You can almost feel the heat of an island sun as soon as this pillow is placed in the room! Featuring a giant palm motif, this charming island pillow is knitted in a single strip, starting with a ribbed section and then stocking stitch. The front is knitted in stocking stitch with the palm frond motif incorporated using the intarsia technique. The result? A perfectly palm-tastic design!
Skill Level: Intermediate
Size: 17.25” square to fit an 18” pillow form
Gauge: 18 sts and 25 rows = 4” [10 cm] in St st after wet blocking
Materials
Yarn: Paintbox Yarns Wool Mix Aran (50% Wool, 50% Acrylic; 196 yards [180 meters]/100 grams): 849 Candyfloss Pink (MC, 3 balls), 830 Evergreen (CC, 1 ball)
Needles: US size 8 (5.0 mm) straight
Notions: Tapestry needle, five 1” buttons, yarn bobbins, chart row marker, 2 stitch markers, 4 removable stitch markers, 18” square pillow form
Special Stitches
Buttonband Rib
Row 1 (RS): K2, p3, [k6, p3, k4, p3] 4 times, k6, p3, k2.
Row 2 (WS): P2, k3, [p6, k3, p4, k3] 4 times, p6, k3, p2.
Rep Rows 1 and 2 for patt.
4-st buttonhole
Sl1 kwise wyib, [sl1 kwise wyif, pass the first slipped stitch over the second] 3 times, return the last st from the RH needle to the LH needle. Turn. Cast on 4 sts using the Cable Cast-On method. Turn. Sl the first st from the LH needle to the RH needle pwise, pass the last cast on st over the slipped st.
Cable Cast-on
*Place the tip of the RH needle between the first 2 sts on the LH needle, pull the yarn through to make a st. Place the new st on the LH needle; rep from * until the required number of sts have been cast on.
Pattern
Using MC, CO 80 sts.
Back (part one)
Work 12 rows in Buttonband Rib.
Beg with a k row, work 48 rows in St st.
Place removable markers at each end of the row just worked to mark the end of the back of the cushion cover.
Front
Using MC and CC, and beg with a k row, work 108 rows from chart.
Break CC and continue using MC only.
Place removable markers at each end of the row just worked to mark the end of the front of the cushion cover.
Back (part two)
Beg with a k row, work 48 rows in St st.
Work 6 rows in Buttonband Rib.
Buttonhole Row (RS): K2, p3, [k1, work 4-st buttonhole, k1, p3, k4, p3] 4 times, k1, work 4-st buttonhole, k1, p3, k2.
Beg with a WS row, work 5 rows in Buttonband Rib.
BO in patt.
Finishing
Weave in all ends.
Fold the cushion cover along the rows marked by the stitch markers with right sides together.
Use mattress stitch to sew the side seams, making sure the buttonhole band lies on top of the button band. Stitch the buttons in place making sure their positions correspond to the buttonholes.
Wash the cushion cover according to the instructions on the ball band. Squeeze out all excess water, then lay out the cushion cover to the dimensions given and leave it to dry flat.
Once the cushion cover is dry, put the cushion inner inside the cushion cover and button.