Whistler Pillow in Juniper Moon Moonshine and Moonshine Trios

Whistler Pillow in Juniper Moon Moonshine and Moonshine Trios

What Is Being Made

The Whistler Pillow is a decorative cushion cover measuring 18½" × 18½" (47 cm × 47 cm), designed to fit a standard 18" pillow insert. This project from the Viroqau Collection features a striking colorblock design created using the mosaic knitting technique, resulting in a vibrant bubble stitch pattern that appears complex but is surprisingly accessible for intermediate knitters.

Craft and Technique Overview

This is a knitting project that employs the mosaic technique, a color-work method that uses slipped stitches to create distinct blocks of color without the complexity of traditional stranded colorwork. The mosaic approach allows knitters to work with one color per row while carrying the main color along the side of the fabric, eliminating the need to manage multiple active yarns simultaneously. This technique produces clean, geometric color blocks with minimal tension management compared to Fair Isle or intarsia methods.

Stitches and Stitch Patterns

The pillow combines two primary stitch patterns:

• Stockinette Stitch (St st): Used for the button panel sections and structural areas of the pillow cover, creating a smooth, flat knit surface. The stockinette sections are worked at a gauge of 20 stitches and 28 rows over 4 inches (10 cm).
• Bubble Stitch: The signature colorwork pattern that repeats over 16 rows. This stitch combines knit and purl rows in the main color with alternating rows of contrasting color stitches that are slipped purlwise (both with yarn in back and yarn in front). The bubble stitch is worked at a gauge of 20 stitches and 30 rows over 4 inches (10 cm). The pattern uses offset slip stitch placements (rows alternate between slipping stitches at positions 6–8 and positions 2–4) to create the distinctive bubble effect.

Materials: Yarn and Needles

The Whistler Pillow is worked using Juniper Moon Farm Moonshine and Juniper Moon Farm Moonshine Trios yarns. The main color (MC) is 2 hanks of Moonshine in color #25 Iced Coffee, which serves as the foundational neutral tone. Eight contrasting colors (CC1–CC8) are each used in 1-hank quantities from the Moonshine Trios line, including #105 Sea Shell, #107 Cherry Blossom, #106 Pink Champagne, #109 Meadow, #102 Undergrowth, #108 Caribbean, #103 Waves, and #104 Berry Cobbler. These colorways create a cohesive, coordinated palette that shifts through soft pastels and jewel tones.

The project requires US 7 (4.5 mm) needles, or the size necessary to achieve the specified gauge. The pattern notes that knitters may need to adjust needle size between the stockinette stitch and bubble stitch sections to maintain consistent gauge, as the slipped-stitch technique can affect fabric density.

Additional Notions and Construction

Beyond yarn and needles, the pattern calls for an 18" × 45.5 cm pillow insert to fill the completed cover, a tapestry needle for weaving in ends and seaming, and three 1-inch (2.5 cm) buttons for the button panel closure. The pillow construction includes a button panel with buttonholes, allowing for a functional, removable cover design.

Pattern Design Credit

The Whistler Pillow is designed by Pamela Wynne and is part of the Viroqau Collection from Juniper Moon Farm.