Check It Cushion in Rowan Pure Wool Superwash Worsted - ZB299-00004-UK - Downloadable PDF

Check It Cushion in Rowan Pure Wool Superwash Worsted by Chloe Thurlow

The Check It Cushion is a striking knitted cushion cover designed by Chloe Thurlow for Rowan, worked in Pure Wool Superwash Worsted yarn. Published as pattern ZB299-00004-UK, this is a downloadable PDF rated at Skill Level 3 (Advanced), making it an ideal project for experienced knitters looking to develop their colourwork skills. The finished cushion front features a bold, graphic checked design rendered in a rich three-colour palette, while the back is worked as a clean, solid-colour panel for a polished, professional finish.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a knitted cushion cover consisting of two separate pieces — a decorative colourwork front panel and a plain stocking stitch back panel. The front showcases a bold check motif worked from a chart, giving the cushion a contemporary geometric aesthetic that sits beautifully in modern interiors. The finished front measures approximately 42 cm in length, worked over 105 rows from the chart. Both pieces are cast on with 81 stitches and worked flat on a single pair of needles.

Colourwork Design and Yarn Colours

The eye-catching checked pattern on the front is created using three carefully chosen shades of Rowan Pure Wool Superwash Worsted:

• Yarn A – Teal (shade 197): 1 x 100g ball
• Yarn B – Verdant (shade 200): 1 x 100g ball
• Yarn C – Tiger (shade 201): 2 x 100g balls

Yarn C (Tiger) is used in the largest quantity, as it also forms the entirety of the back panel, worked in plain stocking stitch throughout. The combination of teal, verdant green, and a warm tiger tone creates a bold, contemporary colourway that reflects Rowan's signature approach to colour.

Techniques Used

The defining technique in this pattern is intarsia colourwork, used to create the checked design on the cushion front. Intarsia is a method of working with multiple colours in separate sections of a row, using individual yarn bobbins or small yarn butterflies for each colour block rather than carrying yarn across the back of the work. This approach is particularly suited to large, geometric colour blocks — such as the checks in this design — as it avoids the bulk and distortion that stranded colourwork can produce over wide areas.

Key techniques required for this pattern include:

• Intarsia colourwork — working separate yarn sections for each colour block and twisting yarns at colour joins to avoid holes
• Chart reading — following a knitting chart across 105 rows to place the check pattern accurately
• Stocking stitch (st st) — the entire front is worked in stocking stitch, beginning with a knit row, as directed by the chart
• Casting on and casting off — standard techniques used to begin and finish both panels
• Seaming — joining the front and back panels to complete the cushion cover

An optional 4.5mm crochet hook is listed in the materials, which may be used for seaming or finishing purposes, making this pattern accessible to knitters who prefer a crocheted join.

Stitches Used

• Stocking stitch (st st) — knit on right side rows, purl on wrong side rows; used throughout both the front chart and the plain back panel
• Cast on and cast off — standard methods used to begin and finish each piece

The simplicity of using only stocking stitch throughout means the knitter can focus their attention on the intarsia colour management rather than navigating complex stitch patterns, though the colourwork itself demands careful organisation of multiple yarn supplies and neat tension across colour joins.

Materials and Needles

The pattern calls for Rowan Pure Wool Superwash