Squares Textured Cushion Cover

Squares Textured Cushion Cover by Sian Brown

What is Being Made

The Squares Textured Cushion Cover is a knitted cushion cover designed to fit a 45 x 45 cm cushion pad. This is a beginner-friendly knitting project that creates a decorative home accessory featuring a distinctive textured surface created through contrasting knit and purl stitches arranged in a square block pattern. The cover includes a button-fastened overlap closure on the back for easy insertion and removal of the cushion pad.

Knitting Techniques Used

This project employs several fundamental knitting techniques suitable for beginners. The cover begins with a ribbed edging created using alternating knit and purl stitches, which provides elasticity and a finished appearance. The main body is worked in stocking stitch, the most common knit fabric, which creates a smooth, uniform surface on the right side. The textured effect comes from strategically placed reverse stocking stitch sections, where knit and purl stitches are reversed to create contrasting square blocks across the front of the cover. Yarn over stitches are used to create buttonholes for the fastening system. The pattern also incorporates turning rows marked with garter stitch to create clean edges and define the construction sections.

Stitches Used

• Knit stitch (k): The fundamental stitch forming the basis of stocking stitch sections
• Purl stitch (p): Used in combination with knit stitches to create textured square patterns and ribbed edging
• Stocking stitch: Created by alternating knit rows on the right side with purl rows on the wrong side, forming the smooth main fabric
• Reverse stocking stitch: Purl stitches on the right side create the contrasting textured squares
• Garter stitch: Knit stitches on every row, used for turning rows and edge definition
• Yarn over (yon): Creates decorative buttonholes for the overlap closure
• Ribbed edging: Alternating knit and purl stitches in a 1x1 or 1x2 pattern for elastic borders

Materials and Specifications

The Squares Textured Cushion Cover is worked in Debbie Bliss Paloma yarn in the Lime (026) colorway, requiring 5 hanks of 50 gm weight. This chunky to super-chunky weight yarn creates a substantial, cozy fabric that works up quickly on larger needles. The project uses size 10 mm knitting needles and is designed to achieve a tension of 13 stitches and 16 rows over a 10 cm x 10 cm swatch in stocking stitch. The finished cover measures 45 x 45 cm and requires 6 buttons for the back overlap fastening system, along with a 45 x 45 cm cushion pad to complete the project. The chunky yarn weight makes this an accessible beginner project with relatively quick completion time.

Construction Overview

The cushion cover is constructed in three main sections. The back panel is worked first in stocking stitch until it reaches 30 cm in length. The front panel features the signature textured square design, created by working alternating blocks of knit and purl stitches in 18-stitch sections across 54 cast-on stitches. This creates a checkerboard effect of smooth and textured squares. The pattern repeats this textured block arrangement three times vertically to cover the front surface. Finally, a back overlap section is added with a 10 cm extension that folds over and is secured with buttons, allowing the cushion pad to be easily inserted and removed.