Irene Adler. Her red fingernails. Those red lips. The little red Christmas gift she leaves for Sherlock on his mantle. Love and danger.

Irene Adler. Duplicitous. Engaging. Unreadable. Arms crossed over her battle dress. Texting behind her back. Consorting with the enemy. Always on display. Always hiding something. Cross. Recross. Doublecross.

Irene Adler. The woman.

The Woman.

Knit from the top down, the pillow cover begins with a few rounds of linen stitch, where you’ll make 2-stitch buttonholes. Then you’ll move on to a 12-round doublecross cable pattern, instructions for which are both written and charted. Designed to lightly hug the pillow to best show off the cables.

You should be comfortable knitting cables.

Skills
Knitting, purling, cabling, working in the round, casting on in the middle of a round (for buttonholes), 3-needle bind-off, researching techniques you’re unfamiliar with.

Size
One, to fit a 16” pillow form.
Circumference: 34.5”/87.5cm, lightly stretched over pillow.
Height: 18”/45.75cm.

Yarn
Made in America Yarns American Lamb 100% Merino wool; 146yd/133.5m per 3.5oz/99.22g hank; Wine Glass, 3 hanks.

Needles
1 29” US 11/8mm circular needle.
1 US 11/8mm straight or double-pointed needle for 3-needle bind-off.

Notions
1 16” pillow form; 5 1” buttons; cable needle; stitch marker; yarn needle.

Gauge
18 sts/14 rounds = 4”/10cm in cable pattern, unstretched.
16 sts/18 rounds = 4”/10cm in cable pattern, lightly stretched over pillow.

Consider joining the A Texas Girl Knits group.

Check out Made in America Yarn’s blog post about this pattern.