Use a 5mm hook with worsted weight yarn (Loops and Threads Impeccable and Vanna's Choice). The square with a simple sc border makes a 10 inch square.
Due to the nature of the relief/post stitches, the square will look a little wonky (and not perfectly square) until it is blocked.
Gauge: 8 stitches in 8 rows (alternating row 1: sc, row 2: hdc) is 2 inches wide and 2.25 inches tall.
Special Stitches:
Left-on-top Cross: fpdtc around each of the 2 post stitches 2 rows below and 2 stitches to the left, sc in the next st, fpdtc around each of the 2 post stitches 2 rows below and 2 stitches to the right.
Note: The post stitches can also be stitched around the sc 2 rows below if no post stitch exists yet in that location, especially when combined with a horizontal row.
Right-on-top Cross: fpdtc around each of the 2 post stitches 2 rows below and 2 stitches to the left, sc in the next st, inserting your hook under the 2 post stitches just created: fpdtc around each of the 2 post stitches 2 rows below and 2 stitches to the right. (The second set of fpdtc should be under the first set of fpdtc created.)
“FPDTC and Short Horizontal Relief Row” to the Right: YO 3 times, pull a loop around the stitch down 2 rows and to the right 3 stitches, YO, skip 1 stitch, pull a loop around the next stitch, pull a loop through 2 loops on the hook and continue until you have 1 loop left.
“FPDTC and Long Horizontal Relief Row” to the Right: YO 3 times, pull a loop around the stitch down 2 rows and to the right 3 stitches, YO, skip 1 stitch, pull a loop around the next stitch, YO, skip 1 stitch, pull a loop around the next stitch, pull a loop through 2 loops on the hook and continue until you have 1 loop left.
In other patterns, this stitch is called a 1-anchor horizontal relief row like in the image to the right.
These can also be stitched to the left (simply replace right with left in the instructions above).
The short rows can also be stitched at the beginning of a complex stitch, for example: "short horizontal row and fpdtc". In this case, they are stitched over the sc just stitched rather than on a row below.
Note:
In this pattern, when I write "repeat XX times", I intend for you to stitch the sequence in the parentheses or brackets XX times. For instance, "(ch 3, sc in the ch-3 sp) repeat 3 times" means stitch "ch 3, sc in the ch-3 sp" a total of 3 times (i.e. stitch ch 3, sc in the ch-3 sp, ch 3, sc in the ch-3 sp, ch 3, sc in the ch-3 sp).
Pattern:
chain 36.
Row 1: starting from the 2nd chain from the hook: sc 35. Turn.
Row 2: ch, hdc 35. Turn.
Row 3: ch, sc 35. Turn.
Row 4: ch, hdc 35. Turn.
Row 5: ch, sc 35. Mark the 18th stitch. Turn.
Row 6: ch, hdc 35. Turn.
Row 7: ch, sc 15, fptc around the marked stitch 2 rows below, fpdc around the hdc above the marked stitch, sc, fpdc around the same hdc as the previous fpdc, fptc around the same marked stitch as the previous fptc, sc 15. Turn.
Row 8: ch, hdc 35. Turn.
Row 9: ch, sc 12, fpdtc around each of the first 2 post stitches below, sc 7, fpdtc around each of the remaining 2 post stitches below, sc 12. Turn.
Note: Make sure to skip 2 stitches in the row below after making the post stitches to keep the number of stitches in each row the same.
Row 10: ch, hdc 35. Turn.
Row 11: ch, sc 9, fpdtc around each o the first 2 post stitches below, sc 13, fpdtc around each of the remaining 2 post stitches below, sc 9. Turn.
Row 12: ch, hdc 35. Turn.
Row 13: ch, sc 3, fptc around each of the next 2 sc 2 rows below, sc, fpdtc around each of the 2 post stitches below to the left, sc, fpdtc and short horizontal row to the right (ending at the 2nd fptc made), fpdtc and long horizontal row to the right (ending at the 1st fptc made), sc 13 (mark the 7th stitch), fpdtc and long horizontal row to the left, fpdtc and short horizontal row to the left, sc, fpdtc around each of the 2 post stitches below to the right, sc, fptc around each of the next 2 sc 2 rows below (where each of the horizontal rows end), sc 3. Turn.
Row 14: ch, hdc 35. Turn.
Row 15: ch, sc 3, right-on-top cross, sc 4, fpdtc around each of the next 2 post stitches below to the right, sc, fptc around the marked stitch below, fpdc around the hdc above the marked stitch, sc, fpdc around the same stitch as the previous fpdc, fptc around the marked stitch below, sc, fpdtc around each of the next 2 post stitches below to the left, sc 4, right-on-top cross, sc 3. Turn.
Row 16: ch, hdc 35. Turn.
Row 17: ch, sc 3, fptc around each of the 2 post stitches directly below, sc 4, fpdtc around each of the next 2 post stitches below to the right, sc, right-on-top cross, sc, right-on-top cross, sc, fpdtc around each of the next 2 post stitches below to the left, sc 4, fptc around each of the 2 post stitches directly below, sc 3. Turn.
Row 18: ch, hdc 35. Turn.
Row 19: ch, sc 3, fptc around each of the 2 post stitches directly below, sc 4, [left-on-top cross, sc] repeat 3 times, sc 3, fptc around each of the 2 post stitches directly below, sc 3. Turn.
Row 20: ch, hdc 35. Turn.
Row 21: ch, sc 3, fptc around each of the 2 post stitches directly below, sc 4, fptc around each of the 2 post stitches directly below, [sc, right-on-top cross] twice, sc, fptc around each of the 2 post stitches directly below, sc 4, fptc around each of the 2 post stitches directly below, sc 3. Turn.
Note: When stitching these post stitches, for the purpose of the next relief row, the first post stitch made of each pair will be called the “first” stitch and the second post stitch will be called the “second” stitch.
Row 22: ch, hdc 35. Turn.
Row 23: ch, sc 9, short horizontal row to the right and fpdtc around the second post stitch below to the right (return pulling a loop through every 2 loops on the hook until there are 2 loops remaining) together with a fpdtc around the first post stitch below to the left (not the fptc directly below), long horizontal row to the right and fpdtc around the first post stitch below to the right together with a fpdtc around the second post stitch below to the left (not the fptc directly below), [sc 4, short horizontal row to the right and fpdtc around the second post stitch below to the right together with a fpdtc around the first post stitch below to the left, long horizontal row to the right and fpdtc around the first post stitch below to the right together with a fpdtc around the second post stitch below to the left] repeat 3 times, sc 6. Turn.
Row 24: ch, hdc 35. Turn.
Row 25: ch, sc 35. Turn.
Row 26: ch, hdc 35. Turn.
Row 27: ch, sc 35. Turn.
Row 28: ch, hdc 35. Turn.
Row 29: ch, sc 35. Turn.
Border:
ch, sc in each stitch around, with (sc, hdc, sc) in the corner stitches and 2 sc around each hdc along the sides.
To increase the size of the square, follow this border with a round of hdc, with (hdc, dc, hdc) in the corner stitches, and then another round of sc as described above. Each repeat of these two rounds will increase the width of the square by 1 inch.
To make my 10 inch pillow, I stitched a simple border of 1 round of sc. To make my 12 inch pillow, I stitched 2 repeats of this pattern (i.e. 5 border rounds: sc, hdc, sc, hdc, and sc).
Note: after assembling my pillows, I would recommend 1 round of hdc for the border of a 10 inch pillow.
