Pin Loom Table Runner

In an effort to make a fresh start in 2020, I have been working to clear out some of the stuff in my dining room. I rediscovered this cool table runner that I made a number of years ago when we first got our black dining room table. I wanted something that I could throw in the middle of the table that reflected the Craftsman colors in our house and could be used as a gaming board. I hesitate to call it a table "runner" since it is not long and skinny, but don't know what else to call it. Maybe, table mat? Table quilt? I have no idea.

The table runner/mat measures 24" x 24". It makes a really nice checkers/chess board but it works just as well as a mat for any game. I wanted the red squares to stand out so I edged each 2" x 2" square with single crochet in its own color and then whip stitched the squares together in black. The green strips are made from three 2" x 6" pieces, single crocheted around the whole strip in its own color, with a second single crochet edge in warm brown. The end squares are 4" x 4"s, edged in brown. Then the whole piece got another edge of half double crochet in tan. If I were making it again, I would probably do that final outside edging also in single crochet, because I think it would balance the colors better.

This would be a super easy pattern to modify to work with other color schemes. And while I was wed to the idea of making a chessboard, you could make it thinner and longer and turn it into an actual table runner... with matching table mats! Enjoy and happy weaving!