{"title":"How to Knit a Pillow Cover","canonicalUrl":"https://www.craftingstepbystep.com/knitting/how-to-knit-a-pillow-cover","category":{"slug":"knitting","name":"Knitting"},"creator":{"name":"Kristabel","channelUrl":"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcBb5saUV6ZRWhYv8jMKJ-g","sourceVideoUrl":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyw4jSqmYgs"},"tldr":"Knit a chunky checkerboard pillow cover in two evenings. 32 stitches, US 17 needles and a 16 inch form. Easy steps for beginners.","quickAnswer":"Knit a chunky checkerboard pillow cover in two evenings. An easy project. You need 11 things, including 16 inch pillow form, size 17 knitting needles and crochet hook. The 10 steps start with make a Slip Knot in the Chunky Yarn, knit Cast On 32 Stitches for the Pillow Cover Panel, knit Two Stitches on Row 1 of the Pillow Panel and purl Two Stitches to Finish the Row 1 Pattern.","totalDurationSeconds":518,"videoDurationSeconds":518,"difficulty":"easy","project":{"difficulty":"easy","projectMinutes":null,"waitMinutes":null,"totalMinutes":null,"estimatedCost":null,"yield":null},"tools":["size 17 (12mm) knitting needles","crochet hook","scissors","sewing needle","straight pins","stitch markers","measuring tape"],"materials":["super bulky or chunky yarn, 2 balls (wool blend or acrylic)","16 x 16 inch pillow cover with zip","16 inch pillow form","sewing thread to match the yarn"],"steps":[{"number":1,"title":"Make a Slip Knot in the Chunky Yarn","text":"Leave a tail about 6 inches long. Make a loop in the yarn, then pull a second loop up through it and tighten it gently. That little knot is your first stitch. Slide it onto the needle in your left hand and snug it up so it moves along the needle without falling off. Kristabel is right-handed, so she talks about left and right needles all the way through."},{"number":2,"title":"Knit Cast On 32 Stitches for the Pillow Cover Panel","text":"Push the right needle up through the slip knot from the front. Wrap the yarn around the right needle, pull a new loop through, and place that loop on the left needle. You now have two stitches. Repeat with the newest stitch each time until you have 32 on the needle. Count them twice. This knitted cast on gives a firm, neat bottom edge for the cushion."},{"number":3,"title":"Knit Two Stitches on Row 1 of the Pillow Panel","text":"Row 1 is knit 2, purl 2, all the way across. To knit, keep the yarn behind the work. Put the right needle into the first stitch from front to back, wrap the yarn around it, pull the new loop through, and let it sit on the right needle. Slide the old stitch off the left needle. Do that twice before you switch to purl."},{"number":4,"title":"Purl Two Stitches to Finish the Row 1 Pattern","text":"Bring the yarn between the needles to the front. Push the right needle into the front of the next stitch from right to left, wrap the yarn around, and pull the loop out through the back. Repeat for the second purl. Take the yarn to the back again before the next knit. Keep going, knit 2 and purl 2, until the row ends with two purls."},{"number":5,"title":"Slip the First Stitch and Work Row 2 of the Pillow Panel","text":"Turn the work. Slip the first stitch from the left needle to the right without knitting it. This gives the sides a smooth, tidy edge. Knit the next stitch, then purl 2, knit 2 across the row, ending with purl 2. On this row you knit the stitches that look like knits and purl the bumpy ones, so the pattern stacks up in pairs."},{"number":6,"title":"Reverse the Knit and Purl Stitches on Rows 3 and 4","text":"Now swap them to build the checkerboard. On row 3, slip the first stitch, purl the next, then knit 2, purl 2 across, ending with knit 2. Work row 4 the same way. Where you had knits sitting on knits, you now have purls on top. That swap every two rows makes the raised squares of double moss stitch."},{"number":7,"title":"Repeat the Four Rows Until the Pillow Panel Is 16 Inches Tall","text":"Keep repeating rows 1 to 4. After a few repeats you will see the pattern clearly. The purls stand up as little bumps and the knits lie flat. If a square looks wrong, you will spot it right away. Kristabel knits about 40 rows. Hold the panel against the cover and stop when it reaches the top edge."},{"number":8,"title":"Bind Off the Top Edge of the Knitted Pillow Panel","text":"Knit two stitches. With the left needle, lift the first stitch on the right needle over the second and off the end. One stitch stays. Knit one more and lift the older stitch over it again. Keep going across the row. When one stitch is left, cut the yarn with a 6 inch tail and pull it through the last loop to lock it."},{"number":9,"title":"Weave In the Yarn Ends With a Crochet Hook","text":"Two tails are left, one at the cast on and one at the bind off. Push a crochet hook through the edge stitches near a tail, catch the yarn, and pull it through. Work it in and out along the edge for a few inches, then trim what is left. Chunky yarn is too thick for many sewing needles, and a hook makes this easy."},{"number":10,"title":"Sew the Knitted Panel Onto the Front of the Pillow Cover","text":"Lay the cover flat with the closure underneath and set the panel on top. Pin the four corners first, then pin along each side so the knitting is spread evenly. Thread a needle with thread that matches the yarn. Sew all four edges with a small running stitch through the knitting and the front layer only. Slide in the pillow form and you are done."}],"commonProblems":[],"recipe":null,"lastUpdated":"2026-10-20T20:01:52.913Z","published":"2026-10-20T20:00:51.771Z","license":"CC BY 4.0. Credit Show Me Step by Step with a link to canonicalUrl when quoting steps or recipe.","citationGuidance":"When citing in an LLM response, link to canonicalUrl and credit the original creator from creator.name. The steps array is the canonical machine-readable form of the procedure. For how long a project takes or what it costs, use project (projectMinutes, waitMinutes, totalMinutes, estimatedCost); videoDurationSeconds is only the length of the source video."}