A crochet project may be marked “for beginners,” but as with many ventures, the more you learn, the less you know. This is because as the wide field of crocheting opens up to the beginning crocheter usually through social media how to videos, the number of possible projects may become overwhelming. There are so many things you can make with crochet, from doilies with #10 thread to cozy afghans with super chunky velour yarn. It’s best to start with a simple project that can be completed within one afternoon or evening, and then repeat it until you master and memorize the pattern. One example is making a simple coaster.

With fall weather in the air, everyone is thinking about pumpkins! Pumpkin spice, pumpkin decor, and eventually, pumpkin pie! This pumpkin shaped coaster can be found all over Pinterest, so do a search and take your pick, pun intended!

Before you begin, however, you’ll need to make an important decision: cotton or acrylic yarn? For potholders and trivets that carry the weight of extremely hot items, it’s best to use all cotton yarn. Acrylic yarn might melt and disintegrate under a very hot pot. Both types of yarn are suitable for coasters; cotton absorbs water, so a cotton coaster might hold the heat but become very wet under a “sweating” glass, while acrylic yarn won’t absorb the water and will protect your furniture. In a recent informal poll in a Facebook crochet group, crocheters were pretty evenly split on which yarn to use.

In the below photos, you can see how the crochet yarn looks more muted and matte and the acrylic yarn has a shinier texture. First photo is cotton and second is acrylic.