Rowan Snow Cushion Knitting Pattern

Rowan Snow Cushion by Lisa Richardson

Project Overview

The Rowan Snow Cushion is an intermediate-level knitting project designed to create a decorative cushion cover that fits a 46 cm (18 inch) square cushion pad. This downloadable pattern combines classic knitting techniques with embroidered embellishment to produce an elegant home accessory featuring a snowflake motif.

What Is Being Made

This pattern creates a complete cushion cover with a functional button closure system. The finished piece measures 46 cm square and is designed to encase a standard cushion pad. The cover features a ribbed knit structure as the foundation, with an embroidered snowflake design as the focal point, and includes five buttonholes for secure fastening.

Knitting Techniques Used

• Stockinette stitch – forms the main body of the cushion cover
• Ribbed knit – creates the cast-on edge, button band, and buttonhole band for structure and elasticity
• Yarn doubling – both the charcoal melange and snowflake white yarns are worked double throughout, creating a thicker, more substantial fabric
• Buttonhole construction – yarn over and knit two together decreases create five evenly spaced buttonholes across the ribbed band
• Strategic fold lines – markers denote fold lines that shape the cushion cover into its final form

Stitches Used

• Knit stitch (K) – primary stitch for stockinette sections
• Purl stitch (P) – used in combination with knit stitches to create the ribbed texture
• Yarn over (yrn) – creates the eyelet openings for buttonholes
• Work two together (work 2 tog) – decreases that pair with yarn overs to form buttonholes
• Chain stitch and straight stitch – embroidery stitches used for the snowflake motif embellishment

Materials Required

Yarn: The pattern calls for Rowan Alpaca Classic in two colorways worked double (meaning two strands held together throughout). Charcoal Melange (shade 102) requires 7 balls of 25 grams each, providing the primary cushion color. Snowflake White (shade 115) requires 1 ball of 25 grams, used for the embroidered snowflake design.

Needles: One pair of 4½mm (US 7) needles accommodates the doubled yarn and creates the specified tension.

Notions: Five TGB2869 grey corozo buttons measuring 18mm are required for the closure system. These buttons are sourced from Textile Garden.

Tension and Sizing

The pattern specifies a tension of 17 stitches and 25 rows to 10 cm measured over stockinette stitch using 4½mm needles with yarn worked double. Achieving proper tension is essential for the cushion cover to fit the intended 46 cm square pad correctly.

Construction Details

The cushion cover is constructed as a single rectangular piece that is folded and shaped during finishing. The knitter casts on 76 stitches and works a ribbed cast-on edge, followed by the main stockinette body. Two sets of markers are placed to denote fold lines that structure the cover into its cushion form. The piece concludes with a ribbed buttonhole band featuring five evenly distributed buttonholes, spaced to align with the five corozo buttons. After knitting is complete, the snowflake motif is embroidered centrally onto the knitted section using chain stitch and straight stitch techniques, then the piece is folded along the marked lines to create the finished cushion cover.