Stretch your stitches to the limit with this big-scale bolster! Heavily textured stitches are combined with soothing stripes for a result that’s big on interest but understated in appearance.
DESIGNED BY KATHY MERRICK
30" (76 cm) long and 8" (20.5 cm) in diameter.
DK weight (#3 Light)
Shown here: Cascade Yarns 220 Sport (100% Peruvian Highland wool; 164 yd [150 m]/1.75 oz [50 g]), in #9591 Buff (MC), 3 skeins; #9594 Orchid Haze (A), #9325 Westpoint Blue Heather (B), #8622 Caramel (C), #9430 Highland Green (D), 1 skein each.
Size F/5 (3.75 mm), or size needed to obtain gauge.
Bolster pillow form, 30" × 8" (76 × 20.5 cm); tapestry needle; marking pins.
Center panel: 21 sts and 12 rows = 4" (10 cm) in stitch patt.
Side panels: 18 sts and 18 rows = 4" (10 cm) in overlay stitch patt.
COLOR STRIPE SEQUENCE: [2A, 2MC, 2B, 2MC, 2C, 2MC, 2D, 2MC] 3 times, 2A, 2MC, 2B, 2MC.
Ch 51 with MC.
SET-UP ROW 1: Sc in 2nd ch from hook, *ch 2, skip 2 ch, sc in next 2 ch, ch 2, skip 2 ch, sc in next ch; rep from * across ch 1, turn.
SET-UP ROW 2: Sc in first sc, *ch 2, sc in next 2 sc, ch 2, sc in next sc; rep from * across, do not fasten off MC, change to A and beg color stripe sequence, ch 1, turn.
ROW 1 (RS): With A, sc in first sc, sc in ch-2 sp, *ch 7, sc in 4th ch from hook, hdc in 5th ch, dc in 6th ch, tr in 7th ch, sc in next ch-2 sp, sc in next 2 sc; rep from *, ending last rep with sc in last ch-2 sp, sc in last sc, ch 7, turn.
ROW 2: With A, sc in first sc, *ch 4, 2 sc in ch-3 sp of first group, ch 4, (sc, ch 7, sc) in center sc of 3-sc bet groups; rep from *, ending last rep with (sc, ch 4, tr) tr in last sc, fasten off A, change to MC, ch 1, turn.
ROW 3: With MC, 2 sc in first tr, *ch 2, sc in next 2 sc, ch 2, sc in ch-7 sp; rep from * across, ch 1, turn.
ROW 4: With MC, sc in first sc, *ch 2, sc in next 2 sc, ch 2, sc in next sc; rep from * across, do not fasten off MC, change to B and beg color stripe sequence, ch 1, turn.
ROWS 5–16: Rep Rows 1–4, completing stripe color sequence.
Working in patt as established alternating colors A, B, C, and D, rep stripe color sequence 3 times more, then with colors A and B once more ending with 2MC, fasten off.
COLOR STRIPE SEQUENCE: [2MC, 2A, 2MC, 2B, 2MC, 2C, 2MC, 2D] 3 times.
With RS facing and MC, beg color stripe sequence, work 93 sc evenly across side of center panel, ch 1, turn.
SET-UP ROW (WS): With MC, sc in first and 2nd sc, *ch 7, skip 4 sc, sc in next 3 sc; rep from * across, ending last rep with sc in last 2 sc, do not fasten off MC, change to A, ch 1, turn.
ROW 1 (RS): With A, sc in first and 2nd sc, *working in back of ch-7 loop of prev row, tr in 4 skipped sc, skip ch-7 sp, sc in 3 sc; rep from *, ending last rep with sc in last 2 sc, ch 1, turn.
ROW 2 (WS): With A, sc in each st across, fasten off A, change to MC, ch 3 (counts as first dc of next row), turn.
ROW 3 (RS): With MC, dc in next sc, *ch 3, sc in ch-7 loop of row 1, ch 3, skip 4 sc behind ch-7 loop, dc in 3 sc; rep from *, ending last rep with dc in last 2 dc, ch 1, turn.
Center Panel
Side Panel Overlay
Color Key
Chart Key
ROW 4 (WS): With MC, sc in first and 2nd dc, *ch 7, skip 4 sc in row 3, sc in next 3 dc; rep from * across, ending last rep with sc in next dc, sc in top of tch, do not fasten off MC, change to B, ch 1, turn.
Rep Rows 1–4 for patt and cont in color stripe sequence alternating colors A, B, C, and D in Rows 1 and 2, fasten off.
Rep as for Body Side Panel 1.
(Make 2.)
With MC, ch 4, join to first ch to form ring.
RND 1: Ch 3 (counts as dc throughout), 9 dc in ring—10 dc. Join with sl st in top of beg ch-3, do not fasten off MC, join A, do not turn.
End Panel
Chart Key
RND 2: With A, ch 4 (counts as first dc and ch 1), *dc in next dc, ch 1; rep from * around—10 dc and 10 ch-1 sps, join with sl st in 3rd ch of beg ch-4, fasten off A, join MC, do not turn.
RND 3: With MC, ch 3, dc in same sp as joining, ch 2, *2 dc in next dc, ch 2; rep from *, around, join with sl st in top of beg ch-3—20 dc and 10 ch-2 sps, do not fasten off MC, join B, do not turn.
RND 4: With B, ch 3, dc in same sp as joining, dc in next dc, ch 2, *2 dc in next dc, dc in next dc, ch 2; rep from * around, join with sl st in top of beg ch-3—30 dc and 10 ch-2 sps, fasten off B, join MC, do not turn.
RND 5: With MC, ch 3, dc in same sp as joining, dc in next dc, 2 dc in next dc, ch 2, *2 dc in next dc, dc in next 2 dc, 2 dc in next dc, ch 2; rep from * around—50 dc and 10 ch-2 sps, join with sl st in top of beg ch-3, do not fasten off MC, join C, do not turn.
RND 6: With C, ch 3, dc in same sp as joining, dc in next 3 dc, 2 dc in next dc, ch 2, *2 dc in next dc, dc in next 3 dc, 2 dc in next dc, ch 2; rep from * around—70 dc and 10 ch-2 sps, join with sl st in top of beg ch-3, fasten off C, join MC, do not turn.
RND 7: With MC, ch 3, dc in same sp as joining, dc in next 5 dc, 2 dc in next dc, ch 2, *2 dc in next dc, dc in next 5 dc, 2 dc in next dc, ch 2, rep from * around—90 dc and 10 ch-2 sps, join with sl st in top of beg ch-3, do not fasten off MC, join D, do not turn.
RND 8: With D, ch 3, dc in same sp as joining, dc in next 7 dc, 2 dc in next dc, ch 2, *2 dc in next dc, dc in next 7 dc, 2 dc in next dc, ch 2; rep from * around—110 dc and 10 ch-2 sps, join with sl st in top of beg ch-3, fasten off D, join MC, do not turn.
RND 9: With MC, ch 3, *[dc in each dc, 2 dc in ch-2 sp] twice, dc in each dc, 3 dc in ch-2 sp; rep from * twice more, dc in each dc, 2 dc in last ch-2 sp—133 dc, join with sl st in top of beg ch-3, do not fasten off MC, do not turn.
RND 1: With MC, working through front loops only, ch 1, sc in first and next 2 sc, *ch 7, skip 4 dc, sc in next 3 sc; rep from * around, ending last rep with ch 7, skip 4 dc, join with sl st to first sc—57 sc and 19 ch-7 sps, do not turn.
RND 2: Ch 3, dc in next 2 dc, *ch 3, sc in ch-7 sp, ch 3, dc in next 3 dc; rep from * around, ending last rep with ch 3, sc in ch-7 sp, ch 3, join with sl st in top of beg ch-3—57 dc and 19 sc. Fasten off.
Gently steam all pieces to measurements.
With RS tog of center side panels, sl st edges tog with MC, leaving center section open. Pin end panels to each end of side panel, WS tog matching edges, sew tog through back loops of circles. Insert pillow form. Sew edges of center panel closed.
