The designer has borrowed the oval design used by Amish rug makers for a pieced rug that combines simplicity with ingenuity. The rug is made from five separate garter-stitch strips that are formed into ovals, blocked, and then sewn together. Once you understand how the rug is made, you can add strips to the beginning oval to enlarge the rug, or work narrow strips and combine them for a set of placemats.

This version is made with plane garter stitch and no short rows.

Yarn: Lion Brand Kitchen Cotton (100% cotton; 236 yd 212 m/5 oz 141.5 g): #112 poppy red (A), 4 balls; #140 rose (B), #186 maize (C), #106 pastel blue (D), and #123 seaspray (E), 1 ball each.