DIY Network

Tuxedo Pillow Put on the Ritz with a spiffy black-and-white knit tuxedo pillow. From "Knitty Gritty" episode DKNG-403

Allison Whitlock, the host of Uncommon Threads, creates a fabulous tuxedo pillow, complete with ruffles! She makes a front piece in stockinette and two back pieces with a garter-stitch border and buttonholes. Then she creates the ruffles by gathering strips of black and white stockinette. Finally, she sews the five ruffles to the front of the pillow and then seams the rest of the pillow together.

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Gauge: 23 stitches and 31 rows over 10cm (4") square of stockinette stitch (St st)

Stitches used: stockinette (K one row, P one row) and garter (K every row)

Materials:

Tuxedo Pillow

Zara Merino Extrafine yarn: 3 skeins black 1404; 4 skeins cream 1396
straight needles, 1 pair U.S. size 6 (4.0mm)
3 self-cover buttons
1/2 yd. cream or off-white grosgrain ribbon
14" (35cm) square pillow form
sewing needle and pins

Pillow back:
The back of the cushion is made up of two pieces with three buttonhole fastenings at the center.

Back piece #1:
With black yarn, cast on 80 stitches.
Work in St st until piece measures half the length of the pillow form (in this case, 7", or 49 rows).

Buttonholes:
Work in garter stitch for 4 rows.
5th row: K20, bind off 4 stitches, K14, bind off 4 stitches, K14, bind off 4, Knit to end of row.
6th row: K20, turn work to the back and cast on 4 stitches; turn to the front; K14, turn work to the back and cast on 4 stitches; turn to front K14, turn work to the back and cast on 4 stitches; turn to front and K to the end of row.
Garter stitch for 4 more rows.
Bind off.

Back piece #2:
With black yarn, cast on 80 stitches.
Work in St st until piece measures half the length of the pillow form (in this case, 7", or 49 rows).
Work in garter stitch for 10 rows.
Bind off.

Pillow front:
With cream yarn, cast on 80 stitches.
Work in St st until piece measures the full length of the pillow form (in this case, 14", or 98 rows).
Bind off.

Figure A

Tuxedo ruffles:
With black yarn, cast on 160 stitches.
Row 1: K to end with black yarn.
Row 2: Change to cream yarn, K to end.
Rows 3-7: Work in St st (figure A).
Row 8: K 2 tog at every stitch to end of row. You should now have 80 stitches.
Row 9: Purl to end of row.
Row 10: Increase at every stitch (K into front of stitch and P into back). You should now have 160 stitches.
Row 11-16: Work in St st, ending on a K row.
Row 17: Change to black yarn and K to end of row.
Bind off with black yarn.
Repeat ruffle steps 5 times.

Finishing:
1. Cover buttons with grosgrain ribbon according to manufacturer's instructions. Stitch buttons in place on button band of back piece #2 by lining up with buttonholes on back piece #1.

2. Press and block front and back pieces.

Figure B

3. Pin tuxedo ruffles to front and hand-stitch with a running stitch (figure B) or a series of contrasting yarn cross-stitches along the center of each ruffle.

4. Leaving buttonhole edge open, turn front and back pieces right side together and backstitch the pieces together.

5. Turn right side out and insert pillow form.

RESOURCES :

Zara yarn by Filatura Di Crosa
Website: www.filaturadicrosa.com