This chunky knit pillow cover is the perfect project for a beginner knitter. If you have mastered the dishcloth or a scarf and can knit and purl, this project is for you.

There are no fancy seams or confusing patterns with this one, and it really does pull together in under an hour.

This pillow cover is a great way to breathe life into some old pillows, too. With a bit of yarn and a few hours, you could have a whole new look for your sofa.

Or in my case for my dining room nook.

I admit I am not the best knitter in the world (I’ve said this before).

This project isn’t about how perfect or not perfect the stitches are (please stop sending me messages and emails about it), it is about taking a few easy stitches and working on a project you can prop up on your sofa even if you are a beginner and even if you make a few mistakes.

The whole point of this blog is to try new crafts and make your own home decor, even if you’re not an expert.

But if you want a perfect stockinette stitch, don’t twist your purl rows like I did.

A row of pillows on a wooden surface with a chunky knit pillow in the foreground.

The other two pillows were handmade as well. If you’re interested I created a full tutorial on that pretty rosette pillow on the end.

Simple and Quick Knitted Pillow Cover

This was a stash buster project for me.

I ordered several different types of jumbo yarns for a comparison post I did last summer. I wanted to see what jumbo yarns I liked the best so I could remake the big knit blanket that I knitted.

One of the yarns I tested in that post was Lion Brand’s Wow. It ended up being one of my favorites (even though it sheds!), but I couldn’t figure out what to make with it.

Wow yarn does shed and pill, so it is not ideal for things like scarves or blankets.

I mean it would make an absolutely beautiful blanket, but I think after a very short time the shedding would ruin it.

But a decorative pillow? Yes, a perfect project for this yarn.

Isn’t it pretty?

Handmade cream coloured knit pillow and rustic burlap pillow on a wooden bench.

Materials and Tools to Make A Chunky Knit Pillow Cover

~This post may contain affiliate links. If you click one and make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no additional cost to you.

I only ever recommend what tools or materials I use for my projects. I also test all my projects before publishing and if something doesn’t work, I don’t share it! ~

So for this project, I used Lion Brand’s Wow jumbo #7 yarn in Non-Dairy Creamer. It’s a perfect creamy white and worked with my farmhouse style dining nook perfectly. I just love it.

But I don’t love the price. So I have a cheaper option for you –

Michael’s sells a yarn that is suspiciously similar. I say suspiciously because even the colour is a match. The yarn is by Loops and Threads and is called Spirit.

The Loops and Threads Spirit yarn ends up being far cheaper. Each skein of Spirit yarn has double the yardage and I’ve seen it on sale a few times now.

Materials

Throw Pillows Inserts 14″ x 14″
3 skeins of Lion Brand Yarn Wow Yarn, Non-Dairy Creamer (look around your craft and yarn stores to find better prices) OR Pick up 2 skeins of Loops and Threads Spirit Yarn which you can find at Michaels (often on sale!)
Small needle and thread

Tools

Susan Bates 14″ Xtreme Wood Knit Needles, Size 50

Step 1

Cast on 12 stitches

Closeup of 12 stitches cast onto a jumbo knitting needle.

Step 2

Knit the first row.

Purl the second.

Repeat.

A simple stockinette pattern, a perfect classic look for our pillow.

(it really is that easy and all you need to know)

Step 3

Continue knitting and purling each row until your knitting measures 29 inches in length.

In progress picture of the knitted pillow cover.

Step 4

I placed my pillow form on the end of my knitting and made sure that my knitting fit over my form.

You do not need and do want any overlap. If anything you want the pillow cover to stretch a tiny bit for a good fit.

I measured my knitting before I started to fasten it together and I found that 29 inches made for a good fit around my pillow form.

You do not cast off! Don’t cast off your knitting, there is no need

(see I said it would be super easy!)

Pillow cover wrapped around the cushion, with a knitting needle still in the stitches.

Step 5

You will also eventually need to attach your skeins of yarn together.

Since this yarn is so thick it is best to simply sew the two ends together like in the photo below. I added about 10 stitches, 1/2 inch in from the end to get a good connection.

Since the yarn is super thick, trying to tie off, or attempting a magic knot just doesn’t work. This sewing method keeps the yarn from looking lumpy and bumpy and only takes a few minutes.

Step 6

This is the step where you fasten your chunky knit pillow cover around your pillow form.

I used a different colour yarn for the photo below so you could see what I did to fasten them together.

Take one long length of yarn, about 75 inches ( You won’t use it all, but better to have too much than not enough!) start at the bottom corner and start to weave your yarn through the knitted loops of your pillow cover.

Weave under not over.

If you look at the photo below, the first weave in from the right-hand side was done over the loops, not under.

I did this intentionally so you could see why going over looks weird. Go under and just keep going all the way around the pillow until you get to the final corner.

If you do it this way, your weaving will become invisible and you will not see that the seams were woven together.

Step 7

I wanted to show you what to do when you got to the end with that still has a knitting needle.

Just slip your knitting needle out and continue to weave the two sides together. Make sure you catch all those knitted loops on the top.

Step 8

Once you finish, weave in any ends and give your chunky knit pillow a fluff.

If you can see the dog hair in the photo please ignore it. I tried my best to pick it all off, but my labrador is shedding like mad right now and the dog hair is everywhere despite my best efforts.

If you know what I am talking about, drop me a comment to commiserate!

It’s seriously everywhere…

A Chunky Knit Pillow Cover Anyone Can Make

So this really is a simple beginner knitting project. There are no complicated stitches or counting rows, or even fussy seams to deal with.

Using super jumbo yarn makes it even easier because the whole chunky knit pillow knits up in less than an hour. Actually, I timed myself and it took me 40 minutes, 2 cups of coffee, and a phone call to knit the pillow. It was another 5 minutes to weave the sides together to create the pillow cover. And another 10 minutes removing dog hair!

I’m also going to add that if you choose to use a different yarn beyond the two I mentioned above this pattern will not work. Jumbo yarns, even if they are labeled jumbo do not at all guarantee similar sizes. Same goes for the knitting needles, if you change the size of the needles, I have no idea how the pattern will turn out.

I only add these notes because I know a few beginner knitters were confused by my quick knit basket pattern, so I wanted to add those notes here to avoid any confusion.

If you have any questions at all, feel free to drop me an email, or leave a comment below.

Thinking about switching from knitting to crochet? Check out these posts:

Want More Chunky Knit Projects?

How to Make a Cozy Finger Knit Blanket in Two Hours

A Chunky Knit Blanket and My Arm Knitting Failure

6 Jumbo Yarns for all Your Chunky Knit Projects - All Tested

A Rustic Wreath You Can Make in Under 30 minutes - No Really!