Winter Wonderland Coaster + Trivet Duo

Hi there, friends!

I don’t know about you, but with fall and winter being the busiest time of the year for us crafters, quick-to-make gifts are ALWAYS on my wish list.

With that in mind, today I’m sharing a pattern duo that is super quick to work up, uses only beginner stitches, and make a great gift set for holiday party hostesses, friends, neighbors or whoever else you have on your list!

An Idea is Born

Before I learned how to crochet, my grandma taught me how to embroider. I’ve yet to really develop these skills beyond the basics, but I always loved working needlepoint. So when Mark, the owner of a store I sell to, asked for seasonal coasters and trivets, I knew I wanted to combine that first love with my current love, and thus the Winter Wonderland Coaster + Trivet Duo was born.

If you can single crochet, this will be a snap. New to embroidery? No worries, I’ve got you covered with a backstitch tutorial as well as a video showing how to embroider the snowflake for the coaster. If you can do that, then you can do the trivet too!

About the Yarn

Hobby Lobby has totally upped their yarn game recently, because their cotton yarn selection is ah-mazing now! Not just their standard ILT Cotton or their kitchen cotton, but roving cottons in all the CYC weights! And the colors, while a bit limited, are dreamy!

This pattern duo uses their CYC 5 cotton roving called Feelin’ Chunky. The bulky size of the yarn means that these sets work up super quick, and the generosity of the skein means you can get one trivet or one set of 4 coasters from a single skein, and a single skein for your contrasting color will MORE than cover the embroidery aspect for all of it!

Just a little word of warning though, this yarn tends to fuzz all over you. You have been warned LOL. But honestly, it’s so dreamy to work with, you won’t mind a little fuzz.

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24 Days of Quickies with Marly Bird + Friends

Have you been following along with this event? Every day this month, Marly Bird is sharing THREE new designers and patterns (2 crochet + 1 knit) as part of her annual 24 Days of Quickies, because we all love a quick make during the busy season! Each day’s designer(s) are a secret, so bookmark her post and check back daily. Don’t wait though, because each designer is only offering the PDF as a free download for 24 hours!

I’m super excited to be a contributor to this event and to offer this pattern duo as a FREE PDF DOWNLOAD TODAY ONLY (December 13th, 2020) as part of this spectacular annual event Marly Bird is putting on! Click the button below to claim your free PDF on Ravelry. No coupon code needed!

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Winter Wonderland Coaster + Trivet Duo Pattern

by Hooks, Books, & Wanderlust

Set of 4 Coasters Materials List

• Main Color: 75 yds / 70 m CYC 5 Bulky Cotton – Shown in Yarn Bee Feelin’ Chunky
• Contrasting Color: 75 yds / 70 m CYC 5 Bulky Cotton – Shown in Yarn Bee Feelin Chunky
• To substitute a worsted weight yarn CYC 4, see notes below.

Trivet Materials List

• Main Color: 55 yds / 50 m CYC 5 Bulky Cotton – Shown in Yarn Bee Feelin’ Chunky
• Contrasting Color: 10 yds / 10 m CYC 5 Bulky Cotton – Shown in Yarn Bee Feelin Chunky
• Wooden Ring, 2″ / 5 cm dia (optional)
• To substitute a worsted weight yarn CYC 4, see notes below.

Notions

• 6.5 mm / K crochet hook
• Large eye, blunt-tipped yarn needle
• Scissors

Stitches & Abbreviations (US Terms)

• Chain (ch)
• Single Crochet (sc) – photo and video tutorial available here!
• Backstitch Embroidery Stitch – photo and video tutorial available here!

Finished Measurements

Coaster: 4.5 in / 12 cm square
Trivet: 9 in / 23 cm square

Gauge

Not essential, focus on making a square piece of fabric. See notes.

Notes

• This pattern is written in US Standard terms and is classified as Advanced Beginner.
• Yarn Alternative: You may also use two strands of CYC 4 worsted held together to make this pattern.  You will need approximately 200-250 yards in total for 4 coasters and 1 trivet.
• Gauge is not essential in this pattern. As long as you’re able to work consistent rows of single crochet into the shape of a square approximately the same size as those sizes given above, you can work this pattern.
  • Keep in mind that if you change your stitch and/or row counts, that will alter any stitches of rows referenced for the embroidery section of each pattern.
• Photo and video tutorials for the special stitches of this pattern are linked here: Single Crochet, Backstitch Embroidery Stitch.
• This pattern is worked in turned rows from the bottom up.
• Chain stitches at beginning of rounds do not count as a stitch.
• Don’t stress if your snowflakes aren’t “perfect!” Remember, every snowflake is different and unique!

Pattern

This pattern is worked in turned rows.  Chain stitches at the beginning of rows DO NOT COUNT as a stitch.  Stitch counts for each row will remain consistent for each one.  Work as many rows are required to leave you with a square piece of fabric made in the size specified for each project.

PART 1: COASTER

Work up a piece of single crochet fabric approximately of the size 4.5” / 12 cm square.  I have included my stitch counts, but due to variations in tension or yarn used, you may need to increase or decrease the number of beginning stitches.   The number of stitches per row will remain the same throughout.

Crochet a 4.5″ / 12 cm Square

Ch 13

PRO TIP: Often, foundation chain rows end up tighter than the rest of your crochet fabric.  I recommend going up a hook size JUST for your foundation chain to make your stitches a bit looser so as to match the rest of your fabric better.

R1: Sc into the 2^nd chain from your hook and into each chain across, turn.  (12)

PRO TIP: Feeling adventurous? Try crocheting into the back bump of your chain stitches for a more polished and consistent bottom edge to your work. Not sure what I’m talking about? See this post.

R2: Ch 1, sc into each stitch across, turn.  (12)

R3: Continue repeating R2 until the height of your fabric is (roughly) equal to the width at approximately 4.5” / 12 cm, roughly 13 rows total.  (12)

Tie off and weave in ends.

NOTE: You will notice that I did not include a border on the coaster.  Given its small size, I preferred it without, but feel free to add one if you like.

Coaster Embroidery

Thread a blunt-tipped yarn or tapestry needle with a piece of yarn in your contrasting color yarn.  I recommend starting with a strand that is approximately 1 yd / 1 m long.  You don’t want a piece that is long enough for the whole snowflake, otherwise, each time you stitch, you’ll be pulling forever on the slack.  Alternatively, you don’t want one that is so short that you end up needing 20 of them either.  You will still have to weave in ends, and the coaster doesn’t have a lot of space to do a crazy number.

If you would like to see a video showing you how to embroider the snowflake onto your coaster, I have recorded a video tutorial for you below.

Step 1: Secure the yarn tail to the wrong/back side of your coaster at R6 or R8.

We are going to start our snowflake at its center. Insert your needle into the center of the 6^th st from the beginning of R7.  The 6^th stitch is the visual center of the coaster.

PRO TIP: I find it best to weave in a contrasting color of yarn on the backside of my single crochet rows, ensuring that the color doesn’t peek through on the right side of the coaster where I don’t want it to. See the below picture showing the backsides. They look like the little mathematical symbol for pi.

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Step 2: Embroider the first diagonal arm of your snowflake.

To see a video showing how to embroider the coaster pattern, click above.

I find it easiest to work counter-clockwise one quadrant of the snowflake at a time, starting with the main diagonal line.

Because we came up through the center of a stitch, our first embroidery stitch is going to be slightly shorter than the rest of them, but visually it will work out in the end.  Working diagonally, the first stitch of each quadrant will be into each of the marked gaps around R7’s 6^th stitch.  See picture below.

Work a total of 6 stitches diagonally across the single crochet stitches of your fabric, utilizing the natural gaps between them to do so.  Continue working the branches of this diagonal arm according to the pattern, ending with the left branch and ready to begin the vertical arm. 

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Step 3: Embroider the first vertical arm of your snowflake. The vertical and horizontal arms are slightly different, only because you’re working into the actual single crochet stitches and not the gaps of the fabric.  Be careful not to split your yarn as you do this.  Just carefully work your needle between the loops of the stitches and you’ll be golden.

After finishing the left branch of the first diagonal arm, feed your needle up through the hole marked 1 in the picture below.  Feed it down at 2, up at 3, down at 2 again, up at 4, down at 2, up at 5, down at 4.

Step 4: Repeat Steps 2 and 3 three more times to complete your snowflake.

PART 2: TRIVET

Work up a piece of single crochet fabric approximately of the size 9” / 23 cm square.  I have included my stitch counts, but due to variations in tension or yarn used, you may need to increase or decrease the number of beginning stitches.   The number of stitches per row will remain the same throughout.  Unlike the coaster, I opted for a border for the trivet to give it a more polished look.  You may opt to leave it out if that is your preference, but understand that doing so may change the visual center of your trivet.

Ch 22

PRO TIP: Often, foundation chain rows end up tighter than the rest of your crochet fabric.  I recommend going up a hook size JUST for your foundation chain to make your stitches a bit looser so as to match the rest of your fabric better.

R1: Sc into the 2^nd chain from your hook and into each chain across, turn.  (21)

PRO TIP: Feeling adventurous? Try crocheting into the back bump of your chain stitches for a more polished and consistent bottom edge to your work. Not sure what I’m talking about? See this post.

R2: Ch 1, sc into each stitch across, turn.  (21)

R3: Continue repeating R2 until the height of your fabric is (roughly) equal to the width at approximately 9” / 23 cm, roughly 25 rows total.  (21)

Do NOT tie off.

Border

Chain 1 for the height of your border, and rotate your work 90 degrees.

Side 1: Beginning down the first side edge of your work, work 1 single crochet per row into the sides of your rows.

Side 2: When you’ve made the last single crochet for that side, chain 1 for the corner, rotate 90 degrees again so that you are working across the bottom edge of your trivet, then single crochet into each chain stitch.

Side 3: When you’ve made the last single crochet for the bottom edge, chain 1 for the corner, rotate your work 90 degrees again, and work 1 single crochet per row along the other side edge of your work.  If you opt to put a wooden ring into the corner of your trivet, follow the Wood Ring instructions below.  If you prefer your trivet without, proceed to Side 4.

Wood Ring: before you complete the final pull through of the last single crochet of your border for Side 3, position your wooden ring just after that last stitch on the top right corner of your trivet.  See photo below.

With your working yarn BEHIND the ring, insert your hook into the ring, yarn over, and complete your final pull through for the last single crochet of your Side 3.  This will trap the ring within the fabric of your stitches.

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With the working yarn still behind the ring, yarn over and chain 1 through the center of the ring.

Insert your hook into the first stitch of the top edge of your trivet, then through the center of your ring.  Yarn over and pull up a loop through the center of the ring and the stitch, and up, leaving you with 2 loops on your hook.  Insert your hook through the ring, yarn over, and pull through the two loops on your hook to complete the first single crochet for Side 4.

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Insert your hook into the next stitch, yarn over, and complete a single crochet as normal.  DO NOT go through the ring.  Continue with the second line of the Side 4 instructions.

Side 4: When you’ve made the last single crochet for the right edge of your work, chain 1 again to turn the corner and work a single crochet into each single crochet across.

After you have worked your last single crochet along the top edge of your work, chain 1 for the corner one last time, then slip stitch into the top of the first sc from Side 1.

Tie off, weave in ends.

Trivet Embroidery

Thread a blunt tipped yarn needle with a piece of your contrasting color yarn.  I recommend starting with a strand that is approximately 1 yd / 1 m long.  You don’t want a piece that is long enough for the whole snowflake, otherwise each time you stitch, you’ll be pulling forever on the slack.  Alternatively, you don’t want one that is so short that you end needing to weave in a billion ends either.

Step 1: Secure the yarn tail to the wrong/back side of your coaster.

Weave in the end just like you do when crocheting, first going one direction, then back the other.  I recommend weaving in where you plan to start. Given the size of the trivet, I find it easiest to start with the vertical and horizontal arms of the snowflake first., aka that big + in the middle.

PRO TIP: I find it best to weave in a contrasting color of yarn on the back side of my single crochet rows, ensuring that the color doesn’t peek through on the right side of the coaster where I don’t want it to.  See the picture under this same tip box in the coaster embroidery section. They look like the little mathematical symbol for pi.

Because of the border on the trivet, where you will have crocheted around the turning chain of a row or the last single crochet of a row, the visual center will be the gap between your 10^th and 11^th stitches of R13.

Weave the end of your contrasting yarn in on the back side of R13, either at the beginning or end of the row—toward the left or right edge of the trivet.  Again, due to the border, we can only see 20 of our 21 stitches for the body of our trivet.  You will want to draw your needle up to the right/good side of your trivet exactly 1 stitch inward from the border, using the space just to the right of that stitch.  See point 1 in the picture below.

Step 2: Embroider the horizontal arm of your snowflake.

Each numbered point in the picture above marks the gaps that occur between the single crochet stitches of the trivet.  We will be working into those gaps, across the middle of the stitches in R13.

With your yarn coming up to the front of your trivet at point 1, insert your needle down into point 2, up at 3, down at 2, up at 4, down at 2, up at 5, down at 2 one last time.  This creates the little branches on the end of the horizontal arm.

Next, draw your needle back up at point 6, down at 5, up at 7, down at 6, up at 8, down at 7, so on and so forth across the arm, then working the last branches of the horizontal arm as you did at the beginning.

Tie off and weave in the end.

Step 3: Embroider the vertical arm of your snowflake.

Secure another strand of yarn to the back side of R23 of your trivet, near the center, drawing your needle up through to the front of your trivet in the gap between stitches 10 and 11 of R22 to begin embroidering the vertical arm.  See point 1 in the picture below.

As with the horizontal arm, work the branches of this arm by inserting your needle down into point 2, up from point 3, down into 2, up from 4, down into 2, up from 5, down one last time into 2, up from 6, down into 5, so on and so forth for a total of 18 stitches, with the last stitch of the vertical arm between the 10^th and 11^th stitches of R5, the segment between points 20 and 21 in the below picture. Begin the bottom branches of the vertical arm by drawing your needle up through point 22 into 20, up from 23, down into 20.

Tie off and weave in the end.

Step 3: Embroider the first diagonal arm and its branches, then all remaining arms

With the horizontal and vertical arms complete, it’s time to move onto the diagonal arms and branches.  The diagonal arms and branches will all be worked into the gaps between single crochet stitches and rows.  Work the branches in a similar fashion to those of the vertical and horizontal arms.

Step 4: Work remaining diagonal arms and branches.

I find it most helpful to work in quadrants, starting at the center of the trivet, where the horizontal and vertical arms intersect.  This helps me make sure that everything stays symmetrical.  Follow the stitch placement pattern given on the Trivet Embroidery Pattern above until all arms and branches are completed.

Weave in any remaining ends.!

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Congrats, you did it  Now stand back and admire your handiwork.  Festive décor for the entire winter season!  Give them as gifts or keep for yourself!

I would LOVE to see your make!  Should you choose to share, use the tags #WWCoasterTrivetDuo and/or #LaBelleVieForMe to share your makes with me @HooksBooksWanderlust on Instagram and/or Facebook!

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I hope you enjoyed this pattern and found it easy to follow!  If not, or if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask!  Leave a comment below, and I’ll get back to you here, that way everyone can benefit from your question!

Happy gifting!

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