Hey all! This appears to be one of those free pattern blog posts that have a story beforehand. I promise I’ll keep it short though, okay? Okay. 🙂
I’ve been knitting and crocheting since I was a kid. You know what else I’ve loved since I was a kid? Pandas.
I picked up some super soft and fluffy white yarn at Joanns a few months back, not really knowing what I wanted to make with it. After some debating, and considering that I didn’t really need to make (*cough* ahem, start) another blanket here in the southwestern desert heat, I figured I’d give a pillow a go.
Around this time I was also looking at pictures of amigurumi patterns on Pinterest, and panda pictures, and these ideas all melded together into the idea of a Panda Pillow. And now I have a cute panda that keeps my bed looking cute all day long.
I know it’s not a super impressive story, but telling some sort of back story seems to be what the cool kids do these days on their blogs. *shrugs*
Aaaaand here’s what you came here to ACTUALLY see. 🙂
Panda Pillow
Measurements: approx. 18″ x 18″
Materials:
Bernat Blanket yarn in White and Coal
Size 13 knitting needles (I used a 24″(?) circular needle)
Size P-16 crochet hook
18″x18″ blank pillow insert
Terms used in pattern:
Stockinette St: *Work one row all knit stitches, next row all purl stitches, rep from *
Instructions:
Base pillow:
With white yarn, cast on 36 stitches. Work stockinette st until piece is a square, about 66 rows (approx), and bind off. Repeat to make a second square.
Panda eyes:
Round 1:With black yarn and size L/11 hook, ch 5. Sc in second ch from hook, sc in each ch to 2nd to last ch. Work 3 sc in last ch. DO NOT TURN. Continue to sc in each chain, across from the sc already worked. Work 3sc in other end chain.
Round 2: Work sc in next 5 sts, work 3 sc in next st. work sc in next 5 sts, work 3 sc in next st.
Round 3: work sc in first 7 sts, work 3 sc in next st, work sc in next 7 sts, work 3 sc in next st. Finish off, weave in end. No need to weave in end from center of ear.
Panda ears:
Round 1: In a magic loop, work 6 sc.
Round 2: Work 2sc in each st around.
Round 3. *Work 1 sc, 2 sc in next st, rep from * around
Round 4: *Work sc in next 2 sts, work 2sc in next st, rep from * around
Round 5: *work sc in next 3 sts, work 2 sc in next st, rep from * around
Round 6: *Work sc in next 4 sts, work 2 sc in next st, rep from * around
Finish off, weave in last end. No need to weave in end in the middle.
Panda nose:
In a magic loop: Ch 2, 1dc, 1 sc, 1 dc, 1 hdc, 2 sc, 1 hdc, 1 dc, 1 sc. Join, and finish off.
To put it all together, lay out one white square, knit side up. Using a large yarn needle, sew the ears, eyes and nose so that it looks like a panda. See picture: 
As you sew the eye and ear pieces to your pillow front, stuff the ends from the middle that you did not weave in (if you really want to weave them in properly, go for it. I just don’t like weaving in the ends and view it as unnecessary in this case).
After sewing the eyes/ears/nose, take a piece of the white yarn and sew on a white detail on the eyes and with black yarn add a smiley mouth:
Lay out both squares, purl sides together. Using your crochet hook, and slip stitch with the white yarn into the corner of both squares. Single crochet along the edge of both squares until you reach the next corner, work 3 single crochets into corner, continue working sc along next edge. Repeat until 3edges of pillow are crocheted together. Do not finish off. Insert plain pillow. Continue to crochet along the 4th edge now that the pillow is inside, 3 sc into corner, and join with the beginning sc stitch. Finish off.