This bolster cushion is made with one ball of super-soft jumbo merino yarn you’ll want to cuddle again and again.
It will be a welcome addition to your bed or sofa, and give you some nice and comfy to snuggle with. This hands-on project is totally doable in the evening, even if you’re a knitting newbie – no needles necessary.
So, turn on the TV, put on your favourite show, and get started on making your cushion with arm knitting!
Gather your supplies
- ■ 1 x chunky wool yarn 500g ball (62m per ball) in desired colour
- ■ 1 x bolster cushion insert to suit finished bolster
- ■ 1 x standard pillowcase in colour to match yarn
- ■ Large stitch marker
Tension
Tension is not important, just aim for a finish you like. Don’t worry if the tension is uneven – one of the reasons knitting without needles is fun, is because it has its own unique character.
Abbreviations
- P = purl
- K = knit
- CF2 = Cable Front 2 – miss the next 2 stitches and leave them at the front of the work
- KCF2 = knit the 2 stitches you missed, starting with the one on the left
Finished size
Approx. 40 x 15cm
Before getting started, read through the steps below to familiarise yourself with the arm knitting techniques, then move on to working the pattern.
Arm knitting
Casting on
Step 1 Make a slip knot to start.
Step 2 Chain 12 stitches by pulling the yarn through the loop, making sure each loop is approximately 3cm long.
Step 3 Join the chain together with a slip stitch to work in the round. Note: To work the pattern around the cushion, put the insert into the pillowcase before joining the chain. Hold the chain around one cushion i end, then join with a slip stitch.
Step 4 Create the first round in a similar way to how you’d cast-on with knitting needles. To do this, pull the yarn through each loop, keeping the loops approximately 3cm long, and making sure you have 12 stitches to knit in total.
Step 5 Place a stitch marker in the last stitch of the round and continue moving it up as you work. You are now set up for the first round of knitting and will knit or purl into these stitches as you work.
Before starting the cushion, read on to learn how to knit, purl, cable and finish the knitting.
How to purl
Step 6 Keeping the yarn at the front of the work, pull it through the stitch, as shown, so you see the bump. This is the purl side.
How to knit
Step 7 Keeping the yarn at the back of the work, pull it through the stitch so you see the flat side, which is known as the knit stitch. The stitch on the left is the knit, and the stitch on the right is the purl.
Cables
This cable is created by crossing stitches over each other and knitting them out of sequence.
Step 8 Fold the next two stitches towards you to keep them out of the way, as you will skip these two, then come back to them.
Step 9 Pull the yarn tightly and knit the next two stitches, making sure the stitches you’ve knitted have crossed behind the previous two stitches folded out of the way.
Step 10 Next, knit both of the two folded stitches you skipped, as shown. You’ll start to see the pattern and shape forming.
Finishing
Step 11 Cut the yarn, leaving a long tail, and pull through each remaining stitch clockwise. Once all the stitches have been threaded, pull tightly and weave the tail inside.
Step 12 To finish the cast-on end, thread a 20cm of yarn through each of the chain stitches made in Step 2. Once all the stitches have been threaded, pull tightly and weave the remaining yarn tail inside the bolster.
Cushion
Following the casting on method, make a slipknot and chain 12 stitches. Pop the bolster insert into the pillowcase and join the two ends of the chain around it with a slip stitch. Work a cast-on round as in Step 4.
Round 1 p4, k4, p4
Round 2 as Round 1
Round 3 p4, CF2, k2, KCF2, p4
Repeat Rounds 1-3 twice more
Rounds 10-12 as Round 1
Cut the yarn leaving a long tail.
To finish both ends of the bolster, refer to Steps 11-12.
