A friend was musing recently about coasters, wondering why they are so often made of materials like stone and leather that are ruined by condensation, or of glass or tile, which allows the condensation to run off and ruin your furniture.

These are the best, most dependable coasters I own because they are made of felted wool. They’re knit in garter stitch, which makes them thick enough to insulate the table from the temperature of what’s on top, whether it’s a cold, fizzy drink or a nice hot cup of tea. They absorb condensation without being damaged. And since they’re already felted, if I spill something on them, it doesn’t matter – I just throw them back in the wash!

This pattern is a fun, quick knit, and great for gift-giving. The colorwork is made using the mosaic technique, which is knit flat using only one color per row. This is a great first mosaic pattern, and I include some tips on working mosaic and felting in the pattern notes.

Because Morehouse Farm’s 3-Strand Worsted Merino comes in a wide variety of fun colorways, I provided options for making these in two, five, or ten colors. You can have fun mixing colors to suit yourself or your décor, or use this project as a stashbuster to use up leftovers.

Kits are available through the Morehouse Farm site.

Each pattern square makes four coasters, or it can be left whole to make a trivet. Why not make a set for someone special, and one for yourself?

Yarn: 2 or more skeins of Morehouse Farm 3-Strand Worsted 100% Merino Yarn (145 yards per 2 oz skein) or other worsted weight non-superwash wool such as Cascade 220, Malabrigo Worsted, KnitPicks Wool of the Andes Worsted, or Noro Kureyon. Available as a kit.

2-color version: approx. 75 yards for Main Color and 85 yards of Contrast Color.

4-color version: 75 yards for Main Color and approximately 30-35 yards of each of 3 Contrasting Colors

10-color version: 75 yards for Main Color and approximately 10-13 yards of each of 9 Contrasting Colors

For best effect, each of your Contrast Color yarns should noticeably contrast with your Main Color.

Gauge: 15 sts/36 rows in pattern stitch, unblocked. Exact gauge is not critical because this item will be felted. Please note that this pattern is purposefully knit on needles a bit larger than usual for the yarn.

The samples shown are made in Warm Olive and Seacoast (2-color); Cardinal, Peach, Pumpkin, and Sunflower (4-color); Navy, Periwinkle, Green Tomato, Turquoise, Cornflower, Lilac, Snapdragon, Grape, Royal, and Aqua (10-color)