Big Knit Pillow

I had never really thought of knitting a pillow before but the idea came to me when I was thinking about what I could make for a photographer friend who has been taking our family photos as a favor.  I wanted to make him something that could be used in his studio as a prop.  I liked the idea of knitting a pouf but those are more of a seat and he photographs a lot of babies so I thought a giant pillow would be better to let the babies climb on.  I liked the idea of a chunky knit to provide texture to the photos and I also had to consider a neutral color that would be able to go with almost anything. I didn't want to do an intricate pattern that might come off as too masculine or mature.  I like to get creative and funky with my knits but I had to consider the purpose of this pillow and it had to be something that everyone could like. I chose Montana Super Bulky yarn in color 011.  This yarn is 100% unprocessed wool roving and the natural colors are created by the sheep's own coats.

You will need:
3 skeins of Super Bulky yarn
Size 19 straight knitting needles
24"x 24" pillow
1 square yard fabric
yarn needle
sewing needle
thread to match fabric
straight pins

Gauge= 3 stitches per inch

Pattern:
CO 74
K2, P2 for 62 rows
BO

Fold the knit in half and sew 2 sides together with the bulky yarn.  Set this pouch aside until the fabric pillow case is complete.

Fold the fabric in half so the part that will be on the outside is inside.  Sew one of the sides and then stuff the pillow in the corner you have created.  Making sure the fabric isn't pulled tight, pin the opposite side from the seam you just sewed.  Remove the pillow and sew the seam you just pinned.  You should now have a pouch for the pillow.  Stuff the pillow into the pouch, fold each of the open flaps inward and sew them together.

I find sewing to be quite tedious and it really just isn't my thing. However, I hand sewed this pillow case and it only took about 30 minutes to complete even though my sewing skills are mediocre at best.  You don't have to have perfect seams or stitches since you will hardly see this case from the outside.  Hints of the fabric will show through the chunky knit but the details of the seams will not be visible.

Now you will stuff the pillow into the knitted pouch, taking care to fit the pillow snug into the corners of the knit and also ensuring that the knit is evenly stretched over the pillow.  Using yarn sew the opening closed and your pillow is complete! This pattern is very simple and the pillow came out beautiful.

Copywrite Material: This pattern may be used to make gifts or donations but you cannot sell items made from this pattern.  You cannot sell this pattern.  This pattern cannot be reproduced, rewritten, or reposted anywhere.  Feel free to link to this pattern if you would like to share it. Happy knitting!

Knit Big

I'm so inspired right now! I've stumbled upon some images of people using giant knitting needles to create really amazing chunky projects and I've just got to get into it. Over the weekend I went and bought a pair of size 50 knitting needles. The problem is that there are few yarns available for that size needle. After doing some research, I found that many people use multiple skeins at the same time to create a thicker yarn like in this 2 hour throw pillow tutorial. Lot's people will be getting these for gifts this year!



The chunky knit just looks so cozy!

Source: google.com via Marcie on Pinterest

Source: blog.craftzine.com via Marcie on Pinterest

Source: judithdehaas.nl via Marcie on Pinterest

Source: craftyshannon.tumblr.com via Marcie on Pinterest

My neighbor does wood working and is willing to make me some large needles. I'm thinking 1 1/2 to 2 inches in diameter. I have no idea what size that would even be! I'm looking forward to these adventures in knitting big. I am currently working on a floor pillow that I'm knitting with size 19 needles so I'm working my way up to it. More to come....