Wattle Stitch Crocheted Trivet

Crocheted in modern, architectural wattle stitch that creates a sturdy surface, this trivet (hot mat) makes a stylish addition to your Shabbat or holiday tabletop. It uses a tubular yarn for body and insulation.

Jump to:

• How to work crocheted wattle stitch
• Which yarn to use
• Options for finishing
• Using your trivet
• Wattle Stitch Crocheted Trivet

Trivets, especially attractive ones, are always in short supply in my kitchen, so I found this chunky, modern stitch to use for making simple, matching crocheted trivets. The finished trivet is reversible. There's a small difference between the "right" and "wrong" sides, but both look nice and finished. It also looks nice turned 90 degrees to the right or left!

Note: The first set of instructions uses US crochet terminology. Following it in square brackets [like this] are the instructions using UK crochet terms.

How to work crocheted wattle stitch

If you're new to crocheting or need a review, have a look at this step-by-step pictorial guide or this playlist on YouTube. I'm going to assume you know the basics of making a foundation chain, single crochet (sc) [UK: double crochet (dc)], double crochet (dc) [treble crochet (tr)], and half double crochet (hdc) [half treble crochet (htr)]. That's all you need to know for wattle stitch.

Wattle stitch consists of sc, ch1, dc into the same space [dc, ch1, tr]. For the last stitch of each row, you'll make a hdc in the ch1 from the previous row [htr]. This keeps the edges straight and neat. There is also a set-up row worked into the foundation chain; after that, the pattern is the same for each row. Here are some visual references for you:

Working 1 wattle stitch

After crocheting the first row into the foundation chain, you're going to be working into the 1-chain space.

The first thing to get a hang of with wattle stitch, after working the set up row, is where to insert your hook to work the next stitch. You want to work into the ch1 space from the row below, not the space between wattle stitches. The ch1 space will be "higher" than the space between stitches:

So, you want to insert your hook to start the stitch like this:

Here, I've worked the first two elements of the wattle stitch: sc1, ch1 [dc, ch1], and am beginning the last element, a dc [tr]:

And here is a completed wattle stitch:

Ending a row

The next element to master for successful wattle stitch is finishing the row. When you have three chains left, you're going to be working a hdc [htr] into the turning chain from the row below:

So, to make a hdc [htr], draw the yarn around your hook, insert it into the turning ch, and pull the yarn all the way through:

Here is a full row worked:

Which yarn to use

I used Bernat Maker Home Dec yarn for the trivet, which is a tubular cotton and nylon bulky-weight yarn. (Here it is on Amazon, but look around online or at local craft stores to get a better price. I definitely got it for less.) To get a thick, sturdy trivet, you'll want to use a similar type of yarn, like this one, this one, or these on Etsy.

Options for finishing

I finished my trivet with a custom fabric label I had printed at Spoonflower. They have a good tutorial on how to make your own. Since mine has my logo on it with the two candles on the reverse, it doubles as a Shabbat symbol. You could also add an embroidered patch.

Using your trivet

I wouldn't recommend this trivet for dishes that comes right out of the oven. However, I tested it with hot dishes (the temperature at which I'd serve them) and it insulates my table well. If you wanted to boost the insulation, you could place this over a plain glass or cork trivet or small cutting board. Another option is to simply fold it in half. I'd say this is comparable to a store-bought woven or raffia trivet.