return on creativity: french knot circle pillow

I don't knit and I barely crochet, but when I saw this yarn on clearance a few years ago I had to buy it.  It was too pretty.

It's been paitently waiting on my craft shelves for years waiting for me to do something with it until finally I was inspired to make this pillow.

Here's how I did it:

1.  Cut a square of fabric for your pillow top.  My pillow was a sixteen inch square and I wanted a half inch seam allowance, so I cut a seventeen inch square piece of fabric.

2.  Mark circles on fabric with a water soluable marker.  (I used a dinner plate, a salad plate, a saucer, and a big mug to make my circles.)  Start with the biggest circle first so that you can center the smaller circles within the bigger ones.  If you go the other way it is hard to tell where your smaller circles are...not that I know from experience or anything.

3.  Start making french knots with a needle and your yarn.  Here is how to make a french knot.

Hold fabric tight with an embroidery hoop.

Double thread needle with yarn.  (Make sure your needle has a big enough eye to thread yarn).

Pull needle up through fabric from behind.  Wrap yarn around the needle very close to the front of the fabric.

For these knots I wrapped twice.

Push needle through the fabric to the back keeping your wrapped yarn close to the fabric.

Pull through making a knot.

Keep going along your drawn circles until done.  Then spray with water to remove marker.



4.  Sew pillow top into a pillow.  I sewed an envelope closure on the back.

I thought this would take a long time, but it went rather quickly and was kinda fun.  I just love the texture of this pillow.  The yarn knots feel really cool and nubby when you run your hands over it. 

I've started a new pattern already.  Happy knotting!