Pillow Talk

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Two weeks ago I started making a pillow for my daughter's dorm room. I chose the colors based upon the colors in the quilt we had already bought for her.





I was intrigued by the stitch pattern of this blanket  bought at the flea market a couple of months back (click here to see more photos of it).  I have seen blankets with this pattern before but couldn't find instructions in any of my books, and was being a bit dense as to figuring it out myself.  Luckily Carol found the stitch pattern in one of her crochet magazines.






The flea market blanket works two (or four) rows in the same color and then changes.  My pillow top is a bit different in that it changes color each row.  Its interesting to see the difference this makes in the overall look.


The pillow top is worked in diagonal rows, starting at one corner and increasing each row until the centerline is reached.  Then each row is decreased until the opposite corner is reached.

I began work on the pillow while on a car trip with the family. I gave my daughter, in the backseat, all 5 skeins of colors.  She randomly (or not, as was her choice) threw me a color when it was time for the next row.  Once all five colors were used I threw them all back to her and we started again.  She decided to make the pillow top symmetric about the center diagonal.

Here is the top, minus another round of black order.  I still have to sew in all the loose ends (my very least favorite thing to do, and hence always left to the very last).

Olivia likes how it turned out. Though, I have to confess, I am not exactly head-over-heeels in love with it.  I'm not sure why, maybe its just a bit too busy or random for my eye. Sometimes I look at it and love it.  Sometimes not.

So...I decided to make another pillow top with the same colors. This time I wanted larger bands of color. I decided to use a wavy pattern.

To add some texture, I worked the right side in the back loop only and the wrong side in the front loop only.

I still need to add a border, and of course, sew in the loose ends!

 I've decided to attach the pillow tops together to make a reversible pillow.  Olivia can decide which side to show depending on how she's feeling.   I'll show you the final pillow as soon as it is done.

Peace,

Cynthia