Horse Cushion

Horse Cushion by Little Doolally

Project Overview

The Horse Cushion is an intermediate-level crochet project designed to create a decorative 14" x 14" (35cm x 35cm) cushion cover featuring an equine motif. This downloadable PDF pattern from independent designer Little Doolally combines colorwork techniques with classic crochet construction to produce a finished cushion suitable for home décor.

What Is Being Made

This pattern creates a square cushion cover measuring 14 inches by 14 inches, designed to fit a standard cushion pad of the same dimensions. The cushion features a horse design worked into the fabric using the intarsia crochet technique, allowing for detailed colorwork that depicts the horse motif across the cushion face. The finished piece is completed with decorative buttons or toggles for closure.

Crochet Techniques Used

The Horse Cushion employs the intarsia crochet technique as its primary colorwork method. Intarsia crochet allows crafters to work with multiple yarn colors to create detailed pictorial designs without carrying yarn across the back of the work, resulting in a neat, flat finish ideal for cushion covers. This technique requires careful color changes and attention to stitch placement to achieve the horse design accurately. The pattern includes a reference to a dedicated intarsia crochet tutorial available on the Little Doolally blog for crafters new to this method.

Stitches and Construction

The pattern utilizes fundamental crochet stitches to build the cushion structure:

• Single crochet (sc) – the primary stitch used throughout the cushion, creating a dense, stable fabric suitable for a decorative home accessory
• Chain stitch (ch) – used for foundation chains and turning chains to establish rows
• Slip stitch (slst) – employed for joining and finishing techniques

The pattern begins with a foundation chain of 64 stitches plus 1 turning chain, with all stitches worked in single crochet throughout. This straightforward stitch structure allows the intarsia colorwork to be the focal point of the design.

Gauge and Sizing

The pattern specifies a gauge of 18 stitches by 24 rows measuring 10cm x 10cm (approximately 4 inches x 4 inches) when worked in single crochet. Maintaining this gauge is essential for achieving the correct finished dimensions of 14" x 14" (35cm x 35cm) to fit the cushion pad properly.

Materials Required

Yarn: The pattern calls for approximately 200g of DK weight yarn. The sample shown uses West Yorkshire Spinners Aire Valley Essential DK, a blend of 75% wool and 25% nylon, in the following colors and quantities:

• 1 x 100g ball of Cream (010) – primary background color
• 1 x 100g ball of Nutmeg (630) – secondary color
• 1 x 100g ball of Cardamom (351) – accent color
• Scraps of White (011), Brown (653), Pennyroyal (530), and Black (099) – for horse details and features

DK weight yarn is a medium-weight yarn that works well for creating defined stitch definition and detailed colorwork, making it ideal for the intarsia technique used in this cushion.

Tools and Notions: A 4.0mm crochet hook is used to work the DK weight yarn to the specified gauge. The finished cushion requires a 14" x 14" cushion pad as the form, and 3 buttons or toggles measuring 3cm to 4cm in diameter for closure details.

Difficulty Level

This project is rated as intermediate difficulty, reflecting the skills required to work intarsia crochet colorwork while maintaining consistent gauge and stitch tension. Crafters should be comfortable with basic crochet stitches and have some experience with color changes before attempting this pattern. The inclusion of a dedicated intarsia tutorial makes the pattern accessible to those learning this technique for the first time.