Start here · a little extra help
A small project with a clear finish
This coaster is a practice square: each row gives you another chance to make even stitches and keep the edges straight. The yarn and hook you choose decide the exact size. A practice square does not need to match someone else’s measurements to teach you useful skills.
Choose yarn suitable for the intended use and follow its care label. Keep very hot cookware away from a beginner coaster; it is not a tested heat-protection pad. Before fastening off, lay it flat and check the corners and stitch counts.
Your small practice goal
Make the square, count its rows, and practise sewing in both yarn tails. Keep a note of the yarn and hook you used.
Picture it
Select the diagram to open it at full size. Use the written steps for the actual hook movements.
Words you’ll meet
No need to memorise these. Keep them nearby and look up a word whenever you need it. This guide uses UK names, with US equivalents explained.
Open the plain-English word guide · 8 terms
Chain · ch
A small loop pulled through the loop on your hook. A line of chains often forms the starting edge.
UK dc / US sc
UK double crochet is called single crochet in US patterns. They are the same short stitch.
Yarn tail
A loose end left at the start, finish or colour change. It needs to be secured inside the fabric.
Swatch
A small sample used to practise or to check the fabric, stitch size and washing behaviour.
Gauge / tension
The number of stitches and rows in a measured area. Tension can also mean how firmly you hold the yarn.
Aran
A yarn thickness name, generally thicker than DK. Check the label and your gauge rather than relying only on the name.
cm · centimetres
A unit of length used to measure fabric and finished projects. One centimetre is ten millimetres.
Repeat · rep
Do the stated group of instructions again, as many times as the pattern says.
Quick note: this guide uses UK crochet names. UK double crochet is US single crochet.
Your project card
Use smooth cotton yarn and a matching hook, plus scissors and a yarn needle. Make a small dc swatch first. Aim for a square about 10–12 cm wide, adjusting your starting stitch count to suit your yarn. The example below is a practice size, not a guaranteed measurement. This is a drinks coaster, not a heatproof pad.
Make the square
- Chain 19. Work UK dc (US sc) into the second chain from the hook and every remaining chain: 18 stitches.
- Ch 1 and turn; this chain does not count. Work one dc in each stitch: still 18.
- Repeat that row until the height matches the width. Measure the fabric flat without stretching it.
- Cut a generous tail, pull it completely through the live loop, then weave both tails securely through the stitches.
Check and finish
Count 18 at the end of every row. If your gauge needs a different width, use your chosen stitch count plus one starting chain. A gentle wash and flat dry, if the yarn label allows, helps you see the final shape. Do not worry if coaster number one has character — coaster number two is great practice.
Sources & further learning
Original Crochet By Micky practice notes. See the linked lessons for the underlying techniques.
Checked 24 October 2026. Written in UK terms, with US equivalents where useful. Follow a project's own stitch key if it differs. These are original explanations and practice exercises, not copies of the linked publishers' patterns.