Monday, December 2, 2019

Knitted Pillow Cover update and instructions!

Greetings!

Where did the months go! It was busy with gardening during the Summer months. I have been working on projects, though not always posting about them here on my blog. I am ready to start sharing again!

I think that is one of the best things about creating art and crafts - sharing our knowledge and creativity with others. The work really isn't complete until it has been shared. It is good to express ourselves, but we can enrich our lives by sharing our creativity with each other.

My last post was about creating a Knitted pillow cover, using Lion Brand Homespun Yarn. I did try Tunisian crochet stitches also, but the knitting looked the best with this yarn. I used one skein of  the Fiesta yarn colorway, (it is a variegated yarn), and part of a ball of purple Homespun yarn I had left over from a previous project. (I forget the name of the purple colorway.) 

Lion Brand Homespun is a Bulky weight yarn, which is 98% polyester and 2% acrylic. It is machine washable and dryable. It makes very cozy projects, which are nice for cold evenings. The yarn is also made in the U.S.A.


Knitted rectangle
Finished pillow cover front

Finished pillow cover back

I finished my project, and here is the stitch design I decided on and instructions for the pillow cover:

Materials

Size 10 1/2 inch circular needle

1 Skein of Lion Brand Homespun Yarn, in your preferred colorway.

2nd skein of Lion Brand Homespun Yarn in a second colorway. (you will only use part of the 2nd colorway).

(If you choose to make the pillow in one colorway, you will need 2 skeins of yarn, since it uses a little more than one skein of yarn.)

3 - 1/2 inch buttons
Sewing thread and hand sewing needle

Tapestry needle

Instructions

Cast on  46 stitches, which equals approximately 15 inches. 
(I didn't worry about gauge too much in this project, just made sure it fit the pillow I wanted to cover. 
   Gauge of my finished project gauge measures 12 stitches across 4 inches in stockinette stitch. You can adjust your needle size to get the same result.)

I first knit 4 rows of the purple yarn. I interspersed stitch pattern rows of the purple yarn through out the pillow, you can do this, or use just one color of yarn.

Finished pillow top edge with button closure.
I used the following sequence of stitch patterns, changing each pattern when the coloration on the yarn changed. This gave the finished project a bit of a woven look:

Seed rib stitch pattern - 1st row knit, 2nd row *p1, k1 Rep * to end (repeat pattern until yarn color changes)

Stockinette stitch pattern - 1st row knit, 2nd row purl (repeat pattern until yarn color changes)

Seed rib stitch - (see above, repeat pattern until yarn color changes)

Stockinette stitch - (see above, repeat pattern until yarn color changes)

Double Moss stitch pattern - 
1st row - K1, *p1,k1 Rep* to end,
2nd row - P1, *k1, P1 Rep* to end
3rd row - P1, *K1,P1 Rep * to end
4th row - K1, *p1, K1 Rep* to end
(repeat pattern until yarn color changes)

Garter stitch - Knit across row (repeat pattern until  yarn color changes)
Double Moss stitch pattern - (see above, repeat pattern until yarn color changes)


Garter stitch - (see above, repeat pattern until yarn color changes)

Double Moss stitch - (see above
, repeat pattern until yarn color changes)


Stockinette Stitch - (See above, repeat pattern until yarn color changes)

Continue the pattern repeat until the rectangle measured approximately 30 inches. Change to purple yarn (in seed rib stitch) and knit about 2 inches in length. To create a finished edge, switch to garter stitch, using the purple yarn, for the last 2 rows of the pillow cover. This created a rectangle approximately 32 inches long.

You can measure against the pillow you are covering, if needed. The pillow I covered is 15 inches square on front and back. 

I allowed 2 extra inches to create a flap that buttons on the back of the pillow. I used the purple yarn for the last 4 rows (approximately 2 inches) of the pillow, to create the flap closure. 

I was going to knit button holes, but then realized I had 1/2 inch buttons that would fit through the stitching on the pillow.

After knitting the rectangle, I "blocked" my knitting by lightly steaming it with my steam iron, on a low steam setting. This helped it lie flat on the edges.

Next, using a tapestry needle, sew in your yarn tails.

I hand stitched up the sides of the pillow wrong sides together using a length of yarn left over. I also used some thread for stitching it closed on part of the sides. The stitching disappeared nicely into the bulky yarn. 

I sewed on 3 - 1/2 inch purple buttons on the beginning edge of the pillow, placing one in the center, and one on each side of the edge. The flap of the pillow was then able to be buttoned closed, by using the openings between the stitches as "button-holes".

Put cover on pillow and button up the flap!

I hope these instructions are easy to follow. The basic idea is to change the stitch pattern as the color in the variegated yarn changes. You can use these stitch patterns, or try another combination!

It was fun to knit, and I need to knit another one for our living room! Then maybe a matching blanket...

Leave a comment if you like, would be nice to hear how you like this project!

Happy knitting! Stay warm this season!

Denise Buchwalter-Losczyk