Aran pillow with a Celtic design:

Looking for a new knitting project? This stylish and fun-to-knit Aran pillow will make the perfect addition to your home decor.

The pattern creates a classic, cozy pillow cover featuring traditional Aran‑style cable work and Celtic braid motifs. You use aran‑weight wool (or similar yarn) and 4.5 mm needles. The overall pillow is worked flat in three pieces — a fully cabled front panel and two back panels that form a button‑closure placket — then blocked, sewn together, and finished with buttons before inserting a 16‑inch (40 cm) pillow form.

The front panel begins with a simple lower edge, then expands from 80 stitches through increases to set up the width for the cable motifs. The body of the front uses a repeat of cable charts (a “Simple Braid” and a longer “Saxon Braid”) set against purl and knit background stitches. Once it reaches the proper length, the top is shaped with decreases and bound off.

Each of the back pieces is worked simply: one side incorporates a garter‑stitch button placket (for closure), the other includes buttonhole shaping at intervals. After blocking, the back pieces are seamed to the front, leaving an overlap for the button closure. Finally, buttons are sewn on and the pillow form is inserted.

The finished pillow is about 40 cm (16 inches) square — a rich cable‑textured accent piece that brings classic knit charm into a home.

Pattern