Oct 10

Oct 10 Pumpkin Spice and Amish (so nice!)

Something about the temperatures dropping, sunsets coming a little earlier, and football three days a week always calls me back to my knitting needles. I received two huge skeins of a bulky, gold, New Zealand merino wool from my participation in the Indie Gift-A-Long last Christmas, and wasn't sure what I wanted to do with it. This fall, I had the urge to cast on something quick that had a beefy, ridiculous cable on it, and remembered this wool. It's a perfect fall pumpkiny-gold, so I cast on and away it went!

As soon as I started knitting it, I started seeing it in front of another pillow with a linen and snow Amish hourglass motif, so I whipped that up too! I think the pumpkiny yarn plays so well off the linen, and I love that the texture-mixing between the bulky yarn and the linen and the fur makes what would otherwise be fairly traditional pieces feel a little more modern.

Since the pumpkin spice pillow was such a quick and easy knit, and because I'm a total fall-ophile, I'm excited to share a few quick notes so you can make your own! I also listed some ready-to-buy 16x16 Amish Hourglass pillow covers on Etsy if you want your own duo!

Buy here!

Pumpkin Spice Pillow

Things you need:

300yds bulky-weight wool (I used 1 skein of 14-ply WoolPak by Merino Sheepskin Co.)
Size 10 needles (can use circulars or straights)
Cable needle or size 10 double-point needle
12x16 pillow form
Tapestry needle

Glossary:

K: knit; P: purl; SL1: slip one stitch purlwise; PM: place marker; SM: slip marker, C20R: put next 10 stitches on cable needle and hold to back (this will make the cable twist to the right), knit next 10 stitches, knit 10 stitches from cable needle

Instructions:

Cast on 52sts using long-tail cast-on method
k2p2 rib for 1.5", slipping first stitch and knitting last stitch on every row
(WS) Sl1, k15, place marker, p20, place marker, k to end
(RS) Sl1, k across
Sl1, knit and purl as established for five more rows
(RS, cable row) Sl1, k to marker, sm, C20R, sm, k to end
1. Note that this row is a HUGE pain. You're moving a lot of stitches, so the first few stitches on the cable needle will be tough to knit into.
Sl1, knit and purl as established in Rows 3 and 4 for 17 rows
Cable row

Repeat Rows 7-8 until you are approximately 2" from desired length (for 12x16 pillow, I did 11 total cable rows). After completing your last cable row, knit and purl as established for five more rows and then switch to k2p2 ribbing (again, slipping first stitch and knitting last stitch) for seven rows. Bind off. If desired, you can do a YO in the middle of your center K2 rib on row three or four, and k2tog to decrease back down the next row. This will allow you to put a button on the back. I encourage blocking before you sew to help even out stitches and to help shape the cable. Once dry, fold in roughly thirds, right-sides together, and overlap the ribbing (if you added a buttonhole, make sure that is on the inside). Stitch up the sides, including the ribbing. Flip right-side out, sew on a button if applicable, and stuff your pillow in!