purlJam

# Little Cat Coaster

A charming beginner-friendly square coaster featuring a sweet cat face with pointed ears. Worked flat in garter stitch with simple embroidered details — the perfect small project for practising tension, tidy edges, and basic finishing.

**Finished Measurements:** Approximately 10 cm × 10 cm (4" × 4"), excluding ears. With ears, approximately 11.5 cm tall.

---

## Materials

- **Yarn:** Worsted weight (Aran) yarn — approximately 15 m (16 yards) in main colour (MC) for coaster body and ears. Small amounts of contrasting colour (CC) for embroidered face (pink for nose, black or dark grey for eyes/whiskers/mouth).
  - *Suggested fibres:* 100% cotton or a cotton/acrylic blend (machine washable and absorbent — ideal for coasters).
- **Needles:** 4.5 mm (UK 7 / US 7) straight or double-pointed needles.
- **Notions:**
  - Tapestry/yarn needle for sewing and embroidery
  - Scissors
  - Optional: stitch marker

---

## Tension (Gauge)

**18 sts × 36 rows = 10 cm (4") square in garter stitch**, measured after gentle blocking, using 4.5 mm needles.

*Tension is not critical for a coaster, but maintaining even tension will give a tidy, square result. If your tension differs slightly, your coaster will simply be a touch larger or smaller.*

---

## Size

One size: approximately 10 cm × 10 cm (4" × 4"). Easily adjusted — see Pattern Notes.

---

## Abbreviations (UK Terms)

- **k** — knit
- **k2tog** — knit two stitches together (right-leaning decrease)
- **ssk** — slip, slip, knit the two slipped stitches together (left-leaning decrease)
- **st(s)** — stitch(es)
- **MC** — main colour
- **CC** — contrasting colour
- **RS** — right side
- **WS** — wrong side

---

## Pattern Notes

- The coaster body is worked flat in garter stitch (knit every row), which produces a reversible, slightly squishy fabric — ideal for absorbing condensation under cups.
- Slip the first stitch of every row purlwise with yarn in front for a neat chain-edge if desired (optional — instructions below assume knitting every stitch).
- The two ears are knitted separately as small triangles and sewn to the top corners.
- The face is added by simple embroidery (duplicate stitch and straight stitches) once knitting is complete.
- **To resize:** Cast on any multiple to adjust width (1.8 sts per cm). Work rows until piece is square (3.6 rows per cm).

---

## Instructions

### Coaster Body

With MC and 4.5 mm needles, **cast on 18 sts**.

**Rows 1–36:** Knit every stitch across. *(18 sts)*

✅ *Check: 36 rows ÷ 3.6 rows per cm = 10 cm tall. 18 sts ÷ 1.8 sts per cm = 10 cm wide. Square confirmed.*

**Cast off** loosely knitwise. Cut yarn, leaving a 15 cm tail for weaving in.

---

### Ears (make 2)

With MC and 4.5 mm needles, **cast on 7 sts**.

**Row 1 (RS):** Knit. *(7 sts)*
**Row 2 (WS):** Knit. *(7 sts)*
**Row 3 (RS):** K1, ssk, k1, k2tog, k1. *(5 sts)*
**Row 4 (WS):** Knit. *(5 sts)*
**Row 5 (RS):** Ssk, k1, k2tog. *(3 sts)*
**Row 6 (WS):** Knit. *(3 sts)*
**Row 7 (RS):** Slip 1, k2tog, pass slipped st over. *(1 st)*

Cut yarn, leaving a 20 cm tail. Pull tail through remaining stitch to fasten off. Reserve the long tail for sewing the ear to the coaster.

---

## Finishing

### 1. Weave in ends

Weave in all loose ends on the coaster body (not the ear tails — keep those long for attaching).

### 2. Block the coaster

Gently wet-block the coaster: dampen with cool water, gently squeeze out excess, pin to a flat surface in a neat 10 cm × 10 cm square, and allow to dry completely. This will sharpen the edges and even out the stitches.

### 3. Attach the ears

Position the two ears on the top edge of the coaster:
- Place each ear so its cast-on edge sits along the top edge of the coaster, with the inner corner of each ear approximately 3 cm from the centre.
- The ears should angle slightly outward, like little triangles peeking up from the top corners.
- Using the long tail from each ear and a tapestry needle, sew the cast-on edge of the ear neatly to the top edge of the coaster with whip stitch or mattress stitch.
- Weave in remaining tails on the wrong side.

### 4. Embroider the face

Using CC and a tapestry needle, embroider the cat's face onto the centre of the coaster (RS):

- **Eyes:** Make two small French knots or short vertical straight stitches in dark thread, approximately 2 cm apart and slightly above centre.
- **Nose:** Make a small pink triangle (3 short straight stitches forming an inverted triangle) centred just below the eyes.
- **Mouth:** From the bottom of the nose, work two short curved stitches outward and downward to form a tiny "w" shape.
- **Whiskers (optional):** Three short straight stitches on each side of the nose, angled outward.

Weave in all embroidery ends on the wrong side.

### 5. Final block (optional)

Give the coaster a light steam or pat into shape once more to settle the embroidery.

---

## Tips

- **Make a set!** Knit 4 coasters in coordinating colours for a lovely gift.
- **Vary the cats:** Try different colour combinations — ginger, grey, black, or tabby (use a self-striping yarn for the body).
- **Add a tail:** For a whimsical touch, embroider a small curled tail along one edge.
- **Care:** Machine wash on a gentle cycle in a mesh laundry bag; lay flat to dry.

Enjoy your purr-fect little coaster! 🐾