Free Crochet Round Pillow Pattern

Free crochet round pillow pattern

Pond Creek Pillow is a free crochet round pillow pattern with a beautiful three-colored mandala on the front, and a solid back. I originally designed this pattern and offered it free in honor of National Crochet Month, which is in March each year.

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What supplies will I need to crochet this pillow?

I used Valley Superwash DK from WEBS yarn store. Each ball has 137 yds of yarn. I used three balls of the yellow, and one each of the blue and white.

You will also need a size G (4 mm) crochet hook, a yarn needle, and a 14 inch white round pillow insert, which you can purchase on Amazon here.

How is this round throw pillow constructed?

The front is made of a beautiful mandala. It begins in the center and works outward. The back is a solid piece, but I worked mine in stripes of color. If you get a little more of one of the colors, you can make your back piece all one color.

Once you’ve made both pieces, you will hold them together with wrong sides facing each other and crochet around the edges, working through both pieces. When you are about 2/3 of the way around, put the pillow insert inside, and continue stitching around.

See this pattern on Ravelry and favorite or queue it! Click here!

As with all my patterns, please do not make paper or digital copies for others. Instead, please direct them to my website to get their own. Thank you!

Pond Creek Pillow, a Free Crochet Round Pillow Pattern

By April Garwood of Banana Moon Studio

Difficulty Level: Intermediate

Finished Size: Diameter 14 inches (35.5 cm)

Yarn: Valley Yarns Valley Superwash dk (100% Extrafine Merino; 137 yds/125.5 m/1.75 oz/50 g; weight category 3/light): #01 Natural, 1 ball; #10 Soft Yellow, 3 balls; #23 Boy Blue, 1 ball.

Crochet Hook: G/6 (4 mm), or size needed to obtain gauge.

Notions: Yarn needle, 14 inch diameter round pillow insert.

Gauge: First 5 rnds of mandala = about 4 1/2 inches (11.5 cm) across.

Abbreviations used in order of appearance

ch(s) chain(s), tutorial here

st(s) stitch(es)

yo yarnover

dc double crochet, tutorial here

sl st slip stitch, tutorial here

hdc half double crochet, tutorial here

Fpdc front post double crochet, tutorial here

rem remaining

sc single crochet, tutorial here

rep repeat

tr treble crochet stitch

sp space

sc2tog single crochet two stitches together

Special Stitches

Picot (picot): Ch 3, insert hook under front loop, and left vertical bar of last st, yo, pull through all loops.

Quadruple Treble (quadtr): Yo 5 times, insert hook in designated st and pull up a loop, *yo, pull through 2 loops, repeat from * until only 1 loop remains on hook.

Extended Double Crochet (edc): Yo, insert hook in designated st and pull up a loop, yo, pull through 1 loop, (yo, pull through 2 loops) 2 times.

Triple Treble (trtr): Yo 4 times, insert hook in designated st and pull up a loop, *yo, pull through 2 loops, repeat from * until only 1 loop remains on hook.

Notes:

Do not turn between rounds.

When working qdtr or trtr stitches, wrap yarnovers tightly, and push yarnovers towards end of hook as you work them off, so that the last loop doesn’t wind up being overly loose.

Some stitches are worked in the back loop only. See a tutorial for that crochet technique here.

The front and back of the pillow cover are crocheted separately. Then they are stitched together around the edges while placing a pillow form inside.

Pillow Front

With Natural, make magic ring. See a video tutorial for this here.

Rnd 1: Ch 2, 12 dc in ring, join to first st with sl st — 12 sts.

Rnd 2: Ch 2 (counts as hdc), Fpdc in first st , (hdc, Fpdc) in each rem st, join to first st with sl st — 24 sts. Tutorial for Fpdc here.

Rnd 3: Ch 2, (hdc, Fpdc in 2nd st), *hdc in next st, (hdc, Fpdc) in next st, repeat from * around, join to first st with sl st — 36 sts. Fasten off. 

Rnd 4: With Soft Yellow (join with sc, hdc, sc) in first post st, *ch 1, skip 2 sts**, (sc, hdc, sc) in next post st, repeat from * around, ending last rep at **, join to first st with sl st — 36 sts. 

Rnd 5: Sl st in next 2 sts, (sl st, ch 5, tr, ch 2, dc) in next ch sp, skip 3 sts, *(dc, ch 2, tr, ch 2, dc) in next ch sp, skip 3 sts, repeat from * around, join to 3rd ch of ch-5 with sl st — 36 sts.

Rnd 6: Ch 1, *3 sc in next ch sp, (sc, picot) in next st (see Special Stitches), 3 sc in next ch sp, skip 2 sts, repeat from * around, join to first st with sl st — 84 sts. Fasten off. 

Rnd 7: Working in back loops only, with Boy Blue, join with sc in second st, sc in next st, *ch 1, skip next st and picot, place ch behind picot, sc in next 2 sts, sc2tog over next 2 sts**, sc in next 2 sts, repeat from * around, ending last rep at **, join to first st with sl st — 60 sts. Fasten off. 

Rnd 8: With Soft Yellow, join with edc to 2nd st, *dc in next st, 3 dc in ch sp, dc in next st, edc in next st, skip next st**, edc in next st, repeat from * around, ending last rep at **, join to first st with sl st ”“ 84 sts. Fasten off. Note that the front loops of each edc will be used in Rnd 12 to stitch into. Make a mental note or mark them with waste yarn or locking st markers for easy ID later on.

Rnd 9: With Boy Blue, and working in back loops only, join with sc in first st, sc in next 6 sts, ch 2, *sc in next 7 sts, ch 2, repeat from * around, join to first st with sl st — 84 sts. 

Rnd 10: Sl st in next 2 sts, (sl st, ch 2, 3 dc) in next st (ch 2 does not count as a st), ch 1, *skip 3 sts, (2 dc, tr, ch 1, tr, 2 dc) in next ch sp, ch 1, skip 3 sts**, 3 dc in next st, ch 1, repeat from * around, ending last rep at **, join to first st with sl st — 108 sts. Fasten off. 

Rnd 11: With Natural (Join with sc, 2 sc) in 2nd st, *ch 4, skip 4 sts, sc in next ch sp, ch 4, skip 4 sts**, 3 sc in next st, repeat from * around, ending last rep at **, join to first st with sl st — 48 sts. Fasten off. 

Rnd 12: With yellow (join with sc, sc, 2 hdc, dc) in first ch sp, *quadtr in front loop of next 2 edc from Rnd 8, skip next st, (dc, 2 hdc, 2 sc) in next ch sp, ch 2, skip 3 sts**, (2 sc, 2 hdc, dc) in next ch sp, repeat from * around, ending last rep at **, join to first st with sl st — 144 sts. Fasten off.

Rnd 13: With Boy Blue, (Join with sc, sc, picot, sc) in first ch sp, *working in back loops only, sc in each st to next ch sp**, (2 sc, picot, sc) in next ch sp, repeat from * around, ending last rep at **, join to first st with sl st — 180 sts. Fasten off.

Rnd 14: With Natural, join with sc in first picot, *ch 3, skip 6 sts, 4 tr in next st, ch 1, 4 tr in next st, ch 3, skip 7 sts**, sc in next picot, repeat from * around, ending last rep at **, join to first st with sl st — 108 sts. Fasten off.

Rnd 15: Join Soft Yellow with sc in first st, *2 sc in next ch sp, trtr in front loop of next quadtr from Rnd 12, skip next st, sc in next 3 sts, 2 sc in next ch sp, sc in next 3 sts, trtr in front loop of next quadtr from Rnd 12, skip next st, 2 sc in next ch sp**, sc in next st, repeat from * around, ending last rep at **, join to first st with sl st — 180 sts.

Rnd 16: Ch 2 (does not count as a st), working in back loops only, edc in first 2 sts, *dc in next 5 sts, hdc in next 2 sts, dc in next 5 sts**, edc in next 3 sts, repeat from * around, ending last rep at **, edc in last st, join to first st with sl st.

Pillow Back

Note: You can change colors as you like, or work the whole back piece in one solid color. When you want to change colors, you begin with the join in the rnd prior to the change. Insert hook into the first st, yo with the new color, pull through st and loop on hook with this new color, continue the next rnd in this new color. I began in Natural, changed to Boy Blue in Rnd 7, and changed to Soft Yellow in Rnd 9.

With Natural, make an adjustable ring.

Rnds 1-3: Repeat Rnds 1-3 of Pillow Front.

Rnds 4-8: Ch 2, *hdc in each st to next post st, (hdc, Fpdc) in next post st, repeat from * around, join to first st with sl st.

Rnd 9: Ch 2, *hdc in each st to next post st, Fpdc in next post st, repeat from * around, join to first st with sl st.

Rnd 10: Repeat Rnd 4.

Rnds 11-22: Alternate repeating Rnds 9 and 4 — 180 sts.

Finishing

Weave in ends of both pieces. Place Pillow Front and Pillow Back with WS together. When you have finished joining the pieces a little past halfway around, insert the pillow form and continue stitching. With front piece facing you, and working through both thicknesses, join yarn with sc in any set of sts, *sc in next 14 sets of sts, 2 sc in next set of sts, repeat from * around, join to first st with sl st — 192 sts. Weave in ends.

Tada! All finished!

This post was originally shared to celebrate National Crochet Month! How do you celebrate National Crochet Month? Better yet, why do you celebrate National Crochet Month?

Have you seen my posts for the National Crochet Month blog tour in year’s past? I’ve shared a new, original free pattern each year that I’ve participated! See them here:

NatCroMo 2013 – includes the Peacock Afghan Square free pattern!

NatCroMo 2014 – includes the Gardens Galore Garland free pattern!

NatCroMo 2016 – includes the Berry Scarf free pattern!

Happy stitching friends!

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