New pattern – The Tromso Rug

When I was a child, our house was unheated and there was a lino floor in my bedroom. I can still remember the shock of cold every morning if my feet touched the floor rather than my bedside rug. However, since the rug was where my cat used to sleep I often didn't have much of a choice about this. There really wasn't much square-footage of rug left after she had claimed it as her own! Of course, with the perversity of a cat she would then stretch, wake up and follow me out of the door ever-hopeful for an extra saucer of milk.

That memory of cold has always stayed with me and even though we now have the luxury of central heating I still like to have a rug by my bedside. So I suppose it's no surprise that I have a couple of rugs already in my pattern collection, including the Rare Earth Rug above and the Ocean Currents Rug below.

However, this time I wanted to make an extra-thick rug, quick to work up and just a nice size so you could use it in many situations.

So here’s the next idea in our “Knitting Ahead” series: to make a cozy rug for all the cold spots in your house. Do you have a place in the house where your feet feel chilly in the winter? Standing by the counter peeling potatoes...? Sitting knitting by the window so you can catch the last of the winter light...? Me, too! Wooden floors can be very cold when the temperatures dip.

So that's where my new Tromso Rug pattern comes in.

The rug is worked in Rib & Garter Stitch, which is a wonderfully textured reversible stitch from our Reversible Knitting Stitches book. This gives the rug a lovely depth and character, with strong lines running along the length of the knitting. This improves the warmth and softness of the rug so that is both nicely cushioned and also warming under your feet.

You can see the two sides of the rug in the photos above. The photo at the top of the page shows the Right Side while the one above shows the Wrong Side. They both have their own individual character and you don’t actually need to decide which side you're going to use until the very end. Even then, if you're careful about finishing off the ends invisibly you can always turn it over later on.

The Tromso Rug has been worked in a 100% wool which gives a lovely warm finish, and the yarn is also super-thick so it works up quickly. There are three different sizes included in the pattern:

• Small: 50 x 75 cm / 20 x 30 ins.
• Medium (pictured above): 60 x 90 cm / 24 x 36 ins.
• and Large: 70 x 105 cm / 28 x 42 ins.

This makes it a very versatile pattern as you should be able to find just the right size to keep you cozy through the winter.

For more details about the Tromso Rug knitting pattern, please click here. The pattern is available for instant download from the site so it won't be long until you have a new rug or two in readiness for the next cold snap!

Happy Knitting!

Moira

Last Blogpost: Norwegian Wood
Next Up: So it begins

​Our book: Reversible Knitting Stitches
My Website: www.wyndlestrawdesigns.com

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