Lana Grossa Pillow Cover Homeware Knitting Pattern

Lana Grossa Pillow Cover in Alta Moda Cashmere

What is Being Made

This is a knitted pillow cover designed to fit a standard 40 x 65 cm pillow form. The finished cover measures approximately 38 cm long by 58 cm wide, making it a functional homeware accessory that combines practical design with decorative stitch patterning. The pillow cover is constructed as a single flat piece that is folded and seamed to create the finished cushion envelope.

Techniques Used

The pillow cover employs several key knitting techniques to achieve its final structure:

• Worked Flat: The entire piece is knitted flat on circular needles rather than in the round, allowing for side-to-side construction that creates the full width of the cover in one continuous piece.
• Seamed Construction: After the flat knitted piece is completed and blocked, it is folded in half and seamed using mattress stitch with right side facing. One side seam and the bottom seam are sewn closed before the pillow form is inserted, with the remaining seam closed after insertion.
• Striped Patterning: The cover features a charted stripe pattern that repeats throughout the 154-row design, creating visual interest through alternating color blocks.
• Blocking and Finishing: The knitted piece is pinned to measurements and blocked before assembly, ensuring even dimensions and professional appearance.

Stitches Used

The pattern utilizes fundamental knitting stitches executed in a charted format:

• Knit Stitch (k): The primary stitch used throughout the fabric base.
• Purl Stitch (p): Used selectively according to the chart pattern to create texture and definition in the striped design.
• Mattress Stitch: An invisible seaming technique used to join the side and bottom edges of the folded cover with right sides facing.
• Cast-On and Bind-Off: The pattern begins with a standard cast-on of 119 stitches in Black and concludes with a knitwise bind-off after the final rows are completed.

Pattern Structure and Gauge

The pattern is worked from a charted repeat system. Rows 1 through 18 are worked once, then rows 3 through 18 are repeated 8 times, followed by rows 3 through 10 worked once more, creating a total of 154 rows (approximately 57.5 cm in length). The chart indicates row direction with numbers at the edges, distinguishing right-side rows from wrong-side rows. The pattern repeat spans 8 stitches between marked arrows, which are worked across the full width of the piece.

The recommended gauge is 16.5 stitches and 26.5 rows per 10 x 10 cm square when working the charted pattern on size 8 mm needles. Achieving proper gauge is essential for the cover to fit the pillow form correctly.

Materials

The pillow cover is knitted using Lana Grossa Alta Moda Cashmere 16, a luxury yarn composed of 78% Merino wool, 12% cashmere, and 10% polyamide. This fiber blend provides softness, breathability, and durability suitable for a decorative homeware piece. The yarn is worked at 110 meters per 50 grams.

The pattern calls for two colorways of Alta Moda Cashmere 16: Black (color 15) and Natural (color 16), which create the striped effect throughout the cover. Knitters will need a size 8 mm circular needle, 80 cm long, to accommodate the full width of stitches, along with a 40 x 65 cm pillow form for insertion into the finished cover.