This is the tenth installment in my series of patterns using the very back loop of the half double crochet, which is one of my favorite crochet effects! The griddle stitch pattern is also used, which is a super simple combination of double and single crochets that creates a lovely textured fabric for the main area of the placemat. But the highlight of this pattern for me is the cute picots that adorn the outer edge of the border - hence the title of the pattern! All of these stitches and effects are described in the downloadable pattern document.

What You’ll Need:

Roughly 230 yards of a light 3 weight yarn and a hook that will result in your starting chain measuring 14 inches. I used exactly one skein of Premier Yarn’s Hipster Cotton for each placemat in the colorway Tropical Dream.

Stitch Abbreviations (US Terminology)

Ch - chain
Dc - double crochet
Hdc - half double crochet
Hdcvblo - half double crochet very back loop only
Mp - make picot
Sc - single crochet
Ss - slip stitch
Tr - triple crochet

Special Stitch Instructions

Half double crochet very back loop only: complete a hdc as normal, but place it in the very back / third loop only of the hdc in the preceding row (note that you may have to tilt your work towards you to identify this extra loop).

Picot: there are many variations of picots, but for the purposes of this pattern, when you see “MP,” do the following: ch 3, then ss into top of the triple crochet made before the ch 3. From there your picot is complete and you can move onto the rest of the pattern instructions.