Noro Cabled Pillow Homeware Knitting Pattern

Noro Cabled Pillow

Project Overview

The Noro Cabled Pillow is an intermediate-level knitting project designed to create a finished homeware piece measuring approximately 22 x 22 inches (56 x 56 centimeters). This decorative pillow showcases classic cable knitting techniques combined with textured stitch patterns, making it an ideal project for knitters looking to develop their skills in cable work and garment finishing.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a square decorative pillow cover designed to fit a 22-inch square pillow form. The pillow is constructed with a front panel featuring prominent cable details and a back that is worked in two overlapping halves to create an opening for easy insertion and removal of the pillow form.

Construction Techniques

• Bottom-Up Construction: The pillow is worked from the bottom edge upward, allowing knitters to try on and adjust fit as they progress.
• Flat Knitting: All pieces are worked flat on straight needles rather than in the round, making this project accessible for knitters who prefer traditional flat construction methods.
• Cable Work: The pattern features cable stitches that require the use of a cable needle to create twisted, three-dimensional texture.
• Seamed Assembly: The finished pieces are seamed together to create the final pillow cover, requiring basic seaming skills.

Stitches and Stitch Patterns Used

The Noro Cabled Pillow incorporates several key stitches and techniques:

• Irish Moss Pattern: The primary stitch pattern used throughout the pillow, worked over a gauge of 13 stitches and 17 rows to 4 inches (10 centimeters).
• 8-Stitch Right Cable (8-st RC): Slip 4 stitches to cable needle and hold to back of work, knit 4 stitches, then knit 4 stitches from cable needle. This creates a cable that twists to the right.
• 8-Stitch Left Cable (8-st LC): Slip 4 stitches to cable needle and hold to front of work, knit 4 stitches, then knit 4 stitches from cable needle. This creates a cable that twists to the left.
• Knit and Purl Stitches: Basic knit and purl stitches form the foundation of the Irish Moss pattern and cable work.
• Yarn Over: Used to create new stitches and add texture to the pattern.
• Slip Stitches: Used for various decreasing and shaping techniques throughout the pattern.
• Slip, Slip, Knit/Purl Decreases: A method for decreasing stitches by slipping two stitches knitwise one at a time to the right-hand needle, then inserting the left-hand needle through the fronts of these stitches and knitting or purling them together.

Materials Required

• Yarn: 3 x 200-gram cakes of Noro Bachi in colorway #05. This yarn choice provides the necessary yardage and weight for the finished pillow dimensions.
• Needles: One pair of size US 10½ (6.5 millimeter) needles, or the size required to obtain the specified gauge of 13 stitches and 17 rows to 4 inches.
• Cable Needle: Required for working the cable stitches that create the pillow's textured design.
• Pillow Form: One 22-inch (56-centimeter) square pillow form to insert into the completed cover.

Gauge and Finishing Notes

Achieving the correct gauge is essential for this project. Knitters should work a gauge swatch using the specified needles and yarn, measuring 13 stitches and 17 rows over 4 inches in the Irish Moss pattern. The pattern notes that the back is worked in two halves that overlap to form an opening, allowing the pillow form to be inserted and secured within the cover. This construction method eliminates the need for a zipper or other closure mechanism while maintaining a polished, finished appearance.