Dancing Raindeers Cushion in Rowan Alpaca Soft DK - Downloadable PDF

Dancing Reindeers Cushion in Rowan Alpaca Soft DK

What is Being Made

This is a knitted cushion cover designed to fit a 60 cm by 35 cm (23½ in by 13¾ in) cushion pad. The project features a decorative front panel with a dancing reindeers motif worked from a chart, while the back is worked in plain stockinette stitch. This downloadable PDF pattern is ideal for creating a festive or decorative home accessory.

Techniques Used

The cushion is constructed using fundamental knitting techniques suitable for advanced beginners. The front panel incorporates chart-based colorwork, requiring the knitter to follow a 53-row pattern chart while maintaining stockinette stitch throughout. The pattern uses two-color knitting with color changes managed across the chart rows. Shaping is achieved through decreasing stitches using the P2tog (purl two together) technique to transition from the patterned section to the plain stockinette back. The cushion is finished with a pressing and making up stage, indicating seaming and assembly of the front and back panels.

Stitches Used

• Stockinette Stitch (st st): The primary stitch throughout the entire cushion, created by alternating knit rows on the right side and purl rows on the wrong side
• Knit Stitch (K): Used to create the smooth face of stockinette stitch
• Purl Stitch (P): Used on wrong-side rows to maintain stockinette texture
• Purl Two Together (P2tog): A left-leaning decrease used to reduce stitch count from 168 stitches to 131 stitches after completing the chart pattern
• Cast On and Cast Off: Standard edge techniques for beginning and finishing the knitted pieces

Materials

This pattern uses Rowan Alpaca Soft DK yarn, a double knitting weight yarn. The yarn requirements are minimal: 5 balls of Alpaca Soft DK in Simply Black (color 216) for the main color and 1 ball in Silver (color 231) for the contrast colorwork. The pattern is worked on 4mm (US 6) needles, one pair required. The yarn is worked at a tension of 25 stitches and 28 rows to 10 cm over patterned stockinette stitch, and 22 stitches and 30 rows to 10 cm over plain stockinette stitch, both measured using 4mm needles.

Pattern Overview

The front panel begins with 168 cast-on stitches and is worked entirely in stockinette stitch, beginning with a knit row. The 53-row dancing reindeers chart is worked across these stitches, incorporating the silver contrast color against the simply black base. After completing the chart, the yarn is broken off and work continues in stockinette stitch using only the black yarn. A decrease row reduces stitches to 131, after which the front continues straight until it measures 35 cm in length. The back panel is worked separately using 131 cast-on stitches in plain stockinette stitch to the same 35 cm length. Both pieces are then pressed and assembled to create the finished cushion cover.