Matinee Coats, Bonnet, Hat & Bootees in King Cole 4Ply - 4687 - Downloadable PDF

King Cole 4687 – Matinee Coats, Bonnet, Hat & Bootees Knitted in King Cole 4Ply

Pattern King Cole 4687 is a classic baby knitting collection presented as a downloadable PDF. It covers five coordinating pieces — two versions of a matinee coat (a Cream version and a second colourway), a bonnet, a hat, and bootees — all sized to fit babies with a chest measurement of approximately 31–46 cm (12–18 inches). The designs are worked in King Cole 4Ply yarn, making them lightweight, soft, and ideal for newborn and infant wear. This is rated as an intermediate knitting project, suitable for knitters who are comfortable with shaping, lace-style pattern rows, and working multiple garment pieces.

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The Matinee Coat

The centrepiece of the collection is the matinee coat, a traditional baby jacket that falls to approximately mid-thigh length on an infant. The pattern includes instructions for multiple sizes within the 31–46 cm chest range, and knitters are encouraged to circle the size they wish to make before beginning.

Construction and Shaping

The coat is constructed in separate pieces — a Back, a Left Front, a Right Front, and sleeves — which are then seamed together. A key design feature is the raglan sleeve shaping, where the sleeve cap and body are decreased simultaneously to create a smooth, fitted shoulder line that is particularly practical and comfortable for babies. The front bands are worked as an integral part of the fronts rather than being picked up separately, giving a neat, professional finish.

Stitch Patterns and Techniques

• Garter stitch (gst) — every row knit — is used for the borders and front bands, providing a firm, non-curling edge.
• Stocking stitch (st-st) — right side knit, wrong side purl — forms the main body fabric.
• A decorative lace-effect pattern is incorporated into the body, using yarn-over movements (yrn, yfwd, yon) combined with slip stitches (sl2P — slip 2 stitches purlwise) and purl decreases to create a delicate, repeating motif suited to a heirloom-quality baby garment.
• Raglan shaping is worked using paired decreases: K2tog (knit two together) and sl1K, K1, psso (slip one knitwise, knit one, pass slipped stitch over), creating symmetrical, tidy raglan lines on both sides of each piece.
• Neck shaping is achieved by slipping stitches onto a thread to hold them, then working decreases to shape the neckline smoothly before finishing.
• M1 (make one stitch) — picking up the loop lying between the last stitch worked and the next stitch and knitting into the back of the loop — is used for increases where shaping requires it.

Materials for the Matinee Coat

• Yarn: King Cole 4Ply
• Needles: 3.25mm knitting needles

Tension

The stated tension is 28 stitches and 36 rows to 10 cm (4 inches) measured over the stitch patterns and stocking stitch on 3.25mm needles. Knitters are strongly advised to work a tension square before beginning and to adjust needle size accordingly — moving to finer needles if fewer stitches or rows are achieved, or to larger needles if more stitches or rows result.

The Bonnet

The bonnet is a traditional baby head covering designed to coordinate with the matinee coat. It is worked in King Cole 4Ply on 3.25mm needles and likely incorporates the same combination of garter stitch borders and