LOVE CUSHION

Hook yourself a little colourful romance with a circus-style cushion. By Melissa Masterson.

If you can’t run away to the circus, we have the next best thing. Whether it’s adorning a wicker chair in a conservatory, propped up on the bed or jostling for position in a textile-strewn caravan of dreams, this gorgeous cushion deserves pride of place. We could not love it more.

NOTES

All pieces are worked with a 3.5mm hook except the Cushion Backing, which is worked with a 4.5mm hook.

CUSHION BACKGROUND MAKE 2 Using a 4.5mm hook and Yarn A, ch62, htr in 3rd ch from hook, htr in each ch across. [61 htr]

Rows 1-41 Ch2 (counts as htr), htr in each st across, turn. [61 htr]

Fasten off and weave in ends. Change to a 3.5mm hook.

LETTER ‘L’

VERTICAL OF ‘L’

With Yarn B, ch21.

Row 1 Ss in 2nd ch from hook and next ch (serif formed), htr in each of next 16 ch, turn leaving last 2 ch unworked to form serif. [16 htr]

Rows 2-3 Ch2 (counts as htr), htr in each st across, turn. [16 sts]

Row 4 Ch5, ss in 2nd ch from hook and next ch (counts as serif and htr), htr in each st across, ch2 (serif formed).

Fasten off and weave in ends without pulling serifs out of shape.

HORIZONTAL OF ‘L’

With Yarn B, ch8.

Row 1 Ss in 2nd ch from hook, dc in next ch, htr in next ch, tr in each of next 4 ch, turn. [7 sts]

Row 2 Ch4, ss in 2nd ch from hook, htr in st at base of ch-4, dc in next st, ss in next st,

fasten off leaving remaining sts unworked. Using the image as a guide, sew the end of the ch-4 in Row 2 of the Horizontal of ‘L’ to the serif at the bottom of the Vertical.

SHADOW OF ‘L’

Join Yarn C to work along the top edge of the Vertical of ‘L’, ch1, 3dc in first st of serif, 8dc evenly across the top edge, fasten off. Rejoin Yarn C at bottom corner of the Horizontal of ‘L’ to work along the right edge of the ‘L’, ch1, dc along edge, 2dc into point, rotate to work along diagonal edge, dc in each st to corner, rotate to work along right edge of the Vertical, dc in each st across to the serif. Fasten off.

‘L’ DECORATIONS

STRAIGHT LINES MAKE 3

Using Yarn F, ch4.

Row 1 Ss in 2nd ch from hook and each of next 2 ch, fasten off.

SMALL CIRCLE

Using Yarn G, make a magic ring. Round 1 Ch2, 8htr into ring, ss to top of beg ch-2 to join, fasten off.

SMALL TRIANGLE

Using Yarn D, ch3.

Row 1 Skip first ch, dc2tog, fasten off.

Weave in all ends and sew Decorations to ‘L’ using image as a guide.

LETTER ‘O’

With Yarn D, ch44, ss to first ch to join.

Round 1 Ch1 (counts as st throughout), ss in first ch, dc in next ch, htr in next 17 ch, dc in next ch, ss in next 3 ch, dc in next ch, htr in next 17 ch, dc in next ch, ss in next 2 ch, ss to first ss to join. [44 sts]

Round 2 Ch1, ss in first st, ss in next st, 2dc in next st, 2htr in next st, htr in next 13 sts, 2htr in next st, 2dc in next st, ss in next 5 sts, 2dc in next st, 2htr in next st, htr in next 13 sts, 2htr in next st, 2dc in next st, ss in next 3 sts, ss to first ss to join, fasten off. [52 sts]

Round 3a Rejoin yarn in 3rd htr, ch1, dc in next st, htr in each of next 8 sts, dc in next st, ss in next st, fasten off.

Round 3b Skip next 14 sts, rejoin yarn in next htr (3rd of opposite side), ch1, dc in next st, htr in each of next 8 sts, dc in next st, ss in next st, fasten off.

Round 4a Rejoin yarn in first htr in Round 3a, ch1, dc in next st, htr in next 6 sts, dc in next st, ss in next st, fasten off. Round 4b Rejoin Yarn in first htr in Round 3b, ch1, dc in next st, htr in next 6 sts, dc in next st, ss in next st, fasten off.

SHADOW OF ‘O’ OUTER

Join Yarn E in 2nd htr of Round 2 (the last unworked st before Round 3a), working around the edge of the ‘O’, ch1, ss in next st, dc in next 20sts, ss in next 2 sts, fasten off.

INNER

Using the image as a guide, join Yarn E to work down the inner vertical edge of the ‘O’, ch1, dc in next 14 ch, ss in next 2 ch, fasten off.

‘O’ DECORATIONS

Make 2 Small Circles as for the ‘L’ using Yarn H. Make 4 Small Triangles as for the ‘L’ using Yarn J. Weave in all ends and sew Decorations to ‘O’ using image as a guide.

LETTER ‘V’

LEFT PART OF ‘V’

With Yarn F, ch21.

Row 1 Htr in 3rd ch from hook and next 17 ch, turn leaving last 2 ch unworked to form the top serif. [18 htr]

Row 2 Ch2 (counts as htr), htr in next 13 sts, dc in next st, ss in next st, turn. [16 sts]

Row 3 Ch1 (counts as ss), ss in next st, dc in next st, htr in next 13 sts, turn. [16 sts]

Row 4 Ch5, ss in 2nd ch from hook and next ch, htr in next 11 sts, dc in next st, ss in next st.

Fasten off.

RIGHT PART OF ‘V’

Using Yarn F, ch14.

Row 1 Ss in 2nd ch from hook and next ch, ch3, ss in 2nd ch from hook and next ch (serif formed), working along initial ch, ss in each ch across.

Using the image as a guide, sew the Right and Left parts of the ‘V’ together with the serifs at the top.

SHADOW OF ‘V’

Using the image as a guide, join Yarn H to work along the top edge of the Left Part of ‘V’, ch1, 3dc in first st of serif, 6dc evenly across the top edge, fasten off.

Rejoin Yarn H to work along the serif edge of the Right Part of ‘V’, ch1, 3dc in first st of serif, 3dc evenly across the top edge, fasten off.

Rejoin Yarn H to work along the right-hand edge of the ‘V’, dc in each st along to the serif, fasten off.

Rejoin Yarn H to work along the right-hand edge of the Left part of ‘V’, dc in each st along to the serif, fasten off.

‘V’ DECORATIONS

Make a Small Circle as for the ‘L’ using Yarn E. Make 3 Straight Lines as for the ‘L’ using Yarn C. Weave in all ends and sew decorations to ‘V’ using image as a guide.

LETTER ‘E’

VERTICAL OF ‘E’

With Yarn J, work as Rows 1-4 of Vertical of ‘L’.

HORIZONTALS OF ‘E’ MAKE 2

Using Yarn J, work as Rows 1-2 of Horizontal of ‘L’. Using the image as a guide, sew the end of the ch-4 in Row 2 of the Horizontal to the serif at the bottom of the Vertical, repeat at the top.

CENTRE OF ‘E’

Using Yarn J, ch9.

Row 1 Ss in 2nd ch from hook, dc in next ch, htr in next 3 ch, dc in next ch, ss in next ch, turn, leaving last ch unworked.

Row 2 Ch1, ss in next st, htr in next st, ss in next st, turn.

Row 3 Ch2, ss in 2nd ch from hook, fasten off leaving a long tail for sewing.

Sew Row 3 of Centre to the centre point along the right edge of the Vertical of ‘E’.

SHADOW OF ‘E’

Using the image as a guide, join Yarn G to work along the right edge of the top right part of ‘E’, ch1, 7dc evenly up right edge, 2dc into corner, 14dc evenly across the top of the letter.

Fasten off.

Rejoin Yarn G to work along the right edge of the lower right part of ‘E’, ch1, 7dc evenly up right edge, 3dc into corner, dc evenly across diagonal to next corner, dc evenly up to Centre of ‘E’, fasten off.

Rejoin Yarn G to work along the right edge of the centre part of ‘E’, ch1, dc evenly up right edge, 3dc into corner, dc evenly across diagonal to next corner, dc evenly up to top of ‘E’.

Fasten off.

‘E’ DECORATIONS

Make a Small Circle as for the ‘L’ using Yarn E.

LARGE TRIANGLE MAKE 2

Using Yarn D, ch5.

Row 1 Dc in 2nd ch from hook and next 3 ch, turn. [4 dc]

Row 2 Ch1 (does not count as st) dc2tog, dc in next st, turn leaving last st unworked.

Row 3 Ch1 (does not count as st) dc2tog.

Fasten off.

Weave in all ends and sew Decorations to ‘E’ using image as a guide.

SWIRLS MAKE 8

Make 1 in each of the following colourways: Yarn J and Yarn G.

Yarn G and Yarn J.

Yarn E and Yarn C.

Yarn C and Yarn E.

Yarn F and Yarn D.

Yarn D and Yarn F.

Yarn B and Yarn H.

Yarn H and Yarn B.

With first colour, ch30.

Row 1 Ss in 2nd ch from hook, dc in next ch, htr Make each part separately, then stitch them together before assembling the cushion. in next ch, tr in next 5 ch, htr in next ch, dc in next ch, ss in next ch, dc in next ch, htr in next ch, tr in next 13 ch, htr in next ch, dc in next ch, ss in next ch, fasten off.

Row 2 Rotate to work along opposite side of starting ch, join second colour in first ch, ch1, dc in next 16 ch, ss in next ch, fasten off.

Row 3 Rejoin second colour in first st of Row 1, ch1, dc in next 8 sts, ss in next st, fasten off.

LARGE CIRCLE MAKE 2

Make 1 using Yarn F and 1 using Yarn H. Make a magic ring.

Round 1 Ch2, 8htr into ring, ss to top of beg ch-2 to join. [9 sts]

Round 2 Ch2, htr in st at base of ch-2, 2htr in each st around, ss to top of beg ch-2 to join.

Fasten off. [18 sts]

Make 1 Small Circle using Yarn C and 1 using Yarn J. Pin the Small Circle to the centre of the Large Circle and sew into place.

TO MAKE UP

Using the image as a guide, pin the Letters to the middle of the Cushion Cover Front ensuring they are spaced evenly. Pin the Circles above and below the Letters in line with the middle space of the word, and sew into place. Pin the Swirls above and below the Letters either side of the Circle, and sew into place.

Place the Cushion Cover Front and Back together taking care to match the stitches. Working along the top edge using Yarn A and 4.5mm hook, ch1, dc in each stitch around, working 3dc in each corner and inserting cushion pad before completing the last edge. Fasten off and weave in ends.