Sweaters & Jacket in King Cole Drifter For Baby - 5159 - Downloadable PDF

Sweaters & Jacket in King Cole Drifter For Baby - 5159

Project Overview

This downloadable PDF pattern from King Cole features a collection of knitted sweaters and a jacket designed for babies aged 0-4 years, with chest measurements ranging from 36-56 cm (14-22 inches). The designs are worked in King Cole DK weight yarn, making them suitable for intermediate knitters seeking classic baby garments with professional finishing.

Yarn & Materials

All garments in this pattern are knitted using King Cole DK (double knit) yarn, a versatile medium weight that provides excellent stitch definition and drape for baby clothing. The pattern requires 4mm knitting needles as the primary tool, with a cable needle needed for cable stitch techniques. The DK weight yarn ensures garments are warm yet lightweight, ideal for layering on babies.

Tension & Gauge

The pattern specifies a tension of 20 stitches and 36 rows to 10cm (4 inches) worked over garter stitch on 4mm needles. Checking tension before beginning is essential; if your gauge produces fewer stitches or rows than stated, switch to finer needles, and if you have more stitches or rows, use larger needles to ensure proper fit for the baby garments.

Knitting Techniques & Stitches

The pattern incorporates several fundamental and intermediate knitting techniques:

• Garter Stitch (gst) - Created by knitting every row, this textured stitch provides a classic, reversible fabric with excellent stretch and recovery, making it ideal for baby wear
• Cable Stitches - The pattern includes cable techniques such as C6B (cable 6 back), worked by slipping stitches onto a cable needle, placing them at the back of work, and knitting subsequent stitches before working the cable needle stitches, creating twisted rope-like textures
• Increases and Decreases - Standard shaping methods used to create proper fit through the body and sleeves
• Yarn Forward (yfwd) - A lace-making technique that creates decorative eyelet holes while maintaining stitch count
• Slip Stitches (sl) - Used for various purposes including cable work and edge finishing

Abbreviations & Pattern Notation

The pattern uses standard knitting abbreviations including K (knit), P (purl), st(s) (stitch/stitches), alt (alternate), approx (approximately), beg (beginning), inc (increase), dec (decrease), foll (following), patt (pattern), rem (remaining), rep (repeat), tog (together), and yfwd (yarn forward). Understanding these abbreviations is essential for following the pattern instructions accurately.

Garment Sizing

The collection accommodates babies from newborn through 4 years of age, with five size options featuring chest measurements of 36, 41, 46, 51, and 56 cm (14, 16, 18, 20, and 22 inches respectively). This range ensures proper fit as babies grow through their early years.

Pattern Purpose & Charity

For every King Cole pattern purchased, a donation is made to the Pink Ribbon Foundation, allowing crafters to contribute to charitable causes while creating beautiful handmade baby garments. The intermediate difficulty level makes this pattern suitable for knitters with foundational skills who are ready to expand their technique repertoire with cable work and shaping.