What's the Mat-ter?

I haven't posted anything woven in a while, have I? Well, time to rectify that! My mother has been pining for a nice set of placemats to match her dining room, and I'm always up for making a gift or four. So, I got myself some nice linen yarn, dyed a portion of it bright red to match the walls, and set to work!

The red combined with the off-white of raw linen fit really well with the dining room, so I'm quite pleased with the results! It was very simple to make as well: I doubled up all the strands to give a basket-weave effect, but otherwise it was completely plain weave, with a set of off-center vertical and horizontal stripes to add interest. The weave is quite open, and so these placemats feel light and summery.

I had enough yarn to make four placemats total, which adds up to a nice little set for my immediate family. I still have a bit left over, though, so perhaps I'll make napkin rings or something else to match!