You may have seen my dismay yesterday when my post was lost somehow. Have no fear! It's ready for your crafty consumption.
$25 solid wood chairs? Yes please. Sitting for any extended period on solid wood? No thank you. I love these simple,
plain pine chairs from Ikea but they needed a healthy dose of color and comfort. These seat covers were my handmade solution.
It's actually 2 different layers but it doesn't take nearly as long as you would think. I could finish 2 in a night. Or, 4 episodes of The Good Wife if you prefer that measure of time.
You will Need:
A bunch of random yarn in any color you like (it's a GREAT way to use up scraps)
1 full skein of your background color
crochet hook, I used 5.5
optional: stitch markers
It's easiest to start with the backing square:
Instead of repeating the steps to make a corner each time, I'll write them here and note "corner stitches". To make a solid corner, dc 2 in same stitch, dc 3 in next, dc 2 in next.
Ch 6, slip stitch to join in circle
Row 1: Single crochet 12 through center hole, slip stitch to join
Row 2: chain 2, dc in next 2 stitches, corner stitches, *dc in next 3 stitches, corner stitches* join with slip stitch
At this point, it would be helpful to add stitch markers to the center corner stitches. If you don't have stitch markers, you can use safety pins, other pieces of yarn, or anything else on hand to mark your corners.
Row 3-12: From here on out, you will dc in each stitch across until you get to the 3 stitches that make up the corner and join the end of each row with a slip stitch.
Finish it off and remove your stitch markers. You can make as many rows as needed for the size of your chair, but 12 worked well for mine. Also, if you're making the back squares different colors, make sure your yarns are the same weight or it will result in different sizes in you cushions.
Now on to the granny square part which is much faster even though you have to change colors:
This time in the corners you'll dc 3, ch 3, dc 3 in the space
Ch 6, slip stitch to join in circle
Row 1:ch 2, dc 2 in center, *ch 3, dc 3 in center* join with slip stitch
Row 2: change color if desired,*ch 3, dc 3 in space* corners
Row 3-12: change color each row if desired, dc 3 in each space, ch 3, corners
That's the worst explanation ever for a granny square... I should stop trying to write patterns. But it's so repetitive! If you've done it right once, you can just keep doing the same thing over and over. Don't forget to weave in the tails as you go so you don't hate yourself at the end of it.
Once you've finished the granny square and the solid square, you'll join them together by single crocheting all around the edges. The number of stitches don't line up perfectly so you'll have to use your judgment and spacing.
When you finish that, you're done! It'll look a little something like this:
Just lay it flat on your chair. It doesn't provide a ton of padding but it definitely helps. I'm brainstorming what to add to the back of it to keep it in place better without ruining the look.
Are you a fan of multicolored decorations? Any suggestions on what to add to give it a little grip? I'd love to know!
Sheila
