Bath Mat with Baby Bobble Stitch

Stitches Used

Chain Stitch (ch):

Make a slip knot, then yarn over the hook and pull it through the loop on the hook.

Double Crochet (hdc):

Yo, insert hook in st, yo and draw yarn through 2 loops, yo and draw yarn through 2 loops.

Half Double Crochet (hdc):

Yo, insert hook in st, yo and draw yarn through 1 loop, (3 loops on hook), yo and draw yarn through 3 loops.

Single Crochet Stitch sc:

1. Insert your hook into center of your next working chain. Grab yarn (known as a yarn over) and draw through the chain stitch and up onto the hook so that you have two loops on your hook.
2. Using your hook, grab yarn and draw it through both loops on your hook, leaving just one loop on your hook. You've made one single crochet stitch.
3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 as many times as your pattern calls for.

Slip Stitch (sl st):

Insert hook into a foundation stitch, yo, pull thread through both loops.

Materials

• Crochet hook, size J or 6.00 mm.
• Worsted cotton crochet cotton yarn. Sage green, 14 oz.; White 14 oz, Black 14 oz. These quantities are probably more than actually needed. Will correct quantities when they are known.
• Stitch markers, or scraps of contrasting yarn or string.
• Ruler to measure the diameter of the circles as you work.
• Scissors to cut yarn.

Instructions

Green center portion of the rug.

• Use the green yarn to Ch 50 to create a beginning chain 16 inches long.
• Row 1: Turn, sl st in 2^nd st from hook. Sc across the row. Ch 2, turn.
• Row 2: Sl st in 3^rd ch from hook; *hdc in next ch, sl st in next ch; repeat from * across; ch 2, turn.
• Row 3: Skip first sl st; *sl st in next hdc, hdc in next sl st; rep from * across, sl st in top of turning ch; ch 2 turn.
• Repeat row 3 until the piece measures 28 inches in long. You will crochet a 6-inch border around the piece to complete the rug.

Border

Corners: In the stitch that is at the corner execute 1 stitch of the round (sc or hdc) 2 ch, and another sc or hdc, all in the same stitch of the previous round. Then proceed to work the next side of the mat.

Tip 1: There will be a lot of color changes in the border. At the end of each color, cut the yarn leaving an end of 4" or so. Use crochet hook to weave the end into the neighboring stitches. Then when stitching in this area on the next round, include the end with the stitches of the previous round to hide it and protect from unraveling.

Tip 2: Start with a new color several inches from the position of the ending of the previous color. These beginnings and endings with then will be unnoticed.

• Round 1: Green yarn. Sc in each st or end of each row of the green center. Stitch over the sc of the beginning row of sc. Sl st to close round. (This is the foundation of the border. It is extremely important to get the correct number of stitches on the long sides for the mat to lie flat.)
• Round 2: White yarn. Ch 1, (Do not turn the work, but continue in the same direction.)Sc in each sc of the previous round. Sl st to close the round. (Tip: Lay the piece flat to be sure that there are not too many stitches in the border. Too many stitches will make the project grow into something of the shape of a potato chip, and the mat will never lie flat.) If you detect that there are too many stitches in the border, probably in the long sides, rip out and repair the error before continuing.
• Round 3: White yarn. Ch 1, (Do not turn work.) Hdc in each sc around. Sl st to close round.
• Round 4: Black yarn. Ch 1, (Do not turn work.) Sc in each st around. Sl st to close round.
• Round 5: White yarn. Ch 1, (Do not turn work.) Hdc all around. Sl st to close round.
• Round 6: White yarn. Repeat round 5.
• Round 7: Green yarn. Ch 1, *Hdc sl st in next stitch.* Sl st to close round.
• Round 8: Green yarn. Ch 1, (Turn work.) *Hdc sl st in next stitch.* Sl st to close round.
• Round 9: Green yarn. (Turn work.) Ch 1, Repeat round 7.
• Round 10: Green yarn. (Turn work.) Repeat round 8.
• Round 11: Green yarn. (Turn work.) Repeat round 9.
• Round 12: Green yarn. (Turn work.) Repeat round 10.
• Round 13: White yarn. Ch 1, (Do not turn work.) Hdc in each stitch. Sl st to close round.
• Round 14: White yarn. Repeat round 13.
• Round 15: Black yarn. Ch 1, (Do not turn work.) Sc in each stitch around. Sl st to close round.
• Round 16: White yarn. Ch 1, (Do not turn work.) Sc in each stitch around. Sl st to close round.
• Round 17: Black yarn. Ch 1, (Do not turn work.) Sc in each stitch around. Sl st to close round.
• Round 18: Black yarn. Repeat round 17.
• Round 19: White yarn. Repeat yound 16.
• Round 20: Edging. Green yarn. Ch 1. (Do not turn work.) *In one stitch Hdc dc hdc, in next stitch sl st* Cut yarn and pull through the last stitch. Weave the end into the round of stitching.