Big Bold Pillow in Lion Brand Wow - L60323 - Downloadable PDF

Big Bold Pillow in Lion Brand Wow – Free Knitting Pattern L60323

The Big Bold Pillow (Pattern Number L60323) is a free, beginner-friendly knitting pattern designed by Ubaldo Feliciano-Hernandez and published by Lion Brand Yarn Company. The finished project is a chunky, cozy 18 x 18 inch (45.5 x 45.5 cm) square pillow, perfect for adding a bold, textural accent to any living space. Because the pattern is available as a downloadable PDF at no cost, it is an ideal starting point for new knitters or anyone looking for a quick, satisfying home décor make.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a single square decorative cushion cover worked as one long, flat rectangle that is then folded in half and seamed on three sides to enclose a pillow form. The resulting pillow measures approximately 18 x 18 inches (45.5 x 45.5 cm), a classic throw-pillow size that fits standard square pillow forms available at most home goods retailers. The designer recommends waiting until the knitting is complete before purchasing the pillow form, so the form can be matched precisely to the finished knitted piece.

Techniques Used

• Casting on – The pillow begins with a simple cast-on of 10 stitches, making the starting row very manageable even for absolute beginners.
• Flat knitting in rows – The entire piece is worked back and forth in rows on straight needles, so no circular knitting or joining in the round is required.
• Binding off – A standard bind-off closes the live stitches at the end of the rectangle, with a long yarn tail left intentionally for seaming.
• Folding and finger-seaming – Rather than using a separate yarn and tapestry needle in the traditional sense, the finishing method uses the long yarn tail and the knitter's fingers to seam three sides of the folded rectangle, enclosing the pillow form inside. This no-fuss finishing technique keeps the project accessible to beginners.

Stitches Used

The stitch pattern is beautifully simple and relies on just two fundamental knitting stitches arranged in a four-row repeat:

• Knit stitch – Used on multiple rows to create the smooth, raised texture characteristic of super-bulky knitted fabric.
• Purl stitch – Introduced on Row 2 to add a subtle textural contrast against the knit rows.

The four-row repeat is structured as follows:

• Row 1 (right side): Knit across all stitches.
• Row 2: Purl across all stitches.
• Row 3: Knit across all stitches.
• Row 4: Knit across all stitches.

This combination of knit and purl rows creates a fabric that is neither pure stockinette nor pure garter stitch, giving the pillow a distinctive, visually interesting surface texture. The repeat continues until the piece measures approximately 36 inches (91.5 cm) in length, ending on a Row 3, before the final bind-off row.

Materials and Yarn

The pattern calls for Lion Brand® Wow® yarn (Art. #932), a super chunky weight yarn that works up quickly and produces a lush, voluminous fabric. The sample shown uses 4 balls in colorway 098 Non Dairy Creamer, though the pattern notes that any color of the knitter's choice can be substituted. Because gauge is not essential to this project, there is flexibility in how tightly or loosely an individual knitter works.

The recommended needles are Lion Brand® SPEED STIX in size 50 / 25 mm, which are extra-large straight needles suited to super bulky yarns. These oversized needles are part of what makes the knitting process fast and dramatic — stitches are large and easy to see and manipulate, which is particularly encouraging for beginners. In addition to yarn and needles, the only other material required is an 18 x 18 inch (45.5 x 45.5 cm) pillow form, which is inserted into the