Baker’s Dozen Pillow

After just over a year, I’ve finally completed my Baker’s Dozen Pillow!

The idea of making a pillow came about when I participated in a Baker’s Dozen Swap. During this swap I asked for dusty pink and dusty green squares. For the most part my squares were pink and/or green. But despite my request, I received one that was Dark Sage and Bone (Caron Simply Soft colors/yarn). As much as I tried I couldn’t get this square to fit into the blanket plans that I had for a 3×4  square swap blanket. I just couldn’t…not only did the colors not work, the yarn was lighter than all of the other squares. It just didn’t fit in. (A maverick?)

Well I didn’t want to discard the square because I really wanted to use all of the squares I received from the swap and it was really a pretty square. I figured that it wouldn’t take any time to make a simple, matching 12×12 square out of the same yarn, sew up a pillow form, slip stitch the front and backs together to bang out a new pillow in a few days. Pillow!

As with a lot of knitters/crocheters, other projects/swaps got in the way of this simple pillow project. Like a year’s worth of projects/swaps. Just sittin’ on my project page with the “WIP” label in the corner making me feel stupid for taking forever to make one silly pillow. But after putting it on my Year of Projects list I felt this would be the best project to start with because it would be quick and easy to finish – a great way to start off my YOP projects!

I decided to make a simple back for the pillow as too not take away from the pretty design of the swap square front. After thumbing thru a number of my motif books I finally decided to use the same yarn with one of my favorite squares: Pinstripes from the 200 Crochet Squares book by Jan Eaton in Caron Simply Soft’s Dark Sage and Bone.

Then, I randomly remembered that Joann’s Etc carries pillow forms. How freakin’ stoked was I when I found out that they carry a 12×12 pillow form? My house is in a state of crazy, so hauling out my sewing machine would have been a pain. The premade and perfectly sized pillow form was a huge score for this little project.

So, two 12×12 squares, a pillow form and some late night TV (and 366 days) – BAM – a new pillow was born.

Although I made this pillow for my afternoon car naps (sometimes I have to get away from work and get my nap on – don’t judge), it hasn’t left my couch. Bailey and I nap on it all of the time.