Patterns Written in US Terms

Materials:  Size 10 crochet thread in Scarlet (1-350 yd ball makes 4 placemats) and White and size 7 crochet hook or hook to obtain gauge
Gauge:  9 dc sts = 1”, 2 rows dc = 1\2”, 2 hdc sts = 1\4”, 8 hdc rows = 1”, 5 trc sts, ch-1 pattern = 1”, 2 rows of pattern = 1”
Finished Size: 11-1\2” X 14-1\2”
Placemat Base:
ROW 1: With Scarlet and 7 hook ch-114, sc 2nd ch from hook, sc ea ch across, turn.  (113 sts)
ROW 2: Ch-5 (1st trc + ch-1), (sk next st, trc next st, ch-1) across to last st, trc last st, turn.
ROW 3: Ch-5 (1st trc + ch-1), (trc top next trc, ch-1) across ending with trc in 4th ch of previous rows ch-5, turn.
ROW 4-22: Rep row 3.
RND 23: Ch-1, sc ea st and ch-1 sp and evenly across sides of rows working 3 sc in ea corner, sl st top beg sc, fasten off.
Woven Strip:
ROW 1: With White and 7 hook ch-5, hdc 3rd ch from hook, hdc ea st across, ch-1, turn.  (3 sts)
ROW 2-84: Hdc ea st across, ch-1, turn.  End row 84 fasten off.
-make 21 for ea place mat.
Weave ea strip across place mat base over and under trc sts.
Edging:
RND 1: With Scarlet and 7 hook join along edge through both the thickness of the place mat base and the white strip woven across it, ch-1, sc same st as beg ch-1, evenly sc ea st across (and through both thickness where strip meets base) and working (2 sc, ch-2, 2 sc) in ea corner, sl st top beg sc, ch-3, turn.
RND 2: Dc ea st around working (dc, ch-2, dc) in ea ch-2 sp, sl st top beg ch-3, ch-3, turn.
RND 3: Dc ea st around working (2 dc, ch-2, 2 dc) in ea ch-2 sp, sl st top beg ch-3, ch-3, turn.
RND 4: Rep rnd 2, fasten off.
This placemat lends itself to many different combinations.  Make the base all black and do each strip a different color.  Make the base one shade of blue (any color you like) and make the strips in a lighter or darker shade of the same color.  You can even alternate colors of the stripes to make a pattern or add a fun fur yarn to give it a wild and fuzzy look.  Your only limitations are your own imagination.