Loopy Bath Mat
If you’re a knitter, you’ve probably outfitted your extremities, plus those of everyone in your immediate family, and you’ve most likely also supplied a few babies with handknit blankets. All worthy and satisfying endeavors, but have you ever knit a deep, soft, plush landing pad for your wet feet? No? Well, why not?
Admittedly, our Loopy Bath Mat is a bit on the whimsical side with its rambunctious texture and well… its handknit-edness. On the other hand, if a bath or a shower is an exercise in self-care, then this hedonic bath mat is the perfect equipment!
How did this Loopy Bath Mat get so soft and decadent? First, with the invaluable aid of Blue Sky’s Worsted Cotton, the coziest cotton we know; and second, with the creation of big loopity loops! The Loop Stitch is one of knitting’s most adventurous stitches, involving fingers that normally idle and methods that truly surprise. And with just one pattern row for every five garter stitch rows, it’s unexpectedly easy too!
This project is just the thing for some loopy summer fun. Treat yourself! -Whitney
Designed by Purl Soho designer, Whitney Van Nes.
Share your progress and connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho, #PurlSohoBusyHands, and #PurlSohoLoopyBathMat. We can’t wait to see what you make!
Materials
- 5 skeins of Blue Sky’s Worsted Cotton, 100% cotton. Each skein is 150 yards/ 100 grams; approximately 750 yards required. I used the color Bone.
- US 7 (4.5 mm), 24 or 32-inch circular needles
Gauge
16¾ stitches = 4 inches in Loop Stitch (See the Extra Note at the end of the Note section for more specifics concerning the gauge.)
Size
Finished Dimensions: 20 inches x 28 inches
Note
How to Make the Loop Stitch
Step 1: As you prepare to knit the next stitch, hold the middle finger of your left hand over the working yarn, like this…
Wrap the working yarn around the middle finger as you knit the next stitch.
Do not allow the stitch to fall off the left needle, so that you have a new stitch on the right needle and the old stitch on the left needle.
Step 2: With your middle finger still in place, slip the new stitch from the right needle to the left needle.
There are now two stitches on the left needle and your middle finger is still holding a loop of yarn.
Step 3: Knit those two stitches together through the back loop.
Allow both stitches off the left needle and release your middle finger, giving the loop a tug as you do.
EXTRA NOTE: Before I started each new row of Loop Stitch, I went back to the previous row and pulled up the slack of each loop. This isn’t necessary, but it does create a tighter fabric. (The gauge of this pattern is based on having pulled each loop. If you don’t pull each loop, you can expect a gauge of 15 1/4 stitches per 4 inches and a finished width of 22 inches. You’ll have enough yarn to make the length at least 32 inches.)
Pattern
Cast on 84 stitches. We used a basic Long Tail Cast On.
Rows 1-4: Knit.
Row 5 (wrong side): K3, make a Loop Stitch out of each stitch to the last 3 stitches, k3. (For Loop Stitch instructions, see the Note above.)
Row 6: K3, knit into the back loop of each stitch to the last 3 stitches, k3.
Repeat Rows 1-6 until piece measures 27 1/2 inches from the cast on edge, ending with Row 6.
Knit one row.
Next Row (right side): Bind off loosely in knit stitch.
Weave in the ends and take a bath!
CARE NOTE: Blue Sky’s Worsted Cotton is machine washable, but like all handknits, I’d recommend hand washing your bath mat. Just soak it in warm water with a gentle soap, rinse and squeeze. Lay your mat flat on a dry towel and let it dry!
Another simple, creative, beautiful piece of art. I love this site! The patterns are simple and the end result is amazing. I've used some of the patterns for hats and elbow pads for a sweater that had some wear and things always turn out great. Thanks for the site.
I made the loops and found them too large for my liking.
Do you have a knitting method or making smaller loops?
I definately would love to try this!
That`s lovely! I want to make one. Thank you very much for sharing.
Hi Josefine,
You might want to try wrapping the working yarn around an extra knitting needle that would create the size loops you'd like. You can wrap the yarn around anything, really. The idea is simply to create consistently sized loops.
Thanks so much for asking and let us know how it goes!
Whitney
I have some linen yarn just waiting for a project. I think I may give it a try.
Thanks for the pattern
This looks like a fun project! I don't need a bath mat, but I'd love to try it for a whimsical scarf or hat. You've inspired me for sure!
Any tips for us continental knitters? I love this and would love to make a loopy reading mat for my son's room…but how. I don't think I can hold the yarn in my right hand and learn to throw it without a lot of effort…
Hello,
I'm a beginner crocheter. Would you be able to give instructions on how to do it with a crochet hook?
Thank you!
If I wanted to make this bigger in length how many more stitches could I add or would it matter ?
Please let me rephrase that last comment .how many more stitches do I add for making the width wider ?
Hi Lisa,
A Google search of "loop stitch for continental knitters" brought up a few video tutorials. I hope one of them helps get you on the right path! Spoiler alert: It looks like you'll be using the thumb of your left hand!
Thanks so much for asking and please let us know how it goes!
Whitney
Hi Fatima,
This stitch pattern works over any number of stitches, so you can add as many as you'd like! If you're getting the same gauge as I did (16 3/4 stitches = 4 inches), then you'd add 17 stitches to add about 4 inches of width.
Please let us know if you have any other questions and thanks for this one!
Whitney
Hi Lisa,
I've never crocheted a Loop Stitch, but a computer search of "loop stitch crochet" turned up lots of tutorials. I hope one of them helps!
Let us know how it goes and thank you so much for your question!
Whitney
I would love to use this method for the inside of a jacket!
Hi!
I just tried the loop stitch for the first time and I might be confused. Are the loops supposed to be between two stitches or tied off of one? I have found tutorials on how it’s one loop for each stitch, but my method had a loop between two (like a rainbow?). Not sure if I’m doing it right!
Hi Abby,
The loop should seem like it’s coming from two stitches together, almost like it’s tying two stitches together. Our tutorial at the beginning of the pattern explains the technique we used to make our loops. I’m sure there are other ways, but if you follow our steps you should get loops that look like ours!
Please let us know if you need more guidance and thank you so much for getting in touch!
Whitney
Hi! I’m wondering after my first attempt if the loops are supposed to be closed or open after you’re done? Mine are open between two stitches so I’m not sure if I’m doing it correctly!
Hi again Abby,
The loop is “open”, meaning that its doesn’t connect to the knitting at the same exact point.
And in terms of “doing it correctly”, if you’re not doing it already, I would start out with a gauge swatch and work Rows 1-6 several times. You should, at that point, get the sense of whether you’re doing the stitch right or not. Does it look like our photos? Does it feel right? Most importantly, do you like it? If the answer is no to those questions, take an extra careful look at our tutorial to see where you might be going wrong. And, as always, we’re happy to help!
Thanks again for your questions. Keep them coming!
Whitney
If you included international (metric) needle sizes with your patterns that would be super-great. This looks like a really fun pattern. Off to find out what US#7 means….
Hi Ruth-
All of our measurements and sizes are in US units simply because we are in the US and are the most comfortable with that system and because we like to have a clear standard. Unfortunately in addition to metric sizes knitting needles can also be listed in UK sizes, so in order to be clear we just list one. However, if you click over a needle page of Purlsoho.com, the metric sizes and UK sizes are listed along side the US size: https://www.purlsoho.com/purl/products/item/8-Skacel-Addi-Turbo-Circular-Needles
Additionally here is a link to a helpful chart that clearly lists needle sizes for all three measurement standards: http://www.yarnfwd.com/main/needleconv.html
Thanks so much for getting in touch!
Molly
Hello, I try to make a loop stitch. Your making is so beautiful, but I do not know step3. What are those two stitches? If you don’t mind, please let me see your technique with Video.
Hi Mana,
Thank you for your message and our apologies for the greatly delayed response. At present we are unable to make a video for this technique. However, a Google search of “knit loop stitch” brought up a few video tutorials. I hope one of them helps get you on the right path!
Happy knitting!
Cassy
Hi Whitney and crew,
Does this bathmat slip on the tile floor? Any recommendations for how to create a sticky backing that will prevent it from slip sliding away? Thanks in advance for your ideas.
Jocelyn
Hi Jocelyn,
Thanks so much for writing in! The yarn used for this is cotton and I actually can’t think of a yarn that would be sticky and slip resistant. I suggest that you hand sew a “rug gripper” to the bottom of the mat when you are finished with it. You can cut away the excess when you are finished sewing it. This should make your mat slip resistant. Best of luck on this project! It’s fun!
-Adam
This is beautiful:) I love, love, love this site for all the simple and elegant ideas. You have the best yarns, too! I can’t wait to get mine:D
I’m having trouble while doing Row 6 – when I try to knit through the back loop, the loops made in the previous row seem to be coming loose. What am I doing wrong?
Hi Rehana,
I love this mat and hope you will love yours too! Be sure that you passed your stitch on to the left-hand needle and that you knit this stitch with the original stitch through the back loop. This technique secures the loop in place. Let me know if this fixes it. If not, I’d be glad to help more!
Best,
Adam
Cotton usually takes a long time too dry. Should I worry about this getting mold?
Hi Nancy,
Thanks for reaching out! We haven’t heard of any issues with this bath mat being prone to mold, thank goodness! The official care instructions for Blue Sky Worsted Cotton is to hand wash and lay flat to dry, but we have had great success putting in the washer and dryer, so I would recommend washing it or at least hanging it outside to dry thoroughly once a week if you are concerned.
I hope that helps!
Julianna
I usually find Purl Soho instructions super easy to follow- but this one literally throughs me for a “loop”- no pun intended. Is there another way to explain this stitch? What am I moving from left to right needle, knitting together (without decreasing the overall stitches…many thanks if there is a better explanation
Hi Karin
Thanks for writing in! This can be a little tricky until you get the hang of it. When you are ready to make the loop, place your left middle finger (or another large needle) behind your working left needle. Place your right needle through the stitch to be knit and bring the yarn around your finger(or needle) creating an extra-large loop, and pull yarn through the stitch on your left needle as you normally would to knit, but don’t take the stitch off the left needle. You should now have the stitch you just made on your right needle, the stitch you knit through still on your left and a loop around your middle finger. Slip the stitch you just made (the one on your right needle) back onto the left. It should be next to the stitch you didn’t take off. The loop should look like it is coming out from between these 2 stitches. (Step 3) Now knit those 2 together, and it will lock the loop in place. I really hope this helps!
Happy knitting
Jessica
Hi, thanks for this beautiful pattern! Do you have a tutorial video for this?
Hi Julia,
Thanks for your question! Unfortunately, we don’t have a video tutorial for the loop stitch, but we do have a picture tutorial included in this pattern! I’ll be sure to pass along your interest in a tutorial to our team, but in the meantime, you can also reach out to us via email at customerservice@purlsoho.com with any questions you might have about the loop stitch!
All the best,
Carly
Just started to knit this…have had the pattern and yarn for a few years. Now that I have figured it out..it is actually fun! It will look great on my marble floor in my bathroom! Thank you Purl Soho! Love your patterns! 💕
Thank you so much, Barbara, and we hope you enjoy your new bath mat for many years to come!
All the best,
Margaret
I am knitting this right now. Have to say, I LOVE the long loops…I have about 6” finished now and the long loops fall all together and look GREAT! Very happy with this. A fun knit and goes pretty fast once you get the hang of it. I do find that I have to tighten up the loops after every row…take up the slack…but it feels very satisfying to do that. 💕
We are so happy to hear you are having such fun with this pattern! We hope you enjoy knitting the rest of your bath mat, and please feel free to send us a photo at customerservice@purlsoho.com when you are done!
All the best,
Margaret
Love the loopy bath mat! Was thinking of using bone or another soft white but don’t see those color options in Blue Sky Worsted Cotton? My back up choice will be sleet, as I have marble like tiles in my bathroom and it seems like a neutral?
Hi Steffanie,
Thanks for reaching out! I’m sorry to say that we’re discontinuing Blue Sky’s Worsted Cotton, so unfortunately we won’t be restocking Bone, or any of the other colors that have sold out. Unfortunately, we only have 1 skein of Sleet in stock, which won’t be enough for this pattern.
But there are other options that will work! I’d recommend taking a look at our other worsted weight cotton yarns, Tulip Cotton and Sunshower Cotton. Both of these yarns are very similar in weight to Worsted Cotton, so you’ll definitely be able to achieve the gauge of the pattern with them. Just be sure to knit up a gauge swatch before beginning so you can determine what needles are best to use!
Apologies for the inconvenience, but I hope that one of the alternate yarns I suggested catches your eye!
All the best,
Lili