My classroom door at work drives me insane.  We’re so near to the end of the corridor that the slightest bit of wind sends it banging back against a bookcase, scaring the life out of my children in the process.  I decided I needed a doorstop to hold it open so the problems didn’t even start.  I used to have a little wooden wedge which did the job perfectly well but developed its own pair of feet and walked off to someone else’s classroom!  I decided to make my own from an idea I’d seen in my mum’s Simply Knitting magazine.

You will need: DK wool in three colours, ceramic baking beans, wadding and lining fabric.

Cast on 40 stitches

Row 1: Knit

Row 2: Purl

Row 3: Decrease one stitch at either end, knit

Row 4: Purl

Row 5: Decrease one stitch at either end, knit

Row 6: Purl

Continue to decrease as described until you have 4 stitches.

One all but one panel, cast off.  On the other panel continue stocking stitch, without decreasing, until you have created another 16 rows to form the handle loop.

You could just make it with four panels the solid colours but I decided to practice designing and knitting patterns.

Alternate two blue and one red stitch

Alternate blue and white stitches followed by two lines of blue

I graphed out this pattern - let me know if you'd like me to share it with you

Sew the panels together using mattress stitch, making sure the handle is at the top.  Leave one seam open.  Measure the size of one of the sides of your finished doorstop.  Make a bag from your lining fabric and fill it with wadding for bulk and a pack of ceramic baking beans for weight, I got mine from Lakeland.  Put the bag inside your knitted doorstop and sew up the final seam.

Put it against your door and know that it won’t develop feet of its own!