Valley Yarns Viola Plaid Pillow Knitting Pattern

Valley Yarns Viola Plaid Pillow

What Is Being Made

The Viola Plaid Pillow is a 12" x 12" knitted accent pillow designed by Kirsten Hipsky. This decorative pillow showcases a vibrant plaid pattern created through a combination of knitting techniques and surface embellishment, making it an ideal accent piece for home décor or a comfortable napping cushion.

Yarn and Materials

This project uses Valley Yarns Southwick, a premium blend of 52% Pima Cotton and 48% Bamboo that provides a cool, silky texture ideal for a pillow cover. The yarn is worked at a gauge of 5 stitches and 7 rows per 1 inch in stockinette stitch. The color palette includes:

• 3 skeins of African Violet (Color A) as the primary color
• 1 skein of Purple (Color B) for vertical plaid columns
• 1 skein of Yellow (Color C) as an optional accent color

Each skein of Valley Yarns Southwick contains 50 grams and 105 yards of yarn.

Needles and Tools

The pattern requires US size 6 (4.00mm) knitting needles or the size needed to achieve the specified gauge. A US size G (4.00mm) crochet hook is also needed for creating the vertical color columns through surface crochet techniques.

Techniques Used

The Viola Plaid Pillow employs several intermediate techniques to achieve its distinctive plaid effect:

• Worked Flat and In-the-Round: The pattern begins with flat knitting for a button flap section, then transitions to working in the round for the main pillow body, allowing for seamless construction of the cylindrical form.
• Seamed Construction: The finished pieces are seamed together to create the final pillow shape.
• Surface Crochet: Vertical color columns are created using a crochet hook and contrasting yarn colors. The technique involves inserting the crochet hook through the knitted fabric from the right side, pulling yarn loops through from the wrong side, and working slip stitches along purled stitch columns to create raised plaid lines.
• Duplicate Stitch: Optional yellow accents are added using duplicate stitch, a surface embroidery technique that allows color changes without carrying yarn across large sections.

Stitches Used

The pattern utilizes fundamental knitting stitches suitable for a beginner-level project:

• Garter Stitch: Used for the initial button flap section, creating a textured, reversible fabric.
• Stockinette Stitch: The main stitch pattern for the pillow body, creating a smooth, classic knit fabric that serves as the base for the plaid design.
• Purl Stitches: Integrated into the stockinette pattern to create vertical lines that guide the surface crochet columns and form part of the plaid structure.
• Slip Stitch (Crochet): Used in the surface crochet technique to create the raised vertical plaid columns with contrasting colors.

Difficulty Level

This pattern is rated as beginner-friendly, making it accessible to knitters new to the craft while still offering opportunities to learn decorative techniques like surface crochet and duplicate stitch. The straightforward stitch patterns and clear construction method provide an excellent introduction to more advanced embellishment techniques.