Leaf-shaped coasters – Free knitting pattern

Size: 16 x 10 cm

YOU WILL NEED:

• Yarn (55% merino wool, 45% cotton; 50 g/124 m) — 1 skein white, 1 skein light salmon, 1 skein brown.
• Knitting needles No. 4

Abbreviations:

• CO – Cast on
• k – knit
• p – purl
• k2tog – knit 2 together
• k2tog tbl – knit 2 together through the back loop
• p2tog – purl 2 together
• p2tog tbl – purl 2 together through the back loop
• yo – yarn over
• st(s) – stitch(es)
• R inc – Right increase
• L inc – Left increase
• S dec  – Simple decrease
• RS – right side
• WS – wrong side
• sl 1 wyif – slip 1 stitch with yarn in front
• psso – pass the slipped stitch over

Patterns:

Stockinette Stitch
Right-side rows — knit stitches, wrong-side rows — purl stitches. In circular rows, knit all stitches.

1 Right Increase
Transfer the strand between stitches from back to front onto the left needle and knit it as a knit stitch.

1 Left Increase
Transfer the strand between stitches from front to back onto the left needle and knit it as a knit stitch.

1 Simple Decrease
Slip 1 stitch as if to knit, knit 1 stitch, then pass the slipped stitch over the knitted stitch.

1 Double Decrease
Slip 1 stitch as if to knit, knit 2 stitches together as a knit stitch, then pass the slipped stitch over the knitted stitches.

2 Stitches Knit Together through the Back Loop
Transfer 2 stitches to the right needle, then twist them (so that the 2nd stitch is in front and the 1st stitch is behind), return them to the left needle, and knit them together through the back loop. The leaves are knitted with double yarn.

Knitting Gauge:
18 stitches x 10 cm, knit with double yarn in stockinette stitch.

WORK DESCRIPTION:

CO 3 sts, leaving approx. 20 cm from yarn start (for stem).

WS (1st row): k3

2nd row: k1, 1 R inc, k1, 1 L inc, k1

3rd row: k5

4th row: k2, p1, k2

5th row: k2, 1 R inc, p1, 1 L inc, k2

6th row & all subsequent WS rows: k2, purl to last 2 sts, k2

7th row: k3, yo, k1, yo, k3

9th row: k4, yo, k1, yo, k4

11th row: k5, yo, k1, yo, k5

13th row: k6, yo, k1, yo, k6

15th row: k7, yo, k1, yo, k7

17th row: k8, yo, k1, yo, k8

19th, 21st, 23rd, 25th, & 27th rows: Knit all sts.

29th row: k2, 1 S dec, knit to last 4 sts, k2tog, k2. Repeat decreases every 3rd row. In RS rows, knit without decreases, knit all sts with knit.

Attention:
When making decreases on the wrong side, after k2, p2tog, and before the last k2, p2tog tbl.

When there are 7 sts left, work the next RS row as follows: k2, sl 1 wyif, k2tog, psso, k2

In the WS row, knit all sts. k1, sl 1 wyif, k2tog, psso, k1

In WS row, purl all sts. Sl 1 wyif, k2tog, psso. Cut yarn and draw through last loop.

Stem:
On a provisional cast-on yarn at the base of the leaf, CO 1 stitch and CO 3 more stitches. Knit 1 row, simultaneously closing the stitches.