Tiger Cushions - Knitting Pattern in Debbie Bliss Rialto Aran by Debbie Bliss - Downloadable PDF

Tiger Cushions Knitting Pattern by Debbie Bliss – Detailed Summary

This downloadable PDF pattern by Debbie Bliss contains instructions for knitted cushion covers featuring bold tiger-inspired designs. The collection includes at least two distinct designs: a Tiger Cushion and a Tiger Paw Print Cushion, both sized to fit a standard 40 x 40cm (16 x 16in) square cushion pad. These are rated as advanced level projects, making them an excellent challenge for experienced knitters who want to create striking, decorative home accessories.

Tiger Paw Print Cushion

What Is Being Made

The Tiger Paw Print Cushion is a knitted cushion cover worked in one piece to fit a 40 x 40cm / 16 x 16in square cushion pad. The finished cover features a charted paw print motif worked in two colours, with a neat button fastening at the back. The construction is clever and efficient — knitting the cover in a single flat piece reduces the number of seams required and creates a clean, professional finish.

Techniques Used

• Intarsia colourwork – The paw print motif is worked using the intarsia technique, where separate small bobbins or lengths of yarn are used for each distinct colour area. Unlike stranded colourwork, intarsia does not carry yarn across the back of the work, making it ideal for large, isolated colour blocks such as a bold paw print design.
• Worked flat – The entire cover is knitted flat in rows, back and forth on straight needles, rather than in the round.
• Seamed construction – Although worked in one piece, the cover is folded and seamed to create the finished cushion shape.
• Chart reading – Knitters follow a colour chart for 94 rows to place the paw print motif accurately.
• Moss stitch border – A moss stitch edging (also known as seed stitch) is worked at the cast-on edge, created by alternating knit and purl stitches on every row. This creates a firm, non-curling border that frames the cushion neatly.
• Buttonhole construction – A dedicated buttonhole and decrease row creates three evenly spaced buttonholes using yarn round needle (yrn) and p2tog techniques, providing a practical and tidy button band fastening.
• Ridge rows – Deliberate ridge rows (knitting on the wrong side or purling on the right side) are worked at key structural points to create neat fold lines that define the cushion's front and back panels.

Stitches Used

• Stocking stitch (St st) – The main body of the cushion cover is worked in stocking stitch (knit on right side rows, purl on wrong side rows), providing a smooth, flat surface ideal for displaying the intarsia motif.
• Moss stitch – Used for the border rows: K1, [p1, k1] to end, repeated for four rows.
• Ridge rows – Achieved by knitting across a wrong side row or purling across a right side row to create a visible horizontal ridge.
• Yarn round needle (yrn) and p2tog – Used in the buttonhole row to form the button openings.

Materials

• Yarn: Debbie Bliss Rialto Aran — four 50g balls in Ginger (shade 6) as the main colour (A), and one ball in Black (shade 1) as the contrast colour (B). Rialto Aran is a premium aran weight yarn, known for its smooth, defined stitch definition which makes it particularly well suited to colourwork and charted motifs.
• Needles: A pair of 4.50mm (US 7) knitting needles and a pair of 5mm (US 8) knitting needles. The smaller needles are used for the moss stitch border, while the larger needles are used for the main stocking stitch body to achieve the correct