Crochet a lovely 45 x 45 cm cushion cover with a star stitch pattern in 3 different colours from 3 mm Berry cord!
You will need:
Scissors, thread, buttons, a needle
and a cushion (or make your own from two pieces of fabric 45 x 45 cm and filling of your choice)
Instructions (US terms: ch = chain, sc = single crochet, hdc = half double crochet, sl st = slip stitch):
Start with 40 ch + 1 ch and work 2 rows of sc. In the third row we make the buttonholes. You make a buttonhole by chaining 2-3, skipping 2-3 stitches and continuing with sc. In the next row you crochet sc also over the chains; as many sc as you chained. Work one more row of sc and then we start the pattern.
Chain 3, then insert the hook into the second chain from the hook and pull up a loop, leave it on the hook, insert into the first chain and pull up a loop, then into the stitch of the previous row and pull up a loop, and repeat into the first and second sc, yarn over and pull through all six loops at once, yarn over and pull through.
- the arrows and coloured pins mark where to insert the hook
Careful, we have to turn the work; we crochet in rows, not in the round.
We start the second row of the pattern. These are hdc (half double crochet) stitches, always two into the place where we joined all the strands in the previous row; there is a larger loop there, marked with coloured pins in the next photo.
Repeat these two rows until the piece is tall enough to wrap the whole cushion. Use your own judgement: make it all in one colour, or combine colours, for example according to your leftovers. I used three colours; you always join the new colour in the first row of the pattern.
Now it is time to join the edges: starting with the end that has the buttonholes, fold it to the inside of the cushion, and at the beginning we will join three layers.
Pick up the whole outermost stitches of the sides, pull the yarn through, leave the loop loose, rotate the hook 360 degrees counter-clockwise, yarn over and pull through the loops on the hook. It will form something like a braid.
Continue joining along the upper part of the cushion as well, inserting the hook under the thread in the pattern.
It will form loose little arches; then continue with the second side. At the end you will again be at the third layer, the beginning with the sc and buttonholes. Fasten off and use the hook to neatly tuck in the yarn so that it does not show anywhere.
Sew the buttons onto the inside; when the cover is buttoned they are not visible.
Insert the prepared cushion, button it up and you are done. With the combination I used I actually have two variants, a plain one and a mixed one. I can use either side depending on my mood.
I hope your cushion turns out well!
Tutorial written for www.tvorboshop.cz by Jaroslava Němečková