Elephant mat for baby or dog

Elephant Mat for Baby or Dog by Linda Moorhouse

Project Overview

This downloadable knitting pattern creates a charming elephant-themed mat suitable for babies or pets. Designed by Linda Moorhouse, the finished mat measures 24 inches by 28 inches, making it an ideal size for a crib mat, play mat, or pet bedding. The project combines knitting with quilting techniques to create a durable, cushioned finished piece.

What You'll Create

The elephant mat features a pictorial elephant design created through color work knitting. The design is worked in horizontal strips from bottom to top, following a provided chart where each square represents 2 inches by 2 inches when knitted. The finished knitted piece is then quilted and backed with cotton material to create a structured, washable mat suitable for active use.

Knitting Techniques Used

• Stocking stitch: The primary stitch used throughout the mat, creating a smooth, classic knit fabric
• Color work: The elephant design is created by changing yarn colors as you work, allowing the pictorial pattern to emerge row by row
• Strip construction: Rather than knitting the entire mat as one piece, you work multiple horizontal strips that are joined together, making the project more manageable
• Quilting: The finished knitting is layered with wadding and backed with cotton, then oversewn around all edges to create a padded, quilted mat

Stitches and Construction Details

The pattern uses basic knitting stitches with instructions written in full, making it accessible for beginners. You'll work primarily in stocking stitch, which involves knit rows on the right side and purl rows on the wrong side. The design requires you to cast on 12 stitches for each strip and work 14 rows of stocking stitch before changing colors or moving to the next section. The chart guides your color changes throughout the project.

Materials Required

• Yarn: 200 grams of double knitting (DK) weight yarn in your chosen colors, plus small oddments of white and black double knitting yarn for details
• Needles: Metric 3mm and 4mm needles for working the knitted fabric
• Quilting materials: ¾ metre of quilt wadding or stuffing for padding, and ¾ metre of cotton material for the backing

Tension and Sizing

The pattern specifies a tension of 22 stitches by 30 rows equaling 4 inches square when worked using 4mm needles in stocking stitch. Achieving the correct tension is important for the mat to reach its intended finished size of 24 inches by 28 inches. Each square on the provided chart measures 2 inches by 2 inches when knitted, allowing you to easily calculate the overall dimensions.

Difficulty Level

This project is rated as beginner-friendly, making it an excellent choice for knitters new to color work and larger projects. The use of basic stitches, full written instructions, and the strip-by-strip construction method keep the project manageable and straightforward.

Finishing Process

Once all strips are knitted and joined, you'll pin the quilt wadding to the wrong side of the knitting and oversew around all edges to secure it. The cotton backing is then attached, creating a three-layer mat that is durable, washable, and cushioned for comfort.