Confident beginner · free small project

Seed stitch coaster

Learn to switch between knit and purl on a small textured square. The odd stitch count makes the same alternating instruction work on every row; the engine shows the slight size change needed to keep that structure.

Original Purlgrid recipe · engine-checked counts · diagrams are previews, not photographs of a physically made sample.

Supplies and skills

Smooth washable yarn, matching knitting needles, a blunt yarn needle and a ruler.

  • Knit stitch
  • Purl stitch
  • Move yarn between needles

How to make it

  1. Swatch in seed stitch rather than stockinette. Count its stitches and rows after washing and drying; different stitch textures can have different gauges.
  2. Cast on the odd stitch count shown below. Work the repeated knit-one, purl-one sequence, ending with one knit stitch. Move the yarn between the needle tips when changing stitches.
  3. Turn and repeat the same sequence for every listed row. The new knit stitch sits above a purl from the previous row; check the bumps as you go.
  4. Bind off loosely in the established knit/purl pattern. Weave in the ends and lay the washed coaster flat.

A one-stitch width adjustment is intentional: the displayed actual width uses the final odd count.

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Optional: estimate yarn from a weighed swatch

Use a washed, dry sample in the same yarn and stitch pattern. Fill all five measurements; the estimate includes the reserve you choose.

Stitches across
19
Fabric rows
28
Calculated rectangle
10.6 × 10 cm
Cast on
19

The target size is 10 × 10 cm. Whole stitches and rows give the calculated size shown above, before finishing.

Gauge used: 18 sts and 28 rows per 10 cm in this fabric.

V–V–V–V–V–V–V–V–V–VV–V–V–V–V–V–V–V–V–VV–V–V–V–V–V–V–V–V–VV–V–V–V–V–V–V–V–V–VV–V–V–V–V–V–V–V–V–VV–V–V–V–V–V–V–V–V–VV–V–V–V–V–V–V–V–V–VV–V–V–V–V–V–V–V–V–VV–V–V–V–V–V–V–V–V–VV–V–V–V–V–V–V–V–V–VV–V–V–V–V–V–V–V–V–VV–V–V–V–V–V–V–V–V–VV–V–V–V–V–V–V–V–V–VV–V–V–V–V–V–V–V–V–VV–V–V–V–V–V–V–V–V–VV–V–V–V–V–V–V–V–V–VV–V–V–V–V–V–V–V–V–VV–V–V–V–V–V–V–V–V–VV–V–V–V–V–V–V–V–V–VV–V–V–V–V–V–V–V–V–VV–V–V–V–V–V–V–V–V–VV–V–V–V–V–V–V–V–V–VV–V–V–V–V–V–V–V–V–VV–V–V–V–V–V–V–V–V–V
Stitch schematic, not a finished-product photograph. V = knit, – = purl, × = single crochet. Preview: first 19 stitches and 24 rows.

Working instructions

Cast on 19 stitches. Turn after every row. Knit and purl abbreviations use the stitch count of the complete row.

  • Rows 1–28: repeat (k1, p1) 9 times, k1 (19 sts in every row).

After the listed fabric rows, bind off on the following row. The bind-off edge is outside the calculated fabric-row count.

No yarn quantity is assumed. Add a weighed, measured swatch below for an area-based estimate.

  • ✓ Every row keeps the same stitch count.
  • ✓ The instructions cover every row exactly once.
  • ✓ The optional lettering fits inside the patch.

Questions about this project

Why did the tool add one stitch?

This version uses an odd count so every row can start and end with a knit stitch. An even requested count is raised by one; the actual calculated width is displayed.

Why does my fabric look ribbed?

Check that each knit sits over a purl and each purl over a knit as they face you. Repeating knit over knit produces ribbing instead of the alternating seed texture.

Terms and next steps

k = knit; p = purl; sc = US single crochet; MC = main colour; CC = contrast colour. A number after a stitch abbreviation is the number of stitches to work. Read repeat instructions as written.

Abbreviation references: Craft Yarn Council knitting terms · Craft Yarn Council crochet terms and US/UK comparison.

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