Crochet LOVE Pillow Cover

Scroll down to find the free crochet tutorial for this LOVE pillow cover.

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This pillow combines some of my favorite things - a good, gradient yarn and a fun, easy project!

If you are new to crocheting graphs and/corner to corner - don't worry! The internet is a marvelous place to learn these two different techniques. Unfortunately, I don't have much time at the moment to create tutorials myself, but just search YouTube!

You will find lots of tutorials for crocheting graphs and how to achieve C2C (corner to corner) there. I highly recommend Mikey from the Crochet Crowd for video tutorials. He has a very great way of explaining things!

For this pillow cover, I used the bobbin method for crocheting the graph. I actually started by using tapestry crochet, which is where you crochet over the yarn you aren't working with for a particular section, but the color parts were showing up over the white parts and it didn't look 'clean' enough.

To achieve the perfect gradient, I had to take apart my yarn. I unraveled the first color on my skein and cut it up into 3 equal parts. I started from the top of the pillow (top of the 'L' and 'heart'), so I needed 3 different bobbins of the color to start - hence cutting up the first color into 3 different parts. 

I continued to do this for each color once I ran out of the color I was working on. It was a bit of a pain at first, but I got the hang of it. As you can see, the result of a perfect gradient was well worth it!

For the back of the pillow, I wanted to do something fun with the yarn that wasn't just single crochet like the front. I chose to do corner to corner (C2C), because I haven't done it in quite some time and it's actually one of my favorites to crochet!

The corner to corner backing makes a beautiful diagonal gradient and compliments the front very well! I typically do the corner to corner using double crochets, but this time I used half-double crochets to make the 'squares' smaller. 

All in all, I'm really happy about the results of this pillow cover! It gives my living room a fun pop of color for Valentine's and while we wait for warmer, sunnier days ahead!

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Tutorial

Materials

Worsted weight yarn in white

2 skeins Red Heart Super Saver Stripes in Retro Stripe 

H/5.00mm hook

Tapestry needle

Scissors

16" x 16" pillow form

Pattern Notes

To complete this project, you will need to be familiar with crocheting graphs. I used the 'bobbins method' where I had multiple small balls of yarn going at once. (YouTube has great tutorials for this.)

You will also need to know how to crochet C2C (corner to corner).

The cover will fit a 16" x 16" pillow form.

Gauge: 4" x 4" ~ 14 st x 16 rows in single crochet

Front

To complete the front portion of the pillow cover, you will complete the graph above in single crochets. 

I worked from the top down and used bobbins. To create that 'perfect' gradient, I unwound the first color of the Red Heart Stripes and cut it off from the rest of the skein.  Starting at the top, I needed three sections of color for the wording so I cut the yarn I unwound into three equal parts.

Once I ran out of my 'first' color from the Stripes yarn, I cut the next section of color from the skein. From there, decided how many sections I needed to make from that color depending on where I was on the graph. (Some places in the graph, I only needed two bobbins of yarn for the color part.)

Back

The back cover is made with corner to corner (C2C) using half double crochets.  Keep increasing until one side is as long as the front cover then start to decrease. Keep decreasing until your square/back cover complete.

I have not included a written pattern for C2C as it's easier learned visually to grasp the concept. Again, YouTube has great tutorials for this! 

Assemble Your Pillow Cover

Use stitch markers or pins to secure both the front and back side of the cover together with the 'wrong sides' facing inside.

Using white and your crochet hook, single crochet the pieces together. Make 3 single crochets in each corner.

Once you have crocheted 3 sides, put in your pillow insert and continue to single crochet the front and back pieces together.

Fasten off and weave in your ends.

I hope you enjoy making this project! I apologize I was not able to give you the video tutorials myself, but I am very busy at the moment with moving into a new home - I hope you understand!