Sage Petal Dash Mat Crochet Free Pattern

Sage Petal Dash Mat Crochet Free Pattern

Introduction

The Sage Petal Dash Mat is a small, cheerful crochet panel for your car's dashboard, made from six identical flower motifs joined in a tidy grid. It's a wonderful beginner project because you only need to learn one motif and then repeat it six times. Sage green centers ringed by cream petals give it a soft retro-futuristic look, and the cream whipstitched seams and border pull the whole panel together. Worked in aran-weight yarn, each motif is quick to make, and the finished mat is flat, firm, and just the right size to sit neatly on your dash.

Materials Needed

• Yarn: Aran weight wool blend, approx 100 g total — sage green (A) 30 g, cream (B) 70 g.
• Hook: 5.0 mm (H-8) crochet hook.
• Notions: Tapestry needle for seaming and weaving in ends, scissors, blocking pins and a blocking mat.
• Finished size: Approx 10.5" x 7" (26.5 cm x 17.5 cm).

Abbreviations

• ch — chain: wrap yarn over hook and pull through the loop.
• sl st — slip stitch: insert hook, yarn over, pull through both loops at once.
• sc — single crochet: insert hook, yarn over, pull up a loop, yarn over, pull through both loops.
• dc — double crochet: yarn over, insert hook, pull up a loop, yarn over and pull through two loops, yarn over and pull through remaining two loops.
• sp — space (the gap made by a chain).
• st(s) — stitch(es).

Gauge

One motif = 3.5" (9 cm) square after blocking. Make one motif, block it, and measure it; if it's larger, go down a hook size, and if it's smaller, go up a hook size.

Tips Before You Start

• Make all six motifs first, then block them all to exactly 3.5" square before joining — even, square motifs make the seams line up easily.
• Keep your tension relaxed on the ch-2 and ch-3 spaces so the petals stay open and the motif blocks out flat.
• Use a stitch marker in the first stitch of each round if you tend to lose your place at the join.
• Leave a tail of about 6" (15 cm) on each motif for seaming, so you don't need to add new yarn when joining.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Flower Motif (make 6)

Set-up: With A, ch 4, join with sl st to form a ring.

R1: Ch 1, 8 sc in ring, join with sl st to first sc (8 sts). Fasten off A.

R2: Join B. Ch 3 (counts as dc), 2 dc in same st, ch 2, [3 dc in next st, ch 2] 7 times, join with sl st to top of ch-3 (24 dc, 8 ch-2 sps).

R3: Sl st to next ch-2 sp, ch 1, (sc, ch 3, sc) in same sp, ch 3, [(sc, ch 3, sc) in next ch-2 sp, ch 3] 7 times, join with sl st to first sc (16 sc, 16 ch-3 sps).

R4: Sl st to next ch-3 sp, ch 1, 3 sc in same sp, ch 2, [3 sc in next ch-3 sp, ch 2] 15 times, join with sl st to first sc (48 sc, 16 ch-2 sps). Fasten off B.

Finishing each motif: Block each motif to 3.5" (9 cm) square and let dry completely.

Assembly

Arrange the six motifs in 2 rows of 3. With B, whipstitch the edges together through the back loops only, joining motifs along all touching edges to form one flat rectangular panel.

Edging

With B, join yarn at any corner, ch 1, sc evenly around the entire perimeter, working 3 sc in each corner, join with sl st to first sc. Fasten off.

Assembly and Finishing

After seaming, weave in all ends on the wrong side, threading each tail through a few stitches before trimming. Block the finished mat lightly to smooth the seams and flatten the corners, pinning it to 10.5" x 7" (26.5 cm x 17.5 cm) and letting it dry fully before placing it in the car.

Pro Tips and Variations

• Swap the sage centers for another color to match your car's interior, keeping the cream petals for contrast.
• Add a non-slip backing by cutting a piece of shelf liner to size and stitching it to the wrong side.
• Make a larger version by adding more motifs in a 3 x 3 grid for a bigger dash or console mat.