Cocoon Hanging Seat Pattern

This knitted Cocoon Hanging Seat is my long overdue idea that I have in mind to make years ago. I am so glad that I have finally get it done with Bobbiny Ropes and the design turns out exactly the way I wanted it to be. I hang the Cocoon Hanging Seat in my son’s room and set up a reading corner for him. Ever since then, this reading corner becomes his favorite spot where he can hide inside the Cocoon to read his storybooks, cozy and quiet.

This Cocoon Hanging Seat is about 28″ wide and 82″ in height, the length is extendable with added knitted loops. The hemisphere-shaped seat portion is knitted with the garter stitch short row method, the exact same method I used in knitting the red pouf which also uses Bobbiny ropes. After the round bottom is done, pick up stitches along the edge to knit the tapered back of the seat and work all the way up. Finish off the seat with a nice border on the opening and a loop at the top. All the details on knitting this Cocoon Hanging Seat are in the pattern and instruction section below

Cocoon Hanging Seat -Free Knit Pattern

Scroll ⬇️ For The Pattern & Tutorial

On the pattern & tutorial section, you will also find the sewing pattern to sew up the seat insert for this cocoon hanging seat. The seat insert comes in hemisphere shaped, with a flat top and rounded bottom, it fits into the hanging seat nicely. It is stuffed with an Extra Large gym ball, you can deflate it anytime for easy storage.

I hang it just above the floor level so that my son can climb in and out easily. It is also safer to be at a lower height to avoid any serious injuries if any mishap happened, you know… boys will be boys…

Warning: For safety precaution to avoid serious injury, please make sure the ceiling support and hook are strong enough to hold the total weight of the chair and the kid that seats in.

Cocoon Hanging Seat Pattern

Time needed: about 1 week, depending on the knitting speed and knitting hour per day
Difficulty: Intermediate / Advanced

Warning: For safety precaution to avoid serious injury, please make sure the ceiling support and hook are strong enough to hold the total weight of the chair and the kid that seats in.

Description: This hanging seat is knitted by using garter stitch and short row construction. The short row between the rows is 2 sts.
Knowledge: Must know how to Long Tail Cast on, Knit Garter Stitch, Basic Short Row knit in garter stitch, Knit 2 Together, Center Double Decrease and Horizontal seam (click each link to watch the knitting video on youtube)

Hanging Seat Dimension
Approximately: 28″ diameter x 82″ height (After stretched. The dimension depends on how heavy you stuffed and stretched the cocoon hanging seat)

Hanging Seat Weight
Approximately: 12 pounds

Tools & Materials
1. Bobbiny Cotton Braided Ropes or cords, 5mm diameter, Color: Mint, Quantity: 6 skeins (100 meters each), Color: Green, Quantity: 6 skeins (100 meters each)
2. Circular knitting needle: 8mm (US11), 120cm (48″).
3. Crochet hook, 4mm
4. Sewing thread and needles (for joining ropes)
5. Scissor
6. Seat Insert (full-size pattern template – 22 pages, 1 green fleece blanket, 30″ white velcro fastener, and 1 Extra Large Gym Ball)
7. Hanging hook and accessories for the hanging seat
8. Printer, 22 pieces of letter-size paper and glue

Abbreviations
K – Knit
K2tog – Knit 2 Together Decrease
CDD or s2kp2 – Center Double Decrease
st(s) – stitch(es)
[number] – number of stitch remaining on the left needle after you have knitted the required sts in the pattern at the end of each row.

Garter Stitch Gauge: 8 sts x 12 rows to 4″ x 4″ [10cm x 10cm] square

Construction Diagram

Click to view a bigger picture.

Hanging Seat Knitting Pattern

Pattern A (Cocoon Seat)
Segment 1 – Green rope
Worked from side to side. Long tail cast on 90 sts. on 8mm knitting needle.
Row 1: Knit all sts, turn
Row 2: Knit 50 sts, turn. [40]
Row 3: Pass 1st st to the right needle, tighten the rope, knit 9 sts, turn. [40]
Row 4: Pass 1st st to the right needle, tighten the rope, knit 11 sts, turn. [38]
Row 5: Pass 1st st to the right needle, tighten the rope, knit 13 sts, turn. [38]
Row 6: Pass 1st st to the right needle, tighten the rope, knit 15 sts, turn. [36]
Row 7: Pass 1st st to the right needle, tighten the rope, knit 17 sts, turn. [36]
Row 8: Pass 1st st to the right needle, tighten the rope, knit 19 sts, turn. [34]
Row 9: Pass 1st st to the right needle, tighten the rope, knit 21 sts, turn. [34]
Row 10: Pass 1st st to the right needle, tighten the rope, knit 23 sts, turn. [32]
Row 11: Pass 1st st to the right needle, tighten the rope, knit 25 sts, turn. [32]
Row 12: Pass 1st st to the right needle, tighten the rope, knit 27 sts, turn. [30]
Row 13: Pass 1st st to the right needle, tighten the rope, knit 29 sts, turn. [30]
Row 14: Pass 1st st to the right needle, tighten the rope, knit 31 sts, turn. [28]
Row 15: Pass 1st st to the right needle, tighten the rope, knit 33 sts, turn. [28]
Row 16: Pass 1st st to the right needle, tighten the rope, knit 35 sts, turn. [26]
Row 17: Pass 1st st to the right needle, tighten the rope, knit 37 sts, turn. [26]
Row 18: Pass 1st st to the right needle, tighten the rope, knit 39 sts, turn. [24]
Row 19: Pass 1st st to the right needle, tighten the rope, knit 41 sts, turn. [24]
Row 20: Pass 1st st to the right needle, tighten the rope, knit 43 sts, turn. [22]
Row 21: Pass 1st st to the right needle, tighten the rope, knit 45 sts, turn. [22]
Row 22: Pass 1st st to the right needle, tighten the rope, knit 47 sts, turn. [20]
Row 23: Pass 1st st to the right needle, tighten the rope, knit 49 sts, turn. [20]
Row 24: Pass 1st st to the right needle, tighten the rope, knit 51 sts, turn. [18]
Row 25: Pass 1st st to the right needle, tighten the rope, knit 53 sts, turn. [18]
Row 26: Pass 1st st to the right needle, tighten the rope, knit 55 sts, turn. [16]
Row 27: Pass 1st st to the right needle, tighten the rope, knit 57 sts, turn. [16]
Row 28: Pass 1st st to the right needle, tighten the rope, knit 59 sts, turn. [14]
Row 29: Pass 1st st to the right needle, tighten the rope, knit 61 sts, turn. [14]
Row 30: Pass 1st st to the right needle, tighten the rope, knit 63 sts, turn. [12]
Row 31: Pass 1st st to the right needle, tighten the rope, knit 65 sts, turn. [12]
Row 32: Pass 1st st to the right needle, tighten the rope, knit 67 sts, turn. [10]
Row 33: Pass 1st st to the right needle, tighten the rope, knit 69 sts, turn. [10]
Row 34: Pass 1st st to the right needle, tighten the rope, knit 71 sts, turn. [8]
Row 35: Pass 1st st to the right needle, tighten the rope, knit 73 sts, turn. [8]
Row 36: Pass 1st st to the right needle, tighten the rope, knit 75 sts, turn. [6]
Row 37: Pass 1st st to the right needle, tighten the rope, knit 77 sts, turn. [6]
Row 38: Pass 1st st to the right needle, tighten the rope, knit 79 sts, turn. [4]
Row 39: Pass 1st st to the right needle, tighten the rope, knit 81 sts, turn. [4]
Row 40: Pass 1st st to the right needle, tighten the rope, knit 83 sts, turn. [2]
Row 41: Pass 1st st to the right needle, tighten the rope, knit 85 sts, turn. [2]
Row 42: Pass 1st st to the right needle, tighten the rope, knit 87 sts, turn. [0]
Row 43: Pass 1st st to the right needle, tighten the rope, knit 89 sts, turn. [0]
Do not cut the rope.
Change to Mint Rope and repeat Row 2 to Row 43 (1 segment) to make the 2nd segment.
Repeat to make segment and alternating the rope color until you have made 5 segments.
Cut off  Green rope, hide rope end.

Pattern B (Cocoon Back)
Continue in Mint Rope
(Right side facing you)
Row 1: Knit 90 sts, pick up 6 sts from the short row end, pick up another 90 sts from Row 1 of pattern A, turn. [186]
Row 2 to 5: Bind off 5 sts at the beginning of the row, knit till the end, turn. [166]
Row 6 to 20: K2tog at the beginning of the row, knit till the last 2 sts, K2tog, turn. [136]
Cut off Mint rope, hide rope end.
Change to Green Rope
Row 21: Knit all, turn. [136]
Row 22: K2tog at the beginning of the row, knit till the last 2 sts, k2tog, turn [134]
Row 23 to row 40: Repeat row 21 & row 22 alternately, turn. [116]
Cut off Green rope, hide rope end.
Change to Mint Rope
Row 41: Knit all, turn. [116]
Row 42: K2tog at the beginning of the row, k55, k2tog, k55, k2tog, turn. [113]
Row 43: Knit all, turn. [113]
Row 44: K2tog at the beginning of the row, k27, k2tog, k80, k2tog, turn. [110]
Row 45: Knit all, turn. [110]
Row 46: K2tog at the beginning of the row, k78, k2tog, k26, k2tog, turn. [107]
Row 47: Knit all, turn. [107]
Row 48: K2tog at the beginning of the row, k51, k2tog, k50, k2tog, turn. [104]
Row 49: Knit all, turn. [104]
Row 50: K2tog at the beginning of the row, k25, k2tog, k73, k2tog, turn. [101]
Row 51: Knit all, turn. [101]
Row 52: K2tog at the beginning of the row, k71, k2tog, k24, k2tog, turn. [98]
Row 53: Knit all, turn. [98]
Row 54: K2tog at the beginning of the row, k46, k2tog, k46, k2tog, turn. [95]
Row 55: Knit all, turn. [95]
Row 56: K2tog at the beginning of the row, k23, k2tog, k67, k2tog, turn. [92]
Row 57: Knit all, turn. [92]
Row 58: K2tog at the beginning of the row, k64, k2tog, k22, k2tog, turn. [89]
Row 59: Knit all, turn. [89]
Row 60: K2tog at the beginning of the row, k42, k2tog, k41, k2tog, turn. [86]
Cut off Mint rope, hide rope end.
Change to Green Rope
Row 61: Knit all, turn. [86]
Row 62: K21, k2tog, k63, turn. [85]
Row 63: Knit all, turn. [85]
Row 64: K62, k2tog, k21, turn. [84]
Row 65: Knit all, turn. [84]
Row 66: K41, k2tog, k41, turn. [83]
Row 67: Knit all, turn. [83]
Row 68: k20, k2tog, k61, turn. [82]
Row 69: Knit all, turn. [82]
Row 70: K60, k2tog, k21, turn. [81]
Row 71: Knit all, turn. [81]
Row 72: K40, k2tog, k39, turn. [80]
Cut off Green rope, hide rope end.
Change to Mint Rope
Row 73: Knit all, turn. [80]
Row 74: K19, k2tog, k59, turn. [79]
Row 75: Knit all, turn. [79]
Row 76: K58, k2tog, k19, turn. [78]
Row 77: Knit all, turn. [78]
Row 78: K38, k2tog, k38, turn. [77]
Row 79: Knit all, turn. [77]
Row 80: K18, k2tog, k57, turn. [76]
Row 81: Knit all, turn. [76]
Row 82: K56, k2tog, k18, turn. [75]
Row 83: Knit all, turn.[75]
Row 84: K37, k2tog, k36, turn. [74]
Row 85: Knit all, turn. [74]
Row 86: K17, k2tog, k55, turn. [73]
Row 87: Knit all, turn. [73]
Row 88: K54, k2tog, k17, turn. [72]
Row 89: Knit all, turn. [72]
Row 90: K35, k2tog, k35, turn. [71]
Row 91: Knit all, turn. [71]
Row 92: K16, k2tog, k53, turn. [70]
Row 93: Knit all, turn. [70]
Row 94: K52, k2tog, k16, turn. [69]
Row 95: Knit all, turn. [69]
Row 96: K34, k2tog, k33, turn. [68]
Row 97: Knit all, turn. [68]
Row 98: K15, k2tog, k51, turn. [67]
Row 99: Knit all, turn. [67]
Row 100: K50, k2tog, k15, turn. [66]
Row 101: Knit all, turn. [66]
Row 102: K32, k2tog, k32, turn. [65]
Row 103: Knit all, turn. [65]
Row 104: K14, k2tog, k49, turn. [64]
Row 105: Knit all, turn. [64]
Row 106: K48, k2tog, k14, turn. [63]
Row 107: Knit all, turn. [63]
Row 108: K31, k2tog, k30, turn. [62]
Row 109: Knit all, turn. [62]
Row 110: K13, k2tog, k47, turn. [61]
Row 111: Knit all, turn. [61]
Row 112: K46, k2tog, k13, turn. [60]
Row 113: Knit all, turn. [60]
Row 114: K29, k2tog, k29, turn. [59]
Row 115: Knit all, turn. [59]
Row 116: K12, k2tog, k45, turn. [58]
Row 117: Knit all, turn. [58]
Row 118: K44, k2tog, k12, turn. [57]
Row 119: Knit all, turn. [57]
Row 120: K28, k2tog, k27, turn. [56]
Row 121: Knit all, turn. [56]
Row 122: K11, k2tog, k43, turn. [55]
Row 123: Knit all, turn. [55]
Row 124: K42, k2tog, k11, turn. [54]
Row 125: Knit all, turn. [54]
Row 126: K26, k2tog, k26, turn. [53]
Row 127: Knit all, turn. [53]
Row 128: K10, k2tog, k41, turn. [52]
Row 129: Knit all, turn. [52]
Row 130: K40, k2tog, k10, turn. [51]
Row 131: Knit all, turn. [51]
Row 132: K25, k2tog, k24, turn. [50]
Row 133: Knit all, turn. [50]
Row 134: K9, k2tog, k39, turn. [49]
Row 135: Knit all, turn. [49]
Row 136: K38, k2tog, k9, turn. [48]
Row 137: Knit all, turn. [48]
Row 138: K23, k2tog, k23, turn. [47]
Row 139: Knit all, turn. [47]
Row 140: K8, k2tog, k37, turn. [46]
Row 141: Knit all, turn. [46]
Row 142: K36, k2tog, k8, turn. [45]
Row 143: Knit all, turn. [45]
Row 144: K22, k2tog, k21, turn. [44]
Row 145: Knit all, turn. [44]
Row 146: K7, k2tog, k35, turn. [43]
Row 147: Knit all, turn. [43]
Row 148: K34, k2tog, k7, turn. [42]
Row 149: Knit all, turn. [42]
Row 150: K20, k2tog, k20, turn. [41]
Row 151: Knit all, turn. [41]
Row 152: K6, k2tog, k33, turn. [40]
Row 153: Knit all, turn. [40]
Row 154: K32, k2tog, k6, turn. [39]
Row 155: Knit all, turn. [39]
Row 156: K19, k2tog, k18, turn. [38]
Row 157: Knit all, turn. [38]
Row 158: K5, k2tog, k31, turn. [37]
Row 159: Knit all, turn. [37]
Row 160: K30, k2tog, k5, turn. [36]
Cut off Mint rope, hide rope end.
Change to Green Rope
Row 161: Knit all, turn. [36]
Row 162: K17, k2tog, k17, turn. [35]
Row 163: Knit all, turn. [35]
Row 164: K4, k2tog, k29, turn. [34]
Row 165: Knit all, turn. [34]
Row 166: K28, k2tog, k4, turn. [33]
Row 167: Knit all, turn. [33]
Row 168: K16, k2tog, k15, turn. [32]
Row 169: Knit all, turn. [32]
Row 170: K3, k2tog, k27, turn. [31]
Row 171: Knit all, turn. [31]
Row 172: K26, k2tog, k3, turn. [30]
Row 173: Knit all, turn. [30]
Row 174: K14, k2tog, k14, turn. [29]
Row 175: Knit all, turn. [29]
Row 176: K2, k2tog, k25, turn. [28]
Row 177: Knit all, turn. [28]
Row 178: K24, k2tog, k2, turn. [27]
Row 179: Knit all, turn. [27]
Row 180: K13, k2tog, k12, turn. [26]
Row 181: Knit all, turn. [26]
Row 182: K1, k2tog, k23, turn. [25]
Row 183: Knit all, turn. [25]
Row 184: K22, k2tog, k1, turn. [24]
Row 185: Knit all, turn. [24]
Row 186: K11, k2tog, k11, turn. [23]
Row 187: Knit all, turn. [23]
Row 188: K2tog, k21, turn. [22]
Row 189: Knit all, turn. [22]
Row 190: K20, k2tog, turn. [21]
Row 191: Knit all, turn. [21]
Row 192: K10, k2tog, k9, turn. [20]
Row 193: Bind Off (Right side of the work is facing you with yarn tail on the left of the hanging seat)

Border
Continue in Green Rope
Working on Right side only and knit in a round, no turning needed.
Round 1: Pick up 104 sts from the edge of pattern B evenly, pick up 5 sts from the edge of the short row, pick up another 104 sts from the other edge of pattern B evenly, cast on 20 sts on needle (this is the loop at the top of the hanging seat). [233]
Round 2: Purl around [233]
Round 3: K105, CDD (this should take place on the short row edge), K125 [231]
Round 4: Purl around
Round 5: K104, CDD, k124 [229]
Round 6: Purl around
Round 7: K103, CDD, k123 [227]
Round 8: Bind Off
Leave a long tail to sew both edges together (below the 20 sts loop) with horizontal seam for a length of 18 sts. Hide rope end.

Extension Loop
Green Rope
Make 1 to 4, depending on how long you want to extend the hanging seat from ceiling to floor. The loop can extend to about 8″ long after being stretched with kid’s sitting in the hanging seat.
Round 1: Cast on 20 sts and insert through the loop of the hanging seat.
Round 2: Knit around
Round 3: Purl around
Round 4 to 7: repeat round 2 and 3 alternately.
Round 8: Bind off.

Remark:
1. Due to the chunky rope, I used a basic no-wrap short row knit for this garter stitch hanging seat. The wrap method and other short row methods are not suitable in this pattern because it will make a bulky stitch. As long as you pull the short row stitch tight enough, it won’t leave any ugly big hole on your hanging seat.
2. Use crochet hook to do the joining since the rope is thick.
3. Sew up both rope ends to join the ropes.
4. Sew up the rope end after hiding the end into the stitches.

More Details on how to knit the Cocoon Hanging Seat

Knit Cocoon Hanging Seat

If you are new to short row construction, I hope this diagram will help you to understand how short-row is used in this pattern.
Basically, short row construction in this garter stitch Cocoon Hanging Seat means that you knit more rows at the middle stitches than the sides of the stitches. By skipping knitting the sides of the rows, you need to use short row method.
Click picture to view a larger diagram.

Main materials: Bobbiny Ropes, you will need 6 skeins each of Mint color and Green color. Each skein comes in 100m rope length.
8mm / US 11 circular needle with 120cm / 48″ long. The picture shows a shorter needle, you will need 2 if using a shorter circular needle.
Refer to list above for the rest of the tools you will need to knit this Cocoon Hanging Seat.

Join the rope by sewing both ends of finishing skein and a new skein of rope.
Cut out about an inch of the polyester insert from the ropes respectively.

Overlap both ends at least 1″, sew to join up.

Let’s begin to knit the Cocoon Hanging Seat by long-tail cast on 90 stitches on the 8mm circular needle.

Follow Pattern A to knit the short row segments of the cocoon seat. Alternate the rope color per segment. Do not cut the rope after completing each segment.

This picture shows after completed 2 segments.

A close-up look of the short-row construction, no holes will be seen if you pull the rope tight enough after passing a stitch over.

5 short row segments of Pattern A with alternating color has completed.
Cut Green Rope and hide all the rope ends by weaving into the stitches.

Begin Pattern B to knit the back of the Cocoon Hanging Seat.

Follow the written pattern to knit all the way up. You will have 20 stitches left on the needle.

Bind off the 20 stitches, the work should be facing you on the right side.
The last loop on the needle is to consider the first stitch of the Border Pattern.

Pick up stitches evenly from the edge of Pattern B (with the work right side facing you).
For your convenience calculation on how to pick up evenly, here is how I did:
1. Pick up 94 stitches from row 193 to row 6 on the edge of Pattern B; pick up stitches on the “raise row” of the garter stitch will give you 94 stitches.
2. Pick up 10 stitches from row 5 to row 2.
3. Pick up 5 stitches from the edge of Pattern A.
4. Pick up 10 stitches from row 2 to row 5 from the other edge of Pattern B
5. Pick up 94 stitches from row 6 to row 193.

After you have picked up stitches from the edges to knit a border. Continue to cast on 20 stitches to the needle to form the base row of the loop of the Cocoon Hanging Seat.

Follow the Border Pattern and continue to knit in a round with rithe ght side of the work facing you.

Bind off the border and leave a long tail to sew both edges below the loop together.

Join both edges with mattress seam for 18 stitches to seam a short length of the border together below the loop, as shown.
Hide all rope ends.

This is the completed Cocoon Hanging Seat before hanging up and stretched with weight. Hooked it up to a strong support ceiling and test it by filling in weight (lots of books with some pillows to cushion them at the bottom). Make sure your ceiling support is strong enough to hold the weight that you want it to hold.

After you have stretched your Cocoon Hanging Seat, the length of the seat will become longer. Measure how much more to add in length to reach your desired height.
Take the seat down to continue with the extension loop if you need to extend the height of the seat so that it is low enough for the kid to go in.
I set mine to touch on the floor a little so that my son can climb in and out comfortably.

Picture 1 to 5 show you how to finish off the end of the binding neatly. Unloop the last loop of the stitch, thread it into the first loop of the round and come back, this will disguise a loop that connects between the first stitch and the last stitch of the round.
Hide yarn ends by weaving them within the stitches.
Repeat to make more extension loop if needed.

Sew Seat Insert

Download a total of 22 pages of the 28″ Hemisphere shaped Seat Insert pattern template. Print out the Cover Page to check your printing scale (there is a 2″ marking for you to measure), make sure that the scale setting on the printer is off. If the printing scale is correct, proceed to print out the rest of the 21 pages.
Glue the pages accordingly to build the complete pattern sheet.

Cut out the pattern template for the seat insert.
Pin them on the green fleece blanket.

Cut them out with the correct seam allowances.

Fold the seam allowance where you want to sew the velcro on. Place the velcro on it and pin.
Stitch around the edge of the velcro.
Repeat the same to the other side of velcro.

The bottom velcro is flushed with the seam line, whilst the top velcro is extended out from the seam line.
Align and fasten them together.

Seam up all the pieces and topstitch 5/8″ from the seam line.

Insert the deflated gym ball into the seat cover.

Arrange the gym ball so that the pump hole is at the velcro fastener side.
Inflate the gym ball by pumping air into it.

Start to fasten the velcro when the gym ball has almost filled up the seat cover.

Continue to inflate the gym ball until it is fully filled up the seat cover or until you heard the velcro is making unzipping noise.
Remove the pump nozzle and quickly insert the stopper pin into the gym ball.

Turn the seat insert over, and you will have a flat-top round-bottom seat insert for your Cocoon Hanging Seat.
Insert the seat into the Cocoon Hanging Seat to complete the whole project.

Snug in his cocoon to enjoy his private reading space