Crochet Knit Look Pillow: How to Create a Cozy Textured Pillow with a Sewrella-Inspired Design

There is something genuinely magical about a pillow that looks like it was hand-knit but was actually crocheted. The chunky ribbed texture, the warm woolly appearance, the way it anchors an entire sofa or reading nook — a crochet knit look pillow delivers all of that in a project that is surprisingly approachable, even for intermediate beginners. If you have been following Sewrella’s work and fell in love with the aesthetic of a beautifully textured throw pillow, this post is going to walk you through everything you need to know to make one yourself.

Whether you are brand new to the knit look crochet technique or you have been crocheting for years and want to add a polished home décor piece to your repertoire, this guide covers materials, stitch selection, sizing, construction, finishing, and styling tips to help you bring your pillow from idea to finished product.

What Is a Crochet Knit Look Pillow?

Before diving into the how-to, it helps to understand what makes a “knit look” pillow different from a standard crocheted one. Traditional crochet stitches like single crochet, double crochet, and treble crochet all have their own distinct texture. That texture is beautiful, but it reads unmistakably as crochet. A knit look crochet technique uses specific stitches — most commonly the knit stitch (also called the waistcoat stitch or center single crochet) or the crochet rib stitch worked in back loops only — to mimic the V-shaped columns and horizontal ridges you see in hand-knitted fabric.

The result is a fabric that fools the eye. Guests will pick up your pillow, squeeze it, and ask, “Did you knit this?” And you get to smile and explain that you crocheted it, which somehow feels even more impressive.

Sewrella — the brand and creator behind some of the most beloved crochet home décor patterns on the internet — has done a lot to popularize this look. Her pillow patterns combine clean construction with that irresistible chunky texture, and they have inspired countless crafters to try their hand at making pillows that look straight out of a high-end home décor shop.

Why Make a Crochet Knit Look Pillow?

There are plenty of reasons to add this project to your queue, and not all of them are about the finished product.

From a skill-building perspective, working a knit look stitch for a full pillow panel is excellent practice. The repetition helps the stitch settle into muscle memory, your tension becomes more consistent, and you start to really understand how the fabric drapes and behaves. By the time you finish your first pillow, you will feel far more confident about using the technique in larger projects like blankets or cardigans.

From a home décor perspective, these pillows are endlessly versatile. A chunky ribbed pillow in cream or oatmeal looks stunning on a linen sofa. A deep charcoal one pairs beautifully with plaid throw blankets. A dusty sage version softens the look of a modern, minimalist room. The texture does the decorating work for you — you just have to pick a color you love.

From a practical standpoint, crochet works up faster than knitting for most people. Even a chunky knit look pillow, worked with a larger hook and bulky yarn, can be completed in a weekend. If you are making gifts or stocking a craft fair table, that speed matters.

Materials You Will Need

Getting the materials right makes an enormous difference in the finished look of your pillow. Here is what to gather before you cast on — or rather, before you make your foundation chain.

Yarn: For a true chunky knit look, you want a bulky or super bulky yarn with good stitch definition. Avoid anything too fuzzy or halo-heavy at first, because those fibers blur the stitch pattern and obscure the knit-like columns you are working so hard to create. A smooth wool, wool blend, or even a smooth acrylic like Lion Brand Pound of Love in a bulky weight or Bernat Blanket Yarn works beautifully. If you want a more luxurious feel and appearance, look for a merino wool bulky yarn — the drape and sheen are unmatched. Plan for approximately 200 to 400 yards depending on your pillow size and stitch choice.

Hook: Match your hook size to your yarn, but keep in mind that the knit stitch tends to work up tighter than standard single crochet. Many crafters go up one or even two hook sizes from the yarn label recommendation to get a looser, more drapey fabric. For a super bulky yarn, a 9mm to 12mm hook is a good range to explore. Swatch first to check your gauge before committing to the full project.

Pillow insert: The standard sizes for throw pillows are 18×18 inches, 20×20 inches, and 20×26 inches. You can find inexpensive polyester pillow inserts at most craft and home stores, or you can opt for a down or down-alternative insert for a fluffier, more elevated result. Buy your insert first so you can design your crocheted cover to fit it exactly rather than the other way around.

Yarn needle: You will need a blunt-tipped tapestry needle for weaving in ends and seaming your panels together.

Stitch markers: Helpful for keeping track of your stitch count, especially when working the knit stitch, which can be tricky to count visually.

Scissors.

Choosing Your Stitch Pattern

The stitch you choose will define the entire character of your pillow. Here are the main options for achieving a knit look in crochet.

The Knit Stitch (Waistcoat Stitch / Center Single Crochet): This is the gold standard for mimicking stockinette knitting. Instead of inserting your hook under both loops of the stitch below as you would in regular single crochet, you insert the hook directly through the center of the stitch — through the two vertical legs of the V shape. The result is a fabric of clean, defined V columns that look almost identical to stockinette knitting from the front. It is worked back and forth in rows or in the round. The main thing to know is that it works up somewhat slowly and can feel tight on the hands at first, but it is absolutely worth it for the finished look.

The Ribbing Stitch (BLO Single Crochet): Working single crochet in the back loop only, back and forth in rows, creates a horizontal ribbed texture that mimics 1×1 knit ribbing beautifully. This technique is faster than the knit stitch and gives your pillow that stretchy, cozy, bundled-up texture. Many Sewrella-inspired pillow designs use this approach because it is beginner-friendly and extremely satisfying to work.

Half Double Crochet in the Third Loop: This technique, often called hdc blo in the third loop, creates a flatter, more subtle ribbed fabric that sits between the look of stockinette and ribbing. It is excellent for a chunkier, puffier fabric with great stitch definition.

The Moss Stitch or Linen Stitch: If you want something that reads as a woven knit fabric rather than stockinette or ribbing, the moss stitch — alternating single crochet and chain stitches across rows — creates a beautiful grid-like texture.

For the most popular Sewrella knit look pillow aesthetic, BLO single crochet ribbing or the knit stitch are your best choices. For your first attempt, BLO ribbing is highly recommended because the pattern repeat is simple, the fabric is forgiving, and the finished look is absolutely stunning.

Step-by-Step: Making a Basic Crochet Knit Look Pillow Cover

This basic construction method will produce a 20×20 inch pillow cover using BLO single crochet ribbing. Adjust your starting chain based on your gauge swatch.

Step 1: Swatch and calculate your gauge. Make a 4×4 inch swatch using your chosen yarn and hook with BLO single crochet. Count your stitches and rows per inch. Write these numbers down. For a 20-inch-wide pillow, multiply your stitches per inch by 20 to find your starting chain number. Add one or two extra stitches to account for your turning chain.

Step 2: Make your foundation chain. Chain the number you calculated in step one. Keep your tension even and consistent — a loose, comfortable chain will make your first row easier to work.

Step 3: Work your first row. Single crochet in the second chain from the hook and in each chain across. This row is worked through both loops because there is no back loop to work into on a foundation chain. Turn your work.

Step 4: Begin the ribbing pattern. Chain one, then single crochet in the back loop only of each stitch across. Turn. Repeat this row for every subsequent row. That is the entire pattern — chain one, BLO single crochet across, turn. The magic is in the simplicity.

Step 5: Count your rows. For a 20×20 inch pillow, you need enough rows to reach 40 inches in total length (since you will fold the panel in half and seam three sides). Keep measuring as you go. When you reach 40 inches, fasten off and weave in your ends.

Step 6: Fold and seam. Fold your panel in half so the two short ends meet and the right side of the fabric faces inward. Using your tapestry needle and a length of yarn, whipstitch or mattress stitch along two open sides, leaving the third open to insert your pillow form.

Step 7: Insert your pillow form and seam the final edge. Stuff your pillow form inside the cover, then seam the final open edge. Weave in any remaining ends.

Step 8: Turn right side out and fluff. Turn your pillow right side out and give it a good squeeze and fluff to even out the stuffing and show off that gorgeous ribbed texture.

Tips for a Professional Finish

The difference between a homemade-looking pillow and a truly polished one often comes down to a handful of small details.

Keep your tension consistent throughout. Tension changes create visible lines in the fabric where your rows look tighter or looser than their neighbors. If you notice your tension shifting during a session, take a break and return when you are relaxed. Many crafters find that crochet tension tightens when they are stressed or tired.

Weave in ends meticulously. Run your yarn tail back and forth through several rows in different directions rather than just a straight line. This prevents ends from working their way back through the fabric over time. For a pillow that will be handled and washed, secure your ends thoroughly.

Block your panels before seaming. Wet blocking or steam blocking your finished panels will even out any tension inconsistencies, square up your edges, and open up the stitch definition so the knit look really shines. Pin your panels to blocking mats in the correct dimensions and let them dry completely before seaming.

Use an invisible seam method. The mattress stitch, worked on the right side of the fabric, creates a nearly invisible seam that keeps the focus on your beautiful stitch work. It takes a little practice, but the result is far more polished than a visible whipstitch seam along the outer edge.

Size up your insert. A pillow insert that is one to two inches larger than your crocheted cover will keep your pillow looking full and plump rather than flat and deflated. This is one of the simplest ways to elevate the finished look immediately.

Customizing Your Pillow Design

One of the best things about this project is how easily it adapts to your personal style.

You can add a simple border by switching to a contrasting color and working one or two rounds of single crochet around the finished pillow. You can incorporate color blocking by working the two halves of your panel in different colors and seaming them together at the center. You can combine stitch textures by working a panel of BLO ribbing alongside a panel of the knit stitch for an interesting two-tone textured look.

For a more advanced variation, try adding an envelope back closure. Instead of folding a single panel in half, work two separate panels sized to 20×22 inches each. Overlap them by about four inches at the center back and seam around all four edges. The overlapping panels create a natural opening that holds the pillow insert in place without any buttons or zippers, and it makes removing the cover for washing effortless.

You can also experiment with adding fringe, pompom edging, or tassels at the corners for a boho-inspired version. Keeping the main fabric clean and simple means these embellishments enhance rather than compete with the texture.

Caring for Your Crochet Pillow Cover

How you care for your finished pillow depends on the fiber content of your yarn. Always check your yarn label before washing.

For most acrylic yarns, machine washing on a gentle cycle in cool water and laying flat to dry is perfectly safe. For wool or wool blend yarns, hand washing in cool water with a gentle wool wash is recommended to prevent felting and shrinkage. Superwash wool yarns can typically be machine washed on a gentle cycle.

Avoid putting your pillow cover in the dryer on high heat — this can cause acrylic to melt slightly (a phenomenon sometimes called “killing” the yarn, which actually creates a limp, flat fabric) and can cause wool to felt and shrink.

Keeping a spare pillow cover in rotation is a lovely idea if you live in a home where pillows take a lot of daily use. This way you can wash one while the other is in service.

Styling Your Crochet Knit Look Pillow

A single beautiful pillow can anchor a whole room, but a cluster of them is transformational. For a cohesive, layered sofa arrangement, mix your chunky knit look pillow with a smooth linen pillow in a complementary color and a woven or printed pillow for contrast. The key to a styled-looking arrangement is varying the textures while keeping the color palette tight — two to three colors maximum tends to look the most intentional.

Your knit look pillow will feel most at home in cozy, earthy interiors: Scandinavian-inspired spaces with clean lines and natural wood tones, cottagecore rooms with dried florals and linen drapery, or modern farmhouse settings where warmth and texture are the whole point. It also works beautifully in minimalist interiors as a single focal texture piece against an otherwise spare background.

On a bed, one or two large chunky textured pillows stacked in front of your sleeping pillows adds an instant editorial touch. On a reading chair, a single pillow in a warm neutral color is all the styling you need.

Final Thoughts

A crochet knit look pillow is the kind of project that reminds you why you fell in love with making things in the first place. It is tactile, it is beautiful, it is useful, and it looks far more complicated than it actually is. The Sewrella approach to this style — clean construction, great yarn choices, and that irresistible chunky texture — has made this one of the most popular crochet home décor projects for good reason.

Whether this is your first time trying the knit look technique or you are adding to a growing collection of handmade home accessories, this pillow is worth every hour you put into it. Pick a color that makes you happy, find a yarn that you love to hold, and settle in. By the end of the weekend, you will have something beautiful to show for it — and you will almost certainly be planning the next one before the last end is woven in.