$6.00

How to Buy

How to Buy

Loon Pillow with Chick Toy

PATTERN DETAILS

How to Buy

RELEASE DATE:  January 2005. 

DESCRIPTION:  This intarsia loon pillow celebrates the Common Loon, a lake bird whose form and haunting cry are loved by many as symbols of wildness. The pillow is the blue of lakes and has a loon floating in the middle. The loon’s wing forms a pocket so a stuffed baby loon toy can ride on the adult’s back just as chicks do in real life. The back of the pillow is a simple black and white horizontally-striped pattern and the edging is an optional knitted red cord to match the red eye of the adult loon (the loon chick has dark eyes). The pillow is knitted as 2 stockinette stitch squares with the knitted-on I-cord seam and edging permanently enclosing the pillow form, although an easier finishing option is also included, if you prefer.  The chick is a simple folded garter stitch shape that is stuffed and has a bead, button, or embroidered eye. The chick can be felted or not, as you desire.

Also, if you click on Child's Loon Cardigan you'll find a child's cardigan designed to coordinate with this pillow.

SIZE:  The pillow is a 14-inch square. The loon chick toy is approximately 3.5x3.5 inches (9x9 cm).

SKILL REQUIRED:  Intermediate. You need to know how to knit intarsia-style two-color designs.

MATERIALS:

• YARN:  DK or sportweight yarn that knits a suitable fabric at a gauge of 6 stitches per inch in stockinette stitch.

  • For Pillow: You’ll need approximately 125 yards (116 m) of black, 95 yards (87 m) of white, 162 yards (150 m) of blue, and 54 yards (50 m) of red. The specific yarn used is America’s Alpaca Classic Alpaca yarn in 1.75-ounce (50-gram) skeins - 2 skeins of black, 1 skein of cream, 2 skeins of a heathery blue, and 1 skein of a dark red.

  • For chick: You’ll need approximately 18 yards (16 m) of black for an unfelted chick. For a felted chick you’ll need approximately 25 yards (23 m).

• NEEDLES:  

  • For Pillow: US Size 4 (3.5 mm) or size to achieve gauge. You’ll need 2 long circular needles (24 inches/60 cm or longer) and 1 double point needle of the same size.
  • For chick: For unfelted version you’ll need US Size 4 (3.5 mm) or same size as used for pillow. For the felted version you’ll need US Size 9 (5.5 mm) or the equivalently larger size than the size used for the pillow.

• MISCELLANEOUS:  Darning needle and the following -

  • For pillow: 14-inch pillow form, 2 stitch holders, 12 safety pins or openable stitch markers

  • For chick:

    • Small amount of polyester fiberfillF
    • For a felted chick you’ll need a yard or less of a smooth, unshrinkable yarn (cotton works well) in white or other color that contrasts well with the black body of the chick
    • For chick that will NOT be used by a child: 2 glass "pebble" beads or small buttons – in black, metallic silver, or clear (shown in photo is clear bead with a silvery lining of the bead hole).
    • For chick that will be used by a child: a yard or two of embroidery thread or yarn in a shiny gray or black.

GAUGE: Approximately 24 stitches per 4 inches (10 cm) in stockinette stitch on the larger size needles. The row gauge is 8 rows per 4 inches (10 cm) in stockinette stitch on the larger size needles - the row gauge is rather important so that the loon will be centered on the pillow front.

back of pillow

  unfelted chick with bead eye

loon pillow and Child's Loon Cardigan (pattern available for purchase on this website)

How to Buy Pattern