A friend in England got married, so I decided to knit her a cushion. Herewith the pictures, and the pattern, for those readers of my blog interested in my knitting posts.

I really must figure out how to take decent photos of my knitted articles; I never seem to be able to get the colour just right. This cushion, for example, is in a soft lilac; Sirdar Pure Cotton Double Knitting colour 30 to be precise. But then I look at online colour charts and they're not much (if any) better.

The cushion is knitted in two pieces, at a slightly firmer tension (since it's for a cushion) than you'd use for a garment. I used the cable cast-on to give a firmer edge as well, though if you're more comfortable with another cast-on, use that. I used 5 skeins of yarn (double-knitting; 185 yds/169 m per 100g skein; 100% cotton; recommended gauge 21 st x 28 r on 4 mm needles) for both sides, with enough for swatching and seaming, and with some left over. It's machine-washable, but should be dried flat. It blocked out nicely to a little over 43 cm (17 in) to fit an 46 cm (18 in) cushion insert.

Side 1: a standard almost-plaited cable stitch using 4.5 mm needles. You may want to try out cabling without using a cable needle for this one. My gauge over the pattern stitch: 36 st x 29 rows to 10.5 x 10.5 cm (4.1 in).

Cast on 146 stitches.
Row 1: k all st
Row 2: p all st
Row 3: k1, *6 st right cable (hold st to back so the stitches cross from left to right), repeat from * until 1 st left, k1
Row 4: p all st
Row 5: k all st
Row 6: p all st
Row 7: k4, *6 st left cable (hold st to front so the stitches cross from right to left), repeat from * until 4 st left, k4
Row 8: p all st
Repeat these 8 rows for 132 rows total or until the cushion length matches the width; for me that was (unblocked) 42.5 x 42.5 cm (16.7 in), with 16.5 repeats of the pattern. Bind off.

The result looks like this:

Side 2: a traditional Aran pattern flanked by cables, knitted on 3.25 mm needles. My gauge for stocking stitch on these needles was 22 st per 10 cm (4 in). "Cable 3 to right" means put 3 stitches on the cable needle, put the needle behind the work, knit the next 3 stitches, knit the 3 from the cable needle. "Cable 3 to left" means put 3 stitches on cable needle, put the cable needle in front of the work, knit the next 3 stitches, knit the stitches from the cable needle.

Cast on 99 stitches.
Row 1: k16, p1, k6, p1, k15, p3, k7, p1, k7, p3, k15, p1, k6, p1, k16
Row 2: p16, k1, p6, k1, p15, k1, p1, k1, p6, k1, p1, k1, p6, k1, p1, k1, p15, k1, p6, k1, p16
Row 3: k16, p1, k6, p1, k15, p3, k5, p1, k3, p1, k5, p3, k15, p1, k6, p1, k16
Row 4: p16, k1, p6, k1, p15, k1, p1, k1, p4, k1, p2, k1, p2, k1, p4, k1, p1, k1, p15, k1, p6, k1, p16
Row 5: k16, p1, k6, p1, k15, p3, k3, p1, k2, p1, k1, p1, k2, p1, k3, p3, k15, p1, k6, p1, k16
Row 6: p16, k1, p6, k1, p15, k1, p1, k1, p2, k1, p2. k1, p3, k1, p2, k1, p2, k1, p1, k1, p15, k1, p6, k1, p16
Row 7: k16, p1, k6, p1, k15, p3, k1, p1, k2, p1, k2, p1, k2, p1, k2, p1, k1, p3, k15, p1, k6, p1, k16
Row 8: p16, k1, p6, k1, p15, k1, p1, k1, p3, k1, p2, k1, p1, k1, p2, k1, p3, k1, p1, k1, p15, k1, p6, k1, p16
Row 9: k16, p1, cable 3 to right, p1, k15, p3, k2, p1, k2, p1, k3, p1, k2, p1, k2, p3, k15, p1, cable 3 to left, p1, k16
Row 10: p16, k1, p6, k1, p15, k1, p1, k1, p4, k1, p2, k1, p2, k1, p4, k1, p1, k1, p15, k1, p6, k1, p16
Row 11: k16, p1, k6, p1, k15, p3, k3, p1, k2, p1, k1, p1, k2, p1, k3, p3, k15, p1, k6, p1, k16
Row 12: p16, k1, p6, k1, p15, k1, p1, k1, p5, k1, p3, k1, p5, k1, p1, k1, p15, k1, p6, k1, p16
Row 13: k16, p1, k6, p1, k15, p3, k4, p1, k2, p1, k2, p1, k4, p3, k15, p1, k6, p1, k16
Row 14: p16, k1, p6, k1, p15, k1, p1, k1, p6, k1, p1, k1, p6, k1, p1, k1, p15, k1, p6, k1, p16
Row 15: k16, p1, k6, p1, k15, p3, k5, p1, k3, p1, k5, p3, k15, p1, k6, p1, k16
Row 16: p16, k1, p6, k1, p15, k1, p1, k1, p7, k1, p7, k1, p1, k1, p15, k1, p6, k1, p16
Row 17: k16, p1, k6, p1, k15, p3, k6, p1, k1, p1, k6, p3, k15, p1, k6, p1, k16
Row 18: p16, k1, p6, k1, p15, k1, p1, k1, p15, k1, p1, k1, p15, k1, p6, k1, p16
Row 19: k16, p1, k6, p1, k15, p3, k7, p1, k7, p3, k15, p1, k6, p1, k16
Row 20: p16, k1, p6, k1, p15, k1, p1, k1, p15, k1, p1, k1, p15, k1, p6, k1, p16

Continue the pattern until the cushion is square, for me that was 135 rows. Bind off, then block to match the size of the other side. Pin together right side out, and either crochet around the edges, or stitch them together. Don't forget to put the cushion pad in before you close the last side! I used the Armenian stitch (a variation on buttonhole stitch) from Montse Stanley's Knitter's Handbook : A Comprehensive Guide to the Principles and Techniques of Handknitting (a very good reference book, BTW, but probably a bit scary for beginning knitters); you can also find instructions on the web.

Feel free to use the pattern to make items, even for sale, but I do require attribution. Please don't repost the pattern on any website; link to it instead. Thanks!

Originally published on Anyway, my other blog.