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Crocheted Ottoman Cover in Brown Sheep Burly Spun Yarn

Over the years, I've worked with tons of Brown Sheep yarns (these are the projets I've made since Ravelry became a thing). They were one of the first affordable yarns I found outside of a big box store that didn't sacrifice quality, not to mention they were my introduction to completely natural fibers. At the time, I had no idea that they were also sustainably produced, and I certainly didn't connect that I was supporting a small, family-owned business which in turn supported American agriculture by sourcing wool fibers domestically. I just knew that I liked their yarns because they came in a fabulous range of colors and weights, and that was good enough for me!


I've seen their Burly Spun yarn in shops, but never had a chance to work with it until now; the kind folks at Brown Sheep sent me 4 skeins of Burly Spun in the Arctic Tundra hand-dyed colorway for review and I had a crazy notion in my head that I would make a felted entrelac door mat with it. Sometimes, my crazy ideas actually work out, but I just couldn't quite get the hand of knitting flat entrelac, and didn't feel like putting too much time and energy into solving that problem. Then I noticed that our ottoman cover was in desperate need of a wash, and that gave me an idea: what if I crocheted a new cover for it?


I bought it several years ago from World Market, and while I like the look of the big ropy yarn, it always bothered me that they just tied knots where the yarn was joined (I mean seriously?!) and left them hanging out on the right side of the fabric. I suppose that they would have caused an unsightly bump if these knots and yarn ends were moved to the wrong side of the fabric...but it still seemed a little half-assed to me, even for a mass-produced product.

It was a completely happy accident that the Burly Spun yarn perfectly matched the ottoman; using a 12mm Ginger crochet hook from Knitter's Pride, I whipped up this cover in about 5 days' time (honestly, you could make yours faster if you aren't easily distracted by other projects like me). Here is the pattern I followed, with notes on where you can modify yours to fit any similar ottoman. Enjoy!


Crocheted Ottoman Cover in Brown Sheep Burly Spun Yarn

Supplies: 
  • 3 skeins Brown Sheep Burly Spun, shown in Arctic Tundra (it's always a good idea to have a "safety skein" when working with hand-dyed yarns, which is why I had 4)
  • 12mm crochet hook, I used one from Knitter's Pride's newest line, Ginger
Abbreviations: 
ch - chain
sc - single crochet
dc - double crochet

Gauge: Gauge is not critical, especially if you are able to measure your work against the thing you will be covering. Just make sure that whatever hook size you use, you are happy with the resulting fabric.

To make the cover, you will begin at the top:

Ch 5 and join to work in a circle.
Ch 1 (first stitch of round), sc 5 stitches into circle.
From now on you will be working in a continuous spiral. I recommend marking the first stitch in each round so that it's easier to keep track of where you are.

Round 1: sc twice in each stitch - 12 stitches.
Round 2: *sc twice in 1 stitch, sc1, repeat from * to end of round - 18 stitches.
Round 3: *sc twice in 1 stitch, sc2, repeat from * to end of round - 24 stitches.
Round 4: *sc twice in 1 stitch, sc3, repeat from * to end of round - 30 stitches.

Continue in this manner, adding 1 stitches in between increases until you have the desired diameter of the thing you are covering (note - it's better to be slightly smaller than the diameter, rather than exactly the same or larger).

To cover the ottoman shown here, my final round was: *sc twice in 1 stitch, sc10, repeat from * to end of round - 72 stitches.

Turning Round: sc all stitches through the back loop without working any increases.

After the turning round is complete, you will work all stitches in regular sc without increases until you've reached the desired length of the thing you are covering.

Eyelet Round: Ch 2, *work dc in 3 stitches, ch 1 and skip next 2 stitches, repeat from * to end of round. To close final eyelet, slip 1 into the first stitch of the round and pull it through the final stitch on your hook.

Work 1 more round in sc, fasten off.

Work a chain long enough to run through eyelets and cinch cover shut to secure at the bottom.


Now you're ready to enjoy your ottoman once more! I'm pleased to say that this new cover has also received the prestigious feline seal of approval - and us humans love it, too.


This yarn was so lovely to crochet with, and I have 1 skein left over which I am now using to knit a cowl. This will definitely be my go-to choice for any bulky, quick knits (or crochet projects!) in the future.

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