Pattern: Big Stitch Rug

I made this mock big stitch rug as a dog mat/bed for my new puppy, Erica. It’s my do-it-yourself version of big stitch knitting without actually investing in specialty needles or yarns. The yarns and needles are expensive and hard to find. So rather than spring for giant knitting needles (I’d rarely use), I made do with materials and needles that are more commonly found in knitting shops and/or ones avid knitters might already have! All I did was use 7 strands of yarn together at once and jumbo sized knitting needles. That’s it. All those materials and tools can be found at your local craft store or yarn shop. Convenience and versatility.

❤ Erica loves it! Meet Erica (via her Pinterest!)

Materials:
Red Heart Super Saver, Medium Thyme 0406, 100% Acrylic, 364 yards (Lt. Green)
Red Heart Super Saver, Dark Sage 0633, 100% Acrylic, 364 yards (Forest Green)
Red Heart Super Saver, Carrot 0256, 100% Acrylic, 364 yards (Pumpkin)
Red Heart Heathers, Teal 4470, 100% Acrylic, 260 yards (Wedgewood Blue)
Red Heart Soft, Teal 9518, 100% Acrylic, 256 yards (Dk. Teal)
Caron Simply Soft, Plum Wine 9918, 100% Acrylic, 366 yards (Dusty Rose)
Loops & Threads Impeccable Yarn, Cadet 01106, 100% Acrylic, 268 yards (Lt. Blue)
Alternate Yarns
Red Heart Super Saver, Rose Pink 0372, 100% Acrylic, 364 yards (Pale PInk)
Red Heart Classic, Cameo Rose 0759, 100% Acrylic, ??? yards (Dk. Dusty Rose)

Needles:
US Size 19 [15.00mm] Lion Brand Circular Knitting Needles, 29″

Size:
Approx. 24″ x 32″

Pattern:
Cast On 34 stitches (long-tail cast on)
Row 1: Knit all stitches
Row 2: Purl all stitches
Repeat Rows 1-2 until 58 Rows

Finish:
End on a Knit Row (end after completing a Knit Row)
Bind Off (knit-wise)
Weave in ends.

Notes:
Makes a great stash buster! Use any combination of Medium/Worsted Weight Yarns you’d like. I chose 7 yarns with varying textures. All Worsted Weight 4-ply yarns. Caron Simply Soft is, well, soft and with a sheen, while the Red Heart was your typical acrylic yarn with a mock wool look and feel. Choose your own colorways to match any decor you’d like. Highlight, lowlight, complementary, varying textures, or just use a single color. It’s up to you!

Synthetic yarns like Acrylic make it durable and machine washable. Very handy for a rug or dog bed!

Combining multiple strands of yarn also gives cheapie econo yarn a more luxurious look and feel.

I used scarp yarn. I ran out of some colors at various stages and just joined on some new ones. Replace them with similar colors or just join on with whatever you have as long as it’s the same weight yarn. The joins blend right in without much work, even a clumsy tiny knot works.

I leave it so the edges curl up. Ending on a Knit Row and binding off knit-wise helps the ends curl up. Casting on using a long-tail cast on also helps the ends curl up. I cast on using a modified long-tail cast on and then begin on a Knit Row. Use any cast-on method preferred.

Modified long-tail cast on – my modified long-tail cast on is kind of a hack but for patterns where it doesn’t matter, it’s great. I use the yarn coming directly from the skein as the working yarn rather than creating a tail. Create a slip knot as normal without a long tail. Instead of measuring out a length of yarn to use as the cast-on yarn, I only use the yarn coming directly from the ball to create each cast-on stitch. Video to come.

Keep your rug from slipping by getting some IKEA non-slip rug liners.

What is Big Stitch Knitting (or Crochet)?
Big Stitch Knitting or Mega Knitting is just that. Giant knitting needles (that you must either knit on the floor or on a giant table) require specially made tools and yarns. Read more about Big Stitch in my previous post. Buy some Big Knit tools and yarns online at BagSmith and Big Loop. They have all the tools and yarns you’ll need. Google “Big Stitch Knitting” for a wealth of info.

Arm Knitting
Knit without any tools. Just your arms and some yarn! I was inspired to do this DIY mock big stitch when I saw an article in the news recently about Arm Knitting. Simply Maggie and Pinning Mama have nice tutorials. Google “Arm Knitting” for a wealth of info. Check out Dornob for a nice post.