Using size 6 knitting needles, cast on 20 stitches. Knit 4 swatches, 1 each measuring 7", 5", 4", and 2". Sew the ends together to make a tube. Weave iin the loose ends. Fold the tubes over like turning up a cuff. Nest the tubes inside one another to resemble a cinnamon roll. You want the "fabric" to be fairly firm, so if the stitches seem loose, you might want to try a smaller needle. Gauge, of course, is not critical for these.
I use cotton worsted weight yarn for these, but any type yarn should work. 16 stitches are fine for regular straight pins, but most quilters use 2.5" long pins, and the 20 stitches work much better with those.
The small pincushion in the back was knitted with just whatever leftover yarn I grabbed. Sometimes, I only 2 or 3 rows from a length, but it's a good way to use up the yarn. A quilter or seamstress can always use aother pincushion!
