Skyland Blanket & Pillow - Knitting Pattern for Home in Tahki Yarns Highland Roving

Skyland Blanket & Pillow Knitting Pattern

Project Overview

The Skyland Blanket & Pillow is a coordinated home décor set designed by Susan Baron, featuring a generously sized throw blanket and matching decorative pillow. Both pieces are crafted using the same luxurious yarn and complementary stitch patterns, making them ideal for creating a cohesive, cozy aesthetic in any room. This pattern offers advanced beginner level knitters the opportunity to work with substantial, visually striking cables in an accessible format.

Blanket Specifications

The blanket measures 35 inches wide by 43 inches long (89cm x 109cm), providing generous coverage as a throw for sofas, beds, or chairs. The blanket requires 7 hanks of Tahki Yarns Highland Roving, a super-chunky weight yarn composed of 100% fine highland wool. Each hank yields 90 yards (82.5 meters) and weighs 5.3 ounces (150 grams), with the pattern calling for color #06 medium grey. This substantial yarn weight creates a blanket with excellent drape and warmth while working up relatively quickly.

Pillow Specifications

The coordinating pillow is a 20-inch square cushion (51cm x 51cm), requiring 4 hanks of the same Tahki Yarns Highland Roving yarn in medium grey. The pillow can be finished with a 20-inch by 51-centimeter zipper for easy removal and cleaning, or alternatively stuffed with Polyfil. A 20-inch by 20-inch pillow form may also be inserted for a professionally finished appearance.

Knitting Techniques and Construction

Both the blanket and pillow are worked flat using circular needles, meaning they are knitted back and forth in rows rather than in the round. The pieces feature cable stitch patterns as the primary design element, creating dimensional texture and visual interest. The pattern employs seamed construction, with pieces joined together using a yarn needle after knitting is complete. The blanket is worked bottom-up, beginning with a cast-on and progressing upward to the finished edge.

Stitches and Stitch Patterns

The primary stitch pattern is cable work, which involves crossing groups of stitches over one another to create twisted, rope-like textures. The pattern specifies a 2/1 LC (left cable) technique, where 2 stitches are slipped onto a cable needle and held to the front, then 1 stitch is knitted, followed by knitting the 2 stitches from the cable needle. This creates the characteristic twisted appearance of cable knitting. The gauge for the cable pattern is 9½ stitches and 14 rows per 4 inches (10 centimeters) when blocked, which is essential information for achieving proper finished dimensions.

Materials and Tools Required

• Yarn: Tahki Yarns Highland Roving in 100% fine highland wool, super-chunky weight
• Needles: US size 17 (12.75mm) circular needles—40 inches (100cm) long for the blanket and 24 inches (60cm) long for the pillow
• Additional Tools: Cable needle for executing cable stitches, yarn needle for seaming and weaving in ends, slip markers for tracking pattern repeats
• Finishing: Pillow form (20 inches x 20 inches) or polyester fiberfill stuffing, and optional 18-inch zipper for the pillow

Gauge and Blocking

Achieving proper gauge is critical for this project. The pattern specifies that gauge should be measured in the cable pattern after blocking, at 9½ stitches and 14 rows equaling 4 inches (10 centimeters). Knitters should take time to create and measure a gauge swatch before beginning, as variations in tension will affect the final dimensions of both the blanket and pillow. Blocking—the process of wetting and reshaping the finished knitted pieces to their intended dimensions—is essential for achieving accurate measurements and a professional finish.

Skill Level and Pattern Format

Designated as advanced beginner difficulty, this pattern is suitable for knitters who have mastered basic knitting techniques and are ready to work with cables and larger needles. The straightforward construction—worked flat with seaming—eliminates