Rowan Check Mate Cushion Homeware Knitting Pattern

Rowan Check Mate Cushion by Martin Storey

Project Overview

The Rowan Check Mate Cushion is a knitted homeware project designed by Martin Storey using Rowan Felted Tweed Aran yarn. This downloadable PDF pattern creates a decorative cushion cover measuring approximately 50 cm (19½ inches) square, suitable for a standard cushion pad. The design combines two distinct knitted pieces—a patterned front and a solid back—that are sewn together to create a finished cushion with a classic check mate aesthetic.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a complete cushion cover consisting of two main components. The front features a sophisticated checked pattern created through color work and slipped stitches, while the back is worked in simple stockinette stitch for a clean, understated finish. Once the two pieces are pressed and sewn together along three sides, a cushion pad is inserted and the fourth side is closed, creating a professional-looking decorative cushion for home décor.

Techniques Used

The Rowan Check Mate Cushion employs several key knitting techniques to achieve its distinctive appearance:

• Bottom-up construction: Both the front and back pieces are knitted from the cast-on edge upward, allowing for straightforward row-by-row progression
• Flat knitting: The cushion cover is worked flat on straight needles rather than in the round, creating two separate rectangular pieces
• Stripes and color work: The front incorporates a 38-stitch pattern repeat that spans 64 rows, utilizing two yarn colors (Carbon and Cherry) to create the check mate design
• Slipped stitches: Strategic slipped stitches worked purlwise with yarn positioned appropriately on right-side and wrong-side rows add texture and visual interest to the pattern
• Seaming: The finished pieces are pressed and then sewn together along three sides using mattress stitch or similar seaming techniques before the cushion pad is inserted

Stitches Used

The pattern utilizes fundamental knitting stitches executed with precision:

• Knit stitch (K): The primary stitch used throughout both the patterned front and the stockinette back
• Stockinette stitch (st st): The back piece is worked entirely in stockinette stitch, creating a smooth, flat surface with horizontal bumps on the reverse side
• Slipped stitches (sl 1P): Stitches are slipped purlwise with yarn positioned at the back of work on right-side rows and in front of work on wrong-side rows, creating subtle texture variations in the checked pattern
• Cast-on and cast-off: The pattern uses standard cast-on methods to begin the pieces and cast-off in pattern to finish the front piece, maintaining pattern continuity at the edges

Materials and Specifications

Yarn: The Rowan Check Mate Cushion is designed using Rowan Felted Tweed Aran, a worsted-weight yarn that provides excellent stitch definition and durability for homeware projects. The pattern requires 3 balls of yarn A (Carbon 759) and 6 balls of yarn B (Cherry 732), with each ball weighing 50 grams. This yarn choice ensures the finished cushion cover has a substantial, professional appearance suitable for home décor.

Needles: The pattern calls for one pair of 5mm (US 8) needles, which are appropriately sized for Aran-weight yarn and create the correct fabric density required for the cushion cover.

Additional Materials: One cushion pad measuring approximately 50 cm (19½ inches) square is required to complete the project. Sewing supplies for seaming the knitted pieces together are also necessary.

Tension and Sizing

Achieving the correct tension is essential for this project. The pattern specifies two tension measurements: 16 stitches and 23 rows to 10 centimeters measured over stockinette stitch, and 20 stitches and 32 rows to 10 centimeters measured over the check mate pattern, both using 5mm needles. These tension gauges ensure the finished cushion cover will fit the standard 50 cm square cushion pad correctly. The front piece is worked over 160 rows with 97 stitches cast on, while the back piece begins with 77 stitches cast on and continues in stockinette stitch until it matches the front's length.