Put your feet up and relax on this comfy textured pouffe. Designed as a removable cover for easy cleaning, you can easily create your own pouffe at a fraction of the cost of those on the high street with a simple rectangle of Honeycomb stitch, a piece of fabric and a bag of beans.
8mm Tunisian hook with 40cm (16in) cable
700g Aran weight (10-ply) cotton yarn – used double throughout
2m (2yd) stretch jersey fabric (the type that comes in a tube) in a colour similar to your yarn
500g bag of bean bag beans
Wool tapestry needle
4 elastic hair ties
Tunisian Simple Stitch (Tss): see Basic stitches
Tunisian Purl Stitch (Tps): see Basic stitches
40cm wide x 25cm high (16 x 10in)
YARN IS USED DOUBLE THROUGHOUT THIS PATTERN.
Foundation Row: Ch 50. Pick up a loop from back bump in 2nd ch from hook, and in each ch to end, leaving all loops on hook. Return.
Row 2: *Tps 1, Tss 1. Repeat from * to last st, work end st. Return.
Row 3: *Tss 1, Tps 1. Repeat from * to last st, work end st. Return.
Repeat Rows 2 and 3 until work measures 100cm (40in).
Bind off.
HONEYCOMB POUFFE CHART
Stitch short ends together with mattress stitch (see Techniques) to form a tube.
Thread about 1m (1yd) of yarn onto a tapestry needle and knot one end. Insert the needle at the seam and approximately 5cm (2in) down from the top edge and make a few small stitches to secure. Make large running stitches about 5cm (2in) long all the way around, pulling up gathers as you go. You won’t be able to completely close the hole yet, but gather in as much as you can. Make a few small stitches and a knot to finish off.
Turn work to the right side and re-thread your needle with more yarn. Insert the needle about 1cm (1⁄2in) from top edge, secure thread near seam with a few small stitches and rearrange gathers so that they sit neatly, make large running stitches between gathers to close up hole completely. Finish off with a few small stitches and a knot.
Cut 50cm (20in) off the end of the jersey fabric and set aside for later.
Holding the longer piece of jersey fabric wrong side out, tie one of the elastic hair ties approximately 20cm (8in) down from the top edge. Tie as tightly as you can without putting too much strain on the elastic. Tie another elastic tie around the same spot.
Turn right side out and smooth out the excess fabric.
Place inner bag into pouffe, and holding the sides of the inner bag up fully, carefully start filling it with bean bag beans until you have used about 2⁄3 of the bag (you will still have quite a bit of excess fabric here). Set the beans aside and tie off with an elastic tie. Try and get as close as possible to the end of the beans, pulling excess fabric up as you go.
YOU’LL NEED TWO PEOPLE FOR THIS JOB AND THE FILLING STAGE IS BEST DONE IN A BATHTUB OR A LARGE BOX. THOSE PESKY BEANS GO EVERYWHERE!
Tie another elastic tie around the same spot.
Fold the excess fabric to one side, tucking the fabric evenly up around the sides of the pouffe.
Take the shorter piece of fabric you cut earlier and tuck it under the opening to neaten everything up.
Take a 2m (2yd) length of yarn and thread it doubled onto a tapestry needle. Leaving a long tail for tying into a bow later, make running stitches around the open edge of the crocheted piece, holding onto to the tail end as you sew. Gather up as tightly as you can and tie the two ends into a bow. There will still be a large opening but this will be hidden underneath.
OVER TIME YOUR BEANS WILL SETTLE AND MAY REQUIRE A TOP UP.