Chunky Moss Table Square: Free Crochet Pattern

Introduction

This chunky moss table square is a flat, 12-inch placemat that brings a calm, Scandinavian feel to your table. It is written for beginners, so if you can make a double crochet and a chain, you can make this. The post-stitch ribbing gives it a soft vertical texture, and the three moss and lichen color blocks make it look far more complicated than it really is. Worked in t-shirt yarn, it grows quickly under your hook and feels sturdy, smooth, and satisfyingly thick in the hand.

Materials Needed

• Yarn: T-shirt yarn (super bulky, about 7–9 mm wide), 100% cotton. Color A (moss green) 80 yd, Color B (lichen green) 80 yd, Color C (light sage) 80 yd.
• Hook: 10 mm (US N-15) crochet hook.
• Notions: Tapestry needle or large-eye blunt needle for weaving in ends, scissors, and a stitch marker (optional, for the first stitch of each row).
• Finished size: 12 inches (30.5 cm) square.

Abbreviations

• ch — chain: yarn over and pull through the loop on your hook.
• dc — double crochet: yarn over, insert hook in stitch, pull up a loop, yarn over and pull through 2 loops, yarn over and pull through the last 2 loops.
• fpdc — front post double crochet: work a double crochet around the post of the stitch from the front, inserting your hook from front to back to front around the post.
• bpdc — back post double crochet: work a double crochet around the post of the stitch from the back, inserting your hook from back to front to back around the post.
• sc — single crochet: insert hook in stitch, pull up a loop, yarn over and pull through both loops.
• sl st — slip stitch: insert hook in stitch, yarn over and pull through both the stitch and the loop on your hook.
• st(s) — stitch(es).
• rep — repeat.

Gauge

6 stitches and 6 rows = 4 inches (10 cm) in post-stitch ribbing pattern. To check it, crochet a small swatch in the pattern and measure a 4-inch section in the middle; if you have more stitches than 6, go up a hook size, and if you have fewer, go down.

Tips Before You Start

• Keep your tension relaxed. T-shirt yarn is thick and has little stretch, so pulling tight will make the square stiff and slightly smaller than 12 inches.
• Count your stitches at the end of every row. The two plain dc stitches at each edge are easy to lose, and they keep the sides straight.
• Change colors at the end of the last row of a block by finishing the final yarn over of the last stitch with the new color, so the color change sits neatly at the edge.
• Work the border evenly: place one sc in each stitch and one sc in each row-end, and keep the three corner stitches loose so the corners lie flat.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Square (worked flat in rows)

Set-up: With Color A, ch 19.

Row 1: Dc in 3rd ch from hook and in each ch across (17 dc). Turn.

Row 2: Ch 2 (counts as first dc), dc in next st, *fpdc in next st, bpdc in next st; rep from * to last st, dc in last st. Turn. (17 sts)

Row 3: Ch 2, dc in next st, *bpdc in next st, fpdc in next st; rep from * to last st, dc in last st. Turn. (17 sts)

Rows 4–6: Rep Rows 2–3, ending with Row 2. (17 sts)

Change to Color B.

Rows 7–12: Rep Rows 2–3 three times, ending with Row 2. (17 sts)

Change to Color C.

Rows 13–18: Rep Rows 2–3 three times, ending with Row 2. Do not fasten off. (17 sts)

Border

Border round: Ch 1, sc evenly around the entire square, working 1 sc in each st and 1 sc in each row-end, and 3 sc in each corner. Join with sl st to first sc. Fasten off.

Assembly and Finishing

There is no seaming to do — this square is worked in one piece. Weave in all ends on the wrong side with your tapestry needle, running each end through a few stitches in its own color so it disappears. Block the square lightly: mist it with water, pin it to a 12-inch square on a towel or blocking mat, and let it dry flat. This settles the ribbing and makes the edges crisp and even.

Pro Tips and Variations

• Make a set of four in the same color order for matching placemats, or reverse the color blocks (C, B, A) for a subtle variation.
• For a table runner, chain a longer starting chain in a multiple that keeps the same edge stitches, and work the same row repeats until the runner is the length you want.
• Swap the single crochet border for a round of reverse single crochet (crab stitch) in Color C for a slightly more defined, rope-like edge.