Home Pillow Cover – Free Crochet Pattern

Looking for a fun, unique crochet gift idea or project that will look great in your home? This Home is Where the Heart Is Pillow Cover Crochet Pattern is an easy to follow, carefully designed pattern that works up quickly and looks fantastic when completed. It creates a professional-looking, super soft, removable 20″ wide x 12″ tall cushion cover. The only question is whether you keep it to enhance your own home decor or give it as a gift!

About This Crochet Pillow Pattern

A note about this pattern…it uses Pipsqueak and Fleece yarn, which creates the absolute softest, cuddliest, coziest pillow in the world. But…when using these amazing types of yarn, it can be difficult to see what you are doing and actually see the stitches. Instead of looking at the stitches, you kinda need to just feel for them and count every single row to ensure accuracy.

For this reason, this pattern is not for the faint of…counting and I would classify it as an intermediate to advanced level pattern. But I don’t want to discourage you from creating what might be my favorite design.

Just practice by making a gauge swatch first to get the hang of it and I promise you will fall in love with the softness!

The pattern creates a pillow/cushion/throw cover that fits over an 20” wide x 12” pillow insert (50 x 30 cm).

It can be easily removed and hand-washed.

The pattern is written in English for right-handed crochet using standard US crochet terminology. If you are more familiar with UK terminology, check out my US to UK Conversion Chart.

Home Crochet Pillow Pattern Details

Skill Level

Intermediate to Advanced

Size

The pattern creates a pillow/cushion/throw cover that fits over a pillow insert that is 20″ wide x 12″ high (width: 50cm x height: 30 cm).

Materials

Yarn:

Main Color: Pipsqueak. This yarn is Weight: Bulky (5) Weight, 3.50 oz. / 100 g. Yardage per skein: 101 yd / 92 m. Skeins used in pattern: 1.5. Color: Whitey White.

Contrast Color: Celine lin Super Soft Warm Coral Fleece Knitting Yarn. This yarn is Bulky (5) Weight, 3.50 oz. / 100 g. Skeins used in pattern: 0.5. Color: Grey.

Crochet Hook Size: K/10.5 (6.5 mm) (or size needed to obtain gauge)

Pillow: One 20″ x 12″ pillow insert

Other materials: scissors, pins, yarn needle, measuring tape

Gauge

4” x 4” = 10 single crochet stitches and 10 rows.

Need help understanding gauge? Check out my Step-by-Step Guide to Crochet Gauge.

Abbreviations

st = stitch

sc = single crochet: insert hook into stitch, yarn over, pull through (2 loops on hook), yarn over and pull yarn through both loops

ch = chain: yarn over, pull though loop on hook

MC = Main Color: The background and back of the pillow

CC = Contrast Color: The “HOME”

RS = Right Side: The front/outside of the pillow cover

WS = Wrong Side: The inside of the pillow cover

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Working with Two Colors

For this Home Is Where the Heart Is Pillow Cover Crochet Pattern, you will add/pick up and use the contrast color only when working on the “HOME” and carry the main color along the back until you are ready to use it again.

Once you get to the main color again, you will drop the contrast color (you don’t carry it to the end of the row). The rows are worked from right to left and then left to right so the contrast color will be right there when you need it again on the next row.

How to Add/Switch Colors:

With the color you are currently working with:

1) Insert hook into the next stitch and yarn over.

2) Still with the current color, pull yarn through stitch (you will have two loops on your hook) but instead of finishing the single crochet stitch…

3) Put the new color on hook

4) Pull through new color, leaving the old color hanging (keep it attached to ball of yarn, don’t cut).

On right side rows, the yarn will hang in the back, behind the work. For wrong side rows, the yarn will hang front of you. Give the previous color a slight tug to keep stitch tight.

Now use the new color until the pattern says to switch back. To switch back, repeat the same steps.

Note: When you complete the color addition/switch, it counts as a stitch with the old color as you are setting up the next stitch with the new color.

Where to Add/Switch Color

When following the chart: always add/ switch color in the second half of the single crochet stitch (when you have two loops on your hook with the old color) BEFORE the chart shows the new color.

When following the written instructions: always add the new color in the second half of the last sc stitch of the current color (when you have two loops on your hook with the old color) BEFORE the written patterns says to use the new color.

Catching Floats

When working on the “HOME” with the contrast color, you will be carrying the main color along the back (the wrong side). These strands of yarn are “floating.” To prevent these pieces of carried yarn from becoming too long, we “catch” them and incorporate them into the back of a stitch every 4-6 stitches.

As you can see in the pic of my Paw Print Pillow Cover crochet pattern above on the right the strands are “caught” in the back to prevent them from becoming too long.

Catching Floats on the Right Side:

Insert your hook into the stitch and take the strand of the opposite color and place it on the hook (behind the stitch). Yarn over with the color you are working with and pull through. The opposite color should not have come through but instead be caught in the stitch (hidden from the front of the work). Give the opposite color a little tug.

Catching Floats on the Wrong Side:

Take the strand of yarn you are trying to catch (the opposite color) and put it over the next stitch. Simply place it there (in the middle between your active stitch and the next stitch). Insert your hook into the next stitch. Take that piece of yarn that you just placed and bring it towards you. That puts the yarn in the middle between the yarn on your hook and your new stitch. Single crochet as you normally would. Give the opposite colour a little tug.

Catching Floats Notes:

• The pattern does not indicate when to catch floats. You need to remember to do this every 4-6 stitches.

• Check each “catch” to ensure the opposite colored yarn is not visible from the front.

Home Pillow Pattern Notes

• Each row has 50 stitches.
• Chain 1 does not count as a stitch.
• Catch your float every 4-6 stitches.
• Stretch your pillow wide after each row.
• Ensure all strands are always kept on the wrong side of the work.
• Add/switch color when you have two loops of the old color on the sc stitch BEFORE the new color stitch.
• When following the written instructions, A = Main Color and B = Contrast Color and every number indicates a sc stitch (more explanation is in the written instructions)
• When following the chart, read the chart from right to left when working on right side rows and left to right when working on the wrong side. The chart is lightly shaded on wrong sides to help you remember. (The written instructions lists everything in the correct order)

How to Follow the Pattern Chart:

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Get the PDF

For a limited time, I’m offering the PDF of this pattern completely free!

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Home is Where the Heart Is Pillow Cover Instructions

(See Below for Pattern Chart)

Start with and use the main color until you are instructed to add the contrast color (on row 11)

Chain: 51 (very loosely)

Row 1 (RS): In the 2nd chain from hook, sc. Sc in each stitch until the end of the row. Ch 1 and turn.

Row 2 (WS): Sc in each stitch across.

Rows 3 – 10 : Sc in each stitch across. Ch 1 and turn.

Begin Working With Two Colors:

Important Note: Every stitch is a single crochet (sc). The pattern does not say to sc because it gets too jumbled with all the back and forth between A (Main Color) and B (Contrast Color). Instead it says something like: A3, B4, which means: using the main color, single crochet for 3 stitches, add the contrast color on the last stitch of the main color and now using the contrast color, single crochet for 4 stitches.

Row 11 (RS): A4, B6, A2, B2, A6, B2, A8, B1, A8, B2, A3, B2, A4. Ch 1 and turn.

Row 12 (WS): A4, B2, A3, B2, A7, B3, A7, B2, A6, B2, A2, B6, A4. Ch 1 and turn.

Row 13 (RS): A8, B2, A2, B2, A2, B2, A2, B2, A6, B5, A6, B2, A3, B2, A4. Ch 1 and turn.

Row 14 (WS): A4, B2,  A3, B2, A5, B7, A5, B2, A2, B2, A2, B2, A2, B2, A8. Ch 1 and turn.

Row 15 (RS):  A8, B2, A2, B2, A1, B4, A1, B2, A4, B9, A4, B2, A3, B2, A4. Ch 1 and turn.

Row 16 (WS): A4, B7, A3, B11, A3, B10, A2, B6, A4. Ch 1 and turn.

Row 17 (RS): A4, B6, A2, B10, A2, B13, A2, B7, A4. Ch 1 and turn.

Row 18 (WS): A4, B2, A3, B2, A2, B13, A2, B4, A2, B4, A2, B2, A8. Ch 1 and turn.

Row 19 (RS): A8, B2, A2, B3, A4, B3, A2, B13, A2, B2, A3, B2, A4. Ch 1 and turn.

Row 20 (WS): A4, B2, A3, B2, A2, B6, A1, B6, A2, B3, A4, B3, A2, B2, A8. Ch 1 and turn.

Row 21 (RS): A4, B6, A2, B2, A6, B2, A3, B4, A3, B4, A3, B2, A3, B2, A4. Ch 1 and turn.

Row 22 (WS): A4, B2, A3, B2, A4, B2, A5, B2, A4, B2, A6, B2, A2, B6, A4. Ch 1 and turn.

Cut the contrast color leaving a 6” tail.

Rows 23 – 32: with MC sc across entire row. Ch 1 and turn.

Fasten off and weave in all loose ends. Weave in the tail of the Contrast Color into only Contrast Color parts and weave in the tail of the Main Color into only Main Color parts.

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Home Is Where The Heart Is Pillow Cover Crochet Pattern Chart

Pattern Chart Legend:

• White square = sc with Main Color (right side row)
• Light grey square = sc with Main Color (wrong side row)
• Dark grey square = sc with Contrast Color

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Back of Pillow

Back of Pillow Notes:

• All rows have 50 stitches across
• Chain 1 does not count as a stitch
• When assembling the pillow, the completed front is called Piece A. The bottom of the back is called Piece B and the top of the back is called Piece C.

Piece B: Bottom of Back:

With main color, chain 51.

Row 1: Sc in the second chain from hook. Sc in each stitch across. (50 sts) Ch 1 and turn.

Row 2: Sc in each stitch across. (50 sts) Ch 1 and turn.

Repeat for a total of 22 rows (piece should measure approximately 7 inches tall). On the final row, do not ch 1 and turn. Fasten off and weave in ends.

Piece C: Top of Back:

With main color, chain 51.

Row 1: Sc in the second chain from hook. Sc in each stitch across. (50 sts) Ch 1 and turn.

Row 2: Sc in each stitch across. (50 sts) Ch 1 and turn.

Repeat for a total of 22 rows (piece should measure approximately 7 inches tall). On the final row, do not ch 1 and turn. Fasten off and weave in ends.

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Pillow Cover Assembly

Place A (the front) face down, with the wrong side facing up (the top of the “HOME” at the top).

Place B (the bottom of the back) on top of A with the last row you completed on the bottom, in line with the bottom of A. The chain row of B will be just above the centre of A.

Place C (the top of the back) on top of B and A. The middle of B will be in between A and C.

Pin the three pieces in place.

With the main color, attach yarn to bottom left corner. With the “HOME” facing you, sc into each stitch along the bottom. Sc into the corner stitch three times. Repeat around pillow cover: sc along each side and 3 sc in each corner, single crocheting the pieces together. At the final corner, single crochet twice into the final corner stitch. Fasten off and weave in ends.

Congratulations on completing the pattern! I hope you enjoyed creating this pillow cover.

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