Many people think that crocheting is just there to create cute little beanies and warm winter blankets. While this is true, many people don’t realize that crocheting also allows you to create a wide range of different accessories for your home, including décor.
One of the most helpful home accessories you can crochet is crochet coasters. These understated little items can be really useful in the home, from preventing stains on a table to being potholders.
While you could crochet coasters using any type of yarn, you will soon learn that some yarns are much better to use for this specific project.
What yarn is best for crocheting coasters? Cotton yarn is a great choice because it doesn’t melt, is easy to clean, and is absorbent. Other options include wool, silk, and polyester yarn.
Knowing the right yarn to use will help you create durable and useful coasters that will be a lovely addition to your home or work as a great handmade gift for a loved one.
The Best Types of Yarn for Coasters
Different types of yarn serve different purposes. Each with its own pros and cons. Finding out about different yarns will help you decide which one will serve your project best.
Cotton
Cotton is probably your best choice for crochet coasters.
Cotton yarn doesn’t melt. This is the most important factor when creating coasters, as they might be used under hot objects. Making sure the coaster won’t melt should be your number one priority, and cotton helps with this.
Cotton is pretty easy to clean. This is another important factor, as you will be using your coasters around drinks and food, which means they could become dirty easily. Cotton can easily be washed and dried to be used again, keeping them looking fresh and clean.
Cotton also happens to have the ability to be absorbent, but inelastic as well. This means the coaster will absorb any spills but it will not change its shape when wet.
Cotton yarn is best used for items or projects in the kitchen, such as hot pads, placemats, coasters, and dishcloths. While there are different types of cotton yarn, all are fine to be used in the kitchen. There is a cotton yarn called Kitchen Yarn, which is your best bet. It is inelastic, sturdy, absorbent and can be machine washed.
Wool
Just like cotton, wool is another good option to use to create coasters.
Wool does not melt, important when there are hot kitchen items such as pots or mugs placed on top of the coasters.
Wool is self-extinguishing, which means that if it accidentally catches on fire, it usually dies out on its own.
The downside is that wool isn’t as easy to clean as cotton. Once cleaned, the wool coasters will have a felt-like feel, fuzzy after washed or dried in a machine. This also changes its design and size after a while. To avoid this, you will need to handwash the wool coasters.
Wool coasters are great to use mostly as décor. They fare well in the kitchen or living room but don’t do so well under heavy-cleaning or use.
Silk
Silk is seen as a luxurious yarn and has the price tag to boot. The upside to using silk to create crocheted coasters is that it is also self-extinguishing. However, not many people want to spend so much money on a silk yarn just to be used in the kitchen.
Polyester, Acrylic, and Similar Fibers
Polyester, acrylic and other similar yarns are not advisable to use when making crochet coasters. They melt easily when in contact with heat, and as they are made from plastic, they might melt into plastic. This could cause a huge mess in the kitchen or on a coffee table, and poses a high fire-risk.
These fibers and yarns are easy to clean, durable and maintain their shape well, but the pros do not outweigh the cons, so better to not use them in the kitchen.
Things To Look For When Choosing Yarn For Coasters
Other than looking at the type of yarn to use, there are a few more considerations to think about before choosing the yarn you will use to create crochet coasters.
Yarn Texture
Yarn texture is important when deciding on the yarn to use. For a coaster, a smooth yarn is much better than a textured yarn. It will create an even surface for items to rest on, reducing the chance of spillage. Textured yarns will become messier easily, and won’t provide a stable surface for coffee-filled mugs or pots of soup.
Yarn Color
While you might want to match your coasters to your décor, it is probably better to stick to a darker color. This will hide any stains and spills and will be easier to clean. Lighter colors will hold stains longer. Just to remember that darker colors are more difficult to crochet with, as the stitches are harder to see, but they do have their benefits in the kitchen.
Yarn Price
You aren’t making a cashmere sweater, so you don’t need to buy overpriced yarn. Simple cotton yarn isn’t going to break the bank, it will have all the properties it needs to perform its job well as a coaster. There really isn’t a reason to spend too much money.
Yarn Color Dye Lot
This really only becomes important if you are planning to crochet lots of coasters, large coaster,s or matching dishcloths in the same color. You will need to make sure that the color will match, and this can be found out by looking at the dye lot.
This will be on the label of the yarn, so make sure all the yarn of the same color you buy comes from the same dye lot. There can be subtle or significant color differences between the same color yarn from different dye lots.
Washing Abilities
As you will be using your coaster around food or in the kitchen, it will need to be made from a yarn that can be washed easily, specifically in a machine washer. There is no point crocheting a coaster from yarn that loses its shape or durability after one wash. Expect your coasters to get dirty, and choose your yarn based on how easy the fiber is to clean.
Ethics
The world is becoming more aware of sustainable living and responsible buying. If you want to take part in this movement, why not look for sustainable yarn? There are options such as organic yarn and vegan yarn, which can relate to your own personal ethics surrounding the environment and or animals.
Supplies For Making Crochet Coasters
Coasters are fairly easy, and quick, to crochet, depending on the simplicity of the pattern you choose. You can decide to go for the simple, plain circular design, or create a flower-looking coaster with the edges resembling petals.
Whatever you decide, there are some basics you will need to complete your crochet coasters.
- Yarn – As said earlier, you need to decide which is the best yarn for you to use to make coasters. Cotton would be your best bet, but there are other options to choose from.
- Crochet hook – The size of the hook you need will depend on the size of the yarn you are using, and the pattern you are following. Coasters are usually made using a J or 6mm crochet hook, but be sure to read the yarn label for further suggestions.
- Tapestry needle – A tapestry needle is a large sewing needle with a big eye to thread yarn through. This is used to weave in loose ends when you are finished crocheting the coaster.
- Scissors – Any scissors will do, but you will need them to cut off weaved ends at the end of the project, or to cut the thread to allow for different colors to be used when crocheting the coaster.
Simple Coaster Crochet Pattern
To get you started, here is a simple coaster crochet pattern to start out with.
Start off by creating a magic ring.
Round 1 – Ch 2, 10 DC in the magic ring, sl st to join, Ch 3
Round 2 – DC in the first st, V stitch in each st around (DC, Ch 1, DC in the same stitch), sl st to join, Ch 2
Round 3 – DC in the first st, (the Ch1 from the below V stitch), Ch 1 * 2 DC in Ch 1 space in the second round, Ch 1*, repeat from * all around and sl st to join, Ch 2
Round 4 – 4 DC in first Ch 1 space in Round 3, sl st into the space between 2 DC in Round 3, * 5 DC in next Ch 1 space, sl st into the space between 2 DC*, repeat from * all around and sl st to the last DC instead of between the last 2 DC. Finish off and weave in ends.
Crochet Coasters Summary
Crochet coasters are such a handy accessory to use around the home and in the kitchen, and they are really easy to make. You can play around with patterns and colors and create some wonderful sets to use at home, or to be given as gifts. Choose the right yarn to use and you will have some really helpful coasters that last for a long time.
