CROCHETED OTTOMAN OR FLOOR PILLOW (FREE PATTERN)
What could be more inviting or easier to accommodate than a soft wool ottoman? This mega-crochet ottoman uses a thick pure virgin wool yarn to make it feel even cosier. Crochet is much easier than you think, and once you’ve mastered the basics it’s easy to improvise and make up your own designs.
Excerpted with permission from Natural Designs: Contemporary Organic Upcycling (Diy Designer Projects).
DESIGN BY: BÉATRICE SIMON (LILLICROCHE) STYLING: ANNABEL GUERET (EDMOND)
TOOLS Size 12 crochet hook, size 12 Scissors Large-eye tapestry needle Sewing machine + needle + thread
MATERIALS Hessian 30 x 50g (1.8oz) balls of yarn of your choice 3.5kg (8l lbs.) wool for stuffing, or other stuffing of your choice.
Telling details: Soft wool crocheted on a grand scale offers both style and comfort.
All measurements are in centimeters and inches (to nearest fraction).
Step 1
INNER CUSHION Lay the hessian flat and cut out 2 circles of 54 cm (1’91/4”) diameter and a rectangle of 26(101/4”) x 180cm(5’11”) (including seams). Oversew the edges.
Step 2
Fold over 5cm (2”) on each of the short edges of the rectangle. Pin together the rectangle and one of the circles, then machine-sew them together 1.5 cm(5/8”) in from the edge. Do the same with the other circle. Leave the side of the rectangle open for the stuffing.
Step 3
Turn the right way out and stuff it with wool or other stuffing of your choice. Oversew the seam to close it.
Step 4
To make a firm, plump ottoman, be generous with the stuffing and pack it in firmly.
Step 5
TOP Using a size 12 crochet hook and 3 strands of wool, start by wrapping the strands round your fingers twice to make a centre ring.
Step 6
Draw the strands back through the loops.
Step 7
ABREVIATIONS ch: chain stitch dc: double crochet sl st: slip stitch tr: treble crochet Work 1 ch.
Step 8
Row 1: work 6 ch around the centre ring.
Step 9
Tighten the ring by pulling the strands twice and carry on working in a circle.
Step 10
Row 2: work 2 dc in each ch of the previous row (= 12 dc).
Step 11
Crochet patterns often have a series of steps that are repeated across a row. Rather than writing these out time after time, asterisks () are used to indicate the repeats.
Row 3: work * 1 dc in the following dc, 2 dc in the next dc * . Repeat 5 times from * to * (row 3 = 18 dc). Row 4: work ** 1 dc in the 2 next dc, 2 dc in the next one ** . Repeat 5 times from ** to ** (row 4 = 24 dc).
Step 12
Rows 5 to 15: continue as for row 4, in each row adding another dc to the following dc 3–13 (= 90 dc). Close the last dc row by making a sl st in the first dc of row 15. NB: the extra stitches should always be worked on the extra stitches of the previous step.
Step 13
Row 16: popcorn stitch row (top). For the first popcorn stitch, work 3 ch and 3 tr on the same dc of the previous row.
Step 14
Remove the hook from the loop and insert in the third ch.
Step 15
Pick up the loop and bring it back through the third ch.
Step 16
Make a ch, skip a dc and, for the next popcorn stitch, work 4 tr in the next dc.
Step 17
Remove the hook from the loop, insert it in the top of the first of the 4 tr and draw back the loop.
Step 18
Repeat steps 16 and 17 43 times. Finish with 1 ch and 1 sl st in the centre of the first popcorn stitch in the row (= 45 popcorn stitches alternating with 45 chain stitches).
Step 19
BOTTOM Repeat steps 5 to 12. Cut the yarn, keeping the end long enough to start sewing the seam.
Step 20
Row 1:work 1 ch and 1 dc in the centre of the same popcorn stitch and 1 dc by inserting the hook under the following ch. Work *** 1 dc in the centre of the following popcorn stitch and 1 dc, inserting the hook under the following ch *** . Repeat 43 times from *** to *** . Finish the row with a sl st in the first dc of the row.
Step 21
Row 2 : work 1 ch and 1 dc in the same dc, then 1 dc in each of the following 89 dc. Finish the row with a sl st in the first dc of the row (= 90 dc). Repeat this row 9 times (= 11 rows of dc).
Step 22
For the bottom row of popcorn stitch, repeat steps 13 to 18 (= 45 popcorn stitches alternating with 45 chain stitches). Cut the yarn and thread it through the crochet loop before tucking it in.
Step 23
ASSEMBLING THE OTTOMAN Put the hessian cushion inside the crocheted cover. Use a tapestry needle to sew the bottom of the cover to the sides, matching the 90 stitches on each side. Tie off any loose ends and tuck them in.
Step 24
Excerpted with permission from Natural Designs: Contemporary Organic Upcycling (Diy Designer Projects).
