Diagonal Texture Knit Pillow in Bernat Maker Outdoor - Downloadable PDF

Diagonal Texture Knit Pillow in Bernat Maker Outdoor – Pattern Summary

This free downloadable PDF pattern from Bernat, handmade in partnership with Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores, guides knitters through creating a striking 20" [51 cm] square decorative pillow featuring an elegant diagonal texture design. Rated as a beginner-friendly knitting project, it is an excellent choice for those looking to move beyond basic stockinette and explore simple slip-stitch patterning with impressive visual results.

What Is Being Made

The finished project is a 20-inch square knit pillow cover designed to fit a standard 20" [51 cm] square pillow form. The diagonal texture pattern creates a sophisticated, geometric surface that adds visual interest and tactile depth to any home décor setting. Because it is worked in a chunky outdoor yarn, the pillow is also durable and well-suited to covered outdoor spaces as well as indoor use.

Materials Required

• Yarn: Bernat® Maker Outdoor™ in colorway Summer Storm Gray (99003) — 3 balls (each ball is 8.8 oz/250 g; 249 yds/228 m). This is a chunky weight yarn specifically engineered for outdoor use, offering excellent resistance to the elements while maintaining a soft, workable texture.
• Needles: U.S. size 11 (8 mm) straight knitting needles, or the size needed to obtain the correct gauge.
• Additional supplies: A 20" [51 cm] square pillow form to stuff the finished cover.

Gauge

The pattern specifies a gauge of 16 stitches and 28 rows measured over the Diagonal Texture Pattern. Achieving the correct gauge is important for ensuring the finished pillow cover fits the 20-inch pillow form properly. Knitters are encouraged to work a gauge swatch before beginning and adjust needle size as needed.

Techniques Used

• Casting on — The front panel begins with a cast-on of 82 stitches.
• Slip-stitch patterning — The defining technique of this pillow, slip stitches are used to create the diagonal texture effect without the complexity of cables or colorwork. Stitches are slipped purlwise with yarn held either at the front or back of the work, depending on the row, to build up the diagonal visual pattern.
• Working on the right side (RS) and wrong side — The pattern alternates between right-side and wrong-side rows, with different slip-stitch placements on each to create the offset diagonal movement across the fabric.
• Seaming — Once the front and back panels are knitted, they are joined to enclose the pillow form.

Stitches Used

• Knit (K) — The foundational knit stitch forms the base of the texture pattern on right-side rows.
• Purl (P) — Purl stitches are worked on wrong-side rows to maintain the fabric structure between the slip-stitch columns.
• Sl2Pwyif — Slip next 2 stitches purlwise with yarn held at the front of the work. This is the key right-side slip-stitch movement that creates the raised diagonal floats visible on the fabric surface.
• Sl2Pwyib — Slip next 2 stitches purlwise with yarn held at the back of the work, used on wrong-side rows to continue the pattern structure.
• Sl1Pwyib — Slip next 1 stitch purlwise with yarn at back, used at specific row edges to maintain the diagonal offset.

Pattern Structure and Design Detail

The Diagonal Texture Pattern is built on a six-stitch repeat that shifts position row by row, creating a continuous diagonal movement across the entire knitted fabric. On the first right-side row, the slip-stitch pairs are positioned near the beginning of the repeat; by the third row, they have shifted several stitches along, producing the characteristic diagonal line. This technique is sometimes called