33 Free Knitted Placemat Patterns You’ll Want to Make Right Now

There is something quietly satisfying about setting a table with handmade pieces. A knitted placemat does more than protect your table surface — it carries warmth, texture, and a personal touch that no store-bought alternative can replicate. Whether you are a beginner picking up needles for the first time or an experienced knitter looking for a quick and rewarding project, placemats offer the perfect canvas. They are small enough to finish in a weekend, forgiving enough to experiment with new stitches, and practical enough to use every single day.

The best part? You do not need to spend a dime on patterns. The knitting community is incredibly generous, and designers from around the world have shared their work freely online. This roundup brings together 33 of the most beautiful, creative, and beginner-friendly free knitted placemat patterns available today. You will find everything from simple garter stitch rectangles to intricate lace designs, modern geometric shapes to rustic farmhouse styles. There is truly something here for every skill level, every aesthetic, and every kind of table.

Before diving into the patterns themselves, let us talk a little about what makes a great knitted placemat and what you should consider before casting on.

What to Consider Before Knitting a Placemat

Yarn choice matters more than you think. Placemats live on dining tables, which means they will encounter spills, crumbs, moisture, and regular washing. Cotton yarn is the classic choice for a reason — it is durable, washable, absorbent, and lies flat without curling. Worsted weight cotton is particularly popular because it creates a sturdy fabric that holds its shape over time. Some knitters prefer linen or a cotton-linen blend for a crisper, more sophisticated look. Wool, while beautiful, is generally not recommended for placemats because it felts easily when washed and may not stand up to the demands of a dining table.

Think about gauge and finished size. A standard placemat measures roughly 12 by 18 inches, though you will find plenty of variation in pattern collections. Some knitters prefer slightly larger placemats that offer more coverage, while others like a smaller, more decorative size. Always check your gauge before beginning, especially if you plan to knit a full set. Even a small discrepancy can result in one placemat that is noticeably larger or smaller than the others.

Consider your skill level honestly. The patterns in this list are organized roughly from simpler to more complex, though skill level designations can vary between designers. If you are brand new to knitting, start with a straightforward garter or stockinette pattern before attempting lace or intricate colorwork. You will end up with a nicer finished product and a more enjoyable experience.

Plan for a full set. Placemats are most useful in sets of four or six. When you find a pattern you love, consider how much yarn you will need to make multiples. A single placemat might use only one or two skeins, but a full set of six will require significantly more. Buy all your yarn from the same dye lot to avoid subtle color differences between placemats.

Now, let us get into the patterns.

Simple and Beginner-Friendly Patterns

1. Classic Garter Stitch Placemat
The garter stitch placemat is where most knitters begin, and for good reason. Every row is simply knitted, which means no purling, no complicated techniques, and no fussing with charts. The resulting fabric is thick, reversible, and wonderfully textured. Many designers offer this style freely, and it is an ideal pattern for a beginner who wants a finished, usable object quickly. Cast on enough stitches to reach your desired width, knit every row until the piece is the right length, and bind off. Add a simple border if you like, or leave it as is for a clean, minimalist look.

2. Stockinette with Garter Border
Stockinette on its own tends to curl at the edges, which is why most placemat patterns that feature it also include a garter stitch border of a few stitches on each side and several rows at the beginning and end. This combination gives you the smooth, clean look of stockinette in the center with stable, flat edges. It is a classic construction method and one of the most widely shared free patterns in the knitting community.

3. Seed Stitch Placemat
Seed stitch alternates knit and purl stitches in a specific way that creates a beautiful, pebbly texture. It lies completely flat without any border treatment, making it one of the most practical stitches for placemats. It is slightly more involved than garter stitch but still very approachable for beginners who have mastered basic knit and purl. The finished fabric has a lovely rustic quality that suits farmhouse and cottage-style table settings beautifully.

4. Moss Stitch Rectangle
Similar to seed stitch but with a subtly different texture, moss stitch (sometimes called double seed stitch) creates a denser, more uniform fabric. Free patterns for moss stitch placemats are widely available on sites like Ravelry and personal knitting blogs. The result is a classic, timeless placemat that works in any color and pairs well with almost any tableware.

5. The Easy Ribbed Placemat
Ribbing is usually associated with cuffs and hat brims, but a loosely worked rib in a bulky cotton yarn creates a wonderfully tactile placemat with a modern, graphic quality. Because ribbing has a natural stretch, these placemats will conform slightly to whatever surface they lie on. They work best in a relatively thick yarn that prevents the fabric from becoming too floppy.

6. Beginner’s Striped Placemat
Stripes are one of the simplest ways to add visual interest to a basic knitting pattern. By switching colors every few rows, you can create everything from bold two-tone designs to subtle gradient effects. Many free striped placemat patterns require nothing more than the ability to knit and purl — the color changes do all the decorative work for you. This is also an excellent way to use up partial skeins from other projects.

Textured and Intermediate Patterns

7. Basketweave Placemat
Basketweave is one of the most satisfying stitch patterns to knit because the finished fabric looks far more complicated than it actually is. By alternating small blocks of knit and purl stitches, you create a woven texture that looks almost like actual woven fabric. Free basketweave placemat patterns are plentiful online, and the stitch repeat is usually simple enough to memorize after just one or two rows.

8. Waffle Stitch Placemat
Waffle stitch creates deep, square indentations in the fabric that look remarkably like — you guessed it — a waffle. It is an incredibly popular stitch for kitchen and dining textiles because the texture is both beautiful and functional, adding grip and absorbing spills slightly better than a flat fabric. Many designers have offered free waffle stitch placemat patterns, and they are almost always worked in cotton for the best results.

9. Diagonal Rib Placemat
A diagonal rib creates an eye-catching optical illusion by shifting the rib pattern slightly every row, so the lines appear to run diagonally across the fabric. It is a clever technique that adds visual dynamism to what would otherwise be a standard rib pattern. Free versions of this pattern are available on several well-known knitting websites, and intermediate knitters will find it both manageable and interesting.

10. Broken Rib Placemat
The broken rib pattern alternates between rib rows and plain knit rows to create a soft, slightly raised texture that is less structured than a traditional rib but more interesting than a plain stockinette. It lies flat, works up quickly, and has a subtly modern look that suits contemporary table settings well.

11. Herringbone Placemat
Herringbone is a classic textile pattern that translates beautifully into knitted fabric. The technique involves slipping stitches in a specific way that creates a dense, diagonal weave effect. It takes a little practice to master, but the results are genuinely stunning — perfect for a more formal dining room or as a gift for someone with sophisticated taste. Several knitting designers have published free herringbone placemat patterns that walk you through the technique clearly.

12. Linen Stitch Placemat
Linen stitch (sometimes called woven stitch) creates a fabric that genuinely resembles woven linen cloth. It is worked by alternating knit stitches with slipped yarn-over stitches across the row. The resulting fabric is dense, flat, and absolutely beautiful. It knits up slowly because you are only working half the stitches on each pass, but the finished placemat looks incredibly elegant. This is a popular pattern choice among intermediate knitters who want a refined, sophisticated result.

13. Diamond Brocade Placemat
Brocade patterns use combinations of knit and purl stitches to create raised, geometric designs within the fabric. Diamond brocade is one of the most beloved — it creates a repeating diamond motif that looks elaborate but is actually worked from a surprisingly simple chart. Free diamond brocade placemat patterns are available on Ravelry and on independent knitting blogs, and they are a satisfying challenge for knitters who have outgrown basic textured stitches.

14. Chevron Placemat
Chevrons — the classic V-shaped or zigzag pattern — are perennially popular in home textiles, and they translate beautifully into knitted placemats. Free chevron patterns are widely available, and they can be worked in a single color for a subtle textured effect or in multiple colors for a bold, graphic look. The stitch pattern usually involves simple increases and decreases to create the characteristic zigzag shape.

15. Log Cabin Style Placemat
Inspired by the classic quilting technique, the log cabin knitted placemat is built from a small center square with new sections picked up and worked outward on each side. This creates a distinctive concentric square design and is a wonderful way to use multiple colors from your stash. It is a technique that is well documented in the free pattern community and beloved for its meditative, rhythmic construction.

16. Entrelac Placemat
Entrelac creates a woven, basketweave-like appearance from small diagonal squares worked one at a time. It looks incredibly intricate but follows a logical, repeating structure once you understand the method. Free entrelac placemat patterns exist for adventurous intermediate knitters, and the technique opens up a whole world of textural possibilities. Working one placemat in entrelac is a wonderful way to learn the method before committing to a larger project.

Lace and More Advanced Patterns

17. Simple Eyelet Lace Placemat
Lace does not have to be intimidating. Simple eyelet patterns use yarn-over increases paired with decreases to create small holes in the fabric that form geometric or floral designs. Many free eyelet lace placemat patterns are well within the reach of confident beginners and intermediate knitters. The result is delicate and beautiful — perfect for a special occasion table or a gift.

18. Feather and Fan Lace Placemat
Feather and fan (also called old shale) is one of the oldest and most beloved lace patterns in knitting. It creates a beautiful undulating wave pattern and is simpler to work than it looks, especially once you have memorized the four-row repeat. Free feather and fan placemat patterns abound online, and they are a gorgeous way to dress up a dining table with handmade elegance.

19. Horseshoe Lace Placemat
Horseshoe lace creates a symmetrical curved motif that repeats beautifully across a placemat. It is a traditional pattern with roots in Shetland lace knitting and has been adapted by many designers for home décor projects. Free versions are available for knitters who are comfortable reading a lace chart and working yarn-over techniques.

20. Fern Lace Placemat
Fern lace creates an elegant, leaf-like design through a series of yarn-overs and decreases. It has a botanical, organic quality that works beautifully for spring or summer table settings and makes a stunning housewarming or wedding gift. Free fern lace patterns for placemats can be found on knitting community sites and designer blogs.

21. Diamond Lace Placemat
Diamond lace combines the geometric clarity of diamond shapes with the airy elegance of lace to create a truly striking placemat. It is well suited to a formal dining room or a holiday table setting. Many designers have shared free versions of this pattern, and while it requires chart-reading skills, the symmetrical structure makes it relatively straightforward to follow.

22. Leaf Border Lace Placemat
This style of pattern features a stockinette or moss stitch center with an intricate lace border worked around all four edges. The contrast between the solid center and the delicate border is incredibly effective and creates a placemat that looks as though it took far longer to make than it did. Free versions of this construction style are shared by several talented designers online.

Modern, Colorwork, and Creative Patterns

23. Colorblock Placemat
Modern and minimalist, colorblock placemats use large sections of different solid colors to create a graphic, contemporary look. These patterns are usually simple in terms of stitch construction — often just garter or stockinette — and rely entirely on strategic color placement for their visual impact. They are an excellent choice for knitters who want a modern aesthetic without complex techniques.

24. Intarsia Placemat
Intarsia is a colorwork technique that allows you to work large, isolated areas of color without carrying yarn across the back of the work. Free intarsia placemat patterns range from simple geometric designs to more complex motifs like fruits, flowers, or seasonal images. This technique requires managing multiple yarn bobbins but produces a clean, tapestry-like finished surface.

25. Fair Isle Border Placemat
Rather than covering the entire placemat in Fair Isle colorwork, some patterns use colorwork only as a border treatment — a band of repeating small motifs along the top and bottom edges of an otherwise simple placemat. This is a great way to practice Fair Isle techniques on a small, manageable scale. Many free patterns of this type are available, particularly around the holidays when seasonal motifs are popular.

26. Striped Colorwork Placemat
Taking stripes beyond the basics, some free patterns feature two-color stripes worked in a slip stitch colorwork technique that creates the appearance of woven fabric. These patterns are worked with two colors but require only one yarn at a time per row, making them far more accessible than traditional colorwork. The finished fabric has a graphic, textile quality that feels both modern and handmade.

27. Granny Square Inspired Placemat
Inspired by crochet’s beloved granny square, some knitting designers have created flat square placemats with concentric border patterns in multiple colors that echo the layered look of a granny square. These are worked flat from corner to corner or from the center out and make great use of a stash of coordinating yarn.

28. Hexagon Placemat
Worked in the round from the center out, hexagon placemats are both visually striking and mathematically satisfying. The shaping involves regular increases to create the flat hexagonal form, and the pattern can be worked in a single color or in multiple colors for a bold effect. Free hexagon placemat patterns are available on several knitting sites and are a wonderful project for knitters who want something a little different from a standard rectangle.

29. Round Placemat
Round placemats have a chic, mid-century quality that works beautifully on round or oval tables. They are worked in the round from a small center, with increases distributed evenly to keep the fabric flat. Free round placemat patterns are widely available, and they can be worked in anything from garter stitch to lace depending on the effect you want.

30. Oval Placemat
An oval placemat has a traditional, classic look that suits farmhouse and country-style table settings particularly well. The oval shape is created by casting on a small number of stitches and working increases at both ends of the piece as it grows. Free oval placemat patterns are available on Ravelry and on knitting blogs, and they are a satisfying shape to work because the increases give you a constant sense of progress.

Seasonal and Holiday Patterns

31. Autumn Leaf Placemat
Warm tones and leaf motifs make this style of pattern a favorite for fall table settings. Some versions use leaf-shaped lace or textured stitch patterns built into a rectangular placemat, while others feature intarsia or colorwork leaf designs. Free autumn leaf placemat patterns are especially popular on knitting community sites in the late summer and early fall.

32. Holiday Placemat with Snowflake Border
Perfect for the winter holiday season, these placemats typically feature