LINEN EDGINGS
Give coasters and place mats the handmade treatment with three fancy edgings designed by Becky Skuse.
Designer Becky Skuse says: “Add a handmade touch to your al fresco dining with these simple coasters and place mat. Once you get started, you’ll find that combining fabric and crochet is great fun and the results are sure to impress. The picot, shell and crab stitch designs are pretty but easy to hook so you can focus on the techniques that are new to you. We’ve also taken care of the maths so you can get practising straight away and gain the confidence you need to create your own edgings. Have fun!”
PREPARING FABRIC
Hem the edges of your fabric so your coaster measures approx 12cm square and your place mat measures approx 22x32cm. Using Yarn A and a sharp darning needle, work blanket stitches all around the edge of each fabric piece – we worked stitches 1cm apart, approx 1cm from the fabric edge. On the coaster, you should have 12 loops on each side. On the place mat, you should have 22 loops x 32 loops. Secure the ends neatly.
SHELL COASTER
Using Yarn B, join yarn in first loop of any side.
Round 1 Ch1 (does not count as stitch throughout), *3dc in first loop, 2dc in each loop to last loop on Side 1, 3dc in last loop of Side 1, turn to next side; repeat from * along each rem side, ss to first dc to join. [104 dc – 26 dc on each side] Mark the corner stitches as described in the Crochet Workshop – we chose the last dc along each side as the corner stitch.
Round 2 Ch1, dc in each dc around, working 3dc in each marked corner stitch and moving the stitch markers to the new corner stitches. [112 dc]
Round 3 Starting at any marked corner stitch, ch1, **dc in marked corner st, *skip next st, 5tr in next st, skip next st, dc in next st; repeat from * along this side, ending with last dc worked in next marked corner stitch. Repeat from ** along each side, omitting last dc on final repeat, ss to first dc.
Fasten off and weave in ends.
PICOT COASTER
Work as given for Shell Coaster to the end of Round 2. [112 dc] To position the picots on either side of the corner, work as follows:
Round 3 Starting at any marked corner stitch, ch1, **3dc in marked corner st, picot, *dc in each of next 3 dc, picot; repeat from * to next marked corner st. Repeat from ** along each side, ss to first dc. Fasten off and weave in ends. To position the picots right on the corner, work as follows:
Round 3 Starting at any marked corner stitch, ch1, **2dc in marked corner st, picot, dc in same marked corner st, dc in each of next 2 dc, picot, *dc in each of next 3 dc, picot; repeat from * to one stitch before the next marked corner st, dc in next dc. Repeat from ** along each side, ss to first dc. Fasten off and weave in ends.
PLACE MAT
On the short sides, mark the first, 8th, 15th and 22nd (last) loops with stitch markers or waste yarn. On the long sides, mark the first, 7th, 13th, 19th, 25th and 32nd (last) loops. Using Yarn B, join yarn in first loop of one short side.
Round 1 Ch1, *3dc in first loop, 2dc in next loop and in each loop around but work 3dc in each of the marked loops. Remove the markers as you go. Ss to first dc. [236 dc – 48 sts on each short side, 70 sts on each long side] Mark the corner stitches as described in the Crochet Workshop – we chose the last dc along each side as the corner stitch.
Round 2 Ch1, dc in each dc around, working 3dc in each marked corner stitch and moving the stitch markers to the new corner stitches. [244 dc]
Round 3 Ch1, skip stitch at base of ch, *cs in next stitch; repeat from * around, working 3cs in the marked corner stitches, ss to first cs. [252 cs]
Fasten off and weave in ends.