Bring home a classic Aran handknit and cosy up all winter long. Our cabled pillow was designed exclusively for Canadian Living readers.

Finished pillow is approx 40.5 cm/16 ins square.

You need:

3 balls pure wool Patons Classic Merino Wool yarn (100 g) or acrylic/wool blend Patons Decor yarn (100 g)

• One pair of 5 mm needles
• Cable needle
• Tapestry needle
• Pillow form, 16 ins square
• 14 cm/5-1/2 ins square of cardboard

TENSION: 19 sts and 25 rows = 10 cm/4 ins in box st pat. Work to exact tension with specified yarn to obtain satisfactory results.

To save time, take time to check tension.

SPECIAL ABBREVIATIONS
Cr9B = slip next 6 sts onto cn and leave at back of work, k3, slip last 3 sts from cn to left-hand needle, p3, knit rem 3 sts from cn.

Cr6F = slip next 3 sts onto cn and leave at front of work, p3, k3 from cn.

Cr6B = slip next 3 sts onto cn and leave at back of work, k3, p3 from cn.

C6B = slip next 3 sts onto cn and leave at back of work, k3, k3 from cn.

C6F = slip next 3 sts onto cn and leave at front of work, k3, k3 from cn.

To make:

Cable Panel Front:
With pair of needles, cast on 85 sts.

Row 1 (wrong side): [K3,p3] 3 times, k3, p6, k11, p3, k3, p3, k11, p6, k3,[p3,k3] 3 times.
Row 2: [P3,k3] 3 times, p3, k6, p11, Cr9B, p11, k6, p3, [k3,p3] 3 times.
Row 3: As Row 1.
Row 4: [P3,k3] 3 times, p3, C6B, p11, k3, p3, k3, p11, C6B, p3, [k3,p3] 3 times.
Row 5: As Row 1.
Row 6: [P3,k3] 3 times, p3, k6, p11, k3, p3, k3, p11, k6, p3, [k3,p3] 3 times.
Row 7: [P3,k3] 3 times, k3, p6, k11, p3, k3, p3, k11, p6, k3, [k3,p3] 3 times.
Row 8: [K3,p3] 3 times, p3, k6, p8, k3, Cr9B, k3, p8, k6, p3, [p3,k3] 3 times.
Row 9: [P3,k3] 3 times, k3, p6, k8, p6, k3, p6, k8, p6, k3, [k3,p3] 3 times.
Row 10: [K3,p3] 3 times, p3, C6B, p8, k6, p3, k6, p8, C6B, p3, [p3,k3] 3 times.
Row 11: As Row 9.
Row 12: [K3,p3] 3 times, p3, k6, p8, k6, p3, k6, p8, k6, p3, [p3,k3] 3 times.
Row 13: [K3,p3] 3 times, k3, p6, k8, p6, k3, p6, k8, p6, k3, [p3,k3] 3 times.
Row 14: [P3,k3] 3 times, p3, k6, p5, k3, Cr6B, k3, Cr6F, k3, p5, k6, p3, [k3,p3] 3 times.
Row 15: [K3,p3] 3 times, k3, p6, k5, p6, k3, p3, k3, p6, k5, p6, k3, [p3,k3] 3 times.
Row 16: [P3,k3] 3 times, p3, C6B, p5, k6, p3, k3, p3, k6, p5, C6B, p3,
[k3,p3] 3 times.
Row 17: As Row 15.
Row 18: [P3,k3] 3 times, p3, k6, p5, k6, p3, k3, p3, k6, p5, k6, p3, [k3,p3] 3 times.
Row 19: [P3,k3[ 3 times, k3, p6, k5, p6, k3, p3, k3, p6, k5, p6, k3, [k3,p3] 3 times.
Row 20: [K3,p3] 3 times, p3, k6, p2, k3, Cr6B, k3, p3, k3, Cr6F, k3, p2, k6, p3, [p3,k3] 3 times.
Row 21: [P3,k3] 3 times, k3, p6, k2, p6, [k3,p3] twice, k3, p6, k2, p6, k3, [k3,p3] 3 times.
Row 22: [K3,p3] 3 times, p3, C6B, p2, k6, [p3,k3] twice, p3, k6, p2, C6B, p3, [p3,k3] 3 times.
Row 23: As Row 21.
Row 24: [K3,p3] 3 times, p3, k6, p2, k6, [p3,k3] twice, p3, k6, p2, k6, p3, [p3,k3] 3 times.
Row 25: [K3,p3] 3 times, k3, p6, k2, p6, [k3,p3] twice, k3, p6, k2, p6, k3, [p3,k3] 3 times.
Row 26: [P3,k3] 3 times, p3, k6, p2, Cr6B, [k3,p3] twice, k3, Cr6F, p2, k6, p3, [k3,p3] 3 times.
Row 27: [K3,p3] 3 times, k3, p6, k2, [p3,k3] 4 times, p3, k2, p6, k3, [p3,k3] 3 times.
Row 28: [P3,k3] 3 times, p3, C6B, p2, [k3,p3] 4 times, k3, p2, C6B, p3, [k3,p3] 3 times.
Row 29: As Row 27.
Row 30: [P3,k3] 3 times, p3, k6, p2, [k3,p3] 4 times, k3, p2, k6, p3, [k3,p3] 3 times.
Row 31: [P3,k3] 3 times, k3, p6, k2, [p3,k3] 4 times, p3, k2, p6, k3, [k3,p3] 3 times.
Row 32: [K3,p3] 3 times, p3, k6, p2, C6F, [p3,k3] twice, p3, C6B, p2, k6, p3, [p3,k3] 3 times.
Row 33: [P3,k3] 3 times, k3, p6, k2, p6, [k3,p3] twice, k3, p6, k2, p6, k3, [k3,p3] 3 times.
Row 34: [K3,p3] 3 times, p3, C6B, p2, k6, [p3,k3] twice, p3, k6, p2, C6B, p3, [p3,k3] 3 times.
Row 35: As Row 33.
Row 36: [K3,p3] 3 times, p3, k6, p2, k6, [p3,k3]) twice, p3, k6, p2, k6, p3, [p3,k3] 3 times.
Row 37: [K3,p3] 3 times, k3, p6, k2, p6, [k3,p3] twice, k3, p6, k2, p6, k3, [p3,k3] 3 times.
Row 38: [P3,k3] 3 times, p3, k6, p5, C6F, p3, k3, p3, C6B, p5, k6, p3, [k3,p3] 3 times.
Row 39: [K3,p3] 3 times, k3, p6, k5, p6, k3, p3, k3, p6, k5, p6, k3, [p3,k3] 3 times.
Row 40: [P3,k3] 3 times, p3, C6B, p5, k6, p3, k3, p3, k6, p5, C6B, p3, [k3,p3] 3 times.
Row 41: As Row 39.
Row 42: [P3,k3] 3 times, p3, k6, p5, k6, p3, k3, p3, k6, p5, k6, p3, [k3,p3] 3 times.
Row 43: [P3,k3] 3 times, k3, p6, k5, p6, k3, p3, k3, p6, k5, p6, k3, [k3,p3] 3 times.
Row 44: [K3,p3] 3 times, p3, k6, p8, C6F, p3, C6B, p8, k6, p3, [p3,k3] 3 times.
Row 45: [P3,k3] 3 times, k3, p6, k8, p6, k3, p6, k8, p6, k3, [k3,p3] 3 times.
Row 46: [K3,p3] 3 times, p3, C6B, p8, k6, p3, k6, p8, C6B, p3, [p3,k3] 3 times.
Row 47: As Row 45.
Row 48: [K3,p3] 3 times, p3, k6, p8, k6, p3, k6, p8, k6, p3, [p3,k3] 3 times.
Row 49: [K3,p3] 3 times, k3, p6, k8, p6, k3, p6, k8, p6, k3, [p3,k3] 3 times.
Rows 2 to 49 form Cable Panel pat.

Continue in pat until work from beg measures approx 39.5 cm/15-1/2 ins, ending on Row 3; cast off in pat.

Box Stitch Back:
With pair of needles, cast on 75 sts.

Row 1 (right side): K3, [p3,k3] to end of row.
Row 2: P3, [k3,p3] to end of row.
Row 3: As Row 1.
Row 4: As Row 2.
Row 5: As Row 1.
Row 6: As Row 2.
Row 7: P3, [k3,p3] to end of row.
Row 8: K3, [p3,k3] to end of row.
Row 9: As Row 7.
Row 10: As Row 8.
Row 11: As Row 7.
Row 12: As Row 8.
These 12 rows form Box St pat.

Continue in pat until work from beg measures same length as front, ending on Row 6 or Row 12; cast off in pat.

To finish:
With tapestry needle and right sides together, sew front to back, leaving open along 1 edge. Insert pillow form; sew rem edge.

Tassel (make 4):
Wrap rem yarn around cardboard 30 times. With needle, thread short length of yarn through loops along 1 edge of cardboard and tightly tie to form top of tassel; cut loops along rem edge. Approx 2.5 cm/1 in from top, tightly wind length around all strands and tie. Repeat to make 4 tassels; sew 1 to each corner of pillow cover.