Valley Yarns #243 Alpine Ridge Mug Rugs

Valley Yarns Alpine Ridge Mug Rug Set

What Is Being Made

The Alpine Ridge Mug Rug Set consists of small woven coasters designed to protect wood table surfaces while serving as functional home décor. This downloadable weaving pattern, Draft #243, is designed by Marthe Young and produces a set of four finished mug rugs, each measuring 4.25" x 4.25" (excluding fringe). The project is ideal for creating handwoven gifts, as multiple coasters can be woven efficiently on a single warp setup.

Weaving Technique

The Alpine Ridge Mug Rugs are created using a weft-faced plain weave structure with tapestry-type weaving on a rigid heddle loom. This technique produces a very soft and dense fabric that is well-suited for protecting furniture surfaces. The weft-faced construction means the weft yarns dominate the surface, creating the visual pattern and texture of the finished piece.

The weaving is executed at a sett of 8 ends per inch (epi) with approximately 40 picks per inch (ppi), creating a tightly woven, durable fabric. The pattern uses stripe techniques throughout the design, achieved by alternating different colored weft yarns across the width of the loom.

Equipment Requirements

• Rigid heddle loom at least 10" wide with 8-dent reed
• 2 to 6 stick shuttles (minimum of 2 required)
• Pick-up stick or 1" x 8" spacer
• Fray check
• Optional but recommended: cardboard box, small-diameter knitting needle, and stitch counter

Warp and Weft Materials

Warp Yarn: Maysville 8/4 Cotton Carpet Warp in 100% cotton (1600 yards per pound, 800 yards per tube). The pattern calls for 48 yards of #2 Black warp yarn. The warp is dressed at 44" length with 39 ends, creating a width in the reed of 4.75".

Weft Yarns: Valley Yarns Peru, a luxurious blend of 84% baby alpaca, 8% merino wool, and 8% nylon (120 yards per ball). The pattern uses one ball each of six coordinating colorways: #11 Frost, #14 Charcoal, #01 Natural, #17 Lichen, #05 Sunset, and #02 Lavender Mist. These varied hues create the distinctive striped pattern across each mug rug.

Pattern Details and Finished Results

The draft is designed to comfortably produce at least four finished coasters from a single warp setup. Weavers have the option to use extra warp length for a practice piece to perfect their beat technique, or to weave a bonus fifth coaster if space permits. The combination of the soft, dense cotton warp with the luxurious alpaca-blend weft creates a finished fabric that is both visually appealing and highly functional for protecting table surfaces.