Monster Modular Bathmat.

Here it is, my latest FO and FP (Free Pattern).

Monster Modular Bathmat.

This was inspired by the “Extreme Knitting” work of Rachel John. The work is made on large needles (these are only 20mm, hers go much larger) and using many strands of yarn together.

It’s a quick pattern and a great stash buster, although be warned – it does make the shoulders ache!



Materials:

Assorted yarns (high acrylic content recommended, given use of item). Approximately 600g in dark colours and 300g in light colours.

Size 20mm needles.

Gauge:

Not important.

Finished size:

Approximately 39” x 27”.

Lah Lah’s Top Tip.

If you’re working in two “colours” to give the effect of the white squares, it is easier to work if you combine all your strands of yarn into one working ball for the light colourway. This makes it much easier to carry the yarns neatly, by twisting the light colourway over all of the dark strands at the end of every alternate row, thus avoiding long “floats” when the other colour is rejoined.

To work:

The pattern is garter stitch (every row knit) throughout, and is used by working a number of strands together. The aim is to make a combined “cord” (nb – not spun, just hold the strands together) with a wraps per inch figure of 3 (approximately). If using double knitting weight yarn, this is about 7 strands worked together.

It is, of course, possible to have all of your strands the same colour, but I rather like the marbled effect of similar colours combined together.

For the purposes of this pattern, “dark” means combined strands of dark yarn, and “light” means combined strand of white and pastel yarns.

1st mitre square.

Using “dark” cast on 21 sts and knit one row to last st, p1.
Row 2: sl1, K9, sl1, k2tog, psso, k to last st, p1
Row 3 and all odd numbered rows: sl1, k to last st, p1
Row 4: sl1, k8, sl1, k2tog, psso, k to last st, p1
Row 6: sl1, K7, sl1, k2tog, psso, k to last st, p1
Row 8: sl1, K6, sl1, k2tog, psso, k to last st, p1
Row 10: Change to “light” yarn. Sl1, K5, sl1, k2tog, psso, k to last st, p1
Row 12: sl1, K4, sl1, k2tog, psso, k to last st, p1
Row 14: sl1, K3, sl1, k2tog, psso, k to last st, p1
Row 16: sl1, K2, sl1, k2tog, psso, k to last st, p1
Row 18: sl1, K1, sl1, k2tog, psso, k to last st, p1
Row 20: sl1, k2tog, psso

Keeping this stitch on the needle, and using the dark yarn, pick up 10 sts along the side of the square, then cast on 10 sts (21 in total) and work one row.

Make the next mitre square in the same way as the first, and then make two more. Fasten off the yarns.

Cast on 10 sts and then pick up 11 sts along the side of the 1st mitre square, and knit one row. Then complete the square and the next three squares in the same way, picking up sts from the mitre just worked and the corresponding mitre on the first stripe.

Repeat one more time until you have 3 x 4 mitre squares.

Edging.

Using dark, cast on 4 sts and knit 1 row, picking up 1 stitch from the side of the first mitre square on the last stripe. Turn
1st row : Sl1, K1, psso. K2, P1.
2nd row: s1, K3, pick up the next stitch from the side of the mitre square.

Repeat these two rows until you’ve worked all of the way up the side of the mat, ending with a 1st row. Cast off, leaving your last stitch on the needle, then cast on 4 sts and repeat the edging along the short end of the mat.

Neaten all ends to finish.