Big Stitch Knit Rug
Our Big Stitch Knit Rug is scrumptious like a heavenly soft cloud and beautiful like a white-pebbled Sardinian beach. Sinking your feet into its cozy stitches is such a wonderful feeling you'll want it first thing in the morning and last thing at night!
With its farm-fresh natural fibers and jumbo sized stitches, the Big Stitch Knit Rug embraces homey rusticity with modern panache. A super easy slip stitch pattern gives it its lofty squishiness and fantastic nubbly texture.
Like its circular cousin, the Big Stitch Crocheted Rug, this knit version is made out of Bag Smith's Big Stitch Alpaca. It seems to say, "Make me into a gorgeous rug!". Seventy percent alpaca reinforced by a touch of wool and nylon, this yarn is ready to withstand rigorous duty with dignity and beauty!
The Materials
- 2 skeins of Bag Smith's Big Stitch Alpaca Yarn (70% alpaca, 15% wool, 15% nylon; 140 yards). This color is Cream.
- A US #36, 32 inch circular needle
The Pattern
Gauge
1 1/4 stitches = 1 inch in stitch pattern
Finished Dimensions
34 inches wide x 41 inches long
Pattern Note
Slip 1: Slip 1 purlwise, with yarn in back.
Begin
Cast on 41 stitches.
Wrong Side (WR): Knit
Right Side (RS): *K1, slip 1, repeat from * to last stitch, K1
Repeat previous 2 rows until piece measures about 41 inches or until desired length, ending with a WS row.
Bind off loosely and weave in your ends.
February 26, 2012
Reader Comments (52)
Denny Shaw
I was wondering what other kinds of
yarn could be used. A least expensive
one. Thank you, Rhonda
This yarn is not machine washable. It is handwashable, but it would take a while to dry.
Unfortunately Kmbold it wouldn't be a great bathroom rug for this reason.
Thank you both for your questions!
Molly
You can use Magnum doubled to get the same gauge. You will need double the yardage so for this project you would need 5 skeins of Magnum total. Here is a link:
http://www.purlsoho.com/purl/products/item/650-Cascade-Yarns-Magnum
Thank you all for writing in!
Molly
This isn't for sale, we just sell the materials to make it. If you'd like to find someone to knit it for you please feel free to call our NYC store at 212-420-8796 and they might be able to refer you to a custom knitter.
Thank you for your question!
Molly
I'm wondering where I could find the knitting needles required to make it! I've been looking around and nobody has such big circular needles in stock...
We sell the needles and yarn used in this and every project featured on The Purl Bee. They are linked under the "Materials" section.
You can find the needles here:
http://www.purlsoho.com/purl/products/item/8476-Skacel-Addi-Big-Stitch-Circular-Needles
Thank you for your question.
Molly
They are a US size 36 in a 32-inch length. They are listed in the materials section of this pattern and can be found here: http://www.purlsoho.com/purl/products/item/8476-Skacel-Addi-Big-Stitch-Circular-Needles
Thank you for your question!
Molly
Thank you for posting this. It is beautiful!!
We will be getting more yarn in stock. Please drop us an email at customerservice AT purlsoho DOT com if you'd like to us to let you know when it arrives.
Thank you!
Molly
Thanks!
We don't carry any cotton this heavy but you might want to experiment with doubling or tripling out favorite cotton yarn. Blue Sky Cotton, and using a smaller needle. Here's a link to the yarn:
http://www.purlsoho.com/purl/products/item/721-Blue-Sky-Worsted-Cotton
Thank you for your question!
Molly
Thanks.
Molly,
I'd love to be added to your list of custom knitters. Please let me know how to go about this. Many thanks!
Thanks, Aviva
If you'd like to be added to the list to be notified about the yarn when it comes in please send an email to our customer service department at the link below, and include in it the name of the yarn and the color. They can also let you know how soon we will expect the yarn to arrive.
-Laura
http://www.purlsoho.com/purl/contact
I would love to know if anybody tried the washable yarns mentioned in earlier comments: doubled/tripled Blue Sky Cotton or Lion Brand Wool -ease Thick and Quick doubled. Were you happy with the results? I posted a picture of my rug on my facebook page an hour ago and three friends have already asked my to make them one for Christmas. I don't mind hand washing but I don't want to force my friends to do this.
You could use the Blue Sky for this but please keep in mind that you will need 560 yards total and the Blue Sky is very short so you would need to buy 13 skeins.
If you'd like to purchase the Magnum from us you can do so here: http://www.purlsoho.com/purl/products/item/650-Cascade-Yarns-Magnum
Thank you for your question and please let us know if we can help with anything else.
Best-
Molly
Sure, you would just need to cast on double the stitches. Please keep in mind that if you cast on double the stitches and knit it double as long you will need to quadruple the amount of yarn so you'd need 8 skiens. But you can really make it any size you like- it's totally up to you!
Thank you!
Molly
I can see how it would be confusing!
You would need 560 yards of an alternate yarn like Magnum or Blue Sky Bulky Alpaca because you would need to double the yarn, thus you'd need double the yardage.
To double the size of the rug, for a finished size of 68 X 82-inches, you would actually need 4X the yarn- thus 8 skeins (or "bumps") of the original yarn. This is always a tricky concept for me but I find it helpful to draw it out: You can fit four 34 X 41-inch rugs into an area that is 68 X 82-inches.
Please let us know if you have any more questions!
Best-
Molly
Doubled Madeline Tosh Chunky would still be too thin. Unfortunately we don't know of a washable wool that would work for this but you could certainly try tripling or quadrupling any of the ones you mention in order to get the correct gauge.
With that said, most knit and woven wool rugs are not machine washable but rather get cared for by vacuuming, beating, and spot cleaning.
Thank you for your question!
Molly