediate in difficulty and is suitable for knitters who are comfortable working with basic shaping techniques and textured stitches. The designs are sized to fit bust measurements of 81–107 cm (32–42 in), offering a generous size range that covers smaller through larger adult sizes.

About the Designs

The Shirt

The Shirt is a structured, wearable knitted top designed with a classic silhouette. It features a Right Front panel construction, indicating it is worked in separate pieces that are seamed together — a traditional flat-knitting approach. The shaping details, including cast-off and remaining stitch instructions for the front sections, suggest tailored armhole and neckline shaping typical of a button-front or open-front shirt style. This makes it a versatile layering piece suitable for casual or smart-casual wear.

The Top

The Top is a companion design within the same pattern leaflet, offering a slightly different silhouette or finish while using the same yarn and needle specifications. Like the Shirt, it is constructed using flat knitting techniques and incorporates the same foundational stitch pattern. The two designs together give knitters the flexibility to choose a style that best suits their wardrobe needs.

Techniques Used

• Flat knitting – both garments are worked in flat pieces and seamed, rather than knitted in the round
• Garment shaping – including increasing (inc), decreasing (dec), and casting off stitches to create armhole, shoulder, and neckline shaping
• Tension/gauge swatching – the pattern strongly emphasises checking tension before beginning, with guidance on adjusting needle size if needed
• Seaming – separate front, back, and sleeve (if applicable) panels are joined after knitting

Stitches Used

• Moss stitch – the primary stitch pattern used throughout both garments; moss stitch creates a beautifully textured, non-curling fabric by alternating knit and purl stitches in a specific sequence, making it ideal for garment pieces that need to lie flat
• Garter stitch (gst) – every row knitted, typically used for borders, hems, or edging details to add a neat, firm finish
• Knit (K) and Purl (P) – the fundamental stitches forming the basis of all stitch patterns in the design
• Slip stitch (sl) – used selectively within shaping or edging sections
• Yarn forward (yfwd) – used to create decorative effects or as part of the stitch pattern construction

Materials

• Yarn: King Cole Opium Palette – a chunky weight yarn, known for its soft, luxurious feel and richly blended palette colourways that add visual interest without the need for complex colourwork
• Needles: 6mm knitting needles are specified for the main fabric
• Tension: 14 stitches and 23 rows to 10 cm (4 in) over moss stitch on 6mm needles — achieving this tension is essential before beginning either garment

Who Is This Pattern For?

This pattern is best suited to intermediate knitters who are familiar with reading multi-size knitting patterns, working basic garment shaping, and achieving an accurate tension swatch. The use of chunky weight yarn on 6mm needles means the fabric grows quickly, making these projects satisfying to knit without being overly time-consuming. The moss stitch construction adds