Tassel Pillow

Tassel Pillow by Jem Weston

Project Overview

The Tassel Pillow is a beginner-friendly knitted cushion cover designed by Jem Weston. This downloadable knitting pattern creates a decorative pillow panel featuring a combination of ribbed and stockinette stitch textures, along with functional buttonhole details and multi-color yarn work for visual interest.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a knitted pillow panel that serves as a cushion cover. The design incorporates a structured construction with ribbed edging, a main body worked in stockinette stitch, and strategically placed buttonholes for closure or decorative purposes. The finished piece is suitable for home décor applications and can be paired with a pillow insert or backing fabric.

Knitting Techniques Used

• Ribbed Knitting: The pillow begins with a knit-purl rib pattern (K1, P1 repeat) that creates an elastic, textured edge. This technique is worked for multiple rows to establish a neat border.
• Buttonhole Construction: The pattern includes a functional buttonhole row created by casting off stitches and then casting them back on in subsequent rows, allowing for secure closures or decorative fastenings.
• Stockinette Stitch: The main body of the pillow is worked in stockinette stitch, which creates a smooth, flat fabric with a distinctive V-pattern on the right side.
• Garter Stitch: Reverse stockinette rows (knitting on the wrong side) create textured sections that add visual dimension to the finished pillow.
• Yarn Color Changes: The pattern incorporates multiple yarn colors (Yarn A, Yarn B, and Yarn C) worked in distinct sections, creating horizontal stripes or color blocks throughout the design.

Stitches Used

• Knit Stitch (K): The fundamental stitch creating the smooth face of stockinette sections.
• Purl Stitch (P): Used in ribbed sections and reverse stockinette areas to create texture and dimension.
• Stockinette Stitch (st st): Alternating knit and purl rows forming the primary fabric texture of the pillow body.
• Garter Stitch (g st): Created by knitting every row, producing a bumpy, reversible fabric used for textural contrast.
• Cast On and Cast Off: Essential techniques for creating buttonholes and securing stitches at the edges.

Materials and Tools

This beginner pattern is worked using DK weight yarn in three coordinating colors (Yarn A, Yarn B, and Yarn C), allowing for creative color selection based on personal preference and interior design schemes. The project requires 3.25mm (US 3) knitting needles to achieve the correct tension and fabric drape.

Tension and Finished Dimensions

The pattern specifies a tension of 24 stitches and 36 rows to 10 centimeters measured over pattern using the recommended 3.25mm needles. Achieving this tension is essential for proper fit and finished dimensions. The pillow panel begins with 79 cast-on stitches, providing adequate width for a standard cushion cover.

Difficulty Level

Rated as a beginner project, the Tassel Pillow is accessible to knitters new to the craft while introducing fundamental techniques including ribbing, buttonhole construction, and basic color work. The straightforward stitch patterns and clear row-by-row instructions make this an ideal project for developing foundational knitting skills.