Yan Tan Tether

Yan Tan Tether Knit Cushion Cover

What is Being Made

Yan Tan Tether is a 40cm/15.75 inches square knit cushion cover designed by Ann Kingstone. The design draws inspiration from the traditional sheep counting system used in the Yorkshire Dales, translating this cultural heritage into a colorwork knitting pattern. The finished cushion showcases five distinct stripes of sheep motifs created through charted colorwork knitting.

Craft and Technique

This project is executed entirely in knitting, specifically using the knit in the round technique. The cushion is constructed by provisionally casting on 240 stitches and joining to work continuously in rounds, which creates a seamless tubular fabric. The colorwork design is achieved through stranded colorwork knitting, a technique where two colors of yarn are carried along the work and floated behind the stitches to create the charted patterns.

The pattern consists of five separate sheep stripe sections, each worked by following detailed charts. The first stripe is worked through Chart 1 across 29 lines, with 10 full repeats of the charted pattern in each round. The second stripe follows Chart 2, also spanning 29 lines. This structured approach allows knitters to build the design systematically while maintaining consistent pattern repeats.

Stitches Used

• Knit stitch – used for plain knit sections and as the foundation stitch for colorwork
• Provisional cast-on – allows stitches to be picked up later for finishing
• Stranded colorwork – the primary technique for creating the sheep motifs by working with two colors simultaneously

Materials and Tools

The Yan Tan Tether cushion requires approximately 350 metres/380 yards total of 4ply yarn, divided equally between two contrasting colors at roughly 100g/3.5oz each. The pictured sample was created using Blacker Yarns Pure Shetland White 4ply and Welsh Mountain 4ply yarn in black, showcasing the striking contrast between white and black colorwork. Knitters will also need waste yarn for the provisional cast-on and appropriate needles sized for 4ply yarn knitting in the round.

Difficulty Level

This project is rated as intermediate difficulty. While the basic techniques of knitting in the round and knit stitches are foundational, the stranded colorwork element and the requirement to follow detailed charts across multiple pattern repeats elevates this beyond a beginner project. Knitters should be comfortable managing two colors simultaneously and reading charted patterns before beginning.