4 Fun Varieties of Coaster Knitting Patterns to Bring Sunshine and Love
These four fun coaster variations will allow you to whip up a practical gift for anyone in your life
Do you need to make a delightful gift fast?
Would you prefer to make a gift that your recipient will actually use?
Ladies and gentlemen, enter the humble coaster.
Even if you think you don’t need or use coasters, trust me: the time will come when you’ll want one.
For instance, I am not a person with fancy furniture who worries about water rings. But when I’m relaxing with a cold drink, I do not want condensation to wind up all over me when I lift my glass to take a sip. I’d rather have a coaster soak it up.
To make it even easier for you to whip up coaster patterns quickly, I have for you 4 varieties of coaster pattern! Here you’ll find two coasters with a heart design, and two with a sunburst design. The difference: two patterns are one color, and the other two require two colors.
Photo: Eric Haschke
Coaster Variety One: Valentine Heart with Colorwork
This pattern is super-quick and super-easy! You’ll find it here.
I love this pattern because it makes such a delightful introduction to colorwork. Yes: when you knit this pattern, you’ll actually be using a colorwork technique called intarsia. But you’ll finish it in a flash, and then I have a hunch you will feel quite accomplished!
Coaster Variety Two: Single-Color Valentine Heart
Use any cotton yarn, and use any size needles that the yarn calls for. (Worsted weight will probably be best to make this the size of a typical coaster!)
Photo: Eric Haschke
Cast on 17 stitches.
Rows 1 to 3: Knit seed stitch (*K1, P1, repeat till 1 stitch from the end, K1).
Row 4: K1, P1, K1, P11, K1, P1, K1.
Row 5: K1, P1, K13, P1, K1.
Row 6: K1, P1, K1, P11, K1, P1, K1.
Row 7: K1, P1, K6, P1, K6, K1, P1.
Row 8: K1, P1, K1, P4, K3, P4, K1, P1, K1.
Row 11: K1, P1, K1, K3, P5, K4, P1, K1.
Row 12: K1, P1, K1, P2, K7, P2, K1, P1, K1.
Row 13: K1, P1, K3, P7, K3, P1, K1.
Row 14: K1, P1, K1, P2, K7, P2, K1, P1, K1.
Row 15: Repeat Row 12
Row 16: Repeat Row 14
Row 17: K1, P1, K4, P2, K1, P2, K4, P1, K1.
Row 18: K1, P1, K1, P4, K1, P1, K1, P4, K1, P1, K1.
Row 19: K1, P1, knit to last 2 stitches, P1, K1.
Row 20: K1, P1, K1, purl to last 3 stitches, K1, P1, K1.
Row 21: Repeat Row 19
Row 22: Repeat Row 20
Row 23 to 26: Knit in seed stitch, just as with Rows 1 to 3.
Cast off.
Weave in all ends, then either wet or steam block (with an iron) to create a nice square shape and help the heart to pop.
Coaster Variety Three: Two-Color Sunburst
I loved creating this coaster design! The sunburst pattern will bring a smile to anyone’s face. And like the two-color valentine heart design, this makes a great introduction to intarsia.
Photo: Eric Haschke
As with the pattern before, use worsted weight yarn to get the best coaster size. It’s best to use one light color and one dark color to help the sunburst really pop.
Cast on 17 stitches of your primary color (A). Every row will begin in color A.
Rows 1 to 3: Knit seed stitch (*K1, P1, repeat from * to the last stitch, K1).
Row 4: K1, P1, K1, purl to last 3 stitches, K1, P1, K1.
Row 5: K1, P1, knit to last 2 stitches, P1, K1.
Row 6: Repeat Row 4.
Row 7: Prepare your second color. K1, P1, K6, switch to your second color (B), K1, switch back to A, K6, P1, K1.
Row 8: K1, P1, K1, P5, switch to B, P1, switch to A, P5, K1, P1, K1.
Row 9: K1, P1, K2, switch to B, K1, switch to A, K3, switch to B, K1, switch to A, K3, switch to B, K1, switch to A, K2, P1, K1.
Row 10: K1, P1, K1, P2, switch to B, P1, switch to A, P1, switch to B, P3, switch to A, P1, switch to B, P1, switch to A, P2, K1, P1, K1.
Row 11: K1, P1, K4, switch to B, K5, switch to A, K4, P1, K1.
Row 12: K1, P1, K1, P3, switch to B, P5, switch to A, P3, K1, P1, K1.
Row 13: K1, P1, K1, switch to B, K11, switch to A, K1, P1, K1.
Row 14: K1, P1, K1, P3, switch to B, P5, switch to A, P3, K1, P1, K1.
Row 15: K1, P1, K5, switch to B, K3, switch to A, K5, P1, K1.
Row 16: K1, P1, K1, P3, switch to B, P1, switch to A, P1, switch to B, P1, switch to A, P1, switch to B, P1, switch to A, P3, K1, P1, K1.
Row 17: K1, P1, K3, switch to B, K1, switch to A, K2, switch to B, K1, switch to A, K2, switch to B, K1, switch to A, K3, P1, K1.
Row 18: K1, P1, K1, P1, switch to B, P1, switch to A, P3, switch to B, P1, switch to A, P3, switch to B, P1, switch to A, P1, K1, P1, K1. Drop color B.
Row 19: Repeat Row 5.
Row 20: Repeat Row 4.
Row 21: Repeat Row 5.
Rows 22 to 24: Knit seed stitch (as you did in Rows 1 to 3).
Coaster Variety Four: Single-Color Sunburst
This sunburst coaster pattern is identical to the previous one, but for one key difference: instead of switching colors, you’ll switch to purl stitches.
Photo: Eric Haschke
Grab a ball of worsted-weight yarn.
Cast on 17 stitches.
Rows 1 to 3: Knit seed stitch (*K1, P1, repeat from * to the last stitch, K1).
Row 4: K1, P1, K1, purl to last 3 stitches, K1, P1, K1.
Row 5: K1, P1, knit to last 2 stitches, P1, K1.
Row 6: Repeat Row 4.
Row 7: K1, P1, K6, P1, K6, P1, K1.
Row 8: K1, P1, K1, P5, K1, P5, K1, P1, K1.
Row 9: K1, P1, K2, P1, K3, P1, K3, P1, K2, P1, K1.
Row 10: K1, P1, K1, P2, K1, P1, K3, P1, K1, P2, K1, P1, K1.
Row 11: K1, P1, K4, P5, K4, P1, K1.
Row 12: K1, P1, K1, P3, K5, P3, K1, P1, K1.
Row 13: K1, P1, K1, P11, K1, P1, K1.
Row 14: K1, P1, K1, P3, K5, P3, K1, P1, K1.
Row 15: K1, P1, K5, P3, K5, P1, K1.
Row 16: K1, P1, K1, P3, K1, P1, K1, P1, K1, P3, K1, P1, K1.
Row 17: K1, P1, K3, P1, K2, P1, K2, P1, K3, P1, K1.
Row 18: K1, P1, K1, P1, K1, P3, K1, P3, K1, P1, K1, P1, K1.
Row 19: Repeat Row 5.
Row 20: Repeat Row 4.
Row 21: Repeat Row 5.
Rows 22 to 24: Knit seed stitch (as you did in Rows 1 to 3).
Which of these coaster patterns is your favorite? Give one or all of them a whirl, and you’ll ensure that your favorite people never again drip condensation from their cold drinks onto themselves!
