You might remember back in my post about Exploring Thula yarn’s texture and shine in the Lace Tipped Cardigan, a knitting pattern designed by Rachel Brockman. I was so interested in UNIVERSAL YARN Thula’s texture and shine, and I really liked how it looked in the lace portion of the pattern that I added more lace. It has a wonderful halo while maintaining strong stitch definition.
This week, I’ve decided to explore Thula’s stitch definition further by designing a pillow cover using a couple of different cable stitches.
UNIVERSAL YARN Thula in the Delphinium Colorway
I’ve decided to make an envelope-style pillow cover with one side in honeycomb stitch from the center out and the other side in vertical cables with an overlapping section. Each side will have a different gauge, so I’ll have to consider each one separately. The pillow insert I’m using is an 18-inch square.
I’ll start with the honeycomb side. I want to start in the center, making four sections, and work to the outer edge in the round. To start, I made a swatch in honeycomb stitch on 3.5mm needles, with 24 stitches by 20 rows, measuring 3¾” across and 3” long after blocking. Here’s the 8-row repeat I used:
Row 1 (RS): Knit.
Row 2 (WS): Purl.
Row 3: *C4B, C4F*.
Row 4: Purl.
Row 5: Knit.
Row 6: Purl.
Row 7: *C4F, C4B*.
Row 8: Purl.
A honeycomb stitch swatch using UNIVERSAL YARN Thula.
For this project, I’m using my KnitPro Ginger Special Deluxe Interchangeable Needle Kit. It has shorter cables for smaller projects, perfect for making a swatch and getting my pillow cover started. As my project grows, I can switch to a longer compatible cable.
I’m using the KnitPro Ginger Special Deluxe Interchangeable Needle Kit and UNIVERSAL YARN Thula to make a pillow cover this week
Each honeycomb shape in the swatch is comprised of 8 stitches and 8 rows and measures 1¼” vertically as well as horizontally. This means the width must match the height as the pattern grows outward. I will add two stitches per quadrant per row, as the piece will grow by two rows on opposing sides as I complete each round. Each side should measure 18”, so I’ll work the pattern until each quadrant has 116 stitches.
Now I’m ready to cast on! I’m so excited to work with UNIVERSAL YARN Thula for this pillow cover! Join me tomorrow to see how I cast on to ensure there’s no center hole and how I modify the honeycomb stitch pattern to work from the center out in the round!
This is part 1 of 5 in this series
