Valley Yarns Suffolk Knitting Pattern

Valley Yarns Suffolk Knit Cushion Cover

Project Overview

The Valley Yarns Suffolk is a knitted homeware project designed by Julie Turjoman that creates a luxurious 24" x 24" square cushion cover perfect for sofas, beds, or window seats. This advanced beginner knitting pattern combines plush cable textures with a straightforward construction method to produce a decorative pillow that adds depth, comfort, and visual interest to any interior space.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a complete cushion cover consisting of two identical knitted panels that are seamed together on three sides to enclose a 24" square pillow form. The finished cushion measures 24" x 24" and features prominent cable patterns across both the front and back panels, creating a reversible design with textured visual appeal from multiple angles.

Knitting Techniques Used

• Bottom-Up Construction: The cushion pieces are worked from the cast-on edge upward in rows, allowing you to monitor progress and adjust fit as needed before completing the project.
• Worked Flat: Rather than working in the round, this pattern uses flat knitting worked back and forth in rows on circular needles, making it accessible and straightforward to execute.
• Cable Patterns: Plush cables are the signature design element, created using a cable needle to cross stitches over one another and produce the dimensional, rope-like texture that gives the cushion its luxurious appearance.
• Seamed Construction: Two separate knitted panels are joined together using mattress stitch or invisible seaming techniques with reinforcing thread, creating clean, professional-looking seams that are nearly invisible from the front.
• Blocking: Both panels are blocked as close to square as possible to ensure even dimensions and proper cable definition before assembly.

Stitches and Stitch Patterns

The Suffolk pattern centers on a cable stitch pattern worked from a provided chart over 81 cast-on stitches. The pattern is worked through Row 96, creating the textured front panel. An optional variation allows knitters to work the back panel in stockinette stitch (the basic knit and purl combination) for a smoother reverse side, which requires casting on 72 stitches instead. The pattern uses stitch markers placed after each repeat section to help track the cable pattern repeat and maintain accuracy throughout the 96-row sequence.

Materials: Yarn and Needles

The Valley Yarns Suffolk pattern calls for Valley Yarns Berkshire Bulky, a premium yarn blend containing 85% Merino Wool and 15% Baby Alpaca. The project requires 5 skeins of this yarn in the Cream colorway (01), with each skein providing 100 grams and 108 yards of yardage. This bulky-weight yarn allows the cushion to work up quickly despite its finished size.

Knitting needles required include US size 10 (6.00 mm) 32" circular needles, or whatever size is necessary to achieve the specified gauge of 13 stitches and 16 rows equaling 4" in the cable pattern when blocked. The circular needle format accommodates the 81 cast-on stitches comfortably while working flat.

Additional Materials and Notions

Beyond yarn and needles, the pattern requires a cable needle for manipulating cable stitches, stitch markers and locking stitch markers to track pattern repeats, a tapestry needle for weaving in yarn ends, white reinforcing thread specifically for seaming the panels together, and a 24" square pillow form to insert inside the completed cover. An optional enhancement involves sewing fabric to the pillow form itself so that a coordinating or contrasting color shows through the cable eyelets.

Skill Level and Construction Notes

Rated as advanced beginner, this pattern is accessible to knitters with foundational skills who are ready to tackle cable work and seaming techniques. The straightforward bottom-up, worked-flat construction keeps the project manageable, while the cable pattern provides the challenge appropriate for skill development. The pattern notes that knitters pressed for time may choose to work only one panel with the full cable pattern and create the second panel in plain stockinette stitch for a quicker finish.