HOW TO MAKE… CROCHET COASTERS

MATERIALS

DROPS Muskat, 100% mercerised cotton, 50g/100m per ball, one ball each in Light Grey (19), Medium Grey (24), Peach (10), Light Orange (51), Vanilla Yellow (30) and Beige (23) 4.5mm (UK 7, US 7) crochet hook Tapestry needle to sew in the ends Scissors

TENSION

Tension isn’t too important for this project, you just need to ensure the stitches are close and firm enough to make a solid base for mugs and glasses.

ABBREVIATIONS (UK)

St(s) stitch(es) Ch chain Ss slip stitch Dc double crochet

FINISHED SIZE

A finished coaster has a hexagonal shape with the sides being approx. 5 to 6cm (2-23/ 8") long and the diagonal approx. 10cm (4") We’ve been spotting 3D cube formations all over the place recently, and this is a great way to subtly bring the trend into your home. And, as a bonus, it’ll also protect your surfaces from all those mugs of tea (or glasses of wine – heck, it’s the weekend!)

Two shades of grey plus one contrast colour create the 3D cube effect, and mercerised cotton yarn gives a thick, sturdy structure. To create a larger coaster or a table runner, try sewing seven coasters together to make a large hexagon, or experiment with gathering them in different formations.

Tapestry crochet

The coasters use the tapestry crochet technique, which is a method for using two or more colours in a pattern to create a multi-coloured fabric – much like fair isle in knitting. It’s normally used with double crochet. You’ll be using two or more colours of yarn on each row, and you need to ‘carry’ the yarn not in use at any one time. This can be done by leaving the unused yarn at the back of the work (wrong side) or, more neatly, by encasing the yarn as you work by working over the unused thread. This pattern uses two colours only per row and uses the encasing method. Each coaster uses the two shades of grey yarn plus one other shade.

Foundation Using Light Grey yarn,

ch13

Row 1 Position your second yarn colour (Light Orange in this case) along the foundation chain so it travels along and is encased by the dc sts as you work. Using the Light Grey yarn, 1dc in 2nd ch from hook, 1dc in each of next 9sts. Now and in every row: Check on the travelling yarn and pull gently if necessary to make it less visible. Now have the Light Grey travelling along the row and, using the Light Orange yarn, work 1dc in each of the next 2sts, turn. (12sts)

Row 2 Continuing in Light Orange yarn, ch1, but also ensure you incorporate the other colour into the ch1 (which helps give a nice clean edge at the beginning of each row) and, encasing this yarn as you work, 2dc in next st, 1dc in next st, change to light grey yarn, 1dc in each of next 9sts, 2dc in last st, turn. (14sts)

Row 3 Continuing in Light Grey yarn, ch1, 1dc in each of next 10sts, change to Light Orange yarn, 1dc in each of next 4sts, turn. (14sts)

Row 4 Continuing in Light Orange yarn, ch1, 2dc in next st, 1dc in each of next 3sts, change to Light Grey yarn, 1dc in each of next 9sts, 2dc in last st, turn. (16sts)

Row 5 Continuing in Light Grey yarn, ch1, 1dc in each of next 10sts, change to Light Orange yarn, 1dc in each of next 6sts, turn. (16sts)

Row 6 Continuing in Light Orange yarn, ch1, 2dc in next st, 1dc in each of next 5sts, change to Light Grey yarn, 1dc in each of next 9sts, 2dc in last st, turn. (18sts)