When King Cole kindly sent me some of their new King Cole Firefly yarn to review along with pattern 6444 whilst I was isolating with covid, I must admit it was exactly the sort of project I needed. Something relatively quick, satisfyingly simple, and with enough visual interest to keep my brain occupied without requiring too much concentration when I wasn’t feeling my best.
I’d been eyeing up this pattern anyway, a raglan style short-sleeved sweater with pretty eyelet detailing around the cuffs, hems and raglan shaping. Having lost some weight this year, I’ve been experimenting with new shapes in my wardrobe and discovered I absolutely love short-sleeved sweaters. There’s something about them that works brilliantly dressed down with jeans and trainers for a bit of retail therapy or dressed up with black trousers and boots for an evening out. They’re that perfect versatile piece that earns its wardrobe space.
The Yarn, King Cole Firefly Review
Now, I’ll be honest, choosing which shade of Firefly to use was surprisingly difficult. They’re all gorgeous, with these mesmerising metallic colours that shift and shimmer as you work. I eventually settled on shade 6570 Firebug, and I think it suits me, the warm tones with that metallic sheen catch the light beautifully without being over the top.
Firefly is an aran weight yarn (65% polyester, 35% acrylic) that comes in 100g balls with 200m per ball. Being aran weight, this project absolutely flew off the needles, which was brilliant when I needed something achievable during isolation. I got gauge easily using the recommended 5mm needles.
The yarn itself is super soft and lightly spun, giving it a lightweight, airy feel that I wasn’t expecting from an aran weight. It wasn’t splitty or squeaky to work with (always a relief), and watching those metallic colours emerge in the stocking stitch fabric was genuinely mesmerising. There’s something quite meditative about watching the colour gradually shift as you work.
The finished fabric has a lovely drape. That lightly spun nature means the sweater drapes nicely without feeling heavy or restrictive. I’ve wet blocked the sweater but haven’t put it through a proper wash yet (I’ll be using a short gentle machine wash on cold when I do), so I can’t comment on pilling yet. I’ll update this once I’ve worn and washed it a few more times.
The Pattern, King Cole 6444 Review
This is a straightforward raglan construction with those pretty eyelet details worked into the cuffs, hems, and up the raglan shaping itself. It’s a smart design choice, the eyelets provide lovely detail without overwhelming what is, after all, a pretty spectacular yarn. Let the yarn be the star, and they absolutely did!
I knitted the sweater version (there’s also a cardigan, which I’m now considering making in the Lacewing colourway) in the largest size, which is designed to fit a 42″ bust. The finished sweater has a 44″ bust circumference, giving it a little positive ease, not too fitted, not too loose. The neck fit is spot on for me as well. I absolutely hate a sweater where the neck feels like it’s choking you, or one that sits so low that when you lean forward you flash everyone. This one gets it just right.
Disappointing Sizing
I do need to mention, though, that the pattern isn’t particularly size inclusive. The largest size being 42″ bust means a significant portion of the knitting community won’t be able to make this for themselves, and I’d really like to see King Cole expand their size ranges across more of their designs. There’s no reason this pattern couldn’t be extended in the size range to open it up to so many more knitters.
The pattern writing itself is good, I didn’t find any errors, which is always appreciated. That said, if you’re a newer knitter, be aware that King Cole’s pattern writing style is very concise. You might want to read through it a few times and keep notes on the shaping sections. Whenever I’m working a raglan sweater, I always write out my shaping line by line and cross them off as I work them. It just helps me keep track of where I am without having to constantly re-read the pattern instructions.
This is a simple sweater in terms of construction, but that concise style means you need to be comfortable reading patterns and understanding shaping instructions. I’d probably put this at a confident beginner to intermediate level, if you’ve made a few sweaters before and understand how raglan shaping works, you’ll be absolutely fine.
Making It for Myself
I don’t often knit for myself, partly because of time, most of my knitting time goes into work. And partly, if I’m honest, because I wasn’t confident in my body and making something for myself felt a little bit ‘showy’. I hope that makes sense? But I’m embracing my new size and shape now, and I’m genuinely enjoying finding new shapes and silhouettes that flatter me.
This jumper was a joy to make. Watching that Firebug colours develop, seeing the eyelets add their subtle detail, and knowing I was creating something that would actually suit my style and my life right now, it felt good. Really good.
Would I Recommend King Cole Firefly?
Absolutely, with a couple of caveats. If you’re within the size range and you’re after a relatively quick, satisfying knit that’ll give you a versatile wardrobe piece, this is a cracking combination. The Firefly yarn is a pleasure to work with, the pattern is well-written (just be prepared for that concise King Cole style), and the finished garment has turned out exactly as I’d hoped.
The yarn would work beautifully in other patterns too, anything where you want that drape and where the colour-shifting metallic effect can be the star. I’m already planning my next Firefly project.
If you’re outside that 42″ bust size range, though, you’ll need to look elsewhere or be confident enough to grade the pattern up yourself. That’s disappointing, and I genuinely hope King Cole addresses this across their range.
For me, this has been exactly what I needed, a project that reminded me why I love knitting for myself, a pattern that let the yarn shine, and a finished sweater that I know I’ll reach for again and again. Sometimes that’s all you need from a knit, isn’t it?
Full disclosure: King Cole kindly provided the yarn and pattern for this review, though as always, all opinions are entirely my own.
Lovely review of the yarn and pattern. As a new knitter, I found it particularly useful to read about the concise nature of the style of pattern writing. Thank you. You and the sweater look stunning