Huggaluf Pillow

Huggaluf Pillow by Stana D. Sortor

What is Being Made

The Huggaluf Pillow is a charming, character-inspired decorative cushion designed by Stana D. Sortor. This knitted pillow features a whimsical personality with facial details including eyes, an eye patch, and lips. The finished pillow measures approximately 14 inches (35.5cm) wide and 10 inches (25.5cm) tall for the body alone, or 26 inches (66cm) in total height when the attached hat is included. The design is suitable for both home décor and as a cuddly companion piece.

Knitting Techniques Used

This beginner-friendly knitting project employs fundamental techniques appropriate for crafters new to the craft. The pillow is constructed using knitting in the round, a method that creates seamless, tubular fabric ideal for three-dimensional projects like pillows and stuffed items. This technique requires working with double pointed needles to maintain stitches on all sides simultaneously, eliminating the need for seaming in most areas.

Key stitch techniques featured in the pattern include KFB (knit in front and back), which increases stitch count by creating two stitches from a single stitch—a fundamental increase method used to shape the pillow's rounded form. The pattern also incorporates SSK (slip, slip, knit), a left-leaning decrease stitch that reduces stitch count for shaping. These increases and decreases work together to create the three-dimensional structure and contours of the pillow body.

Additional construction techniques include stuffing and finishing methods. The completed knitted fabric is filled with polyester fiberfill to create a soft, cushioned form, or alternatively, a pre-made 14-inch by 10-inch pillow insert can be inserted into the knitted cover. Facial features are added through strategic yarn color placement and embroidery, with a crochet hook used to secure and finish details.

Stitches Used

• Knit stitch – the foundational stitch creating the main fabric
• KFB (knit in front and back) – increases stitches for shaping the pillow's body
• SSK (slip, slip, knit) – decreases stitches for refined shaping

Materials and Yarn Specifications

The Huggaluf Pillow is designed to showcase super chunky yarn, which creates a quick, satisfying knitting experience and produces the soft, cuddly texture essential to the pillow's appeal. For the pillow body, approximately 7 ounces (200 grams) of very soft and cuddly yarn in your chosen color is required. The designer used Bernat Pipsqueak in an 8.8-ounce (250-gram) ball for the featured version, a yarn known for its plush, tactile quality.

The hat component requires less than one full ball of soft, fluffy, or furry yarn, allowing crafters to use contrasting colors or textures for visual interest. Additional yarn in small quantities is needed for embellished details: red yarn for the lips, white yarn for the eye patch, and black yarn for the eyes. These accent colors enable personalization and character expression in each finished pillow.

Needles and Notions

The recommended needle size is US #7/4.5mm double pointed needles in a set of five, which are specifically designed for knitting in the round. Crafters may substitute their preferred needles of the same size if they have alternative methods for circular knitting, such as circular needles or the magic loop technique.

Essential notions for completing the project include a yarn needle for weaving in ends and securing seams, a crochet hook for finishing and detail work, scissors, and a stitch marker to track the beginning of each round. For filling, one bag of polyester fiberfill is needed, or alternatively, a pre-made small pillow measuring 14 inches (35.5cm) wide and 10 inches (25.5cm) tall can serve as the internal structure.

Difficulty Level

Rated as a beginner project, the Huggaluf Pillow is accessible to knitters new to the craft while offering an engaging introduction to in-the-round knitting and basic shaping techniques. The use of super chunky yarn accelerates progress, allowing beginners to complete the project in a reasonable timeframe and experience the satisfaction of creating a finished, three-dimensional object.