The Cozy Celtic Circle Pillow embodies the timeless allure of Celtic knots, where intricate lines weave over and under in mesmerizing loops. Perfect for couches, arm chairs and even the guest bedroom, this cozy and sophisticated design will elevate your home’s style. Designed to showcase cables intricately worked in the round, this complex pillow blends traditional Celtic aesthetics with modern knitting techniques to a truly remarkable project.
By Laura Barker
Time: Weekend Project
Skill Level: Intermediate
Size: 12” diameter round
Gauge: 15 sts and 21 rnds = 4″ [10 cm] in St st after wet blocking
Materials
Yarn: Cascade Yarns 220 Superwash Aran (100% Merino; 150 yd [137 m] / 3.5 oz [100 g]): #330 Shortbread, 2 skeins.
Needles: US size 9 (5.5 mm): circulars (cir) or double-pointed (dpn) for working small circumference in the round. Extra circulars, same diameter or smaller, to hold front and backs while working 3-needle I-cord bind-off. Adjust needle size if necessary to obtain the correct gauge.
Notions: marker, tapestry needle, six 13/16” buttons.
Special Stitches
Incto3[ktbl, k, ktbl]: Knit into back and front of next st; lift left leg of original st, ktbl. 2 sts inc.
Incto3[ktbl, p, ktbl]: Knit into back and purl into front of next st; lift left leg of original st, ktbl. 2 sts inc.
5-to-1 Decrease: Slip 1st st kwise, slip 2nd st kwise, purl 3rd st, pass 2nd st over 3rd st, slip 3rd st to left needle, pass 4th st over 3rd st, slip 3rd st to right needle, pass 1st st over 3rd st, slip 3rd st to left needle, pass 5th st over 3rd st, slip 3rd st to right needle. 4 sts dec.
2/1 RPC – sl 1 st onto cn, hold in back, k2, p1 from cn
2/1 LPC – sl 2 sts onto cn, hold in front, p1, k2 from cn
2/2 RPC – sl 2 sts onto cn, hold in back, k2, p2 from cn
2/2 LPC – sl 2 sts onto cn, hold in front, p2, k2 from cn
2/1/2 RPC – sl 2 sts onto first cn and hold in back, sl 1 st onto 2nd cn and hold in back, k2, p1 from 2nd cn, k2 from first cn
2/1/2 LPC – sl 2 sts onto first cn and hold in front, sl 1 st onto 2nd cn and hold in back, k2, p1 from 2nd cn, k2 from first cn
LLIp [Left Lifted Purl Increase]: With left needle lift the stitch below the stitch just worked, inserting needle through purl bump from underneath and purl it. 1 stitch increased.
Pf&kb: Purl into front of stitch; then knit into back of same stitch. 1 st inc.
RLIp [Right Lifted Purl Increase]: With right needle lift the stitch below the next stitch, inserting needle through purl bump from underneath; place loop on right needle (note loop is reverse oriented); purl through the back loop. 1 stitch increased.
Disappearing Loop Cast-on: The disappearing loop cast-on goes by many names and involves casting on a few stitches into a loop. This method may be used interchangeably with other methods for casting on a few stitches at the center, including Emily Ocker’s Cast-On. Starting with a 12” tail, form a loop with the tail to the left and the working yarn crossing over and to the right. Insert LH needle into loop. Make sure the loop “stitch” is not too tight, so you can work 6 stitches into it. The loop will be tightened later. While the loop “stitch” needs to be a little loose, the stitches you cast on should be relatively tight. Maintaining your hold on the tail, and working into the loop “stitch”, (k1, p1) 3 times, creating 6 stitches. If your tail is hard to pull, don’t worry, it should loosen up in the first round.
To begin your first round, slide the stitches to the other end of your needle. If using dpns, work 2 stitches onto each of three dpns. If using magic loop, work three stitches, and then pull RH needle through 3 stitches just worked so they are in middle of cable; work remaining three stitches. If using two circulars, work first three stitches with second needle, and final three stitches with original needle. Mark beginning of round.
Garter Tab Cast-on: My method of working a Garter Tab Cast-on is a bit different than most, and doesn’t involve picking up stitches. Slipped stitches make the outside edge of the garter border smooth. If using a more traditional Garter Tab Cast-on, it needs to be 4 stitches x 5 rows (2 garter bumps, and then 2 stitches picked up, for a total of 10 stitches). Using Judy’s Magic Cast-on (free instructions from Knitty Spring 2006), cast-on 4 sts onto each needle. 8 sts. For garter stitch, we want to see the purl bumps on what is normally the WS. Taking care to keep the working yarn and yarn tail secure and keeping all stitches where they have been cast on, rotate needles from pointing at the left wall forward to pointing at you, and keep rotating until the they are pointed at the right wall with purl bumps showing. The top needle is still on top. With both needles pointing right, pull yarn tail to left and keep it trapped with working yarn. Carefully pull bottom needle through 4 bottom stitches until bottom stitches are in center of cable. To help keep the RS and WS straight; note that the yarn tail is at the outside edge of your shawl.
Row 1 (RS): Sl1p wyif, k3; turn.
Row 2 (WS): Pf&kb, k3; turn. 5 sts on needle, 4 on cable.
Row 3: Sl1p wyif, k3; turn. (1 st remains unworked)
Row 4: Pf&kb, k3; turn. 6 sts on needle, 4 on cable.
Pull right needle through stitches just worked, sliding them onto cable with provisional stitches. 10 sts. Slide stitches back onto needle.
Row 5: Knit.
I-cord 3-needle bind-off:
After casting on 3 stitches, with wrong sides facing:
- Slide 3 I-cord sts onto back LH needle.
- Using 3rd needle: K2, Sl1kwise from I-cord, Sl1kwise from Pillow Front, p1 from Pillow Back, pass slipped sts over.
Repeat steps 1 and 2 until desired number of sts are bound off.
Note that pillow front and backs may be on smaller needles for bind-off; Needle used to knit I-cord sts must be size used to work front and backs,
Standard Repeat:
Round 2: P1, LLIp. (2 sts)
Round 3: Purl.
Round 4: (P1, LLIp) × 2. (4 sts)
Round 5: P2, p tbl, p1.
Round 6: P1, RLIp, p1, incto3[ktbl, k, ktbl], p1, LLIp. (8 sts)
Round 7: P3, k1, incto3[ktbl, p, ktbl], k1, p2. (10 sts)
Round 8: P2, LLIp, 2/1 RPC, k1, 2/1 LPC, RLIp, p1. (12 sts)
Round 9: P2, 2/1 RPC, p3, 2/1 LPC, p1.
Round 10: P2, LLIp, k2, p5, k2, RLIp, p1. (14 sts)
Round 11: P2, 2/1 RPC, p5, 2/1 LPC, p1.
Round 12: P1, 2/1 RPC, RLIp, p7, LLIp, 2/1 LPC. (16 sts)
Round 13: 2/1/2 LPC, p11.
Round 14: P1, 2/1 LPC, p9, 2/1 RPC.
Round 15: P2, 2/1 LPC, RLIp, p7, LLIp, 2/1 RPC, p1. (18 sts)
Round 16: P3, 2/1 LPC, p7, 2/1 RPC, p2.
Round 17: P4, k2, p7, k2, p3.
Round 18: P4, LLIp, 2/1 LPC, p5, 2/1 RPC, RLIp, p3. (20 sts)
Round 19: P6, 2/1 LPC, p3, 2/1 RPC, p5.
Round 20: P7, 2/1 LPC, p1, 2/1 RPC, p6.
Round 21: P7, LLIp, p1, 2/1/2 RPC, p1, RLIp, p6. (22 sts)
Round 22: P8, 2/1 RPC, p1, 2/1 LPC, p7.
Round 23: P7, 2/1 RPC, p3, 2/1 LPC, p6.
Round 24: P6, 2/1 RPC, RLIp, p5, LLIp, 2/1 LPC, p5. (24 sts)
Round 25: P4, 2/2 RPC, p9, 2/2 LPC, p3.
Round 26: P3, 2/1 RPC, p13, 2/1 LPC, p2.
Round 27: P2, 2/1 RPC, RLIp, p15, LLIp, 2/1 LPC, p1. (26 sts)
Round 28: P1, 2/1 RPC, p19, 2/1 LPC. (28 sts)
Round 29: Dec5to1, p21. (26 sts)
Round 30: P9, LLIp, p5, RLIp, p8. (24 sts)
Rounds 31 – 32: Purl.
Final Repeat:
Rounds 2-8: Same as Standard repeat.
Round 9: P2, 2/1 RPC, p3, 2/1 LPC, RLIp, p1. (13 sts)
Round 10: P2, LLIp, k2, p5, 2/1 LPC, p1. (14 sts)
Round 11: P2, 2/1 RPC, p6, 2/1 LPC.
Round 12: P1, 2/1 RPC, RLIp, p7, LLIp, p1. (14 sts)
Round 13: 2/1/2 LPC, p10, 2/1 RPC. (18 sts)
Round 14: P1, 2/1 LPC, p8, 2/1 RPC, p1. (16 sts)
Round 15: P2, 2/1 LPC, RLIp, p7, LLIp, k2, p2. (18 sts)
Rounds 16-23: Same as Standard Repeat.
Round 24: P6, 2/1 RPC, RLIp, p5, LLIp, 2/2 LPC, p4. (24 sts)
Round 25: P4, 2/2 RPC, p10, 2/1 LPC, p3.
Round 26: P3, 2/1 RPC, p13, 2/2 LPC, p1.
Round 27: P2, 2/1 RPC, RLIp, p15, LLIp, p1, 2/1 LPC. (26 sts)
Round 28: P1, 2/1 RPC, p20. (28 sts)
Rounds 29 – 32: Same as Standard Repeat.
Pattern
Pillow Front
Using disappearing loop method, CO 6 sts.
Round 1: Distributing stitches as specified above, P6; place marker.
Work Rounds 2-32 from chart or written instructions, working Standard Repeat five times and Final Repeat once.
Round 2: [P1, LLIp] 6 times. (12 sts)
Round 3: Purl.
Round 4: [(P1, LLIp) × 2] 6 times. (24 sts)
Round 5: [P2, p tbl, p1] 6 times.
Round 6: [P1, RLIp, p1, incto3[ktbl, k, ktbl], p1, LLIp] 6 times. (48 sts)
Round 7: [P3, k1, incto3[ktbl, p, ktbl], k1, p2] 6 times. (60 sts)
Round 8: [P2, LLIp, 2/1 RPC, k1, 2/1 LPC, RLIp, p1] 6 times. (72 sts)
Round 9: [P2, 2/1 RPC, p3, 2/1 LPC, p1] 5 times, p2, 2/1 RPC, p3, 2/1 LPC, RLIp, p1. (73 sts)
Round 10: [P2, LLIp, k2, p5, k2, RLIp, p1] 5 times, p2, LLIp, k2, p5, 2/1 LPC, p1. (84 sts)
Round 11: [P2, 2/1 RPC, p5, 2/1 LPC, p1] 5 times, p2, 2/1 RPC, p6, 2/1 LPC.
Round 12: [P1, 2/1 RPC, RLIp, p7, LLIp, 2/1 LPC] 5 times, p1, 2/1 RPC, RLIp, p7, LLIp, p1. (94 sts)
Round 13: [2/1/2 LPC, p11] 5 times, 2/1/2 LPC, p10, 2/1 RPC. (98 sts)
Round 14: [P1, 2/1 LPC, p9, 2/1 RPC] 5 times, p1, 2/1 LPC, p8, 2/1 RPC, p1. (96 sts)
Round 15: [P2, 2/1 LPC, RLIp, p7, LLIp, 2/1 RPC, p1] 5 times, p2, 2/1 LPC, RLIp, p7, LLIp, k2, p2. (108 sts)
Round 16: [P3, 2/1 LPC, p7, 2/1 RPC, p2] 6 times.
Round 17: [P4, k2, p7, k2, p3] 6 times.
Round 18: [P4, LLIp, 2/1 LPC, p5, 2/1 RPC, RLIp, p3] 6 times. (120 sts)
Round 19: [P6, 2/1 LPC, p3, 2/1 RPC, p5] 6 times.
Round 20: [P7, 2/1 LPC, p1, 2/1 RPC, p6] 6 times.
Round 21: [P7, LLIp, p1, 2/1/2 RPC, p1, RLIp, p6] 6 times. (132 sts)
Round 22: [P8, 2/1 RPC, p1, 2/1 LPC, p7] 6 times.
Round 23: [P7, 2/1 RPC, p3, 2/1 LPC, p6] 6 times.
Round 24: [P6, 2/1 RPC, RLIp, p5, LLIp, 2/1 LPC, p5] 5 times, p6, 2/1 RPC, RLIp, p5, LLIp, 2/2 LPC, p4. (144 sts)
Round 25: [P4, 2/2 RPC, p9, 2/2 LPC, p3] 5 times, p4, 2/2 RPC, p10, 2/1 LPC, p3.
Round 26: [P3, 2/1 RPC, p13, 2/1 LPC, p2] 5 times, p3, 2/1 RPC, p13, 2/2 LPC, p1.
Round 27: [P2, 2/1 RPC, RLIp, p15, LLIp, 2/1 LPC, p1] 5 times, p2, 2/1 RPC, RLIp, p15, LLIp, p1, 2/1 LPC. (156 sts)
Round 28: [P1, 2/1 RPC, p19, 2/1 LPC] 5 times, p1, 2/1 RPC, p20. (154 sts)
Round 29: [Dec5to1, p21] 6 times. (132 sts)
Round 30: [P9, LLIp, p5, RLIp, p8] 6 times. (144 sts)
Rounds 31 – 32: Purl.
Partial Round: K12.
Pillow front is complete.
Pillow Lower Back
Work 4 st x 4 row Garter Tab from instructions above or desired method. (10 sts)
Row 1 and all odd (WS) Rows: Sl1p wyif, k3, p to last 4 sts, k4.
Row 2 (RS): Sl1p wyif, k3, (k1, LLI) 2 times, k4; turn. (12 sts)
Row 4: Sl1p wyif, k3, (k1, LLI) 4 times, k4. (16 sts)
Row 6: Sl1p wyif, k3, (k1, LLI) 8 times, k4. (24 sts)
Row 8: Sl1p wyif, k3, (k1, LLI, k1) 8 times, k4. (32 sts)
Row 10: Sl1p wyif, k3, (k3, LLI, k3) 4 times, k4. (36 sts)
Row 12: Sl1p wyif, k3, (k5, RLI, k2) 4 times, k4. (40 sts)
Row 14: Sl1p wyif, k3, (k4, LLI, k4) 4 times, k4. (44 sts)
Row 16: Sl1p wyif, k3, (k1, LLI, k8) 4 times, k4. (48 sts)
Row 18: Sl1p wyif, k3, (k8, RLI, k2) 4 times, k4. (52 sts)
Row 20: Sl1p wyif, k3, (k5, LLI, k6) 4 times, k4. (56 sts)
Row 22: Sl1p wyif, k3, (k11, RLI, k1) 4 times, k4. (60 sts)
Row 24: Sl1p wyif, k3, (k3, LLI, k10) 4 times, k4. (64 sts)
Row 26: Sl1p wyif, k3, (k7, RLI, k7) 4 times, k4. (68 sts)
Row 28: Sl1p wyif, k3, (k3, LLI, k12) 4 times, k4. (72 sts)
Row 30: Sl1p wyif, k3, (k13, RLI, k3) 4 times, k4. (76 sts)
Row 32: Sl1p wyif, k3, (k8, LLI, k9) 4 times, k4. (80 sts)
Pillow Upper Back
Work as Pillow Lower Back except Rows 4, 14, and 24, where buttonholes are added.
Row 4: Sl1p wyif, k1, SSK, yo, (k1, LLI) 4 times, yo, k2tog, k2. (16 sts)
Row 14: Sl1p wyif, k1, SSK, yo, (k4, LLI, k4) 4 times, yo, k2tog, k2. (44 sts)
Row 24: Sl1p wyif, k1, SSK, yo, (k3, LLI, k10) 4 times, yo, k2tog, k2. (64 sts)
Finishing
Wet block pillow front and backs before joining.
I-Cord and Bind-Off
Slip 40 sts of Lower Back from one needle to the other to begin bind-off in the middle, at the bottom.
Using backward loop cast-on, CO 3 sts onto left needle of Pillow Front; this is the bottom of the pillow. Place Front and Lower Back with wrong sides facing and middle bottom aligned. Join 32 sts from each with I-cord 3-needle bind-off, 8 sts of Lower Back remain unjoined at working edge.
Place Front and Upper Back with wrong sides facing and middle top aligned. 8 sts Upper Back at each end overlap on top of 8 sts Lower Back at each end. Next 8 rounds of I-Cord will join 4 sts as follows: K2, Sl1kwise from I-cord, Sl1kwise from Pillow Front, p2tog (1 st each from Pillow Upper Back and Pillow Lower Back), pass slipped sts over.
Join 64 sts from Pillow Front and Upper Back with I-cord 3-needle bind-off, 8 sts of Upper Back remain unjoined.
Join next 8 rounds of I-Cord with 4 sts as above.
Join rem 32 sts from Pillow Front and Lower Back with I-cord 3-needle bind-off.
Bind off 3 I-cord sts. Sew I-cord cast-on to I-cord bind-off to complete border.
Sew buttons to Lower Back. Weave in all ends.