When you’re seated around a pretty table, something electric happens. The conversation is livelier, the food is yummier, the meal is more memorable. Double that phenomenon with made-by-you Ready, Set Placemats!
We knit these up in linen stitch, our very favorite stitch for housewares. Flat and super sturdy, linen stitch also has a smooth woven appearance on one side and a wonderfully nubble-y one on the other. It always lends a vintage textile vibe that makes us feel right at home.
A lovely choice with linen stitch? Linen, of course! Here, we used our gorgeous Blackbird Linen. One hundred percent French linen, it is a sport-slash-light worsted weight with a slightly rustic spin and very subtle shine. It is also machine washable and exceptionally tough for the hard work of keeping a good table!
To keep the conversation going, we made each placemat unique, using a palette of silver and flax with a mix of watery blues in four different layouts. Do the same or simplify… Either way, handmade Ready, Set Placemats set you up for a very special meal!
Designed by Purl Soho designer, Jake Canton. Click here to see even more of Jake’s designs!
Share your progress + connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho, #PurlSohoBusyHands, #PurlSohoReadySetPlacemats, and #PurlSohoBlackbirdLinen. We can’t wait to see what you make!
Plates are courtesy of The Primary Essentials. Shown here are the Gloss Grey Plate 04 from Hasami Porcelain and also, in the corner of one photo, the Sylvia Oatmeal Salad Plate from Eric Bonnin. Thank you to The Primary Essentials!
Materials
To make one placemat, you’ll need…
- Color A: 1 skein of Purl Soho’s Blackbird Linen, 100% linen. Each skein is 175 yards/ 100 grams; approximately 87 (166, 158, 127) yards required for Layout 1 (2, 3, 4) (see Notes, below, for explanation of Layouts).
- Color B: 1 skein of Blackbird Linen. Approximately 148 (71, 83, 106) yards required for Layout 1 (2, 3, 4).
- US 7 (4.5mm), straight or 24-inch circular needles
NOTE: To make four placemats in all four layouts using just two colors, you’ll need 6 total skeins: 3 skeins of each color. Or to make the same set we did, pick up one of each of the following colors…
Layout 1 (see Choose A Layout, below, for images): Color A, Ink Blue; Color B, Trowel Gray
Layout 2: Color A, Natural Flax; Color B, Galapagos Teal
Layout 3: Color A, Silver Thistle; Color B, Electric Blue
Layout 4: Color A, Blue Heron; Color B, Queen Anne’s Lace
Gauge
24 stitches and 44 rows = 4 inches in linen stitch
Size
Finished Dimensions: Approximately 18 inches wide x 13 inches high
Notes
Choose A Layout
Layout 1: Top left; Layout 2: Top right
Layout 3: Bottom left; Layout 4: Bottom Right
Decide which Layout you’d like to knit, then follow the instructions for that Layout. They are written as Layout 1 (Layout 2, Layout 3, Layout 4). So, if you’re making Layout 2 for example, follow all the instructions that are first in the parentheses (just like you do for sizes in most other knitting patterns!).
Slip Stitches
Slip all slipped stitches purlwise, unless pattern indicates otherwise.
Linen Stitch Pattern
Row 1 (right side): Slip 1 (see Note, above) with yarn in front (wyif), *k1, slip 1 wyif, repeat from * to last stitch, k1.
Row 2 (wrong side): Slip 1 knitwise wyif, *p1, slip 1 with yarn in back (wyib), repeat from * to last stitch, k1.
Pattern
Cast On + Set Up
With Color A, cast on 78 stitches. We used a basic Long Tail Cast On.
Set-Up Row (wrong side): Slip 1 (see Notes) knitwise with yarn in front (wyif), *p1, slip 1 with yarn in back (wyib), repeat from * to last stitch, k1.
Continue
Continuing with Color A, repeat Rows 1 and 2 of Linen Stitch Pattern (see Notes) for 3 (6, 1, 1) inch(es) (see Choose A Layout in Notes for explanation of these measurements), ending with Row 2.
Cut Color A.
Join Color B, repeat Rows 1 and 2 of Linen Stitch Pattern for 7 (1, 4, 6) inch(es), ending with Row 2.
Cut Color B.
Join Color A, repeat Rows 1 and 2 of Linen Stitch Pattern for 3 (6, 11, 9) inches, ending with Row 2.
Cut Color A.
Join Color B, repeat Rows 1 and 2 of Linen Stitch Pattern for 5 (5, 2, 2) inches, ending with Row 2.
Bind Off
With the right side facing you, bind off in Linen Stitch. Here’s how…
K2, pass first stitch over, *slip 1 purlwise wyif, pass stitch over, k1, pass stitch over, repeat from * to end of row.
Cut yarn and pull tail through last stitch.
Finishing
Weave in the ends and wet block, if desired.
Looking for more inspiration? Explore all of our free knitting patterns and knitting tutorials, shop for beautiful yarn or buy one of our many knitting kits, and cast on!
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