Simple Cotton Bath Mat - the purl bee

Monday

Aug112008

Whit's Knits: Simple Cotton Bath Mat

This bath mat couldn't really be easier to knit or more satisfying to complete. You end up with a real life, fully functional bath mat! Pretty cool! It's made out of easy-to-care-for cotton and has a perfect thickness and density to it. It makes me feel like I just snuck into a Ritz Carlton!

Materials

Rowan's Handknit Cotton , 100% cotton. I used, from the top:

2 balls of #263, "Bleached" (Color A)

3 balls of #251, "Ecru" (Color C)

1 ball of #303, "Sugar" (Color B)

1 ball of #310, "Shell" (Color D)

A 32 inch, US #8 circular needle
A 47 inch, US #8 circular needle
Stitch markers

The Pattern

Gauge

4 stitches = 1 inch in stockinette stitch with yarn doubled

Finished Size

17 inches x 22 inches

Note

The yarn is doubled throughout this pattern. When you are using an even number of balls (for example, the interior of the bathmat uses 2 balls of yarn), just pull one strand from each ball. When you are using an odd number of balls, you have a couple of options. One is to pull one strand from the center of the ball and one strand from the outside of the ball (my preferred method). The other is to wind the one ball into two balls as evenly as possible.

The Interior

With two strands of Color A (see the Materials section) and the 32 inch needle, cast on 56 stitches.

Row 1: Knit.

Row 2: Purl.

Repeat Rows 1 and 2 until piece measures 10 inches.

Bind off loosely.

The Border

With the right side facing you and using 2 strands of Color B and the 32 inch needle, pick up 1 stitch at the right corner of the bound off edge.

Pick up 54 stitches along the bound off edge. Place a marker, and pick up 1 stitch at the corner.

Pick up 38 stitches along the selvedge edge (about 3 stitches for every 4 rows). Place a marker, and pick up 1 stitch at the corner.

Pick up 54 stitches along the cast on edge. Place a marker, and pick up 1 stitch at the corner.

Pick up 38 stitches along the second selvedge edge. Place a different color marker, indicating the beginning of the round.

You should have a total of 188 stitches.

Round 1: Purl.

Change to 2 strands of Color C.

Round 2: *K1, yo, k to marker, yo, slip marker, repeat from * to end of round. (8 stitches added) (Note: Make sure that you wrap the last yarn over of the round all the way around the needle, ready to purl the next stitch.)

Round 3: Purl.

Repeat the last 2 rounds until the border is 3 inches wide, switching to the 47 inch needle when necessary. End with a purl round.

Here is what the each corner should look like: