Lana Grossa Pillow Homeware Knitting Pattern

Lana Grossa Pillow in Lala Berlin Shiny

What is Being Made

This is a knitted pillow cover designed as a homeware project, measuring approximately 46 x 81.5 cm. The cover is constructed in two separate pieces—a front and back panel—that are seamed together and finished with a 50 x 90 cm pillow form inserted inside. The design, known as Design 29 from Filati Home 70, features decorative patterning on the front panel while the back remains in simple stockinette stitch for a clean, understated finish.

Techniques Used

This pillow cover is worked using several key knitting techniques:

• Bottom-up construction: Both the front and back panels are cast on and worked upward from the base to the top edge, allowing for straightforward row counting and measurement.
• Worked flat: The pieces are knitted flat on circular needles rather than in the round, creating two distinct panels that are later seamed together.
• Cables: While the primary stitch patterns are honeycomb and flower motifs, the construction incorporates cable techniques as part of the textured design elements.
• Seamed construction: The front and back pieces are joined using mattress stitch from the right side, creating a professional, nearly invisible seam. Three sides are seamed before the pillow form is inserted, with the remaining seam closed after stuffing.
• Blocking and finishing: The knitted pieces are pinned to measurements and blocked before assembly to ensure proper dimensions and even texture.

Stitches Used

The pillow cover employs multiple stitch patterns to create visual interest and texture:

• Stockinette stitch (St st): Knit on right-side rows and purl on wrong-side rows. This creates a smooth, classic fabric and is used for the entire back panel as well as portions of the front panel.
• Reverse stockinette stitch (Rev St st): Purl on right-side rows and knit on wrong-side rows. This inverted texture appears on the front panel as a design element.
• Honeycomb pattern: A textured stitch pattern worked from a chart with an 8-row repeat. The honeycomb pattern is repeated across multiple sections of the front panel, creating a dimensional, cellular appearance. A 10-stitch pattern repeat is used throughout, with selvage stitches maintaining clean edges.
• Flower pattern: Another charted stitch pattern that appears in designated sections on the front panel, providing contrast to the honeycomb areas and adding decorative detail.

Materials and Tools

The pillow cover is constructed using Lana Grossa Lala Berlin Shiny, a luxury blend yarn containing 46% baby alpaca, 30% cotton, 8% Merino wool, 8% polyester, and 8% polyamide. This fiber composition creates a soft, breathable, and durable fabric suitable for home décor. The yarn is worked at 150 meters per 50 grams, and 400 grams total (approximately 1,200 meters) are required to complete the project in the Greige colorway (col 14).

The project calls for size 4 mm circular needles for the main knitting, with gauges varying depending on the stitch pattern used: 25.5 stitches and 26 rows equal 10 x 10 cm in the honeycomb pattern; 17 stitches and 26 rows equal 10 x 10 cm in both the flower pattern and stockinette stitch. A cable needle is required for cable techniques, and a 50 x 90 cm pillow form is needed for the finished cover.

Pattern Structure and Sizing

The front panel is cast on with 187 stitches and worked to a length of 46 cm (120 rows), featuring a complex arrangement of pattern sections: selvage stitches frame the edges, with honeycomb, flower, and reverse stockinette sections arranged symmetrically across the width. The back panel is simpler, cast on with 140 stitches and worked in stockinette stitch to the same 46 cm length. Both pieces are bound off and then blocked to precise measurements before seaming with mattress stitch, ensuring a polished, professional appearance.