Orange Orbit Circle Bed Mat: Free Crochet Pattern
Orange Orbit Circle Bed Mat: Free Crochet Pattern
Introduction
This flat, circular mat is a cozy landing pad for medium dogs who love to curl up in a sunny spot. It's worked entirely in single crochet, so the fabric is dense, smooth, and sturdy enough to hold up to paws and claws. What makes it special is the colorwork: a big solid orange center, two narrow cobalt rings, and a dashed "orbit line" of cobalt dots circling the mat in tapestry crochet. The finished piece is a single flat disc about 24 inches across with no sides or stuffing, so it lies perfectly flat on the floor, in a crate, or on the car seat.
Materials Needed
- Yarn: Worsted weight cotton yarn (approx. 200-250 yards per 100g skein). Color A (Orange): 300 yards. Color B (Cobalt): 200 yards.
- Hook: 5.0 mm (H-8) crochet hook.
- Notions: Stitch marker, tapestry needle, scissors.
- Finished size: Approximately 24 inches (61 cm) in diameter.
Abbreviations
- st / sts — stitch / stitches
- sc — single crochet: insert hook in stitch, yarn over, pull up a loop, yarn over, pull through both loops.
- inc — increase: work 2 single crochet in the same stitch.
- sl st — slip stitch: insert hook in stitch, yarn over, pull through both the stitch and the loop on your hook.
- ch — chain
- rnd — round
- A / B — Color A (Orange) / Color B (Cobalt)
Gauge
14 sc x 16 rnds = 4 inches (10 cm) in single crochet. Work a small flat swatch in the round and measure across the middle; if your stitches are larger than this, go down a hook size so the mat finishes at the right diameter.
Tips Before You Start
- Work in continuous spiral rounds and do not join unless the pattern says so. Place a stitch marker in the first stitch of each round and move it up as you go.
- Because every round increases by 6 stitches, the disc stays flat. If your mat starts to ruffle, your increases are too tight; if it cups, your stitches are too loose. Check gauge first.
- For the orbit line, carry the unused color loosely along the back of the work. Don't pull it tight, or the mat will pucker at the color changes.
- Keep your tension even across color changes so the cobalt dots sit flush with the orange fabric.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Center Disc (Color A)
With A, make a magic ring. Work in continuous rounds; do not join.
Rnd 1: 6 sc in ring (6 sts)
Rnd 2: Inc in each st around (12 sts)
Rnd 3: [Sc, inc] around (18 sts)
Rnd 4: [2 sc, inc] around (24 sts)
Rnd 5: [3 sc, inc] around (30 sts)
Rnd 6: [4 sc, inc] around (36 sts)
Rnd 7: [5 sc, inc] around (42 sts)
Rnd 8: [6 sc, inc] around (48 sts)
Rnd 9: [7 sc, inc] around (54 sts)
Rnd 10: [8 sc, inc] around (60 sts)
Rnd 11: [9 sc, inc] around (66 sts)
Rnd 12: [10 sc, inc] around (72 sts)
Rnd 13: [11 sc, inc] around (78 sts)
Rnd 14: [12 sc, inc] around (84 sts)
Rnd 15: [13 sc, inc] around (90 sts)
Rnd 16: [14 sc, inc] around (96 sts)
Rnd 17: [15 sc, inc] around (102 sts)
Rnd 18: [16 sc, inc] around (108 sts)
Rnd 19: [17 sc, inc] around (114 sts)
Rnd 20: [18 sc, inc] around (120 sts)
Rnd 21: [19 sc, inc] around (126 sts)
Rnd 22: [20 sc, inc] around (132 sts)
Rnd 23: [21 sc, inc] around (138 sts)
Rnd 24: [22 sc, inc] around (144 sts)
Rnd 25: [23 sc, inc] around (150 sts)
Rnd 26: [24 sc, inc] around (156 sts)
Rnd 27: [25 sc, inc] around (162 sts)
Rnd 28: [26 sc, inc] around (168 sts)
Rnd 29: [27 sc, inc] around (174 sts)
Rnd 30: [28 sc, inc] around (180 sts)
Rnd 31: [29 sc, inc] around (186 sts)
Rnd 32: [30 sc, inc] around (192 sts)
Rnd 33: [31 sc, inc] around (198 sts)
Rnd 34: [32 sc, inc] around (204 sts)
Rnd 35: [33 sc, inc] around (210 sts)
Rnd 36: [34 sc, inc] around (216 sts)
Rnd 37: [35 sc, inc] around (222 sts)
Rnd 38: [36 sc, inc] around (228 sts)
Rnd 39: [37 sc, inc] around (234 sts)
Rnd 40: [38 sc, inc] around (240 sts)
Rnd 41: [39 sc, inc] around (246 sts)
Rnd 42: [40 sc, inc] around (252 sts)
Rnd 43: [41 sc, inc] around (258 sts)
Rnd 44: [42 sc, inc] around (264 sts)
Rnd 45: [43 sc, inc] around (270 sts)
Rnd 46: [44 sc, inc] around (276 sts)
Rnd 47: [45 sc, inc] around (282 sts)
Rnd 48: [46 sc, inc] around (288 sts)
Rnd 49: [47 sc, inc] around (294 sts)
Rnd 50: [48 sc, inc] around (300 sts)
Rnd 51: [49 sc, inc] around (306 sts)
Rnd 52: [50 sc, inc] around (312 sts)
Rnd 53: [51 sc, inc] around (318 sts)
Rnd 54: [52 sc, inc] around (324 sts)
Rnd 55: [53 sc, inc] around (330 sts)
Rnd 56: [54 sc, inc] around (336 sts)
Rnd 57: [55 sc, inc] around (342 sts)
Rnd 58: [56 sc, inc] around (348 sts)
Rnd 59: [57 sc, inc] around (354 sts)
Rnd 60: [58 sc, inc] around (360 sts)
First Cobalt Ring (Color B)
Change to B.
Rnd 61: Sc in each st around (360 sts)
Rnd 62: Sc in each st around (360 sts)
Orbit Line (Colors A and B)
Change to A.
Rnd 63: Sc in each st around (360 sts)
Begin tapestry crochet orbit line, carrying B along the back.
Rnd 64: With A, *sc in next 5 sts, sc in next 1 st with B; repeat from * around (360 sts: 300 A, 60 B)
Rnd 65: With A, *sc in next 5 sts, sc in next 1 st with B; repeat from * around (360 sts: 300 A, 60 B)
Rnd 66: With A, *sc in next 5 sts, sc in next 1 st with B; repeat from * around (360 sts: 300 A, 60 B)
Second Cobalt Ring (Color B)
Change to B.
Rnd 67: Sc in each st around (360 sts)
Rnd 68: Sc in each st around (360 sts)
Outer Edge (Color A)
Change to A.
Rnd 69: Sc in each st around (360 sts)
Rnd 70: Sc in each st around (360 sts)
Fasten off and weave in ends.
Edging
With A, join yarn with a sl st to any st of Rnd 70. Ch 1, sc in each st around. Join with a sl st to the first sc. Fasten off and weave in ends.
Assembly and Finishing
There is no seaming: the mat is one continuous piece. Weave in all ends on the wrong side, working the tails under several stitches so they don't work loose. Block the mat by misting it lightly and pinning it flat to a 24-inch circle on a towel or blocking mat; let it dry completely. Blocking smooths the color changes and helps the disc lie perfectly flat.
Pro Tips and Variations
- Swap the cobalt for teal or navy for a different "planet" look, or make the center a different color and keep the orbit line in orange.
- For a larger bed, keep increasing 6 stitches per round until you reach your desired diameter, then work the color bands as written.
- Add a non-slip backing by cutting a 24-inch circle of shelf liner and stitching it to the wrong side with a few tacking stitches.
