Looking for a pattern for a monster pillow

Hi everyone,
does anyone have a pattern for this pillow? (https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=577722942273892&set=a.531331813579672.1073741828.527713197274867&type=1&theater) I think it’s so cute and would love to knit it, but I’m not skilled enough to do it without a pattern.
Best wishes, Michelle

Hi Michelle, that looks great, with the arms and legs :)
I did a little digging
on Google Images, and it turns out the pillow is from Etsy; the seller of that specific pillow is based in Los Angeles and is currently on vacation ;)
http://www.etsy.com/shop/debivanzyl?ref=seller_info
I think this shop only sells finished items, not patterns, but of course I could be wrong.

Maybe you can figure out the pattern yourself based on the picture?
I hope so for your sake. Because I haven’t been able to find a complete pattern for it anywhere yet.
But maybe the experts will have something to say about it later.
I hope so, anyway.

When I read “monster pillows” in the title, I immediately thought of this one, because I always think it’s great. But you don’t mean those pillows, do you? :)
https://www.crazypatterns.net/de/items/83/kissen-monster-schuhe

Have a nice Sunday!

Hi muetzekatze,

thank you sooooooooooooooooooo much for all your trouble. I’ve already tried Googling it, but unfortunately I didn’t find anything either. When the long winter evenings roll around, I’ll try to knit the pillow somehow using leftover yarn. It would look so good on my little bench in the hallway.
I hope you have a wonderful Sunday, too.

Best regards, Michelle

I was happy to do that, even though I couldn’t find a pattern.
But why don’t you just wait and see if one of the experts has anything to add?

Hi Michelle,
I’d do it in a veeeery simple way:

Just cast on about 100–120 stitches with the circular needle (you can determine this more precisely with a gauge swatch)—in any case, as many stitches as you need to go “all the way around” once. It’s kind of obvious, but worth mentioning: the more stitches, the thicker the monster will be, but I think anyone who knows how to knit already knows that. Well, now it’s time to get to work: knit in the round, either in stripes or a solid color, until you reach the desired height.

Then fold the piece flat so that the front and back have the same number of stitches. Now, using a set of double-pointed needles, pick up as many stitches along the side as you want the “stem eyes” to be wide. For example, if you pick up 12 stitches on the front, then of course you’ll pick up 12 on the back as well. Distribute these stitches across the 4 double-pointed needles and continue knitting in the round until the eyes are long enough. At the top, knit 2 stitches together, pull the yarn through the last stitches, and weave in the ends. Do the same on the other side.

Now you still need to join the top edge somehow. You can, for example, sew it together using Kitchener stitch, or—as I would do it—simply turn the piece “inside out” and bind off from the inside. To do this, take a new circular needle and alternately transfer 1 stitch from the front needle and 1 stitch from the back needle onto the new needle. By the end, the top of the monster is almost closed. Now you need to bind off as usual, but always knit 2 stitches together (1 from the front needle and 1 from the back needle). Once you’ve knitted 2x2 stitches, pull the first stitch over the second as usual and knit 2 stitches together again, then pull the first stitch over the second again, and so on. Basically, it’s just like normal casting off, except that you’re always knitting two stitches together. At the end, weave in the ends and turn it “right side out” again, and… voilà… the top is closed.

The arms and legs are still missing: Either knit them separately with a set of double-pointed needles and sew them on at the sides or bottom, or simply pick up a few stitches from the knitted piece where they’re supposed to go and knit to the desired length.

At the bottom, you could either sew it closed or sew in a zipper.

Then stuff some stuffing into the stem eyes so they stand up. This works best with the handle of a wooden spoon—it’s long enough, and you won’t damage anything. Just insert a pillow that fits inside the body, and your “pillow monster”

is ready! We’d love to see photos of your finished project ;-)

Have fun with it. If you get stuck anywhere, just let me know.

Best regards, Petra
Nadel-Spiel *creative crafts*

Compliments, you really put a lot of effort into it, Petra.
Thank you for that. Hopefully Michelle is still still following along.

cool

Hi Petra,
wow, I don’t even know what to say. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!!!!!!  You’re a sweetheart!!!! So much effort and such a great, detailed pattern. I’m sure I’ll be able to make the pillow with this. Unfortunately, I have a wrist injury right now, but as soon as I’m able to, I’ll start knitting right away—after all, winter is still long. Usually my winter project is always knitting socks, so this is a nice change of pace. What yarn weight and needle size would you recommend?

I’m sooooooo happy about your help right now, and thank you so much again.

Have a wonderful weekend.
Best wishes,
Michelle

Hi Michelle,
I’m glad I could help you. That wrist thing is really annoying, but I can relate… I’m also going to the hospital tomorrow for a few days. Two of my lumbar vertebrae have shifted by 1 cm and are now pinching a nerve. I’ve been dealing with this since February—they’ve tried different things over and over, but nothing helps. We’ll see if they can get me back on track there… But anyway, that’s a different topic.

When it comes to the yarn and the resulting needle size, it depends a bit on your personal taste and what you’re using it for. For example, I always use something like Schachenmayer’s “Bravo” for baby crawling blankets. And when knitted with 2–3 strands, it gives a certain firmness but still stays pleasantly soft—and above all, the yarn is super easy to care for and doesn’t itch. I knit it with a 3mm needle when using a single strand; when doubling the strands, I use a 5mm needle; and for three strands, even 6–7mm, depending on the pattern. But I think you should just give it a try.

At REAL, or if you have a WOOLWORTH nearby, they always have those lovely large 500-gram skeins for about 6–7 euros. The thickness is comparable to “Bravo.”

Well, I hope you get well soon and have fun knitting.

Best regards, Petra