Circinus Pillow Cushion Knitting Pattern

Circinus Pillow in Berroco Gusto

What is Being Made

The Circinus pillow is a knitted decorative cushion cover designed by Emily Nora O'Neil. This beginner-friendly project creates an approximately 18-inch round pillow that fits a standard 18-inch knife-edge round pillow form. The finished piece features a two-sided design with contrasting colorwork and construction techniques.

Project Overview and Design

This knitting pattern produces a circular pillow with distinct sides. One side is worked as a solid color foundation, while the other side incorporates striped colorwork. The pillow is constructed using circular knitting worked in the round, beginning from a small cast-on that expands through strategic increases to reach the full 18-inch diameter. The design then reverses direction with decreases to complete the second side.

Knitting Techniques Used

The Circinus pillow employs several fundamental knitting techniques appropriate for beginner-level crafters:

• Working in the round using circular needles and double-pointed needles (dpns)
• Yarn overs (yo) for creating deliberate openwork and shaping increases
• Knit through back loop (k1TBL) and purl through back loop (p1TBL) to close holes formed by yarn overs
• Knit two together (k2tog) decreases for shaping the pillow
• Needle transitions as stitch counts change—moving from double-pointed needles to shorter circular needles, then to longer circular needles as the piece expands, and reversing this process during the decrease rounds
• Color changes for introducing contrast colors at specific points in the construction
• Marker placement to track the beginning of rounds

Stitches and Stitch Patterns

The pattern uses basic knitting stitches combined into a structured sequence:

• Knit stitch (K) and purl stitch (P) as foundational stitches
• Yarn over (yo) increases that create texture and shape simultaneously
• Knit two together (k2tog) for single decreases
• Pattern stitch (Pat St) as the primary stitch pattern, worked to a gauge of 9 stitches and 15 rounds over 4 inches
• Alternating knit and purl rounds to create textural variety between the solid and striped sides

Materials and Yarn

The Circinus pillow is designed specifically for Berroco Gusto yarn. This project requires:

• 2 balls of Berroco Gusto in #1982 Obsidian (main color/MC)
• 1 ball of Berroco Gusto in #1981 Alabaster (contrast color 1/CC1)
• 1 ball of Berroco Gusto in #1990 Sugilite (contrast color 2/CC2)

Each ball of Berroco Gusto weighs 100 grams. The yarn is worked at a gauge of 9 stitches and 15 rounds per 4 inches in pattern stitch. The pattern notes recommend using the exact yarn specified to ensure proper gauge and finished dimensions.

Needles and Tools

The pattern requires the following needle and accessory specifications:

• Size 13 (9.00 mm) circular knitting needles in both 16-inch and 29-inch lengths for working the expanding and contracting rounds
• Size 13 (9.00 mm) double-pointed needles (dpns) in a set of 4, used for the initial small cast-on and final decrease rounds
• Stitch marker for tracking the beginning of rounds
• Tapestry needle for weaving in yarn ends and finishing
• 18-inch knife-edge round pillow form for stuffing the completed cover