Tahki Yarns Skyland Blanket & Pillow Knitting Pattern

Tahki Yarns Skyland Blanket & Pillow

Blanket Overview

The Skyland Blanket is a knitted throw measuring 35 inches wide by 43 inches long, designed as an advanced beginner project by Susan Baron. This blanket combines classic cable work with garter stitch borders to create a sophisticated yet approachable knitting pattern. The piece is worked flat from the bottom up using straightforward construction techniques that build foundational skills while producing a finished heirloom-quality textile.

Blanket Materials & Tools

• Yarn: Tahki Yarns Highland Roving, 100% fine highland wool, color #06 medium grey; 7 hanks total (5.3 oz/150g per hank; 90 yards/82.5 meters per hank)
• Needles: US size 17 (12.75mm) circular needle, 40 inches long
• Additional Tools: Cable needle, yarn needle, stitch markers
• Gauge: 9½ stitches and 14 rows = 4 inches in cable pattern, blocked

Blanket Techniques & Construction

The Skyland Blanket employs bottom-up construction, beginning with a cast-on of 75 stitches that is increased to 84 stitches via a purlwise increase row. The pattern uses seamed and seamless techniques, with the piece worked flat on circular needles without joining. The blanket features a structured design with 3-stitch garter stitch borders on both sides, which frame the central cable pattern and provide stability to the finished edges.

Blanket Stitches & Stitch Patterns

Two primary stitch patterns form the foundation of this design:

• Garter Stitch: Created by knitting every row, garter stitch appears on the first and last 3 stitches of every row, creating a textured, reversible border that frames the central design
• Cable Pattern: A 12-stitch repeat plus 6 stitches, the cable pattern features two primary cable crosses: the 2/1 Left Cross (2/1 LC) and 2/1 Right Cross (2/1 RC). The 2/1 LC involves slipping 2 stitches to a cable needle, holding in front, knitting 1 stitch, then knitting the 2 slipped stitches. The 2/1 RC reverses this sequence by slipping 1 stitch to a cable needle, holding in back, knitting 2 stitches, then knitting the slipped stitch. These crosses are worked on right-side rows, with purl rows on the wrong side, creating the dimensional cable texture

The cable pattern is worked over 12 rows, with rows 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11 containing the cable crosses, and even-numbered rows purled to establish the pattern. The blanket is worked until it measures approximately 41 inches from the beginning, ending after completing rows 13–15 of the cable pattern. A final decrease row reduces the stitch count back to 75 stitches before binding off knitwise.

Pillow Overview

The Skyland Pillow is a coordinating cushion cover measuring 20 inches square, designed to complement the blanket. Like the blanket, it is an advanced beginner project that employs cable techniques and garter stitch construction. The pillow can be finished with a removable zipper or sewn closed with poly-fil stuffing.

Pillow Materials & Tools

• Yarn: Tahki Yarns Highland Roving, 100% fine highland wool, color #06 medium grey; 4 hanks total (5.3 oz/150g per hank; 90 yards/82.5 meters per hank)
• Needles: US size 17 (12.75mm) circular needle, 24 inches long
• Additional Tools: Cable needle, yarn needle, stitch markers
• Finishing Options: 20-inch by 20-inch pillow form, or poly-fil stuffing; optional 18-inch zipper for removable cover
• Gauge: 9½ stitches and 14 rows = 4 inches in cable pattern, blocked