Three weddings in one week (including my own !!!)… it must be June! This was a gift I was able to finish in a few evenings. I seem to have a problem with colorwork- not that it’s particularly hard, mind you, just that my mind wanders and I’ll do the same two rows several times. Whoops. This pattern, however, is very easy, memorizes quickly, and produces beautiful results. It’s a simplified version of the traditional wedding ring quilting pattern of interlocking wedding rings. A functional memento- gotta love that!

I had a shopping spree at the MegaCraftBoxStore, and I purchased some Debbie Mumm Traditions in chocolate raspberry- a budget version of Noro Kureyon. It’s softer and has no knots. BUT it not only builds the typical wool-cheerio I loathe so much- it also unwinds and gathers as you knit (like another budget favorite, Homespun), which is AWFUL. I’m sure there’s some technical term for that I don’t know. Anyhow, the finished product is very soft and beautiful, but I’m wary of the yarn’s ability to hold up. Lesson: I may officially be a yarn snob.

THE PATTERN:

Materials: approx 150 of self-striping wool in worsted weight, size 8 straight needles, 2 yds decorative trim, 3/4 yd of coordinating fabric for pillowcase, 14′X14′ pillow insert, thread.

Wind 2/3 yarn into a ball- this is MC. Wind the rest into another- this is CC.

Using size 8 needles and MC, cast on 70 stitches.

Attach CC and begin working color chart as follows:

Repeat rows 1-10 SIX times. Bind off and weave in ends. Optional- with a H-hook, crochet a row of single crochet around outside of piece for a nice edge to sew into.

(The next part involves sewing, so if you’d rather skip that, you could use double the yarn, and make an all-yarn pillowcase.)

Since machine-sewing a knitted a piece is VERY ill-advised, begin by handstitching the decorative trim to the edges of knitted piece. I flipped a loop at each corner, like this:

At the end, do a few whip stitches to secure the two ends of the trim and prevent fraying.

Cut a 14′X28′ rectangle from fabric. Fold in half with right side out, and pin the knitted piece VERY CAREFULLY to fabric. You want to stretch it, but keep your lines straight and margins even. Ironing may help! Carefully sew a straight stitch through the center of each edge, skipping the corner loops. Then, fold fabric in half so knitting is inside, and pin around three edges. Using a tight zig-zag stitch, sew around outer edge, being careful again that your margins are even. Sew a few inches on the fourth side, but leave the rest unsewn. Flip the pillowcase inside out, insert pillow, and handstitch the unfinished seam. Use pins to fold an even line, and whip stitch the seam.

And there you have it!

For the yarn, I chose Noro Kureyon, the yarn everyone loves to hate. I chose the brightest colorway available and bought 2 skeins. Noro regularly discontinues colors, so make sure you buy enough- 2 skeins should do it unless you’re planning to use small needles. I also chose the Wool Peddler’s handpicked recycled silk, again making a special note to pick the brightest colors possible.

Pro-tip: the finished piece should come out to be 14″X28″, but buy your pillow insert AFTER you knit in case it’s a little bigger or smaller.

Gauge: 3 sts per inch. On smaller needles, knit a swatch and calculate cast on stitches, allowing for room for lace stitches to stretch (i.e. cast on about 10-20 LESS.)

Using size 10 needles, cast on 90 stitches with yarn A- Kureyon.
Feather & Fan Stitch:
Row 1: Knit.
Row 2: Purl.
Row 3: *YO, k1, YO, k1, YO, K2tog, K2tog, K2tog, YO, k1, YO, k1, YO, k1, repeat from * to end.
Row 4: Knit.

Repeat 2X, then switch to yarn B- recycled silk. Continue pattern, switching yarns every 8 rows. Repeat until piece measures 14″, then loosely bind off. Sew two edges of the rectangle together to form a square, leaving one side open to insert pillow. Insert pillow and stitch third side. You’re done!

Optional: sew a fabric lining for the pillow to avoid the white pillow showing through.