I’m searching for suggestions for knitting placemats. I have a ton of acrylic yarn in my stash from back when I used to try to crochet afghans. I don’t have any afghans to show for it, but I have lots of skeins of yarn!
I figure I can use any stitch or design in the center, but I’m not sure how to make the edges/border and how wide to make it so that it lays flat on the table.
Do you have any suggestions? Is there anything special I should know or is a placemat really just a very big swatch? 
I wonder if Acrylic is suitable for placemats. Hot plates might melt it. All patterns I’ve looked at are knit from Cotton.
Having said that the best way to see how they are done is to check out existing patterns.
Two places to look
http://www.knittingpatterncentral.com/directory/placemats.php
a few nice ones here. Register free for pattern.
http://www.freepatterns.com/list.html?cat_id=372
You could still use the acryic for an afghan, just knit lots of ‘placemats’ and sew them together. Both the above sites have some great afghan patterns.
Oh for heaven’s sake!!! The plates would have be very very hot in order to melt acrylic - just because it’s heat sensitive doesn’t mean it woud melt at ordinary kitchen pot/dish temperatures.
Now that I’m off my soapbox, they might work very well, being exceedlingly washable and all that. The edges should probably be an inch or two worth of garter or seed st; I don’t think a cable st would work, though you could try it. But probably a dishcloth pattern knitted longer would work out. Here’s a whole bunch of 'em - Dishcloth Patterns
LOL. I have some acrylic potholders that my great-aunt crocheted for me; we use them for hot pads and it never crossed my mind to worry about them melting! 
What a big mess we’d be in now if they did! (We’ve put pots right from the stove and pans right out of the oven on them! :noway: )
It was looking at those during dinner, coupled with the notion that I wanted to buy some placemats anyway because I’m tired of having to clean the table all of the time. Not that I wouldn’t have to wipe anymore with placemats, but it would be easier to clean up after my preschooler. 
Since I have so much acrylic, I could make a bunch of them and just throw them in the wash every night. Then I would only have to do a quick wipe across the table instead of the scrubbing I do now. 
I can practice different stitches, use up some stash, and get the benefits of placemats without spending any money! Sounds like a great idea to me! :happydance:
Before I go off on my own, I wanted to see if there were any placemat patterns that could help me with sizing and edges. Those links have already been very helpful for me. Keep 'em coming, if you have any more! :yay:
Thanks! 
Being interested, I went on a Google search. The prevailing belief, whether right or wrong, is that acrylic, being a fancy plastic, will melt at a much lower temperature than a ‘natural’ fiber. I do know, from personal experience, that acrylic yarns that are wet conduct heat to my hands faster than anything else.
I didn’t mean to start an acrylic vs cotton debate. :doh:
The plates that are going to sit on the placemat aren’t even going to be very hot! They’re dinner plates! And bowls! The placemats are just to catch all the drips and drops that are part of a four-year-old’s eating experience.
My acrylic crocheted potholders are double thick, so any heat is conducted first through the top layer, then the next, before it reaches the table. I’m not cooking with them, just resting a cooling dish on them. They’re fancy trivets.
If we can all ignore the part about me using acrylic yarn – tough with it being in the title and all – I’m looking for PLACEMAT patterns, especially ones that have a nice border with a generic center that I can modify for myself.
I’m concerned that if I don’t put some type of border,the placemat will not lay flat. I would prefer something simple that would not take away from the center design and I’m sure stockinette would curl.
Suggestions, please? :pout:
It would probably lay flat if you bordered it with 1" to 1.5" of garter or seed stitch. Or applied I-cord. http://www.knitting-and.com/knitting/patterns/stitches/icord.htm
Here are a few knitted placemats that might give you some ideas on border type/size, overall size, and designs… Hope this helps.
http://www.knitpicks.com/Choose+Your+Own+Adventure+Placemats_PD50580220.html
Can download free pattern from this link
Lion Brands’ Free Pattern Downloads has a pattern for “Bright Placemats”
http://www.knitlist.com/2002/roman.htm
Pattern for the placemat is lower on the page.
http://www.knitsbyrachel.com/page55.html
This one is lots of fun but costs to get the pattern.
http://gallentine.org/Knitting/placemats.html
http://www.sugarncream.com/pattern.php?PID=2562
Free if you become a “member” to their site, which is free to do.