Star Pillow Knitting Pattern

A brand new year, a brand new start!!! Happy New year!!!! It is 2015 and it is the 7th years since I started sharing my crafts’ pattern and tutorial in Craft Passion (started in the year 2008). May 2015 brings you and your family greater health, happiness and peace!!! P.S.: I have changed my profile picture on the sidebar and in my About page too and show you my latest look with the long hairstyle.

As the very first pattern of 2015, I am excited to share with you the Star Pillow knitting pattern which I knitted it before Christmas. The knitted pillow always gives a warm and cozy touch to the home. I love the star pillow a lot and it compliments my fireplace so much that I can sit there to do more knitting and crochet.

The pillow is knitted with seed stitches pattern and the star pattern is done by colorwork. Get the pattern and how to knit it on the second page after this jump.

You may adapt this knit pattern to create a striped pillow or any other colorwork design.

Star Pillow Knitting Pattern

Dimension: 19″ x 19″
Download: Star knit pattern chart in pdf format

Make: 1

Yarn:
HomeSpun (Hepple White), Lion Brand, 300g (less than 2 balls)
*Iona Tweed Aran (double strand), Jaeger, 60g (less than 2 balls)
Some stashed plain white yarns for seaming and sewing buttons to the pillow

Remark *: Iona Tweed is my stashed yarn and it could be already discontinued. I recommended that you use the Lion brand’s Homespun (Colonial). Using the same yarn series will ensure that you have a consistent tension gauge.

Buttons:
4 nos of 1″ to 1 1/4″ wooden button

Knitting Needle:
4.5mm – Ribbing pattern
5.5mm – Seed Stitch Pattern

Others:
Tapestry needle
Stitch markers
Scissors

Tension:
12 sts x 18 row to 4″ x 4″ [10cm x 10cm] on 5.5mm needles in Seed Stitch.
Always perform a test gauge to check your tension for the best result.

Note: You may adjust the tension or the numbers of sts and rows accordingly to meet the dimension. The ratio of the star shape might be distorted a little by adjusting the number of sts and row.

Abbreviations
k – knit
p – purl
k2tog – knit 2 sts together
YO- yarn over
st(s) – stitch(es)

Seed Stitch Pattern
Odd numbers of stitches
row 1: P1, K1 till end

Even number of stitches
row 1: P1, K1 till end
row 2: K1, P1 till end

Ribbing Pattern
Odd numbers of stitches
row 1: P1, K1 till end
row 2: K1, P1 till end

Even number of stitches
row 1: P1, K1 till end

Star Pillow Knitting Pattern
Cast on 59 sts on a 4.5mm knitting needle
R1 – R8: ribbing pattern
Change to 5.5mm knitting needle and continue to need from R9 onwards.
R9 – R51: seed stitch pattern
R52 – R124: Refer to Star pattern chart to knit in seed stitch and change yarn color according to the chart
R125 – R167: continue with all white yarn seed stitch
R168 – R170: ribbing pattern
R171: Ribbing pattern for 14 sts, *YO, k2tog, ribbing pattern for next 8 sts, repeat * 3 times, YO, k2tog, ribbing pattern for next 13 sts [button holes row]
R172 – R175: ribbing pattern
Bind off

Managing colorwork: The star pattern of this pillow is created using colorwork, you need to change yarn color during knitting. I use the Intarsia method for the color change instead of carrying the yarn across the back of the star pillow knit piece.

I used Lion brand’s Homespun, you may buy them from Amazon or from Lion Brand.
I used the stashed yarn for the blue star, the yarn is Jaeger’s Iona Tweed Aran. I used a double strand to make up the equivalent tension gauge. Since I bought the yarn many years ago, I am afraid it is already discontinued from the market. Alternatively, you can use Lion brand’s Homespun (Colonial). Using the same yarn series will ensure that you have a consistent tension gauge.

Perform a tension gauge test by knitting a 20 sts x 24 rows of the seed stitch pattern. Measure the test piece to check if you can get 12 sts x 18 rows to 4″ x 4″. Adjust knitting tension or change your needle to slightly bigger or smaller if you can’t get the dimension right.
Cast on 59 sts and begin the project.

This is the star pillow knit piece before seaming up. The left edge is the starting row and the right edge is the finishing row. The tiny colorful ring hooks are the stitch markers.

This is the buttonhole, there are 4 of them in a row.

Fold the pillow knit piece into 3 parts, overlap at the ribbing, with the ribbing that has buttonholes at the top.
The corners are at R46 and R129.
Use a plain white yarn and tapestry needle to seam the pillow.

Mark the button positions and sew the buttons on the bottom ribbing.
You may adapt this knit pattern to create a striped pillow or any other colorwork design.