purlJam

# Sideways Stripes Garter Cushion Cover

A cosy, chunky-knit cushion cover featuring three bold vertical colour blocks in burnt orange, cream and sage green. Worked sideways in simple garter stitch, this beginner-friendly project introduces tidy colour changes and a button-band closure — perfect for a 30cm × 30cm cushion insert.

**Finished Size:** 30cm × 30cm (approx. 12" × 12") to fit a 30cm cushion pad.

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## Materials

**Yarn:** Chunky / Bulky weight (approx. 14–15 sts per 10cm on 6.5mm needles)
- **Colour A — Burnt Orange:** 1 × 100g ball (approx. 80m / 87 yds used)
- **Colour B — Cream / Off-White:** 1 × 100g ball (approx. 80m / 87 yds used)
- **Colour C — Sage Green:** 1 × 100g ball (approx. 80m / 87 yds used)

*Total yardage required: approx. 240m / 260 yds chunky yarn.*

**Needles:** 6.5mm (UK 3 / US 10½) straight needles, or size needed to obtain tension.

**Notions:**
- Tapestry/yarn needle for seaming and weaving in ends
- 3 buttons, approx. 25–30mm diameter
- Stitch markers (optional)
- Scissors
- 30cm × 30cm cushion insert

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## Tension (Gauge)

**12 sts × 20 rows (10 garter ridges) = 10cm × 10cm** in garter stitch on 6.5mm needles, after light blocking.

*Always work a tension swatch before starting. Adjust needle size as needed — getting tension right ensures the cover fits the insert snugly.*

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## Abbreviations (UK)

- **k** — knit
- **st(s)** — stitch(es)
- **CO** — cast on
- **BO** — bind/cast off
- **RS / WS** — right side / wrong side
- **yo** — yarn over (for buttonhole)
- **k2tog** — knit two stitches together
- **A** — Burnt Orange
- **B** — Cream/Off-White
- **C** — Sage Green

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## Pattern Notes

- The cover is worked **sideways** as one long flat rectangle. The cast-on edge becomes the **height** of the cushion (30cm), and the rows worked become the **width**.
- The piece is worked in three sections:
  1. **Front:** three vertical stripes (A, B, C), each 10cm wide.
  2. **Back overlap (button band):** worked in Colour C continuing from the front.
  3. **Back underlap (buttonhole band):** worked in Colour A.
- When changing colours, **cut the old yarn** leaving a 15cm tail and join the new colour at the start of a RS row. This gives the cleanest vertical stripe edge.
- Garter stitch is reversible — both sides look the same, which is helpful for the overlap closure.

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## Pattern Instructions

### Cast On

With **Colour A (Burnt Orange)** and 6.5mm needles, **cast on 36 sts**.

*Maths check: 36 sts ÷ 12 sts per 10cm × 10 = 30cm ✓*

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### Section 1 — Front Stripe 1 (Burnt Orange)

Working in garter stitch (knit every row):
- Knit 20 rows in Colour A.

*This produces 10 garter ridges = 10cm width. ✓*

Cut Colour A, leaving a 15cm tail.

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### Section 2 — Front Stripe 2 (Cream)

Join **Colour B (Cream)**.
- Knit 20 rows in Colour B.

Cut Colour B, leaving a 15cm tail.

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### Section 3 — Front Stripe 3 (Sage Green)

Join **Colour C (Sage Green)**.
- Knit 20 rows in Colour C.

*Maths check: 3 × 20 rows = 60 rows = 30cm front panel width ✓*

**Do not cut Colour C** — continue directly into the back panel.

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### Section 4 — Back Overlap (Sage Green)

Continue in Colour C, knitting every row:
- Knit 50 rows.

*This produces 25cm of back panel in sage green.*

Cut Colour C, leaving a 15cm tail.

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### Section 5 — Back Underlap with Buttonholes (Burnt Orange)

Join **Colour A (Burnt Orange)**.

- Knit 6 rows in Colour A.

**Buttonhole Row (RS):** K6, [yo, k2tog, k9] twice, yo, k2tog, k4. *(36 sts — buttonholes formed by yo/k2tog pairs)*

*Maths check: 6 + (2 + 9) + (2 + 9) + (2 + 4) = 6 + 11 + 11 + 6 = 34… let's verify: K6 (6 sts) + yo+k2tog (counts as 2 sts worked, 1 st made + 2 worked = net same st count) + k9 (9) + yo+k2tog + k9 + yo+k2tog + k4 = 6 + 2 + 9 + 2 + 9 + 2 + 4 = **34 sts worked, but yo adds 1 st each (3 yos = +3), k2tog removes 1 each (3 k2togs = −3), so net 36 sts** ✓*

- Knit 1 row plain (the yarn-overs become the buttonholes).
- Knit 12 more rows in Colour A.

*Total back underlap: 6 + 1 (buttonhole row) + 1 + 12 = 20 rows = 10cm overlap.*

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### Cast Off

Cast off all 36 sts knitwise loosely. Cut yarn, leaving a 30cm tail for seaming.

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### Total Piece Dimensions

- **Front:** 60 rows = 30cm
- **Back overlap (sage):** 50 rows = 25cm
- **Button band (orange):** 20 rows = 10cm
- **Total length:** 130 rows ≈ 65cm
- **Height (cast-on edge):** 36 sts = 30cm

*The back overlap (25cm) + button band (10cm) = 35cm, providing a 5cm overlap behind the front for a secure closure.*

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## Finishing

### 1. Weave in Ends
Using a tapestry needle, weave in all yarn tails neatly along the colour-change edges on the wrong side. Trim close.

### 2. Block
Pin the piece flat to 30cm × 65cm on a blocking mat. Lightly mist with water and allow to dry fully. Blocking evens out the garter ridges and sharpens the colour-block edges.

### 3. Fold and Position
Lay the piece flat with RS facing down. Fold:
- Fold the **button band (Colour A) end** inward so it lies over the back panel.
- Fold the **front panel (the three stripes)** down over the top, so the WS of the front meets the WS of the back.
- The button band should overlap the sage green back panel by approximately 5cm.

You should now see a 30cm × 30cm square with three vertical stripes on the front, and a horizontal button band closure across the centre back.

### 4. Seam the Side Edges
With Colour C (or a matching colour) and the tapestry needle, use **mattress stitch** or **whip stitch** to sew the top and bottom edges closed, joining front to back through both layers where the button band overlaps.

*Tip: Seam from the right side using mattress stitch for an invisible finish, or from the wrong side using whip stitch for speed.*

### 5. Attach Buttons
- Lay the cover flat and mark the button positions on the sage green underlap directly beneath each buttonhole.
- Sew on 3 buttons securely using sewing thread or split yarn strands.

### 6. Insert Cushion
Unbutton, slide in the 30cm cushion pad, and re-button. Plump and enjoy!

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## Care Instructions

Hand wash in cool water with wool-friendly detergent. Reshape and dry flat away from direct sunlight to preserve colour vibrancy.

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**Designer's Tip:** For an even chunkier look, hold two strands of aran-weight yarn together and use 8mm needles — re-swatch and recalculate cast-on accordingly. For a no-button alternative, simply seam all four sides closed after inserting the cushion (note: cover will not be removable for washing).

Happy knitting! 🧶