A Pair of Mathieson’s Mats

Some patterns carry more than stitches—they carry stories. This placemat design traces its lineage to Elizabeth Laird Mathieson’s beloved 1947 The Complete Book of Knitting, and even further back to a 1945 leaflet cherished by home knitters of the era. Its delicate eyelets echo the traditional fern lace motifs later cataloged by Barbara G. Walker, creating a design that feels both familiar and fresh. With moss‑stitch borders and fern lace panels, the design whispers of the Scottish greenery that shaped Mathieson’s world.

Materials

• Elsebeth Lavold Hempathy, 41% cotton, 34% hemp, 25% modal, DK weight, 153 yd (140 m)/1.76 oz (50 g),3 balls of #081 Pale Pistachio
  
• Needles: size 3 (3.25 mm) or size needed to obtain gauge
  
• Stitch markers
  
• Tapestry needle
  Finished measurements: 16¼" (41.3 cm) wide and 13" (33 cm) high, after blocking and before ironing.
  Gauge: 23 sts and 24 rows = 4" (10.2 cm) in lace pattern after blocking.

Originally published in PieceWork Winter 2021.

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