Cushion Knitting Patterns

Why cushions are the best swatch you will ever make

A cushion cover is a rectangle of a fixed, known size. That makes it the ideal place to learn a stitch you are nervous about — cables, bobbles, stranded colourwork, intarsia — because the commitment is a few evenings rather than a jumper's worth of yarn, and nothing has to fit anybody. It also means a mistake is survivable: fabric that comes out slightly small can be blocked, and slightly large can be eased onto a bigger pad. Knitters who are not ready for a garment but are bored of scarves usually find their next step here.

Getting the size right

Knit the cover very slightly smaller than the pad. A cover the exact size of its insert looks limp; one about two centimetres smaller in each direction is what gives that plump, upholstered look. Standard pads are commonly 40cm, 45cm, and 50cm square, plus bolsters and rectangles, and most patterns here are written to those. If you want to resize, work out your stitch count from your tension square rather than guessing: stitches per centimetre multiplied by the target width, adjusted to fit any pattern repeat.

Backs and fastenings

• Envelope back: two overlapping panels, no fastening at all. Simplest to knit and simplest to remove for washing.
• Buttoned back: a buttonhole band on one panel, which looks deliberate and neat.
• Zipped: the tidiest finish, but the zip must be hand-sewn to knitted fabric with care so it does not ripple.
• Fabric back: a woven cotton or linen back cut to size, which reduces knitting time by half and stops a heavy cover sagging.
• Seamed all round: only worth it if the pad is never coming out again.

Stitch patterns and how they wear

Cushions get sat on, leaned against and dragged around, so choose a fabric with structure. Cables, basketweave, moss stitch, and double moss all produce a dense, resilient surface that keeps its shape. Plain stocking stitch curls at the edges and needs a garter or rib border to sit flat. Lace looks lovely but lets the pad show through, so back it with fabric or choose a pad in a matching colour. Bobbles and heavy texture are wonderful on a decorative cushion and less comfortable on one you actually lean on.

Yarn choice

Aran and chunky yarns are the natural choice: they knit up quickly and give the density a cushion needs. Wool and wool blends show cables beautifully and recover from being squashed. Cotton is hard-wearing and washes well but has no memory, so a large cotton cover can sag — size down and choose a firm stitch. Acrylic and acrylic blends are practical for family rooms and children's bedrooms because they can be machine-washed. Work to the metreage in the pattern and buy a whole cushion's worth in a single dye lot, since a flat expanse of one colour shows any variation.

Finishing and care

Block the panels before seaming, especially cabled ones, which come off the needles narrower than they will end up. Mattress stitch gives the neatest side seams; work it firmly, because cushion seams take real strain. Add a lining of cotton fabric if the yarn is loosely knitted or the pad is white and the yarn dark. Wash according to the yarn: hand-wash wool covers and dry flat; machine-wash acrylic and cotton on a cool cycle. Removing the pad before washing is the whole argument for an envelope back.

Knitted cushion cover questions

Are there free cushion knitting patterns to download? Yes, free PDF designs are included here alongside paid patterns.

What size should I knit for a 45cm pad? Knit the cover a couple of centimetres smaller than the pad in each direction so the finished cushion looks full rather than slack.

How do I close the cover without a zip? Use an envelope back, where two panels overlap at the centre. It needs no fastening and comes off easily for washing.

Which yarn is best? Aran or chunky, in wool for cables and springiness, or acrylic and cotton for washability.

Can I knit a cushion as a beginner? Absolutely — a garter or moss stitch rectangle with an envelope back involves no shaping at all. Browse more beginner knitting patterns.