In-depth look at: Corner Cushion
Buy Corner Cushion here or through Ravelry
The Corner Cushion could be a great first project for a beginning knitter, as most of the work is knit and purl, but also introduces slipping purl- and knit-wise, and a simple yarn over/k2tog buttonhole.
Inspired by the often blocky lines of Bauhaus styling, I wanted to combine it with the traditionally softer look of Aran designs, so I used the four of the simplest textures knitting gives us and incorporated them into a simple tile pattern.
Yarn Choice
The sample was knit in one hank of undyed Fyberspates DK Blue Faced Leicester (220m to 100g), which is a smooth, round yarn, with little halo, which gives clearly defined stitch texture.
Substitutions
Consider a yarn with a slight halo, which would reintroduce some softness into the design. You could also knit two or more strands together. This way you could also play with colour, perhaps using yarns that are close in colour, but that have different fibre contents, which would add further depth to the design. Also consider using a cotton yarn that would give very crisp stitch definition.
You could also work the pattern in intarsia, using a different tone for each texture.
Sizing and Gauge
As written, the pattern calls for a DK yarn knit to a gauge of 20 stitches to 10 cm/4 inches, which gives a finished cover of 30 cm/12 inches square.
To size up for a bigger cover, for example, 35 cm/14 inches, add 2 stitches and 2 or 4 rows to each texture section, depending on your gauge, i.e. for total of 12 stitches and 12 or 24 rows added.
To use a yarn that has a different gauge, work out how many stitches you get per 10 cm/ 4 inches, and extrapolate from that how many you will need to cast on, and for each texture section – you will probably have to fudge the numbers to make them fit, within reason, this is fine, as knit fabric is a flexible fabric – it can cling or stretch to fit the cushion pad.
Below is a worked example – I have omitted the inch measurement for clarity, but it would be worked in the same way.
eg. gauge: 18 stitches to 10 cm, for a 30 cm cover
10 cm /18 stitches = 0.556cm= 1 stitch width
30cm/0.556cm= 54 stitches
54 stitches / 6 texture sections= 9 stitches per section
(N.B. Be sure to ‘hide’ the single stitch blocks in the Moss stitch* at the edges of the work, that form as a result of the odd number.)
Total cast on = 54+1 slip stitch = 55 stitches for each side of the cushion = 110 cast on
* By Moss stitch I mean the texture that is formed by working (as viewed from the RS) K2, P2 for two rows, then P2, K2 for two rows. This is stitch is named differently across cultures.
Chart reading basics
In general all charts are made to look like your knitting does, from the right side of the work, that is, forming from bottom to top, right to left.
Of course, when working flat, you are working back and forth, as in the Corner Cushion pattern, and so the wrong side must be read left to right – row numbers are usually placed at the start of each row. Bear in mind that the symbols are usually always presented as if looking from the right side e.g. although the symbol looks like a knit stitch from the right side, if you are working from the wrong side, you must purl the stitch, so it also looks like a knit stitch on the right side. The legend for the symbols clarifies this.
Fitting cushion pads
I aim to make cushion covers with a width of the cushion pad – this way it will be slightly stretched over the curve of the fatter part of the cushion, but still fitted on the slimmer corners.
