Heart Cushion Pattern.

Heart Cushion Pattern by Nicola Rattley

Project Overview

This downloadable knitting pattern creates a charming heart-shaped cushion designed by independent designer Nicola Rattley. The finished cushion measures 26cm tall and 24cm wide, making it an ideal decorative accent piece for home décor. The pattern is suitable for knitters with intermediate skill level and produces a soft, huggable cushion perfect for gifting or personal use.

What is Being Made

The Heart Cushion Pattern produces a two-piece knitted heart shape that is stuffed and sewn together to create a finished cushion. Each piece is knitted separately and then assembled with polyester toy filling to create a three-dimensional cushion form. The design uses a simple construction method accessible to intermediate knitters.

Craft and Techniques

This project uses the knitting craft with fundamental shaping techniques. The pattern employs strategic increases and decreases to form the distinctive heart shape. Knitters will practice increase stitches (knit front and back) to expand the fabric width during the construction phase, and decrease stitches (knit two together) to shape the heart contours. The pattern uses stocking stitch as the primary fabric texture, which creates a smooth, classic knitted surface ideal for a cushion.

Stitches Used

• Knit Front and Back (KFB) – An increase stitch that creates two stitches from one, used to expand the width of each piece during construction
• Knit Two Together (K2Tog) – A decrease stitch that combines two stitches into one, used to shape the heart form
• Stocking Stitch (St-St) – The primary fabric stitch creating rows of knit and purl that form a smooth, finished appearance
• Purl Rows – Used alternately with knit rows to create the stocking stitch pattern

Materials and Specifications

The Heart Cushion Pattern requires 8 ply (DK weight) yarn, with one ball of pink wool specified for the project. Knitters will need 4mm single point needles (Australian sizing) to work with this yarn weight. Additional materials include a tapestry needle for weaving in ends and seaming the two pieces together, and polyester toy filling for stuffing the completed cushion to create its three-dimensional shape.

Pattern Structure

The pattern instructions direct knitters to make two identical pieces, beginning with a cast-on of 4 stitches in pink wool. The construction progresses through alternating purl rows and increase rows, with increases worked at each end of knit rows to gradually expand the stitch count. This systematic approach builds the width needed for the heart's widest point before subsequent shaping rows narrow the fabric to form the heart's distinctive silhouette.