Table Runner Knitting Patterns That Add Instant Charm to Your Table

As we get deeper into the “ber” months, it seems like there are more and more occasions where we might gather with people around a table. Why not make your table a little more fun (and show all your guests that you knit) by knitting up a table runner?

Like most other genres of knitting patterns, table runners can be simple or more detailed. On the easier side would be things like this one from Embielle Design, which is mostly garter and stockinette stitch with a little section of diamonds worked by purling on the knit side. They used cotton cord for their runner, but bulky yarn would work great, too. The pattern comes out 14 inches/35.5 cm wide and has options for different lengths, though of course you can make it as long as you like.

Another easy one is the Picnic pattern from Margaret on Ravelry. This one uses simple rows of eyelets and garter ridges to add texture to a stockinette stitch background. It calls for fingering weight yarn and would be a great one for any season depending on the fiber type and color you choose.

The bed/table runner from tracy wright 63 (also on Ravelry) shows how pretty basic knit and purl patterns can be, with easy blocks of texture on a field of stockinette. It uses DK weight yarn and includes options for different sizes based on the size of a bed, but you can alter for your table or dresser as well.

The Hamilton table runner from Wyndlestraw Designs is still knits and purls, but combined in a more complex design to make diamonds. This is still totally approachable and the pattern includes charts and written row by row instructions. It uses DK weight yarn, comes in three sizes of different widths and lengths, and is rated for intermediate knitters.

Want to add a little lace to your runner? Try the easy knitted table runner form Made by Lilian Designs, which uses a simple allover lace pattern worked in bulky yarn to protect your table. The repeat is short and easy to remember so this would be a good beginner lace knitting project.

We can’t forget cables, which are my favorite in the winter. This runner pattern from Handy Little Me has a chunky braided cable running down the center. The rest of the pattern is garter stitch or stockinette, so it’s really easy to knit even if you haven’t done cables before. It uses super bulky yarn and comes in one size but you can always make it longer.

After looking at all these patterns I have a serious question: why are so many table runners white? (I guess you take them off when you eat but mine would definitely attract random stains.)

Get Ready for the Holidays with a Knit Table Runner

When I was looking around for free knitting patterns to share recently, I came across this fun leopard print wrap from Yarnspirations.

This fun bulky wrap gives you tons of practice with instarsia and makes a bold statement while keeping you warm. It’s rated for intermediate knitters and the design is charted but pretty easy to follow. And it’s only 50 rows and worked in bulky yarn, so it wouldn’t even take that long to knit. (You can grab the free pattern from Yarnspirations.)

So what’s the problem? The yarn that the pattern calls for has been discontinued, and it’s not a yarn that a substitute for immediately springs to mind.

The original yarn was Patons Alpaca Blend, a single ply bulky yarn that was a combination of acrylic, superwash wool, nylon and alpaca.

My first thought was Lion Brand Hue + Me, which is an acrylic and wool blend, with two plies instead of a single. It looks like it has the colors you would need to make this fun shawl.

But as I was thinking about it, I thought this would be a good opportunity to introduce you to YarnSub if you don’t already know about it. This website is a giant database of yarn that can consider the qualities of the yarn you want to substitute and offer potential substitutions.

It’s not only thinking about yarn weight, like I was, but also fiber content, number of plies, gauge and even the difference in yardage between one ball and another. It even looks at the price and can be filtered by your price range or preferences about fiber content (if, say, you’re sensitive or allergic to wool, for example, or don’t want to you acrylic).

When I plugged in Alpaca Blend, it gave me a lot of different options, though many of them were self-striping or multicolored, which wouldn’t work for this project, and I don’t see a way to filter for solid colors only.

Still, it’s a good tool to give you some ideas you might not know about or might have forgotten about, and it tells you how the new yarn is similar to the old one and how it differs, allowing you to make smarter choices when substituting yarns.

[Photo: Yarnspirations]

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