Cost: $2.50 for 2 or 3
Skill level: beginner
Skills used: knitting, purling, knitting stripes.
If you haven’t knitted your own dishrags or washcloths before, you totally should. They’re cushy-soft, pretty, cheery, and fast to knit. I’m more of a sponge/scrubbie/brush gal, so mine will stay in the powder room or shower. I might make a few carrying a strand of scratchy metallic or hemp for scrubbaliciousness. I’m a big fan of the scrubby.
Inspired by the happy cotton dishrags in the wonderful and my current favorite knitting book Mason-Dixon Knitting, this washcloth also uses a 2-color slipped-stitch pattern. While it’s not as flashy as the Mason-Dixon basketweave, in many ways, I like better. Here’s why: it has a tidy slipped-stitch edge (I hate garter edges), the super-easy stacked pattern requires even less thought, and there’s less purling, hurrah!
The basic pattern is used on the 2-tone yellow version, while the mix-em-ups repeat is used on the yellow and orange.
Yarn
2 different colors [yarn A and yarn B] of of Peaches & Cream, Sugar n’ Cream, Lion Cotton, or any other soft, cheap kitchen cotton yarn
Needles
US 7/4.5mm needles
sharp darning needle
6 crochet hook (optional)
Gauge
about 5 st/inch
Instructions
All stitches are slipped purlwise.
CO 43.
With yarn A, CO 43 st.
Row 1: Slip 1, k to end
Row 2: Slip 1, p to 1 st from end, k1.
Join yarn B
Row 3: Slip 1. Move yarn to back of work. Sl 1. *K4, Sl 1, repeat from * to 1 st from end, k1.
Row 4: Slip 2. Move yarn to back of work. *K4, move yarn to front, Sl 1, move yarn to back, repeat form * to 1 st from end, k1.
Repeat rows 3 & 4.
Repeat all 6 rows 11 times more.
Work Rows 1 & 2 again, then BO, crocheting a little chain loop at the end if you like.
Weave in ends with a sharp darning needle, splitting the yarn as you weave. This keeps the unclingy cotton from unraveling as readily.
Crazy Mix-em ups
Okay, it’s not that crazy. Here’s how it goes:
CO & work the first 12 rows as per the pattern. Work Rows 1 & 2 again.
Then reverse your colors and work the whole 14 row set in the opposite colors.
Repeat the whole thing, then finish off with one more 14-row set in the original colorway, and BO & weave in ends as above. Ta da!
Awesome! I too am in love with the Mason Dixon book, and was planning on doing a few dishcloths as a housewarming gift for a friend soon! Thanks for the pattern!
Finally, a pattern that I dont have to buy the book for as I just wanted to give it a little try – it looks awesome and definately a change from the ordinary dishcloth. Thanks!
What a pretty dishcloth and great pattern! Thanks for posting it! I can’t wait to try it… I’m thinking about making this in Christmas colours as presents…. Once I’ve got it done, I’ll post it on my blog.
I love the look of this, and perhaps I’m just missing it, but I’m confused from the pattern as to how colors A and B are knit? Do you do 3 and 4 in color B, and then alternate? Any tips would be very much appreciated as I have tons of Sugar’n’Cream calling my name! Thanks! – Lissie
1 & 2 are A, 3 & 4 are B.
I love this pattern! Am trying all kinds of variations and every one is more beautiful than the last!!! I can’t put the needles down. Thank you for this beautiful pattern, and how ’bout some more?!?!
:o)
Not only am I thankful to Rachel for leading her group to this pattern, but also to your website with the clever subtitle and your book. I had a good chuckle from both! What great humor!
Those are so beautiful, thank you so much for sharing the pattern! I think a few handcrafted dishcloths would make a classy gift and save me some money too.
I just made my first one and thought it was so easy! Although, I noticed that when I was tired, I kept mixing up the yf and yb, so I had to keep fixing those.
Mixing up the pattern would be fun to do! I’ll have to keep that in mind!
Just wanted to thank you for posting this pattern. I love that it is so simple and yet looks so much nicer then your basic pattern. I am knitting it right now with a verigated colour and a solid colour and its turning out great. Definetly a keeper, making a set of cloths for my sister and gonna use the same wool but in a variety of colour order. Thanks again!
Hi, just wanted to thank you for posting this pattern. I absolutly love it. Its simple and yet looks much nicer then the basic dishcloth patterns I have come by a lot. I just finished one using a verigated yarn and a solid coloured yarn and very pleased with the results. Thanks again!
This is a beautiful pattern and I cant wait to try it. I really appreciate your sharing it with everyone. Thanks so much. Deborah B
So cute! I’m gonna give it a try!
there must be typos in this pattern? I double checked the directions, and the result I got by following this pattern look nothing like the photos…
can somebody who successfully followed the pattern let me know if you had to revise the pattern to make it work?
ok, i retract my comment after seeing Nikol’s comment:
“1 & 2 are A, 3 & 4 are B.”
Thanks, looks nice!
Thank You for sharing this one!
Ok..I am confused..when you join color B, do you then knit with both colors, or just the B colour. What do you do with color A while knitting with B? I have never knitted with 2 colors before.
Just use one color at a time. The other just hangs down at the end of the row, waiting for you.
This pattern looks easy, but me and my whole knitting group couldn’t figure out the directions. After completing row 2, how do you add the new color and slip the first stitch in that color to start the row[as the pattern states]?
I look forward to trying this. Thanks.