Coastline Cushion - Free Crochet Pattern for Home in Paintbox Yarns Wool Mix Aran

Coastline Cushion – Free Crochet Pattern Overview

The Coastline Cushion is a free, downloadable crochet pattern from Paintbox Yarns, designed to create a striking 16¼in / 41.5cm square decorative cushion cover for the home. Rated as intermediate in difficulty, this project is ideal for crocheters who are comfortable with colour work and working from a chart, and who are ready to take their skills beyond basic solid-colour projects.

Design and Construction

The finished piece is a square cushion cover worked in two contrasting colours — Champagne White (A) and Royal Blue (B) — to produce a bold, graphic coastal-inspired design. The colour pattern is achieved through an intarsia crochet technique, meaning separate yarn supplies are used for each colour section rather than carrying yarn across the back of the work. This results in a clean, neat finish on both sides of the fabric.

The cushion cover is worked flat and then seamed to construct the finished piece, which is fitted over a 16in / 41cm square cushion pad (not included in the pattern but required to complete the project).

Stitch Pattern and Technique

The stitch construction of the Coastline Cushion is particularly distinctive. The fabric is built from a grid of small squares, each worked diagonally. The piece begins at the lower right-hand corner with a single square and is increased by one square on every row until the full diagonal width of the cushion is reached. The work is then decreased by one square on every row until a single square remains at the top left-hand corner, completing the 48-row diagonal journey across the fabric.

The primary stitch used throughout is the double crochet (known as treble crochet in UK terminology), along with chain stitches and slip stitches. The pattern is written in US crochet terminology, with UK equivalents provided in italics within round brackets throughout, making it accessible to crocheters in both regions.

• Double crochet (US) / Treble crochet (UK) — the main structural stitch forming each square unit
• Chain (ch) — used to build the framework of the diagonal square grid
• Slip stitch (ss) — used for joining and finishing

A colour chart is included in the pattern and should be read diagonally, starting at the bottom right corner on the 1st row and finishing at the top left corner on the 48th row. Following the chart carefully is essential to achieving the Coastline colour design accurately.

Understanding Intarsia in Crochet

Intarsia is a colour-work method borrowed from knitting and adapted for crochet. Unlike stranded colour work, where unused yarn is carried along the back of the fabric, intarsia uses separate yarn supplies for each distinct colour block. This keeps the fabric a single layer thick and avoids the bulk or show-through that can occur with carried yarn. It does require careful management of multiple yarn ends and bobbins, which is why this pattern is suited to intermediate-level crocheters rather than beginners.

Materials Required

The pattern calls for Paintbox Yarns Wool Mix Aran, available from lovecrafts.com. This is an aran weight yarn sold in 3½oz / 100g balls. The quantities required are:

• 2 balls in Champagne White (A)
• 2 balls in Royal Blue (B)

The recommended hook size is a US 7 (4.5mm) crochet hook, or whichever size is needed to achieve the correct gauge (tension). Paintbox Yarns notes that yarn quantities are approximate and based on average requirements, and that the pattern results cannot be guaranteed if a yarn other than Paintbox Yarns Wool Mix Aran is substituted.

Gauge (