A step-by-step guide to crocheting the rainbow-riding Riley Cushion
Ever gotten halfway through a project and thought “Hang on, am I even doing this right?” We have 🙋♀️
That’s why we’ve created these step-by-step guides to walk you through the crocheting process.
Even if you've never crocheted before, we'll take you from zero to crochet hero in no time 🦸♀️
When it comes to learning to crochet, practice makes perfect.
Before we get started on the pattern we suggest you spend a bit of time learning the basic stitches you’ll need to complete your cushion cover.
The Riley Cushion is a rainbow-riding beauty who's sure to make you pillow gawk! She's a great beginner-friendly pattern because she's made up entirely of double crochet stitch.
You'll want to be confident with the double crochet stitch and changing colours before you start 🧶 You'll also want to get a hang of tying a slip knot and chaining which is the first step in any crochet project.
You can use the yarn that came in your kit to practice these stitches. Once you've got these mastered you'll find the pattern a cinch!
Total beginner? 👩🏫
For a more comprehensive lesson on the basics of crochet visit our Learn How To Crochet page.
Onto the cushion!
💪 Remember learning a new skill can be a little challenging at first, and you’re bound to find yourself making some mistakes along the way. But as with learning anything, your brain and your hands slowly start to get the hang of it, muscle memory is created, and soon the thing you found tricky/daunting/scary is like second nature!
⚡️What you'll need
Your kit comes with everything you'll need to make your masterpiece. In your kit you'll find;
- 10mm hook
- 3 balls of Cardigang Chunky Merino in your main colour
- 300 grams of mixed colours
- A darning needle
- Made by me tag
You also want to have a pair of scissors handy.
⚡️Test your tension
Before you start your project, make sure your tension (how tightly or loosely your crocheting is) is juuuust right 🥣 We do this by making a “tension swatch”. It's a bit like goldilocks, if the tension is too tight, your piece will be too small, and if it's too loose it may not hold its shape and might be too big.
Gauge: If done correctly, your 10x10cm swatch should be 6.5 stitches wide and 3.5 rows high when made in double crochet on a 10mm hook.
To test this, grab your hook - use the yarn and hook that came in your kit. Chain on 10 + 2 stitches (the +2 makes your turning chain), then work in double crochet for 5 rows. Then measure a 10x10cm square and count your stitches and rows within that space to make sure you're crocheting at the correct tension.
If you've got more stitches or rows than the instructions say you should have, your work is a little too tight, and if you've got less your work is too loose. Adjust your tension by holding the yarn a little more tightly/loosely as you crochet.
🧶 Happy hooker, let's crochet!
Relax into the rhythm of crocheting as you craft this cosy little cushion.
BACK SIDE
Chain
Chain on your foundation chain using your main colour (the colour you have most of).
💭 Try to make your chain stitches as evenly sized as possible. Don't pull the loops too tight because you'll struggle to work into these loops in your first row. On the other hand, if you make your loops too loose, your project will look a little messy.
DOUBLE CROCHET
Double crochet following the instructions in your pattern for 20 rows.
Once you've completed your rows you're going to fasten off by cutting your yarn from the ball and pulling it through the stitch on your hook to secure it.
FRONT SIDE
We hope you're having a blast making your cushion! 🎢 Onto the front side now and let's get into the fun stuff! 🔥 You get to choose when and where you change colour to create a unique, rainbow-riding design 🌈
SEWING TOGETHER
The finish line is in sight! Time to crochet your cushion together.
Lay your pieces on a flat surface with the tops of each piece up against each other to sew a horizontal seam. Crochet these pieces together first using the front loop, back loop method.
Next, you'll crochet together one side, then the other. To see how to sew vertical seams watch the video below.
Pop your cushion in and sew up the final side.
D.O.N.E! You've finished your cushion, well done! Epic work 🤩 If this was your first-ever crochet project or one of many, we hope you had a blast making your gorgeous cushion 💥❤️
In a bind and need some help?
Book in for a 15min one-on-one knitting or crochet session with the Cardigang Hotline ☎️. Whether you're just starting out, or you've got a specific question or problem (dropped a stitch, no stress!), we're here to get you out of a bind.