I can’t knit. Okay, I can knit, my Mom taught me how, but I hate it. All of that counting drives me crazy! I’m really not a fan of arts or crafts that involve too much math, but I am a huge fan of cable-knit pillow covers for my winter decorating. I’ve been drooling over them for years, but couldn’t afford the $40 (or more) price tag.
I did ask my Mom about knitting a few for me, and she was happy to, but it turns out that yarn isn’t so cheap, either. At least, not the good stuff.
So anyway, I was shopping for groceries at Superstore last week, and of course I was checking out the new winter arrivals in the Joe Fresh clothing section, when I saw them: pillow covers. At least, that’s what they looked like to me. They were square, and stacked flat, and best of all, they were cable-knit! They were actually cowl scarves (aka circle scarves or snoods), but the way they were displayed, my brain instantly made the connection. I grabbed one up to check the price: just $16! Um, yes please!! I bought a grey one and an off-white one.
Here’s the world’s easiest tutorial for DIY Cable-Knit Pillow Covers, at less than half the usual price, with no knitting or sewing skills required:
Step 1: Take a pillow that you already own with a plain cover.
Step 2: Take your cowl scarf.
Step 3: Put the cowl scarf on the plain pillow.
Step 4: Place on your couch and enjoy the awesomeness.
Isn’t that seriously the easiest thing ever? And if you or your kids spill something on it, just slip the cowl scarf off and wash it with the rest of your sweaters.
So. Simple.
I haven’t even had any issues with the scarves moving around on my pillows. They seem to “grip” the fabric underneath quite well (and believe me, my husband and kids squash the heck out of cushions when they lean against them or sit on them!).
For those who are wondering, the cushions I used are the 20 x 20″ FJADRAR inserts from IKEA. The knit cowl scarves are stretchy though, so I bet they’d fit a range of pillow sizes (within reason).
I’d love to include a link to the exact cowl scarves I bought, but they don’t seem to be on the Joe Fresh site yet. Regarding the quality, Joe makes most of their knits out of acrylic yarn, which I’m not generally a fan of, but I bought a couple of cable-knit full-length scarves from them two years ago, and they have held up well. Just wash in cold water and air dry.
So what are you waiting for? Go find yourself a cowl scarf!
Update: With daily mauling from a husband and three children, I only had to wash the scarves once a month during the winter to keep them looking good. Not bad!
Update #2: These scarves went on sale for just $10 at the end of the season, so I bought another one. You can’t have too many pillow covers!
Random Housewifery 