Inspired by the hidden currents beneath California’s landscape, the River Textured Pillow is a stunning blend of movement and structure. Its central motif of alternating large and small not-quite-cables mimics the convergence of underground water sources, while angled stitches ripple across a reverse stockinette background. Finished with elegant tassels, this pillow invites both visual intrigue and tactile appeal—an artful nod to nature’s unseen pathways.
The pillow is knit in the round and utilizes a sock-inspired cast on that eliminates most of the seaming. A ridge is knit into each side to mark where the tassels will attach and make placement easier.
Time: 3-week project
Skill Level: Intermediate
Size: 15″ square
Gauge: 24 sts and 40 rows = 4” [10 cm] in St st after wet blocking
Materials
Yarn: Scheepjes Stone Washed (78% cotton 22% acrylic; 130 meters]/50 grams: Color 814 Crystal Quartz 8 balls
Needles: US size 4 (3.25 mm) 24” circular needles
Notions: Stitch marker, 2 cable needles, tapestry needle, piece of cardboard 3″ (6.5cm) across
Abbreviations
BOR: Beginning of round
Special Stitches
K1 elong: Knit one elongated by wrapping the st twice. When this stitch is worked on next round the extra wrap is dropped from needle.
1/1 RPC elong: slip 1 to cn, hold to back, k1 wrapping twice, p1 from cn
1/1 LPC elong: slip 1 to cn, hold to front, p1, k1 wrapping twice from cn
1/2/1 RPC: slip 1 to cn, hold to back, p1, sl 1 to cn, hold to back, k1, k1 from cn, p1 from cn
1/2/1 RC: slip 2 to cn, hold to back, k1, k1 from cn, k1, k1 from cn
Pattern Notes
This pattern is worked in the round from the bottom up. Near the top, half of the stitches are bound off and half are knit onward to create a flap that is later stitched down on its sides to the the inside of the pillow, creating an envelope-like closure to cover the pillow insert.
Pattern
Using Judy’s Magic Cast On, CO 216 sts across 2 ndls (108 sts per ndl).
Flip the needles over before beginning to work so that the purl side becomes the RS.
PM for BOR.
Round 1: P to end.
Rounds 2-31: K1, follow Stitch Chart for 108 sts, k1, p108.
or follow written instructions below:
Round 2: K1, p1, (p1, k elong, p1) x 15, p1, k elong, p4, (k1, p2) x 2, p2, k elong, p1, (p1, k elong, p1) x 15, p1, k1, p108.
Round 3: K1, p1, (p1, sl1, p1) x 15, p1, sl1, p4, (k1, p2) x 2, p2, sl1, p1, (p1, sl1, p1) x 15, p1, k1, p108.
Round 4: K1, p1, (1/1 rpc elong, p1) x 15, 1/1 rpc elong, p4, (k elong, p2) x 2, p2, 1/1 lpc elong, (p1, 1/1 lpc elong) x 15, p1, k1, p108.
Round 5: K1, p1, (sl1, p2) x 15, sl1, p5, 1/2/1 rpc, p5, sl1, (p2, sl1) x 15, p1, k1, p108.
Round 6: K1, (1/1 rpc elong, p1) x 15, 1/1 rpc elong, p6, k2, p6, 1/1 lpc elong, (p1, 1/1 lpc elong) x 15, k1, p108.
Round 7: K1, p1, (p2, sl1) x 15, p7, k2, p7, (sl1, p2) x 15, p1, k1, p108.
Round 8: k1, p1, (p1, 1/1 rpc elong) x 15, p7, k elong x 2, p7, (1/1 lpc elong, p1) x 15, p1, k1, p108
Round 9: K1, p1, (p1, sl1, p1) x 15, p1, sl1, p4, 1/2/1 rc, p4, sl1, p1, (p1, sl1, p1) x 15, p1, k1, p108
Round 10: K1, p1, (1/1 rpc elong, p1) x 15, 1/1 rpc elong, p4, (k1, p2) x 2, p2, 1/1 lpc elong, (p1, 1/1 lpc elong) x 15, p1, k1, p108
Round 11: K1, p1, (sl1, p2) x 15, sl1, p4, (p1, k1, p1) x 2, p4, sl1, (p2, sl1) x 15, p1, k1, p108
Round 12: K1, (1/1 rpc elong, p1) x 15, 1/1 rpc elong, p4, (p1, k1, p1) x 2, p4, 1/1 lpc elong, (p1, 1/1 lpc elong) x 15, k1, p108
Round 13: K1, p1, (p2, sl1) x 15, p6, (k1, p2) x 2, p4, (sl1, p2) x 15, p1, k1, p108
Round 14: K1, p1, (p1, 1/1 rpc elong) x 15, p6, (k elong, p2) x 2, p4, (1/1 lpc elong, p1) x 15, p1, k1, p108
Round 15: K1, p1, (p1, sl1, p1) x 15, p1, sl1, p4, 1/2/1 rpc, p4, sl1, p1, (p1, sl1, p1) x 15, p1, k1, p108
Round 16: K1, p1, (1/1 rpc elong, p1) x 15, 1/1 rpc elong, p5, k2, p5, 1/1 lpc elong, (p1, 1/1 lpc elong) x 15, p1, k1, p108
Round 17: K1, p1, (sl1, p2) x 15, sl1, p6, k2, p6, sl1, (p2, sl1) x 15, p1, k1, p108
Round 18: K1, (1/1 rpc elong, p1) x 15, 1/1 rpc elong, p6, k elong x 2, p6, 1/1 lpc elong, (p1, 1/1 lpc elong) x 15, k1, p108
Round 19: K1, p1, (p2, sl1) x 15, p6, 1/2/1 rc, p6, (sl1, p2) x 15, p1, k1, p108
Round 20: K1, p1, (p1, 1/1 rpc elong) x 15, p6, (k1, p2) x 2, p4, (1/1 lpc elong, p1) x 15, p1, k1, p108
Round 21: K1, p1, (p1, sl1, p1) x 15, p1, sl1, p4, (k1, p2) x 2, p2, sl1, p1, (p1, sl1, p1) x 15, p1, k1, p108
Round 22: K1, p1, (1/1 rpc elong, p1) x 15, 1/1 rpc elong, p4, (k1, p2) x 2, p2, 1/1 lpc elong, (p1, 1/1 lpc elong) x 15, p1, k1, p108
Round 23: K1, p1, (sl1, p2) x 15, sl1, p4, (p1, k1, p1) x 2, p4, sl1, (p2, sl1) x 15, p1, k1, p108
Round 24: K1, (1/1 rpc elong, p1) x 15, 1/1 rpc elong, p4, (p1, k elong, p1) x 2, p4, 1/1 lpc elong, (p1, 1/1 lpc elong) x 15, k1, p108
Round 25: K1, p1, (p2, sl1) x 15, p6, 1/2/1 rpc, p6, (sl1, p2) x 15, p1, k1, p108
Round 26: K1, p1, (p1, 1/1 rpc elong) x 15, p7, k2, p7, (1/1 lpc elong, p1) x 15, p1, k1, p108
Round 27: K1, p1, (p1, sl1, p1) x 15, p1, sl1, p5, k2, p5, sl1, p1, (p1, sl1, p1) x 15, p1, k1, p108
Round 28: K1, p1, (1/1 rpc elong, p1) x 15, 1/1 rpc elong, p5, k elong x 2, p5, 1/1 lpc elong, (p1, 1/1 lpc elong) x 15, p1, k1, p108
Round 29: K1, p1, (sl1, p2) x 15, sl1, p5, 1/2/1 RC, p5, sl1, (p2, sl1) x 15, p1, k1, p108
Round 30: K1, (1/1 rpc elong, p1) x 15, 1/1 rpc elong, p4, (p1, k1, p1) x 2, p4, 1/1 lpc elong, (p1, 1/1 lpc elong) x 15, k1, p108
Round 31: K1, p1, (p2, sl1) x 15, p6, (k1, p2) x 2, p4, (sl1, p2) x 15, p1, k1, p108
Round 32-161: Work Rounds 2-31 four more times, then work Rounds 2-11 once more.
Round 162: BO1, p108, BO 109.
Round 163: P to end.
Round 164: K to end.
Rep Rounds 163 and 164 for 4″ (10 cm).
BO. Break yarn, leaving a 12″ (30 cm) tail for sewing flap.
Finishing
Turn pillow inside out. Using mattress stitch, sew down each side of flap to inside seam of pillow.
Weave in ends. Block to measurements.
Make 12 tassels: For each, wrap yarn 25 times around a piece of cardboard 3″ (6.5 cm) across. Break yarn. Insert a separate strand of yarn at top of loop and tie off. Cut bottom edge of wraps where they cross bottom edge of cardboard. Wrap a separate strand of yarn around all wraps several times 1″ (2.5 cm) from top of tassel and tie off. Trip ends.
Sew tassels to corners and down sides of pillow into furrow created by the single knit st on each side.
