How to Knit a Pillow

Ready to start making your own pillows? Follow these basic steps:

• Choose a pattern: Browse through the free knitting pillow patterns above and choose one that's a good fit for your style and skill level. Read the instructions, to make sure you understand the abbreviations, techniques, and charts used. If you're a beginner, select a simple square so you won’t need to increase or decrease.
• Gather your materials: Assemble all necessary supplies for your pattern. Ensure you have enough yarn and correctly sized needles for your project. Do some quick searching online to make sure a pillow insert in the size you need is available. I’ve skipped this step only to find out later that the size I need is hard to find, which is a huge bummer.
• Knit the Pieces: Follow the pattern instructions to knit the front and back pieces of your pillow cover. Some patterns may have you knit these two pieces separately, and others may be knitted in the round. Check your gauge and measurements to ensure a snug fit for your pillow insert.
• Create the Cover: Once both cover pieces are knitted, weave in the ends, and block them to ensure they’re the same size. You can use a tapestry needle and the mattress stitch or whip stitch to seam the pieces together. If you’re a crocheter, slip stitching is an attractive way to seam. Don’t forget to leave an opening on one side to add the pillow form!
• Insert the Pillow: Slide the pillow insert through the opening. Close the final opening by seaming or with buttons, ribbons or a zipper as described above.