Cozy Tozy Knutting Hildithryth's Pillow Stone 16 Inch Square Cushion Cover Pattern and Tutorial

Cozy Tozy Knutting Hildithryth's Pillow Stone 16 inch square cushion cover

Hildithryth was a nun, probably an abbess, at Whitby Abbey (in Yorkshire, England) in Saxon times. Her name is celebrated on a grave marker stone found there. These stones are also called ‘Pillow Stones'. The top right drawing is of the original stone and the photo shows my version. The top two panels have the Greek 'alpha' and 'omega' symbols and the bottom row is of AngloSaxon runes that read (from left to right) H-lL-D-I-Th-R-Y (or U)-Th, the lass' name. I have done these in fairly wobbly embroidery. This uses a technique called (confusingly) 'twice knitting' or'double knitting' that forms a good dense fabric for the main background. The dark colour is textured with reverse linen-stitch, which is a reasonably good tension match with the twice knitting. You need to divide the main colour into four balls and the contrast colour into three balls to knit the colours as you go. Warning: there are points where you have seven balls on the go at once! Materials: 300g medium weight cotton in main colour 50g medium weight cotton in contrast colour Equipment: 4% mm needles sewing-up needle Tension: 20sts/26 rows 0ver 4in/10cm in stocking stitch on 4% mm needles Techniques required: 'twice knitting' - on the knit side, work two stitches as if to knit them both together but only drop the first stitch of the pair off the left needle to the right needle. Work the loop remaining on the left needle with the next stitch as if to knit them both together but, again, only drop the first stitch off the left

needle to the right needle. Work all the stitches in this manner until the last loop from the left needle remains; knit this last loop. When counting the number of stitches in this technique, include the last loop. This stitch needs to be worked reasonably loosely and will slow you down. When working a purl row, work as for a knit row but purling the stitches instead. · Russian cast off - work the final row by knitting two stitches together, then slip the right hand stitch back to the left needle. Knit the next two stitches together and transfer the right hand stitch back again. Work the whole row in this manner and fasten off the last loop. Throughout the pattern, A is the main colour, B is the contrast. Good luck!

Cushion front

Cast on 95 sts in A. Row 1: Tk row. Row 2: Tp row. Rows 3-8: Repeat rows 1-2. Row 9: Tk7, k81, tk7. Row 10: Tp7, p1, in B p79, in A p1, tp7. Row 11: Tk7, k1, in B k1, [p1, sl1 wyb] 38 times, p1, k1, in A k1, tk7. Row 12: Tp7, p1, in B p1, k1 [k1, sl1 wyf] 37 times, k2, p1, in A p1, tp7. Row 13: As row 11. Row 14: Tp7, p1, in B p1, k3, p29, k1, [k1, sl1 wyf] 5 times, k2, p29, k3, p1, in A p1, tp7. Row 15: Tk7, k1, in B k1, p1, sl1 wyb, p1, k1, in A k1, tk25, k1, in B k1, [p1, sl1 wyb] 6 times, p1, k1, in A k1, tk25, k1, in B k1, p1, sl1 wyb, p1, k1, in A k1, tk7. Row 16: Tp7, p1, in B p1, k3, p1, in A p1, tp25, p1, in B p1, k1, [k1, sl1 wyf] 5 times, k2, p1, in A p1, tp25, p1, in B p1, k3, p1, in A p1, tp7. Row 17: as row 15. Row 18: Tp7, p1, in B p1, k3, p1, in A p1, tp25, p1, in B p6, k3, p6, in A p1, tp25, p1, in B p1, k3, p1, in A p1, tp7. Row 19: Tk7, k1, in B k1, p1, sl1 wyb, p1, k1, in A k1, tk30, k1, break yarn B and re-join, k1, p1, s1 wyb, p1, k1, break yarn A and re-join k1, tk30, k1, in B k1, p1, sl1 wyb, p1, k1, in A k1, tk7. Row 20: Tp7, p1, in B p1, k3, p1, in A p1, tp30, p1, in B p1, k3, p1, in A p1, tp30, p1, in B p1, p3, k1, in A p1, tp7. Row 21: Tk7, k1, in B k1, p1, sl1 wyb, p1, k1, in A k1, tk30, k1, in B k1, p1, s1 wyb, p1, k1, in A k1, tk30, k1, in B k1, p1, sl1 wyb, p1, k1, in A k1, tk7. Rows 22 to 40: repeat rows 20 and 21 end on a repeat of row 20. Row 41: Tk7, k1, in B k1, p1, sl1 wyb, p1, k5, break yarn A and rejoin, k1, tk21, k1, break yarn B and rejoin k6, p1, s1 wyb, p1, k6, break yarn A and rejoin k1, tk21, k1, break yarn B and rejoin k5, p1, sl1 wyb, p1, k1, in A k1, tk7. Row 42: Tp7, p1, in B p1, k1, [k1, sl1 wyf] twice, k2, p1, in A p1, tp21, p1, in B p1, k1, [k1, sl1 wyf] 5 times, k2, p1, in A p1, tp21, p1, in B p1, k1,[kl, sl1 wyf] twice, k2, pl, in A p1, tp7. Row 43: Tk7, k1, in B k1, [p1, sl1 wyb] three times, p1, k1, in A k1, tk21, k1, in B k1, [p1, s1 wyb] 6 times, p1, k1, in A k1, tk21, k1, in B k1, [p1, sl1 wyb] three times, p1, k1, in A k1, tk7. Row 44: As row 42. Row 45: As row 43. Row 46: Tp7, p1, in B p1, k1, [k1, sl1 wyf] twice, k2, p1, in A p23, in B p1, k1, [k1, sl1 wyf] 5 times, k2, p1, in A p23, in B p1, k1, [k1, sl1 wyf] twice, k2, p1, in A p1, tp7. Row 47: Tk7, k1, in B k1, [p1, sl1 wyb] 3 times, p1, k25, [p1, sl1 wyb] 6 times, p1, k25, [p1, sl1 wyb] three times, p1, k1, in A k1, tk7. Row 48: Tp7, p1, in B p1, k1, [k1, sl1 wyf] 37 times, k2, p1, in A p1, tp7. Row 49: Tk7, k1, in B k1, [p1, sl1 wyb in contrast, k1] 38 times, p1, k1 in A k1, tk7. Row 50: As row 48. Row 51: As row 47. Row 52: As row 46. Row 53: As row 43. Row 54: As row 42. Row 55: As row 43. Row 56: As row 42. Row 57: As row 41. Row 58: Tp7, p1, in B p1, k3, p1, in A p1, tp30, p1, in B p1, k3, p1, in A p1,tp30, p1, in B p1, p3, k1, in A p1, tp7. Row 59: Tk7, k1, in B k1, p1, sl1 wyb, p1, k1, in A k1, tk30, k1, in B k1, p1, s1 wyb, p1, k1, in A k1, tk30, k1, in B k1, p1, sl1 wyb, p1, k1, in A k1, tk7. Rows 60 to 79: repeat rows 58 and 59. Row 80: Tp7, p1, in B p1, k3, p1, in A p1, tp25, p1, break yarn B and re-join p6, k3, p6, break yarn A and re-join p1, tp25, p1, in B p1, k3, p1, in A p1, tp7. Row 81: Tk7, k1, in B kl, p1, sl1 wyb, p1, k1, in A k1, tk25, k1, in B k1, [p1, sl1 wyb] 6 times, p1, k1, in A k1, tk25, k1, in B k1, p1, sl1 wyb, p1, k1, in A k1, tk7. Row 82: Tp7, p1, in B p1, k3, p1, in A p1, tp25, p1, in B p1, k1, [k1, sl1 wyf] 5 times, k2, p1, in A p1, tp25, p1, in B p1, k3, p1, in A p1, tp7. Row 83: As 81. Row 84: Tp7, p1, in B p1, k3, p1, in A p27, in B p1, k1, [k1, sl1 wyf] 5 times, k2, p1, in A p27, in B p1, k3, p1, in A p1, tp7. Row 85: Tk7, k1, in B k1, p1, sl1 wyb, p1, k29, [p1, sl1 wyb] 6 times, p1, k29, p1, sl1 wyb, p1, k1, in A k1, tk7. Row 86: Tp7, p1, in B p1, k1 [k1, sl1 wyf] 37 times, k2, p1, in A p1, tp7. Row 87: Tk7, k1, in B k1, [p1, sl1 wyb] 38 times, p1, k1, in A k1, tk7. Row 88: As row 86. Row 89: Tk7, k1, in B k79, in A k1, tk7 Row 90: Tp row. Row 91: Tk row. Rows 92-99: Repeat rows 88 and 89. Row 100: p row. Cast off in Russian cast off.

Cushion front

Cast on 81 sts in A. Row 1: k2, [k1, sl1 wyf] to 3 sts, k3 Row 2: p1, [p1, sl1 wyb] to 2 sts, p2 Rows 3 to 150: repeat rows 1 and 2. Cast off in Russian cast off.

Making up

Embroider on the letters and runes if you want or add your own; see http://cozytozy.com/wp/anglo-saxonrune-poem/ for other Anglo-Saxon runes you could use. Match the two cast on edges together and sew up three sides, insert your cushion and sew up the last edge. any queries or comments on this pattern, please email paleoknitter@cozytozy.co