Amanda Heake February 29, 2024
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I absolutely love pillow covers! They’re such a smart way to refresh your space without the hassle of storing bulky pillows. This particular knit pillow cover is one of my absolute favorites – it’s playful, vibrant, and full of life! I’m especially drawn to knitting rainbows, and March is the perfect time to showcase all your rainbow-themed decor.

What I love most about knitting pillow covers is how simple and quick they are to make. With a toddler on the go, I need a pattern that’s easy to follow, with little to no counting or complicated stitches. This easy knitting pattern is perfect for anyone—whether you’re an experienced knitter looking for a mindless project (I knit most of this without even glancing at my needles!) or a beginner eager to practice your skills.

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Easy Knitting Pattern

Fruit Stripe Knit Pillow Cover – The Yarn

Before you start knitting, you’ll need to gather your supplies. The first thing you’ll need for this easy knitting pattern is yarn. Since this is a rainbow knit pillow cover, you’ll need several different colors. The good news is you’ll have leftover yarn for future rainbow projects!

If you want to recreate the same color scheme as the one pictured, you’ll need two skeins of Caron Simply Soft Yarn Solids in White. For the rainbow, grab one skein each of the following Caron Simply Soft Yarn Solids: Harvest Red, Neon Orange, Lemonade, Lime Light, Cobalt Blue, Grape, and Watermelon. This yarn is super easy to care for, which is a must for me with two young kids. Everything in my house needs to be machine washable. These pillow covers have been tossed into the washing machine with other household laundry and come out perfectly clean—often softer than before!

Easy Knitting Pattern

Fruit Stripe Knit Pillow Cover – The Needles

Next, you’ll need the right tools for knitting. For this knit pillow cover pattern, I used my favorite needles—ChiaoGoo Red Lace Knitting Needles in US Size 3 (3.25mm). I’ve tried a lot of needles over the years, from plastic and bamboo to cheap mystery metals, but these ChiaoGoo needles are by far my top choice. If you’re building your knitting supply collection and just starting out, I highly recommend the ChiaoGoo Twist Stainless Steel Interchangeable Set. While they are a bit on the pricier side, they’re truly the only needle set you’ll ever need.

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Easy Knitting Pattern

Additional Knitting Supplies

There are a few other items that can make knitting this pillow cover pattern a bit easier. First, you might want to grab some stitch markers. For this project, I used three stitch markers. Placing them every few stitches helps break up the count into smaller, more manageable groups. You might also want a row counter. A fun choice that is gaining popularity in the knitting and crocheting community right now is the Counting Numbers Chart Pop It, which is a fun and effective tool. While this pattern doesn’t involve too many rows, there are a few key stitches that matter, so having a row counter can be helpful, especially if you’re new to knitting. I used one at first, but eventually stopped once I got into the rhythm of the pattern. Finally, you’ll need a tapestry needle or a small crochet hook to sew up the sides of the pillow cover.

There are a few other tools I like to use when I knit, though they’re not necessary. I like to use a yarn bowl to keep my yarn organized and prevent it from getting tangled, and a yarn winder to create neat, center-pull yarn cakes.

I hope you enjoy working on this easy knitting pattern as much as I did! If you make this pillow cover, I’d love to see your finished project—feel free to tag me on Instagram (@amandahknitanddesign) with a photo. If you have any questions about the pattern or anything from this post, don’t hesitate to reach out. I’d love to chat! And don’t forget to sign up for my monthly newsletter and blog post updates so you never miss a new project. Happy knitting!

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