Chai Spice Stripe Crochet Coasters Free Pattern

Introduction

These Chai Spice Stripe Crochet Coasters are the perfect little project for anyone who has just learned single crochet and wants a finished, useful object to show for it. Worked flat in wide stripes of tea-brown, cream, and clove orange, they look like a warm spice-market shelf in miniature, and the simple cream border ties the whole set together. The dense single-crochet fabric is flat, slightly ridged, and sturdy enough to hold a hot mug without curling up at the edges. Make one in an evening or a set of four over a weekend, and you have a quick gift that feels far more special than the time it took.

Materials Needed

• Yarn: Worsted weight (4) cotton yarn. Tea-brown (A): 30 yd; cream (B): 30 yd; clove orange (C): 20 yd. Cotton is ideal because it handles heat and washes well.
• Hook: 4 mm (G-6) crochet hook.
• Notions: Tapestry needle for weaving in ends, scissors, and a stitch marker (optional, for the first stitch of the edging).
• Finished size: 4 inches (10 cm) wide x 4 inches (10 cm) tall per coaster.

Abbreviations

• ch — chain: yarn over and pull through the loop on your hook.
• sc — single crochet: insert hook in stitch, yarn over, pull up a loop, yarn over, pull through both loops.
• sl st — slip stitch: insert hook, yarn over, pull through both the stitch and the loop on your hook at once.
• st(s) — stitch(es).
• A, B, C — the three yarn colors listed above.

Gauge

16 sc x 18 rows = 4 inches (10 cm). Crochet a small swatch in single crochet and measure the middle of it; if you have more stitches than 16 in 4 inches, go up a hook size, and if you have fewer, go down.

Tips Before You Start

• Change colors on the last yarn-over of the final stitch of the row before the new color begins, so the color change sits neatly at the edge.
• Keep your turning chain tight (just ch 1, no extra) so the side edges stay straight and easy to edge later.
• Count your 16 stitches at the end of every row; a missed stitch is the most common reason a coaster comes out narrower at the top.
• Work all four coasters in the same sitting if you can, so your tension stays consistent across the set.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Coaster (make 4)

Work the body in rows, then add the edging without fastening off after Row 19.

Setup: With A, ch 17.

Row 1: Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across (16 sts).

Rows 2-7: Ch 1, turn, sc in each st across (16 sts).

Color change: Change to B on the last stitch of Row 7.

Rows 8-13: Ch 1, turn, sc in each st across (16 sts).

Color change: Change to C on the last stitch of Row 13.

Rows 14-17: Ch 1, turn, sc in each st across (16 sts).

Color change: Change to B on the last stitch of Row 17.

Rows 18-19: Ch 1, turn, sc in each st across (16 sts). Do not fasten off.

Edging

Worked in B around the entire perimeter of the coaster.

Edging round: Ch 1, turn, sc evenly around the entire coaster, working 1 sc in each stitch along the top and bottom edges, 1 sc in each row-end along both side edges, and 3 sc in each corner. Join with a sl st to the first sc. Fasten off.

Assembly and Finishing

There is no seaming in this pattern; each coaster is complete once the edging is joined. Weave in all ends on the wrong side, running the tail through several stitches in two directions so it stays put through washing. Block each coaster lightly by misting with water and pinning it to a 4 inch (10 cm) square, then let it dry flat; this squares up the corners and evens out the stripes. Repeat the body and edging for all four coasters.

Pro Tips and Variations

• Swap the stripe order or widths for a different spice palette, such as cardamom green and cinnamon, keeping the cream edging the same.
• Add a hanging loop by chaining 8 at one corner during the edging and joining with a sl st before fastening off.
• Use a contrasting color for the edging, or work the edging round in reverse single crochet for a raised, corded border.