Holly Cushion in Rowan Felted Tweed - 0003 - Downloadable PDF

Holly Cushion by Anna Hull in Rowan Felted Tweed – Pattern Summary

The Holly Cushion is a beautifully crafted knitted cushion cover designed by Anna Hull and published by Rowan. This intermediate-level knitting pattern produces a cushion cover sized to fit a 62 cm (24½ in) by 42 cm (16½ in) cushion pad, making it a generous, statement piece suitable for a sofa, armchair, or bedroom setting. The design is available as a downloadable PDF, allowing knitters to access and print the pattern immediately upon purchase.

Design Overview

The Holly Cushion is worked as a cushion cover with a distinct back opening fastened with five buttons, secured through a neat ribbed buttonhole band. The pattern incorporates optional decorative embroidery, referencing the holly motif suggested by the design's name. This combination of structured knitting and the possibility of hand embroidery gives the finished cushion a rich, artisanal quality that makes it an ideal project for the intermediate knitter looking to develop their skills beyond basic construction.

Techniques Used

• Flat knitting worked back and forth in rows on straight needles
• Picking up and knitting stitches along a row-end edge to create the buttonhole band
• Ribbing for the button and buttonhole bands, giving a neat, professional finish to the opening
• Buttonhole construction using a slip 1, K1, psso, yfwd and K2tog method, with the yarn-forward worked twice on the following row to complete each eyelet buttonhole
• Optional embroidery using oddments of Rowan Felted Tweed in shades of your choice, allowing for personalisation of the holly decorative detail

Stitches Used

• Knit stitch (K) – the foundational stitch throughout the main fabric and bands
• Purl stitch (P) – used in combination with knit stitches to form the rib pattern
• K2, P2 rib – worked across the buttonhole and button bands for a structured, elastic edging
• Slip 1, K1, psso (skp) – a left-leaning decrease used as part of the buttonhole construction
• K2tog – a right-leaning decrease paired with the psso decrease to form each buttonhole neatly
• Yfwd (yarn forward) – used to create the buttonhole eyelet, worked twice into on the subsequent row

Materials – Yarn

The pattern calls for Rowan Felted Tweed, a beloved 50 g fingering-to-sport weight yarn celebrated for its rustic, tweedy texture and subtle halo, achieved through a combination of wool, alpaca, and viscose fibres. Felted Tweed is known for its excellent stitch definition and its wide, sophisticated colour palette, making it particularly well suited to textured and colourwork knitting projects.

• Yarn A: Seafarer shade 170 – 3 balls
• Yarn B: Ginger shade 154 – 2 balls
• Oddments of Rowan Felted Tweed in shades of your choice are recommended for the optional embroidery detail

Materials – Needles

• 1 pair 3¼mm (no 10) (US 3) needles – used for the ribbed buttonhole band and finer detail sections
• 1 pair 3¾mm (no 9) (US 5) needles – used for the main body of the cushion cover

Who Is This Pattern For?

Rated as intermediate in difficulty, the Holly Cushion is ideal for knitters who are comfortable with basic knit and purl stitches and are ready to practise techniques such as picking up stitches along an edge, working consistent rib patterns, and creating neat