Solstice Glow cushion

Solstice Glow Cushion by Bunnymuff

Project Overview

The Solstice Glow is a knitted cushion cover design created by designer Mona Zillah of Bunnymuff. This intermediate-level knitting project celebrates the solstices—either the summer or winter extreme of Earth's orbit—through a colorwork knit pattern. The finished cushion showcases a sophisticated interplay of color and texture, making it an ideal project for knitters with some experience who are ready to explore multi-color techniques.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a knitted cushion cover designed to fit a standard cushion form. The project is worked as a flat piece using circular needles and features a constructed seam finish using the three-needle bind-off technique, which creates a professional, neat closure on the cushion.

Yarn and Materials

The Solstice Glow cushion is designed to be knitted with Shetland 4ply yarn by Gathered Sheep Yarns, a fingering-weight yarn made from 100% pure Shetland wool. The pattern calls for four coordinating colors:

• Main Color (MC): Vampires Blood – approximately 175 yards/160 meters (40g from a 55g skein)
• Contrast Color 1 (CC1): Dove – approximately 150 yards/136 meters (34g from a 55g skein)
• Contrast Color 2 (CC2): Ghoulish Cocktail – approximately 91.5 yards/84 meters (19g from a 20g mini skein)
• Contrast Color 3 (CC3): The Olive Tree – approximately 53 yards/49 meters (11g from a 20g mini skein)

The pattern recommends using 2.5mm (US size 1.5) circular needles measuring 20 inches/50 centimeters and 3.0mm (US size 2.5) circular needles measuring 20 inches/50 centimeters. A yarn kit is suggested for swatching, with the option to use the main color and either CC1 or CC3.

Knitting Techniques and Stitches

The Solstice Glow employs colorwork knitting, a technique where multiple yarn colors are incorporated into the fabric to create a patterned design. This intermediate-level pattern requires familiarity with managing multiple colors simultaneously during the knitting process.

A key finishing technique used in this pattern is the three-needle bind-off (3-needle BO), a professional seaming method that joins two sets of live stitches. This technique involves holding stitches to be bound off on two needles positioned parallel to each other. Using a third needle, the knitter knits the first stitch from the front needle together with the first stitch of the back needle, then continues across, creating a secure, decorative seam that is ideal for cushion construction.

The pattern is worked on circular needles, which allow for comfortable handling of the fabric and accommodate the construction method specified in the design.

Yarn Weight and Difficulty

This pattern is designed for 3-ply and 4-ply yarn weights, with the primary recommendation being the 4-ply Shetland wool. The intermediate difficulty level makes it suitable for knitters who have mastered basic stitches and are ready to tackle colorwork and specialized finishing techniques. The pure Shetland wool provides excellent stitch definition, which helps showcase the colorwork pattern clearly.

Pattern Support

Pattern support for the Solstice Glow cushion is available through designer Mona Zillah at mona8pi@gmail.com, ensuring that knitters can access assistance if they have questions during the construction process.