I Love Sheep Cushion

I Love Sheep Cushion by iKnitDesigns

Project Overview

The I Love Sheep Cushion is a charming knitted home décor project designed by Denny Gould. This intermediate-level knitting pattern creates a finished cushion measuring 40 cm x 40 cm (16 inches x 16 inches), making it an ideal decorative accent for sofas, beds, or chairs. The design features sheep motifs and hearts with striped detailing, combining colorwork techniques with classic cushion construction.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a complete knitted cushion cover with a decorative front panel showcasing sheep and heart designs set against a striped background. The cushion is constructed to be a substantial home accessory piece, suitable for both modern and traditional interior styling. The finished cover includes button closures for practical cushion insertion and removal.

Knitting Techniques Used

• Stockinette Stitch: The primary stitch structure used throughout the cushion, creating a smooth, classic knitted fabric surface
• Colorwork/Intarsia or Fair Isle: Techniques employed to integrate the sheep and heart motifs with the background, allowing multiple yarn colors to be incorporated seamlessly into the design
• Striping: Horizontal or vertical stripes created by changing yarn colors at regular intervals
• Button Band Construction: Edge finishing that accommodates four buttons for the cushion closure

Stitches and Construction

The pattern is worked primarily in stockinette stitch, which provides the ideal flat, smooth surface for displaying the sheep and heart colorwork designs. The tension is critical to the project's success: 18 stitches and 24 rows to 10 cm (4 inches) over stockinette stitch using 5 mm needles ensures the finished cushion reaches the intended dimensions. The intermediate difficulty level indicates that knitters should be comfortable with color changes, tension management, and reading pattern charts for the decorative motifs.

Materials Required

Needles: Two pairs of knitting needles are used—4 mm (UK size 8, US size 6) and 5 mm (UK size 6, US size 8)—allowing for ribbed edging with the smaller needles and main fabric construction with the larger needles.

Yarn Weight and Specifications: The pattern calls for Aran weight yarn, also known as Worsted or 10 ply yarn. Any Aran/Worsted yarn matching the specified tension can be used. The pattern provides specific recommendations:

• Paintbox Yarns Wool Mix Aran: 100g balls (3.5 oz) with 180 meters (197 yards) per ball in a 50% Wool, 50% Acrylic blend. Suggested colors include Stormy Grey (804) for background and stripes (2 balls), Paper White (800) for sheep and hearts (1 ball), Pure Black (801) for sheep and stripes (1 ball), and Blush Pink (853) for sheep and stripes (1 ball)
• Sirdar Hayfield New Bonus Aran: 100g balls (3.5 oz) with 280 yards (256 meters) per ball. Recommended colors include Silver Grey (838) for background and stripes (2 balls) and White (961) for sheep and hearts (1 ball)

Notions: Four buttons are required for the cushion closure mechanism, providing both functional and decorative elements to the finished piece.

Yarn Color Palette

The design utilizes a multi-color approach with a neutral or grey-toned background, white or cream sheep and heart motifs, and accent colors such as black and blush pink for detail work and striping. This color combination creates visual interest while maintaining a cohesive, sophisticated aesthetic suitable for various interior design schemes.