Pattern description from Last-Minute Knitted Gifts: “In my small New York apartment I use a lot of floor cushions for seating because they’re easy to stack and put away when not in use, and they create a casually intimate atmosphere when friends come over (and they give my friend a place to sit instead of the floor). These are knit quite tightly in a very bulky hand-dyed alpaca yarn that I love. I chose reverse stockinette stitch for them as soon as I saw how modern and pebble-like the stitches looked in this yarn and pattern. They make a great gift for a new home with an urban feeling.”

Finished Measurements: About 18” (45.5 cm) square, and 4” (10 cm) thick

Yarn: Blue Sky Alpacas Bulky Hand Dyes (50% alpaca, 50% wool; 45 yards [41 meters] / 100 grams): #1016 gold, 10 skeins.

Needles: One 24” (60-cm) circular needle size US 15 (10 mm). Change needle size if necessary to obtain the correct gauge.

Notions: Yarn needle, scissors, crochet hook size K/10.5 (6.5 mm) for edging, extra-firm foam block cut to 18” (45.5 cm) square and 4” (10 cm) thick.

Note from Last-Minute Knitted Gifts: “Since the sides of the cushion measure 4” (10 cm), skip the gauge swatch; just start knitting one of the vertically-worked sided and use it to check your gauge. If your gauge is correct, continue knitting; if not, begin again with a different-size needle.”