Patriotic Placemat
Free Knit Pattern
Easy Skill Level
Designed by Jessie Rayot
This Patriotic Placemat is actually quite simple to make, with a dramatic look. What a great way to dress up your picnics with some pride! This placemat pattern includes a video to show the basic techniques needed to make the placemat.
Size
Large 15.5 x 19.5″ (samples in pictures are this size)
Medium 13.5 x 17.5″
Yarn
Lion Brand Kitchen Cotton: 100% cotton, 2 oz/57 g/99 yd/90 m per skein
Color A: 106 Blueberry 35g
Color B: 113 Hot Pepper 55g
Color C: 98 Vanilla 35g
Needles
US 7/4.5mm ~ long straight needles or 16″ or longer circular needles
Gauge
16 sts and 28 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch
Stitches and Abbreviations
bo – bind off
co – cast on
k – knit
kfb – knit front and back
p – purl
rs – right side
ssk – slip, slip, knit
st(s) – stitch(es)
ws – wrong side
( ) – work step in parentheses in indicated stitch
[ ] – work step in brackets number of times indicated
Special Stitches
ssk – (Slip next stitch knit wise) 2 times, insert left needle through the front of the stitches and knit them together.
Here is a video to help you along:
Large Placemat Pattern:
With color A, cast on 2.
Double Increase Section:
Row 1: (ws) P2. {2 sts}
Row 2:Â (rs) Kfb, kfb. {4 sts}
Row 3: Slip 1 purlwise, p to end.
Row 4: Slip 1 knitwise, kfb, kfb, k1. {6 sts}
Row 5: Repeat Row 3.
Row 6:Â Slip 1 knitwise, k2, yo, k3. {7 sts}
Row 7: Repeat Row 3.
Row 8:Â Slip 1 knitwise, k2, yo, k1, yo, k3. {9 sts}
Row 9: Repeat Row 3.
Row 10: Slip 1 knitwise, k2, yo, k until 3 sts remain, yo, k3. {11 sts}
Row 11: Repeat Row 3.
Repeat rows 10 & 11: until there are 63Â sts on the needles.
Switch to color B.
Repeat rows 10 & 11:Â 5 more times. {73 sts}
Switch to color C.
Repeat Rows 10 & 11: once more. {75 sts}
Repeat Row 10: once more. {77 sts}
Straight Section (decrease & increase)
Row 1:Â Slip 1 purlwise, p to end. {77 sts}
Row 2: Slip 1 knitwise, k2, TURN,
slip 1 purlwise, p2, TURN,
slip 1 knitwise, k1, ssk, yo, k2tog, k until 3 sts remain, yo, k3. {77 sts on needles at end of row}
Row 3: Repeat Row 1.
Row 4: Repeat Row 2.
Row 5: Repeat Row 1.
Row 6: Slip 1 knitwise, k1, ssk, yo, k2tog, k until 3 sts remain, yo, k3. {77 sts}
Row 7: Repeat Row 1.
Switch to color B
Repeat rows 6 & 7:Â 5 more times.
Switch to color C
Repeat rows 6 & 7:Â 5 more times.
Switch to color B
Repeat rows 6 & 7: once more.
Repeat row 6: once more.
Double Decrease section
Row 1:Â Slip 1 purlwise, p2, TURN
slip 1 knitwise, k2, TURN,
slip 1 purlwise, p to end.
Row 2:Â Slip 1 knitwise, k1, ssk, yo, k2tog, k until 6 sts remain, ssk, yo, k2tog, k2.
Row 3: Repeat Row 1.
Row 4: Repeat Row 2.
Row 5:Â Slip 1 purlwise, p to end. {75 sts on the needles}
Row 6:Â Slip 1 knitwise, k1, ssk, yo, k2tog, k until 6 sts remain, ssk, yo, k2tog, k2. {71 sts}
Row 7: Repeat Row 5.
Switch to color C
Repeat rows 6 & 7:Â 5 more times. {61 sts}
Switch to color B
Repeat rows 6 & 7:Â 5 more times. {51 sts}
Switch to color C
Repeat rows 6 & 7:Â 5 more times. {41 sts}
Switch to color B
Repeat rows 6 & 7:Â 5 more times. {31 sts}
Switch to color C
Repeat rows 6 & 7:Â 5 more times. {21 sts}
Switch to color B
Repeat rows 6 & 7: 4Â more times. {13 sts}
Repeat row 6: once more. {11 sts}
Finishing
Row 1:Â Slip 1 purlwise, p to end.
Row 2:Â Slip 1 knitwise, k1, ssk, yo, slip 1 purlwise, k2tog, psso, yo, k2tog, k2. {9 sts on needles}
Row 3: Repeat Row 1.
Row 4:Â Slip 1 knitwise, k1, ssk, slip 1 purlwise, k2tog, psso, k2. {6 sts on needles}
Row 5: Repeat Row 1.
Row 6:Â Slip 1 knitwise, ssk, k2tog, k1. {4 sts on needles}
Row 7: Repeat Row 1.
Row 8:Â Ssk, k2tog. {2 sts on needles}
Fasten off and weave in ends.
Medium Placemat Pattern:
With color A, cast on 2.
Double Increase Section:
Row 1:Â (ws) P2, turn.
Row 2:Â (rs) Kfb, kfb, turn.
Row 3:Â Slip 1 purlwise, p to end, turn.
Row 4: Slip 1 knitwise, kfb, kfb, k1, turn.
Row 5: Repeat Row 3.
Row 6:Â Slip 1 knitwise, k2, yo, k3, turn.
Row 7: Repeat Row 3.
Row 8:Â Slip 1 knitwise, k2, yo, k1, yo, k3, turn.
Row 9: Repeat Row 3.
Row 10: Slip 1 knitwise, k2, yo, k until 3 sts remain, yo, k3, turn.
Row 11: Repeat Row 3.
Repeat rows 10 & 11: until there are 53Â sts on the needles.
Switch to color B.
Repeat rows 10 & 11:Â 5 more times. {63 sts}
Switch to color C.
Repeat rows 10 & 11:Â once more. {65 sts}
Repeat row 10:Â once more. {67 sts}
Straight Section (decrease & increase)
Row 1:Â Slip 1 purlwise, p to end, turn. {67 sts}
Row 2: Slip 1 knitwise, k2, TURN,
slip 1 purlwise, p2, TURN,
slip 1 knitwise, k1, ssk, yo, k2tog, k until 3 sts remain, yo, k3, turn. {67 sts on needles at end of row}
Row 3: Repeat Row 1.
Row 4: Repeat Row 2.
Row 5: Repeat Row 1.
Row 6: Slip 1 knitwise, k1, ssk, yo, k2tog, k until 3 sts remain, yo, k3, turn. {67 sts}
Row 7: Repeat Row 1.
Switch to color B
Repeat rows 6 & 7:Â 5 more times. {67 sts}
Switch to color C
Repeat rows 6 & 7:Â 5 more times. {67 sts}
Switch to color B
Repeat rows 6 & 7: once more. {67 sts}
Repeat row 6: once more. {67 sts}
Double Decrease section
Row 1:Â Slip 1 purlwise, p2, TURN
slip 1 knitwise, k2, TURN,
slip 1 purlwise, p to end, turn.
Row 2: Slip 1 knitwise, k1, ssk, yo, k2tog, k until 6 sts remain, ssk, yo, k2tog, k2, turn.
Row 3: Repeat Row 1.
Row 4: Repeat Row 2.
Row 5:Â Slip 1 purlwise, p to end, turn. ~ 65 sts on the needles.
Row 6: Slip 1 knitwise, k1, ssk, yo, k2tog, k until 6 sts remain ssk, yo, k2tog, k2, turn. {61 sts}
Row 7: Repeat Row 5.
Switch to color C
Repeat rows 6 & 7: 5 more times. {51 sts}
Switch to color B
Repeat rows 6 & 7: 5 more times. {41 sts}
Switch to color C
Repeat rows 6 & 7: 5 more times. {31 sts}
Switch to color B
Repeat rows 6 & 7: 5 more times. {21 sts}
Switch to color C
Repeat rows 6 & 7: 4 more times. {13 sts}
Repeat row 6: once more. {11 sts}
Finishing
Row 1:Â Slip 1 purlwise, p to end, turn.
Row 2:Â Slip 1 knitwise, k1, ssk, yo, slip 1 purlwise, k2tog, psso, yo, k2tog, k2, turn. {9 sts on needles}
Row 3: Repeat Row 1.
Row 4:Â Slip 1 knitwise, k1, ssk, slip 1 purlwise, k2tog, psso, k2, turn. {6 sts on needles}
Row 5: Repeat Row 1.
Row 6:Â Slip 1 knitwise, ssk, k2tog, k1, turn. {4 sts on needles}
Row 7: Repeat Row 1.
Row 8:Â Ssk, k2tog. {2 sts on needles}
Fasten off and weave in ends.
Enjoy!
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I like it.
Thanks, Mom!
i dont know how to knit, just learned how to crochet, but love this…do you have one like it in crochet? 🙂
I have a straight stripe crochet placemat, but not diagonal. It is on my “list” though.
I am confused about the directions in the double decrease section because it leaves two wholes on the one border as you go along. I think there are two many YO at the end of these rows. Can you help me?
Double Decrease section
Row 6: Slip 1 knitwise, k1, ssk, yo, k2tog, k until 6 sts remain, yo, ssk, yo, k2tog, k2, turn. ~ 61 stsRow 2, 4: Slip 1 knitwise, k1, ssk, yo, k2tog, k until 6 sts remain, yo, ssk, yo, k2tog, k2, turn.
You’re right! I’m not sure where that extra yo came from, but I fixed it. Thank you for pointing that out.
Hello, there is a mistake on the Medium Placemat, on the Straight Section, note on Row 4 should say 67 stitches on needle, not 77. Enjoying this and learning new things! Tracy
Nice catch!! Thank you for letting me know. 🙂 I’m glad you are enjoying and learning.
Hi. Regarding the large patriotic placemat :
After knitting the very first section with Color A , I ended up with 62 stitches, not 63
I followed directions exactly
Is the 63 stitches a mistake in the pattern?
I just took a good look at the pattern and don’t see any count errors. However, I did see that there were places that I should have put the count and didn’t. So, I just went in and added the counts to nearly every row. Any row that does not have the count listed has the same count as the row before. I hope this will help. You will see early on in the pattern there is a row that only increases by one, and that is why there’s an odd number of stitches. Don’t fret if you have 62, not 63. Just take off one less stitch in the next decrease row. 🙂
I would like to make a one-color placemat in the linen knit stitch (or something like that unless you think it would be too bulky?) Any chance you could write a pattern for one like that? Not sure I’m experienced enough to modify a pattern on my own…
I can put it on my list of requests.
I started to knit this for a 4th July party I’m going to but am totally confused with the row counts at the beginning of the Straight section. Which number rows are the 2 rows after Row 1-7 and row 2-4? The way I read it they should be rows 5 and 6 but then there is another instruction for row 6. Thanks
I just fixed it so it’s written in a much clearer way. I’ve been wanting to get to that, so you gave me the push I needed. I hope that helps!
Is there a place to click to download a .pdf version of your pattern? The view that I’m seeing has so many ads to click on that I cant seem to find a link to view the pattern in a printable place. Thanks for your help.
This is one of my older patterns, and I have not added a PDF to it yet.