Gift number 4 in our Christmas knit-a-long is an unimaginably snuggly, fluffy, puffy, couch pillow! These are the ideal family gift as the holidays near and there's less time to make individual presents. They're are also great for people you may not feel comfortable knitting clothing for. Add a wood fire, a cup of coffee and some knitting to your oversized woolen pillow and let the coziness commence.

 

When I finished making these I decided I am going to make 3 more (of the white ones!) for my living room, and I think you may come to the same conclusion!

 

 

Now, I know what you may be thinking: sewing? nope.

But if you're not a confident seamstress, don't worry: this project is a lot easier than it looks, and I'll give you some tips below. The knitted fabric is forgiving and even if your seams are a bit wobbly it should stretch to compensate. You can also sew them by hand if you don't have a machine: it's less tedious than it seams - seems. 

 

You also could, of course, knit two pillow fronts and sew them together that way if you are an anti-sewing purist.

 

 

 

I splurged and bought pillow forms, which should run you about 5-8 bucks. Being a "thrifty" person myself (others may use different terms to describe it), I usually stuff my pillows with bits of unusable wool or plastic grocery bags, but for gifts the forms were a nice touch and made it so you don't need to sew a liner onto the back of the knitted pillow. My only complaint with the forms is that the corners were a little understuffed, but it should all settle with use.

 

- Cozy Pillow Pattern -

 

Materials:

Size 13 straight needles or circulars

2 skeins of Briggs and Little Heritage or Tuffy for a fabric-backed pillow, 4 skeins for a double-sided pillow. Pictured here are Medium Grey and Washed White.

available at www.maritimefamilyfiber.com

Cable needle

sewing needle and thread

sewing machine (optional)

1 yard (at least 26 inches) sturdy fabric of your choice. If you're a seasoned seamstress feel free to be adventurous with your type of fabric, but if not stick with a good, easy, thick cotton, canvas or flannel.

A 24 by 24 inch pillow form

 

With TWO STRANDS of yarn held together, cast on 58 stitches, being sure not to pull too tightly.

Foundation rows:

Row 1(right side row): Knit to end.

Row 2 (set up row): Knit 4, purl 6, knit 5, purl 6, knit 5, purl 6, knit 5, purl 6, knit 5, purl 6, knit 4.

Row 3: Knit to end.

Repeat foundation rows 2 and 3 once more for a total of 4 rows.

Cabled Row (first row of charts): Knit 4, *slip 3 stitches to cable needle, hold to the back, knit 3 from left-hand needle, knit 3 from cable needle (called 'cable 6 back')*, knit 5, repeat between **, knit 5, repeat between **, knit 5, repeat between **, knit 5, repeat between **, knit 4.

 

Cable 6 back chart:

 

 

Row 5: repeat foundation rows 2 and 3 three times more. Your cables should be 6 rows long.

 

Repeat Cable Row.

 

Begin Diamond cables:

Starting with a right side row and row 3 of the diamond cable chart, {knit 14, (to the first stitch before the next cable) *slip next stitch to cable needle and hold to the back, knit next 3 stitches, knit 1 stitch from cable needle* (between ** will be referred to as 'right-leaning cable'), *slip next 3 stitches to cable needle and hold forward, knit 1, knit stitches from cable needle* (this will be referred to as 'left-leaning cable'). } Repeat between brackets for your next diamond, knit to end.

 

 

 

Now you should have a basic shape of cable, diamond, cable, diamond, cable. It helps to remember when doing a traveling cable to always hold stockinette stitches forward, and always in sets of three.

 

Complete your chart for the diamond cable, while continuing to work the Cable 6 back chart as established. The cable 6 backs on the diamond will not always match up with the normal cables, but they will meet up in the end. Use the photos as your guide to keep you on the right track. If you are experienced with cables you should be able to follow the flow of the cables, and should you need extra help please contact me or leave a comment on our Ravelry board where many folks will be happy to help!

 

For your last 4 rows after row 13 of the diamond cable chart on your last repeat, Repeat rows 2 and 3 until you have 4 rows from your last cable row, then cast off loosely. Block. Don't worry about your ends! (isn't that a nice change for a knitting pattern?) You can sew them on the inside.

 

 

 

Sewing:

If necessary, trim the edges of your fabric so that they are even. This can be done with scissors or a rotary cutter.

 

Your fabric should be about 26 inches by 26 inches or a little less. Pin the corners of your pillow front to the corners of your fabric, leaving generous room for seam allowance. I can hear the voice of my mum now - right sides together! So make sure the sides you want facing out are facing in right now.

You'll notice the pillow front looks a lot smaller than the back. Never fear, it stretches.

 Here the end seams are sewn and the side seams are open.

 

Sew the end seams first, stretching the knitted fabric gently and evenly. Add more pins if you need to keep yourself straight. Leave one half of the last side seam open for your pillow form.

 

Insert pillow form and thread a hand-sewing needle to close the seam.

 

 

I took a small, horizontal, stitch of the knitted fabric,

then another of the cotton: parallel stitches. Then tighten them gently, making sure to leave a seam allowance that is tucked down inside the seam for a clean edge. Repeat until the end, be sure to knot the sewing end and pull it down into the pillow to hide it. Trim any stray threads you may find and fluff your pillow!

 

 

 So cozy!