Coaster with shamrock - in double knitting

Materials:

Schachenmayr Organic Cotton (155 m / 50 gr), two different colours about 10 gr each (of course you can use any other / similar yarn)

Needles 2.5 mm (US size 1 ½)

Tapestry needle, scissors

Gauge (double knitted with both colours):

24 sts x 35 rows = 10 x 10 cm (4“ x 4“)

Size of the finished coaster is approx. 12,5 cm x 12,5 cm

Please note: If you have a different gauge, the size of the finished product will be different, too.

Let’s start!

According to the knitting chart (see below) we need 30 stitches per colour, i.e. 60 stitches altogether.

Cast on (continental method) 60 stitches with colour 1 (in this example green). Use only one needle for cast on.

Row 1: one knit in colour 2 (in this example yellow), one purl in colour 1 (green); repeat till end of row => 30 stitches per colour

Cross threads when knitting the first pair of stitches and the last pair of stitches, thus the two sides will be connected at the edges.

Do a nice selvedge stitch from Row 2 on (always at the end of the row). Attention: in row 2 we already start with the motif! I show you in this paragraph how to do the selvedge stitch in general. Please make sure that you use main / contrast colour correctly for the motif according to the knitting chart below.

Selvedge stitch: Knit / purl until last knit / purl stitch, colour according to the knitting chart; last knit stitch (green): slip stitch as if to purl, yarn back (both colours):

Last purl stitch (yellow): slip stitch as if to purl, yarn back (green) respectively yarn forward (yellow):

Turn; the green yarn is front, the yellow yarn is back:

Knit and purl as usual.

Knitting chart for the motif

The knitting chart is colour coded and shows with which colour you knit or purl. Every little box is one pair of stitches (one knit and one purl).

Box is empty = no motif, knit with main colour, purl with contrast colour

Box is marked (pink) = motif, knit with contrast colour, purl with main colour

For the little coaster with shamrock, row 1 in the knitting chart is uni (all knit with main colour, all purl with contrast colour).

Tip: when double knitting in rows, main and contrast colour change with each row. Before you start each row, identify which is the main colour in this row and if you work the chart from right to left or from left to right. For example, you can work all rows with odd numbers from right to left (in working direction), and all rows with even numbers from left to right (against working direction).

In row 2 we start with the motif.

As row 2 is an « even row » (with green as main colour and yellow as contrast colour), we work from left to right in the knitting chart.

Written instructions for row 2 (from left to right) :

18 pairs of stitches knit green / purl yellow, 1 pair of stitches knit yellow / purl green, 11 pairs of stitches knit green, purl yellow. (Remember the selvedge stitch at the end of the row)

Turn. As row 3 is an « odd row », we work from right to left in the knitting chart. Main colour is now yellow, contrast colour is green.

Written instructions for row 3 (from right to left) :

12 pairs of stitches knit yellow / purl green, 1 pair of stitches knit green / purl yellow, 17 pairs of stitches knit yellow / purl green. (Remember the selvedge stitch at the end of the row)

Continue working according to the knitting chart until row 42. In this last row you don’t need to do the selvedge stitch, you can knit / purl the last pair of stitches normally.

One colour bind off:

Cut the yellow yarn (colour 2). Use the green yarn (colour 1) for binding off.

Knit and purl the first pair of stitches. Knit and purl the second pair of stitches. Knit very loosely!

Pass first pair of stitches over the second pair of stitches:

Knit and purl the next pair of stitches, pass second pair of stitches over. Repeat until the end of the row.

Please knit really loosely, so that the edge will be elastic. Try after some pairs if the elasticity is good, or if you need to work more loosely or more tightly.

Cut yarn and pull it through the last pair of stitches.

I hope you enjoyed this little project ! If you like double knitting and want more, you will find various double knitting patterns in my shop.

Kind regards, Sonja / a-mano.