Conservatory Stash Busting

Do you remember how we painted the Conservatory a striking shade of green?

Well, we’ve now put some furniture and plants in there and created a favourite snoozing spot for Mewsley!

From Double Vision Cushion

Do you like the cushion on the chair behind Mewsley? It was bought on a whim from Ikea.

Here’s a better look (right way up too!!)..

From Double Vision Cushion

We really wish we’d bought a second one we liked it so much but they have discontinued it – Bah!!

There was only one thing for it – Knit a matching cushion!

First I gathered all my likely green and yellow stash wools together in a big heap…

From Double Vision Cushion

Then I had a couple of disastrous attempts at randomly combining them – You can laugh at these attemps if you like – I did 😀

The random stripe disaster…

From Double Vision Cushion

Then the random colour blocks using the Ten Stitch Blanket pattern.

From Double Vision Cushion

This is a clever pattern that spirals out from the centre. The problem was my attempt at random colour blocks! Looked like something a very old beginner knitter might do to use up oddments…

The pattern is better suited to random dye yarns and when done properly, looks like this…

From Double Vision Cushion

So enough of laughing at my failures…what did I choose?

I’ve always gasped with amazement at the beautiful Afghans designed by Pat Ashforth and Steve Plummer of Woolly Thoughts.

I was thrilled to see their Double Vision Afghan technique as a Cushion.

From Double Vision Cushion

The cushion uses 4 colours and blends them in all possible combinations (with yarn doubled) to give the 16 squares.

I chose my 4 colours and some ancient black mohair (left over from a long dead 1984, cropped mohair jumper) and got carried away….

What do you think so far? I really trying to mirror the colours and proportions of the Ikea cushion…

From Double Vision Cushion
From Double Vision Cushion

I am so pleased I can’t wait to finish!

Of course, that is just one side…

I like having the back of a cushion different so I’m knitting diagonally (so I can easily get the right size) and repeating 4 rows of each of the 10 possible colour combinations.

Like this so far…

From Double Vision Cushion

Hopefully, this will be finished a bit quicker than Halcyon….

…which has taken a shamefully long time to knit….watch this space for an update….

5 Responses

  1. Helen
    Helen July 12, 2010 at 3:38 pm | | Reply

    That’s looking great, I could be inspired – my conservatory is being rebuilt in the near future. Glad to see that your chairs quickly become cat beds too – I’m planning three chairs, so I can always get a seat….

  2. CraftyCripple
    CraftyCripple July 12, 2010 at 3:49 pm | | Reply

    What a great concept. I think the result will only enhance your inspirational cushion.

  3. Ben
    Ben July 12, 2010 at 10:13 pm | | Reply

    Hey that’s a pretty nice conservatory!

  4. josiekitten
    josiekitten July 13, 2010 at 5:47 pm | | Reply

    It’s amazing how different 4 colours can look in different combinations! It looks fabulous, and will go really well with your other cushion. Love the conservatory btw.

  5. claire
    claire July 14, 2010 at 4:23 am | | Reply

    i Like the one with multicolors.. looks great!

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