Pillogan Basics
Jennie Merritt jmerritt@roanoke.infi.net

Did you get a pattern for the 270? I'll give you the basics and you can do your own - for any machine or yarn.

1) Decide the size of the pillowghan. I make different sizes because one son is tall and thin and my Mom is short and stout, toddlers don' tneed the length, etc. However, I use a standard size formula for most.
Let's start with 64" long.

2) Divide the length of the pillowghan by 4. You usually fold the length in fourths to put it into the pillow part.
64" divided by 4 =16"

3) 16" square becomes the pillow size. If this is a little more or less it doesn't really matter because when you fold the afghan part it is very forgiving.

4) This sets up the width size. You usually fold the afghan into thirds, so multiply the pillow size by 3 to get the afghan width. 16"x 3 = 48"

5) The width should be divided into an odd number of panels. It just looks better to have 1, 3, 5, or 7 panels. Decide the number you would like. Let's use 5 panels for our example.

6) Subtract the pillow size from the width. 48" - 16" = 32" I like to have at least an inch on each side of my pillow so subtract that from the remainder: 32-2=30" Add those two inches to the pillow size. 16" + 2" = 18" This tells us two things. The center panel where the pillow will be is 18", and the rest of the afghan is 30".

7) Divide the rest of the afghan by 2. 30 divided by 2 = 15". At this point we know that the center panel is 18" and the width on each side of the center is 15".

8) On each side of the center panel are two panels. Now you have a range of choices on how to use that 15" width needed to complete the afghan. You can knit two panels, each 7.5", or two panels one 6" and the other 9", or any other combination you wish.

9) Draw a simple schematic (picture) of the pillowghan with 5 rectangles and 1 square. Label each with the number of inches that relates to it. The square would have 16" on each side, the center rectangle 18" on the short side and 64" on the long side, etc until all rectangles are labeled. The length for all rectangles will be the same.

10) Decide on the seaming technique you wish to use, i.e., seam as you go, sew seams, hairpin lace, tatting the seams, etc., and write it on the schematic.

11) Make a swatch of the pattern you wish to use and treat the swatch (wash, dry, etc). Take the gauge and apply to the schematic.

12) Knit the panels and pillow applying the seaming technique you have chosen.