How to Make Crochet Placemats
Crocheted placemats can lend a rustic charm to a kitchen or dining room, and they can make personal gifts to give. They are easy to make, and because the color and style options are limitless, they can match nearly any decorating scheme. Use a lightweight cotton or synthetic yarn to make machine washable, shrink-resistant placemats.
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Instructions
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Crochet Placemats
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1
Tie a slipknot about 6 inches from the end of the yarn. Insert the crochet needle into the slipknot and tighten it until it loosely fits around the shaft, about an inch from the hook.
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2
Hold the needle loosely in your dominant hand and the working end of the yarn (the end attached to the ball) in your other hand. Wrap the yarn once around the needle from the back to the front, placing the loop near the slipknot. This loop should be between the hook and the slipknot.
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3
Hook the loop of yarn carefully with the crochet needle and draw it through the slipknot. Pull loosely to tighten the stitch. Wrap the yarn from back to front around the needle again, and once again draw it through the loop. Two stitches have now been made on the chain (these are called chain stitches). Repeat these steps until there are 81 chain stitches.
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4
Skip the first stitch on the chain to start a new row, and insert the needle into the top loop of the second stitch. Bring the yarn around the needle from back to front, placing the loop closest to the hook. There are now three loops on the needle.
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5
Hook the yarn loop that you have just made and draw it through the first loop on the needle (the one closest to the hook end). Tug lightly on the yarn to tighten the stitch. There are now two loops on the needle.
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6
Bring the yarn around the needle once again from back to front. Place the loop closest to the hook. Draw the yarn through both loops on the needle and pull lightly to tighten stitch (this stitch is called the single crochet stitch). Repeat the single crochet stitch in all 80 stitches.
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7
Loop the yarn and make a chain stitch at the end of the row. Turn the project around and start working back on the next row of stitches, making single crochet stitches in each loop. Repeat the process until 50 rows have been made. After the last row is complete, cut the yarn. Slip the loose end of the yarn through the loop and pull it to tie it off. Using your crochet hook, pull the end of the yarn through several loops, weaving the ends in for a finished look.
Changing colors
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8
Cut the original ball of yarn off, leaving about a 6-inch tail.
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9
Wrap the end of a new ball of yarn from back to front around the needle, pulling tightly and leaving a 6-inch tail. Continue to crochet with the new color.
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10
Cut the yarn when you have completed the desired number of rows, and weave in the ends.
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Tips & Warnings
The size can be adjusted by adding or subtracting rows, or by chaining on more or less stitches. Changing colors at the end of the row looks the most even, but you can change colors in the middle of a row following the same steps.
