How to Crochet the Texture Swirl Coasters with Cork Backing

Hi guys! I originally planned to share a crochet pillow pattern this week, but my husband came to visit for 2 weeks. He lives in the U.S., and I live in Canada (until my spouse visa gets approved), so it has been a little tricky to see each other this year. Our families have been incredibly supportive though, with my mom letting us stay with her, and his parents watching our two huskies, so he can visit. I decided to keep things simple this week by sharing a pattern for crochet coasters. I hope you guys like it!

In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to make these textured crochet coasters using the half double crochet in the third loop only stitch. This simple stitch creates a knit-like texture that adds visual interest and dimension to any project. You can use any yarn to make these coasters, but I recommend a cotton yarn because it holds up better to wear and tear over time. These coasters have an added level of durability with their cork backing, but it is optional. If you love the design of these crochet coasters, but want to extend them to make larger coasters, pot holders, or placemats, there are instructions below to help you do this. Let’s get started!

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This pattern PDF can be downloaded for free on December 4, 2021 as part of 24 Days of Quickies with Marly Bird & Friends! Scroll down to find the black ‘Get the Free PDF’ button.

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Materials:

• Approximately 55 yards of any medium 4 worsted weight cotton yarn
• 4.0 mm crochet hook
• Scissors
• Yarn Needle
• Stitch Marker or Safety Pin
• Cork Board (optional)
• Hot Glue (optional)
• Exacto knife (optional)
• 320-grit Sandpaper or Sanding Block (optional)

Yarn:

• 1 Skein of Lion Brand 24/7 Cotton Weight 4 Medium Worsted Yarn (100% Mercerized Cotton, 186 yd/ 170 m, 3.5 oz/ 100 g) – Charcoal or Ecru (approx. 55 yds used for one coaster)    

OR

• 1 Skein of Knit Picks Dishie Yarn, Weight 4 Medium Worsted Yarn (100% Cotton, 190 yd / 174 m, 3.5 oz/ 100 g) – Clarity (approx. 55 yds used for one coaster)

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Yarn Choice #1 for Crochet Coasters:

I chose to use Lion Brand 24/7 Cotton yarn for my coasters because I had it in my stash – I am trying to stick to my goal of using from my yarn stash first. However, I chose cotton yarn because it holds up well over time and is ideal for coasters, placemats, towels, dish clothes – basically any home decor item that gets a lot of wear. For these coasters, you can use any yarn weight, brand, and material you would like, including a cotton blend yarn.

Yarn Choice #2 for Crochet Coasters:

When I made these coasters for the second time, I used Knit Picks Dishie Yarn, and it was life changing. I am not a big fan of cotton yarn because it can be hard to crochet with (I am looking at you Lily Sugar n’ Cream), but I heard good things about Dishie, so I wanted to try it. I ordered one skein of Dishie Yarn (in the colour Clarity), along with some bulky weight yarns to try from WeCrochet/KnitPicks.

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My Thoughts on Dishie Yarn:

Dishie Yarn is soft and durable; the colour is beautiful; it has a tiny sheen to it without being shiny; and the stitch definition is incredible (see the pictures above). You cannot go wrong with this yarn, especially since it is affordable. At $3.49 USD for 1 skein of 190 yards, you get a big bang for your buck. Try it out for yourselves to see if you love it. It has quickly risen to the top of my favourite yarns list.

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Yarn Alternatives:

If you don’t have any Lion Brand 24/7 Cotton yarn, you can use any weight 4 worsted 100% cotton or cotton blend yarn as a substitute. Here are a couple of alternatives to get you thinking:

• Dishie Yarn: Dishie is an extremely durable 100% cotton yarn that holds up well over time, no matter how many times it’s washed. They have several options: Dishie Solids, Dishie Twist, Dishie Multi-Colored. With over 30 colours to choose from, I hope you find one that speaks to you.

• I Love this Cotton Yarn: This yarn can be found exclusively at Hobby Lobby and has 71 colours to choose from! It works great for garments, and home decor items.

• Bernat Handicrafter Yarn: Bernat Handicrafter is another great medium 4 cotton alternative. It comes in 26 solid colour options, and a few variegated colours too.

• Lily Sugar N’ Cream Yarn: This yarn can be found at Meijer, Joann’s, Michaels and online. There are 42 solid colours to choose from, and 42 ombre colours!

• Bernat Maker Home Dec Yarn: Bernat Maker is a bulky weight 5 t-shirt yarn that is durable, and holds up well over time. This yarn would work great for this project, but would require a 6.0mm crochet hook, instead of a 4.0mm.

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Pin this Crochet Coaster Pattern for Later – HERE!

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Other Crochet Patterns You’ll Love:

• Easy Textured Bookmark
• Daydreamer Dream Catcher
• For the Love of Texture Afghan
• Willow Wall Hanging
• Nova Placemat and Coaster

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Pattern Measurements / Gauge

These crochet coasters measure 5 – 5.5″ in diameter (from one edge of the coaster to the other).

• If you find that there are noticeable gaps between your stitches, try going down a hook size until you find one that works for you and your yarn.

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Customizing the Size of your Crochet Coasters

Customizing the size of your crochet coasters to make them smaller or larger is easier than you think! You can make them smaller to use as face pads, or extend the pattern to make potholders, or placemats.

Smaller: The original pattern calls for crocheting 8 rounds, followed by a round of sl sts (Rnd 9). To make the coasters smaller, continue working the pattern until satisfied with the size of your coaster. Then end the pattern with a round of sl sts (Rnd 9). 

Larger: To extend the pattern to make the coasters larger, Rnd 9 will be a round of hdc sts in the third loop only, instead of a round of sl sts like the original pattern states. Here are a couple of extra rounds to help you get the hang of extending the pattern: 

• Rnd 9: In the third loop only, [hdc in first 7 sts, 2 hdc in next st] 8 times. (72 hdc)
• Rnd 10: In the third loop only, hdc in first 4 sts, 2 hdc in next st, [hdc in next 8 sts, 2 hdc in next st] 7 times; hdc in last 4 sts. (80 hdc)

*Note: Each round increases by 8 hdc sts; so if you continue the pattern after Rnd 10, Rnd 11 will have 88 hdc, Rnd 12 will have 96 hdc, and so on. Continue working this pattern until you are happy with the size of your coaster. Then finish the coasters with Rnd 9 – a round of sl sts.

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The Third Loop Only Technique:

• Each crochet stitch has a front and back loop; these are the two loops that we normally work into when completing a stitch. However, each stitch also has a “third” loop. 
• When working in the round, the third loop appears behind and below the back loop of a stitch. 
• After Rnd 1, we will be crocheting in the third loop only of each hdc st around. This creates a knit-like texture.
• Here is a diagram of where the third loop appears in the half double crochet stitch:

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Video Tutorial for Crochet Coasters – Here:

Below you’ll find the complete video tutorial for making these Texture Swirl crochet coasters from start to finish! I hope this makes the crochet process easier and more enjoyable for you. There is a time stamp included for each section of the video below, so you can skip through to the parts you need.

Time Stamps:

• Rnd 1: 1:29
• Rnd 2: 3:43
• Rnd 3: (6:29)
• Rnd 4: (7:59)
• Rnd 5: (10:21)
• Rnd 6: (12:16), 
• Rnd 7: (14:16)
• Rnd 8: (15:50)
• Rnd 9: (17:42)
• Cork Backing: (20:03)

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24 Days of Quickies Giveaway

A big thank you to Marly Bird for including me in the 24 Days of Quickies Giveaway. Each day, 3 designers (2 crochet and 1 knit) give away a pattern that you can make in a day. This is a great time to get some last minute gift ideas/inspiration, and grab a free pattern from some amazing designers. See some of the other free quickie patterns at Marly Bird Here.

The Texture Swirl Coaster PDF is free on December 4th at 9am EST for 24 hours, using the code COASTER at checkout. Please give the pattern a “heart” or save it to your favourites on Ravelry. This helps the pattern get seen by other crocheters, so I really appreciate it.

If you have any trouble downloading your pattern, please send me an email through my Contact page, and I will get in touch with you shortly.

I love seeing what you make with my patterns (it makes my day every single time), so please tag me in your posts on Facebook or Instagram @thispixiecreates. I can’t wait to see how you take this pattern and make it your own. 🙂

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Abbreviations:

• St(s) – stitch(es)
• MR – magic ring
• Ch – chain
• Sl st – slip stitch
• Hdc – double crochet
• Rnd – round
• [] – Repeat the instructions inside these brackets.

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Pattern Notes:

1. The beginning ch of Rnd 1 does not count as a st.
2. Do NOT turn at the end of rnd. 
3. This pattern is written to make a coaster measuring 5″ in diameter. To make your coaster smaller or larger than 5″, please see the “Customizing the Size of your Coasters” section on pg. 3.
4. Rnd 9 is the only round of sl sts.
5. After Rnd 1, crochet in the third loop only of each st around. This creates a knit-like texture.
6. This coaster is designed to be seamless, so do NOT close the end of each rnd with a sl st. Instead, use a stitch marker to mark the first st of each rnd, to help you keep track of where each rnd starts and ends.

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Make a MR.
Rnd 1: Ch 1, make 8 hdc in MR. Do NOT join with a sl st. (8 hdc)

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Rnd 2: In third loop only, 2 hdc in first st of Rnd 1 (mark the first st with a stitch marker), and in each st around. Do NOT join with a sl st. (16 hdc)

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*Tip: Mark the first st of each new rnd with a stitch marker to keep track of where the rnd starts and ends. 

Rnd 3: In third loop only, [hdc in first st, 2 hdc in next st] 8 times. (24 hdc)

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Rnd 4: In third loop only, hdc in first st, 2 hdc in next st, [hdc in next 2 sts, 2 hdc in next st] 7 times; hdc in last st. (32 hdc)

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Rnd 5: In third loop only, [hdc in first 3 sts, 2 hdc in next st] 8 times. (40 hdc)

Rnd 6: In third loop only, hdc in first 2 sts, 2 hdc in next st, [hdc in next 4 sts, 2 hdc in next st] 7 times; hdc in last 2 sts. (48 hdc)

Rnd 7: In third loop only, [hdc in first 5 sts, 2 hdc in next st] 8 times. (56 hdc)

Rnd 8: In third loop only, hdc in first 3 sts, 2 hdc in next st, [hdc in next 6 sts, 2 hdc in next st] 7 times; hdc in last 3 sts. (64 hdc)

Rnd 9: In third loop only, sl st in each st around. (64 sl sts)

*Tip: Crochet the sl sts a little loosely, so that the coasters do not curl in on themselves.

Fasten off, and weave in your ends.

At this point, you can leave the coaster as is, or add a cork backing (see below). If you choose to leave the coaster as is, and you find that it does not lie completely flat, try blocking it. Pin the coaster to a piece of foam/carpet/mat, and use a steamer (held at least 1 – 2 inches away from the coaster) to gently steam the edges and center with water. The heat from the steam allows the stitches to relax and lie flat. You can also lay something heavy on top of the coaster to help the edges lie flat, like a thick book, plant pot, weight, etc.

Repeat this process to make another coaster!

Adding a Cork Backing to the Crochet Coaster

Now that you finished crocheting the top of the coaster, it is time to add a cork backing. Adding a backing to your coaster helps it hold up over time, and provides an extra layer of thickness to protect your furniture from the heat/cold of a cup, plate, or bowl.

• Place the crochet coaster on a piece of cork, and trace around the coaster with a pencil to make a circle. Remove the coaster, and go back over the tracing with the pencil.

• Make sure that you have a cutting board or mat underneath the cork, so that you do not make any scratches/cuts into your surface.
• Cut around the tracing with an exacto-knife. You might have to go around the circle twice to cut all the way through the cork.
• Clean up the edges of the cork circle with a sanding block or sandpaper (320 grit or any light grit sandpaper).
• Add hot glue to the center of the cork, and place the center of the crochet coaster down.
• Pull up the edges of the crochet coaster, and add hot glue around the edges of the cork circle. Press the crochet coaster down along the glue for it to stick.
• Remove any hot glue strands (those things get everywhere), and you are done!

Questions?

If you have any questions about the pattern, please send me an e-mail through my contact page. I am happy to help!

End Notes:  

Congratulations! You just made your first Texture Swirl Crochet Coaster. I hope you enjoyed making it as much as I did. Now you can gift a set to family and friends, or use some in your own home.

Check out some more fun and budget-friendly crochet patterns on the blog.

Disclaimer: You are welcome to sell items that you’ve made from this pattern; however, you are not allowed to use my pictures or sell my pattern as your own (Copyright @ ThisPixieCreates).

As always, thank you guys so much for following along with me! I love seeing what you create with my patterns, so please tag me (@thispixiecreates) in any posts you share. You are also welcome to post pictures or questions in our Facebook community page!

I hope you all have an amazing day!

Love, Dayna