Annaboo's house: Textured coasters

It all started with the yarn bargain of the century...

Let me take you back to late September, when I'd been invited to Yarndale for the weekend by my pal and Supersize Crochet supplier, Andrea from Woolly Mahoosive. We had the most totally fab time, I met the most wonderful people and I'm so pleased to say, many new friends, too.

Now, those of you who have been to a yarny festival before will know a bit about what to expect - lots and lots of different companies, both big and small, selling all their different wares - yarn in every colour imaginable, tools, patterns, baskets, accessories and just about everything in between.

I love it all.
Especially the yarn *sigh*
But, I already have lots of beautiful hand-dyed skeins (with soooooo many projects in mind,) so these days, I'm on the look-out for something a bit different.
And I struck gold this time:
These little balls of 100% wool at 50p each in the MOST gorgeously perfect autumnal colours!

Now, they're not the sort of yarn you'd want to wear - they're the sort of yarn you'd use to make hard-wearing, rugged homewares, so I decided (to start with) I'd make some sweet little coasters.

(As a person with two small-ish children and one excitable dog, I find yarn coasters to be the most brilliant thing, 'cos they don't break when they are inevitably knocked off the coffee table)

Anyhoos, here's the pattern. They're worked in the round, but with a few turns in direction to create the most lovely texture:

You'll need a small amount of any yarn you like with a hook to match - these will work in everything from double knit, worsted and aran weights to chunky.

UK pattern first, US below:

Textured Coasters UK pattern

Stitches to know:
sl st - slip stitch
ch - chain
ch-sp - chain space
dc - double crochet
tr - treble crochet
FLO - front loops only
BLO - back loops only

To make the 2-bobble stitch, work two trebles in the indicated stitch, leaving the last part of each treble unworked. (Three loops on hook). Yoh, draw through all three loops.

To make the 3-bobble stitch, work three trebles in the indicated stitch, leaving the last part of each treble unworked. (Four loops on hook). Yoh, draw through all four loops.

Rnd 1: 3ch (counts as tr), 11tr in magic ring or 5ch (counts as 2ch + tr), 11tr in 4th ch from hook, sl st to 3rd ch to join rnd, turn.

Rnd 2: 3ch, 2-bobble in same st as 3ch, 1ch, *3-bobble, 1ch around; repeat from * to end, sl st to FLO of 1st tr of 2-bobble, turn.

Rnd 3: 3ch, 2tr in same st BLO, 1tr in 1ch-sp, *3tr in next st BLO, 1tr in 1ch-sp; repeat from * to end, sl st to 3rd ch to join rnd.

Rnd 4: 1ch, 1dc BLO in each st to end.
Fasten off and weave in ends.

Textured Coasters US pattern

Stitches to know:
sl st - slip stitch
ch - chain
ch-sp - chain space
sc - single crochet
dc - double crochet
FLO - front loops only
BLO - back loops only

To make the 2-bobble stitch, work two double crochets in the indicated stitch, leaving the last part of each dc unworked. (Three loops on hook). Yoh, draw through all three loops.

To make the 3-bobble stitch, work three double crochets in the indicated stitch, leaving the last part of each dc unworked. (Four loops on hook). Yoh, draw through all four loops.

Rnd 1: 3ch (counts as dc), 11dc in magic ring or 5ch (counts as 2ch + dc), 11dc in 4th ch from hook, sl st to 3rd ch to join rnd, turn.

Rnd 2: 2ch, 2-bobble in same st as 3ch, 1ch, *3-bobble, 1ch around; repeat from * to end, sl st to FLO of 1st tr of 2-bobble, turn.

Rnd 3: 3ch, 2dc in same st BLO, 1dc in 1ch-sp, *3dc in next st BLO, 1dc in 1ch-sp; repeat from * to end, sl st to 3rd ch to join rnd.

Rnd 4: 1ch, 1sc BLO in each st to end.
Fasten off and weave in ends.