Simple Knits: Cushions & Pillows: 12 Easy-Knit Projects for Your Home

By Claire Crompton

Patterns for the coziest and cutest cushions, seating cubes, and pillows from the established designer and bestselling author of The Knitter’s Bible.
 
Featuring strong designs across a range of styles for the new-to-knitting market, all the projects included are either Beginner, Easy or Intermediate skill level, and the majority are Easy. As well as patterns and project instructions, you will also find an explanation of the abbreviations used, a knitting needle conversion chart, a skill level key, a standard yarn weight chart, knitting techniques and making-up techniques.
 
Projects include:
· Pompom Cushion
· Bright Stripe Pillows
· Beaded Cushions
· Black and White Pillow
· Vibrant Seating Cube
· Fringed Ribbon Pillow
· French Knitted Cushions
· Blooming Rose Pillow
· Diamond Pattern Pillow
· Bunting Cushion

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: Dec 3, 2012
• ISBN: 9781446359921

Claire Crompton

Claire Crompton has worked as a pattern cutter, sample garment maker, and a hand-knitting designer and pattern writer. She has also worked as a cross stitch designer for a large needlecraft company, developing skills in charting and writing embroidery instructions for kits and booklets. Claire is now a workshop tutor and author of several books on cross stitch and knitting, including the bestsellingKnitter's Bible series.

Book preview

Pompom Cushion

This stockinette stitch cushion is embellished with pompoms made from primary colors to brighten up a child’s room.

Skill Level-Beginner

You Will Need

Yarn

•  2 × 2¹⁄2oz (100g) balls of light-weight (DK) acrylic yarn (322yd/295m per ball) in cream (A)

•  For pompoms: 1 × 1³⁄4oz (50g) ball of each of blue, red, green and yellow acrylic or wool yarn

Knitting Needles

•  One pair size 6 (4mm)

Other Materials

•  16in (40cm) square cushion pad

Finished Measurements

16in (40cm) square

Gauge

22 sts and 28 rows to 4in (10cm) square measured over st st (1 row k, 1 row p) using size 6 (4mm) needles

Knit Notes

You could use shop-bought pompoms, but it’s much more fun to make your own, and you can create exactly the colors and textures you want.

Knit Your Cushion

BACK AND FRONT (MAKE 2 THE SAME)

Using size 6 (4mm) needles and A, cast on 88 sts.

Work in st st (1 row k, 1 row p) until work measures 16in (40cm), ending with a p row.

Bind off.

Finish Your Cushion

Sew in all ends neatly. Press according to instructions on ball bands.

Make sufficient pompoms to cover the front of the cushion. Sew the pompoms on.

Join back and front together around three sides. Insert cushion pad and sew remaining side closed.

MAKING A POMPOM

Cut two circles out of stiff cardboard, making them the same diameter that you require for the finished pompom. Cut out a hole in the center of each one half of this size. Place the card circles together and begin winding yarn around them until the hole in the center is filled (Fig 1).

Carefully cut through the loops all the way around, being careful not to let any yarn strands escape (Fig 2).

Pull a length of yarn between the two pieces of cardboard, knot the two ends together and pull tightly around the center of the pompom. Secure with a tight knot (Fig 3).

Pull out the cardboard circles. Fluff up the pompom, trimming any uneven ends, but leave the two yarn ends for sewing on.

1

2

3

Bright Stripe Pillows

These shaped pillows with their simple yet distinctive stripe pattern are much easier to knit than you might think.

Skill Level-Easy

You Will Need

For the Bolster Pillow

Yarn

•  1 × 1³⁄4oz (50g) ball of light-weight (DK) or medium-weight (aran) yarn in each of seven shades of dark red and burgundy (A)

•  1 × 1³⁄4oz (50g) ball of light-weight (DK)

•  or medium-weight (aran) yarn in each of

•  three shades of scarlet and light red and

•  1 × ⁷⁄8oz (25g) ball of fine-weight (4ply) metallic yarn in red (B)

Knitting Needles

•  One set