It is hard not to be inspired by the traditional Scottish patterns of Fair Isle, tartan and Sanquhar hence this cushion, showing all three bound together in a celtic plait and finished off with stag’s horn buttons recycled from an old kilt jacket – hence this cushion’s alternative name, Monarch of the Glen. Techniques are cabling for the cushion cover and for the squares, which are sewn on to the completed cover, a mixture of stranded knitting and intarsia. The Sanquhar and Fair Isle squares are knitted in the round, separated by steeks, using stranded knitting throughout as only two shades are employed at one time. For the tartan squares, the sample was knitted in the round with steeks, stranding the main shades and working the narrow, vertical stripes as intarsia, but use whichever techniques you prefer. All squares can, of course, be knitted flat, but do include those three sts either side to ensure a neat edge. Since the sides are folded under and stitched down to the cushion cover, there is no need to darn in the ends and so, the usual argument against knitting such designs flat which produces a daunting number of ends, does not hold here.
The charts given are really a “serving suggestion” and can of course be replaced by any design of your choice so long as it will produce the correct size square to be sewn on between the cables of the cushion cover or you could pick your favourite and knit all 18 the same. Plenty of scope to make this your own!
Only a small amount of Yarns G and H were used but this is a great excuse to buy a ball of these yarns to add to your collection giving you a lovely stash of colours to “play” with if you would like to try your hand at designing your own Fair Isle and tartan.

This three part pattern was originally published in the subscribers editions of Issues 65, 66 and 67 of The Knitter and is a two sided, sampler cushion using Sanquhar, Fair Isle and tartan motifs bounded by cables.
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