How to Knit a Doormat/Table Rug in Easy Steps (Hindi Design-2): A Complete DIY Guide
There is something deeply satisfying about walking into your home and placing your feet on something you made yourself. A handknitted doormat or table rug brings warmth, personality, and a sense of accomplishment that no store-bought item can replicate. If you have been looking for a creative weekend project that combines traditional craftsmanship with practical home décor, this step-by-step guide on how to knit a doormat or table rug in Hindi Design-2 is exactly what you need.
This tutorial is designed for beginners and intermediate knitters alike. Whether you are picking up knitting needles for the first time or you already have a few scarves and dishcloths under your belt, you will find this guide easy to follow, detailed, and genuinely fun to work through. Hindi Design-2 is a beloved pattern inspired by geometric motifs commonly seen in traditional Indian textile art — think bold borders, symmetrical shapes, and a color palette that feels both vibrant and grounded.
Let us get started.
What Is Hindi Design-2 and Why Is It Perfect for a Doormat or Table Rug?
Before we dive into the actual knitting, it helps to understand what makes Hindi Design-2 special. The “Hindi Design” series refers to a collection of knitting patterns inspired by traditional Indian weaving and embroidery styles. Design-2 specifically features a repeating geometric border, a central diamond or checker motif, and a structured edge that gives the finished piece a polished, intentional look.
For a doormat, this design works beautifully because the thick texture created by double-stranding your yarn makes the piece durable enough to handle foot traffic. For a table rug or table runner, the same pattern creates an elegant centerpiece that looks handcrafted in the best possible way. The geometric symmetry of Hindi Design-2 also means it photographs well, making it a popular choice for people who share their DIY projects on social media or craft blogs.
Another reason this design is so popular is its flexibility. You can scale it up or down simply by adjusting your needle size, yarn weight, and the number of cast-on stitches. The pattern is modular, which means once you learn the basic repeat, you can extend it indefinitely to create a larger area rug or a narrow table runner.
Materials You Will Need
Getting your materials together before you begin is one of the most important steps in any knitting project. Nothing breaks your creative flow quite like realizing mid-project that you have run out of yarn or that your needles are the wrong size. Here is a complete list of everything you will need for this doormat or table rug.
Yarn: For a doormat that is approximately 18 by 24 inches, you will need roughly 300 to 400 grams of bulky or super-bulky yarn. Cotton yarn is ideal for doormats because it is durable, washable, and has a pleasant texture underfoot. You can also use jute yarn or a cotton-jute blend for extra durability and a more rustic look. For the table rug version, a slightly thinner yarn in the worsted weight range gives a finer finish.
For Hindi Design-2, you will want at least two colors — a main color (MC) and a contrast color (CC). Traditional choices include earthy tones like terracotta, mustard, and cream, or bold combinations like navy and white, deep red and gold, or forest green and ivory. The design really pops when you choose colors with high contrast.
Knitting Needles: For bulky cotton yarn, use US size 10 or 10.5 (6mm or 6.5mm) needles. If you are double-stranding a worsted weight yarn, the same needle size works well. Circular needles are recommended for this project because they can hold a large number of stitches comfortably, though you will be knitting flat (back and forth), not in the round.
Additional Tools: You will need a yarn needle or tapestry needle for weaving in ends, a pair of sharp scissors, a measuring tape, and stitch markers to help you track your pattern repeats. A row counter — either a physical clicker or a phone app — is extremely helpful for keeping track of which row of the pattern you are on.
Understanding the Basic Stitches Used
Hindi Design-2 relies on a small handful of knitting techniques. If you are familiar with the basic knit and purl stitches, you already know most of what you need. Here is a quick overview of every technique that appears in this pattern.
The Knit Stitch (K): Insert the right needle into the front of the first stitch on the left needle, wrap the yarn counterclockwise around the right needle, and pull the new loop through to the front. Slide the old stitch off the left needle. This is the foundational stitch in all of knitting.
The Purl Stitch (P): Bring the yarn to the front of your work. Insert the right needle into the front of the first stitch from right to left. Wrap the yarn counterclockwise around the right needle and pull the new loop through to the back. Slide the old stitch off the left needle.
Stockinette Stitch: Alternating rows of all knit (right side) and all purl (wrong side) creates the smooth, classic fabric most people associate with knitting. Sections of stockinette in the main color form the background of your rug.
Garter Stitch: Knitting every row on both the right and wrong side creates a ridged, reversible fabric. The border of Hindi Design-2 uses garter stitch because it lies flat naturally and adds a sturdy, structured edge.
Stranded Colorwork: This is where Hindi Design-2 gets its distinctive look. You will carry both your main color and your contrast color across certain rows, alternating between them according to a chart or written instructions. The key to clean colorwork is keeping your tension even — not pulling the unused yarn too tight, and not leaving it too loose.
Slip Stitch: On certain rows, you will slip a stitch from the left needle to the right needle without knitting or purling it. This technique appears in the border of Hindi Design-2 and helps create a clean selvedge edge.
How to Read the Hindi Design-2 Pattern
Knitting patterns use abbreviations to keep instructions concise. Here is a key to all the abbreviations you will encounter in this tutorial.
K = Knit, P = Purl, MC = Main Color, CC = Contrast Color, CO = Cast On, BO = Bind Off, RS = Right Side, WS = Wrong Side, Rep = Repeat, St = Stitch, Sts = Stitches, SM = Slip Marker, PM = Place Marker.
The colorwork section of Hindi Design-2 is worked from a chart. Reading a chart is straightforward once you understand the basics. Each square on the chart represents one stitch. You read right-side rows from right to left, and wrong-side rows from left to right. A filled square represents the contrast color, and an empty square represents the main color.
Step-by-Step Instructions for Hindi Design-2 Doormat or Table Rug
Step 1: Calculate Your Gauge
Before casting on, knit a small gauge swatch. Cast on 20 stitches and knit 4 inches in stockinette stitch using your chosen yarn and needles. Measure how many stitches fit in 4 inches. For a standard bulky cotton yarn on US 10 needles, you should get approximately 12 to 14 stitches over 4 inches. This matters because the pattern stitch repeat is 8 stitches wide, so your total cast-on number must be a multiple of 8, plus a few extra stitches for the border.
Step 2: Cast On
For an 18-inch-wide doormat, cast on 56 stitches in your main color. This gives you a panel that is 7 full repeats of the 8-stitch design motif wide. If you want a wider rug, add 8 stitches for each additional repeat you want to include.
Use a long-tail cast-on for this project. It creates a firm, neat edge that works perfectly as the bottom border of your rug. Leave a tail of at least 12 inches before you begin casting on, as this long tail will be woven in at the end.
Step 3: Work the Bottom Border
Rows 1 through 8 form the bottom border in garter stitch using your main color only.
Row 1 (RS): Knit all 56 stitches.
Row 2 (WS): Knit all 56 stitches.
Repeat Rows 1 and 2 three more times, for a total of 8 rows.
This creates a flat, sturdy border that prevents the bottom edge of your rug from curling. Garter stitch is naturally non-curling because the knit and purl loops balance each other out.
Step 4: Begin the Side Borders and Central Panel Setup
From this point on, you will knit the first 4 stitches and last 4 stitches of every row in garter stitch (knit every stitch regardless of which side you are on). These 4 stitches on each side form the side borders of your rug and keep the edges flat.
The central 48 stitches are where the Hindi Design-2 colorwork motif appears.
Place a stitch marker after stitch 4 and another before stitch 53 to remind yourself where the side borders end and the central panel begins.
Step 5: Work the First Colorwork Band
The colorwork band in Hindi Design-2 is 12 rows tall. Here is how to work it.
Join your contrast color at the beginning of a right-side row. You do not need to cut the main color — simply carry it up the side of your work.
Row 1 (RS): K4 MC (border), then work the 8-stitch colorwork repeat 6 times across the central 48 stitches following the chart below, then K4 MC (border).
The colorwork chart for the first band is as follows. Work this 8-stitch repeat 6 times across your central stitches.
Row 1: 4 MC, 4 CC (repeat 6 times)
Row 2: 4 MC, 4 CC (purl WS, keeping colors as set)
Row 3: 2 MC, 4 CC, 2 MC (repeat 6 times)
Row 4: 2 MC, 4 CC, 2 MC (WS)
Row 5: 1 MC, 2 CC, 2 MC, 2 CC, 1 MC (repeat 6 times)
Row 6: 1 MC, 2 CC, 2 MC, 2 CC, 1 MC (WS)
Row 7: Repeat Row 5
Row 8: Repeat Row 6
Row 9: Repeat Row 3
Row 10: Repeat Row 4
Row 11: Repeat Row 1
Row 12: Repeat Row 2
After these 12 rows, cut the contrast color leaving a 6-inch tail for weaving in, and continue with the main color only.
Step 6: Work a Plain Stockinette Section
With the main color only, work 8 rows of stockinette stitch over the central 48 stitches, maintaining the 4-stitch garter border on each side throughout. This creates a resting space between colorwork bands and gives the eye somewhere to rest as it travels across the rug.
Step 7: Work the Central Diamond Motif
This is the centerpiece of Hindi Design-2 and the element that gives it its distinctly traditional Indian aesthetic. The diamond motif is worked over 24 rows and spans the full width of the central panel.
Join your contrast color again. The diamond is built by increasing the CC stitches by 2 on every right-side row, then decreasing by 2 on every right-side row after reaching the widest point, creating a clean diamond shape.
Work from the center out, placing a marker at the exact center stitch of your central panel (stitch 28 of your total 56 stitches, or the center of the 48-stitch panel). Begin with 2 CC stitches on either side of the center marker and expand outward over the next 12 right-side rows, then mirror that back inward over the following 12 right-side rows.
Remember to maintain your 4-stitch garter borders throughout and to purl the wrong-side rows in the colors as established.
Step 8: Repeat the Colorwork Band and Plain Section
After completing the diamond motif, work another 8-row plain stockinette section in the main color, then repeat the 12-row colorwork band from Step 5.
This creates the symmetrical, mirrored structure that is characteristic of Hindi Design-2. Your rug should now look balanced and intentional, with the diamond motif at the center flanked by two matching geometric bands.
Step 9: Work the Top Border
Mirror the bottom border you worked in Step 3. Work 8 rows of garter stitch in the main color across all 56 stitches.
Step 10: Bind Off
Bind off all 56 stitches loosely using the standard bind-off method. A loose bind-off is important here because a tight one will cause the top edge to pull in and pucker. If you tend to bind off tightly, try going up one needle size for this final step.
Finishing Your Rug
Once you have bound off, the finishing work begins. This stage is just as important as the knitting itself, and it is worth taking your time here.
Cut all yarn tails to about 6 inches if you have not already done so, then use your tapestry needle to weave each tail through several stitches on the wrong side of the work. Weave in a zigzag pattern and then back through the same path for security. Give each tail a gentle tug before trimming the excess to make sure it will not unravel.
After weaving in all ends, wet block your rug. Fill a basin with lukewarm water, submerge the rug completely, and let it soak for about 20 minutes. Gently squeeze out the excess water without wringing or twisting. Lay the rug flat on a clean towel, roll the towel up around the rug, and press firmly to remove more moisture. Then unroll the rug and lay it flat on a blocking mat or dry towel. Use rust-proof pins to stretch it gently to the desired dimensions and let it dry completely — usually 24 to 48 hours depending on the thickness and your climate.
Blocking is particularly important for colorwork pieces because it evens out the tension between the stitches and makes the whole design look significantly more polished and professional.
Tips for Making Your Hindi Design-2 Rug Last
A well-made knitted rug can last for years with proper care. Here are a few practical tips to help your creation stand the test of time.
Choose your yarn carefully. For a doormat that will see daily foot traffic, a cotton-acrylic blend or pure cotton is more durable than 100% wool. Wool felts if it gets wet and rubbed, which could distort your beautiful colorwork design. For a table rug, wool is perfectly fine since it will not see as much wear and tear.
Place a non-slip rug pad underneath your doormat if you are using it on a hard floor. This not only prevents slipping but also protects the back of the rug from abrasion and extends its life considerably.
Wash your rug on a gentle cycle in cold water, or hand wash it as you did during blocking. Lay it flat to dry rather than putting it in a dryer, especially if it contains any wool content.
If the edges start to curl over time, a quick re-blocking session will bring them back to flat. Simply wet the rug again, pin it out, and let it dry.
Variations and Creative Customizations
One of the great joys of knitting your own home décor items is the freedom to make them entirely your own. Once you are comfortable with the basic Hindi Design-2 pattern, here are some ways you can take it further.
Try a third color. Adding a third accent color to the diamond motif creates a much richer visual effect and gives the design added depth. Use it just for the outermost ring of the diamond or introduce it in the middle of the colorwork band for a surprising pop.
Experiment with texture. Cables or bobbles worked into the plain stockinette sections between the colorwork bands add a three-dimensional quality to the finished rug. A simple 4-stitch cable twisted every 4 rows runs beautifully alongside the geometric motifs.
Make it a set. Once you have finished one doormat, consider making a smaller version as a trivet or pot holder, or a longer version as a hallway runner. The mod
