Knitted Dishcloth with Pattern/Tutorial

Hi, this is Sarah talking to you in blue and this is Sara talking to you in red. We’re both here today to talk to you on the very important subject of dishcloths.

First and foremost, we recommend you avoid doing dishes if at all possible. It’s a despicable task. But if you find yourself in a predicament where you MUST wash the dishes (like I did through the month of December when my dishwasher broke and I had to hand wash everything, grrr) then these make it a little better!

Yes, if you insist on washing your dishes, then you need knitted dishcloths. I don’t think there is anything better for this horrible job. Not only do knitted dish rags get the job done, but you can toss them in the washer and dryer when you’re done. Plus, they last for years. It's true.

Knitted dishcloths are my “go-to” waiting room project. I like them because they travel well. You don’t have to lug along a pattern book, several skeins of yarn, stitch markers, a scissors, etc. All you need is one set of needles and one skein of yarn. You can put it down and pick it up easily without losing your pattern stitch. The work is mindless and easy, and a great way to pass the time while you wait for the tires to be rotated, or for the doctor to come in with your test results. For me, they are the perfect take along for a road trip. I recently discovered, I can knit the first half of these in pitch black. I really need to invest in a book light turned knit light for my road trips! I also really like knitting these while I'm watching TV - perfect mindless accompaniment.


Everyone has their favorite dishrag pattern. This is my favorite which I shared with Sara several years ago. I LOVE this pattern - have made countless dishcloths, thank you Sarah! It has an attractive finished edge on all four sides. It’s also worked in garter stitch which gives it a great textured surface for scrubbing dirty plates.

This is, by no means, an original pattern, just an old standby used by many over the years that we’re passing on to you. We’ll be looking for you knitting away in the waiting rooms of the world!

A set of coordinating dishcloths makes a great gift. I did this for Mother's Day one year. (OH my gosh, was it okay to give dishcloths for Mother's Day? You're not supposed to give women kitchen things, right? OOPS!). 

Anyway, I bet you money that if you gift these, you'll get requests for more. My mom has received several kinds of knitted dishcloths as gifts, but swears 'mine' are her 'favorite' and she 'must' have more. :)  Mom, they are in the works!

Make 3 or 4 and give as a set with some nice soap!

KNITTED DISHCLOTH PATTERN


Yarn: heavy worsted weight 100% cotton (like Sugar ‘n Cream brand) (<----that's my favorite brand too)
Needles: US size 7 (or size that gives you a nice, consistent tension) (I use size 8)


CO 4
Rows 1-3: k 4 even
Row 4: k 2, yo, k to end
Repeat Row 4 until there are 50 stitches on the needle; begin decrease
Dec Row: k 1, k 2 tog {or, sl1, k1, psso if you prefer that method}, yo, k 2 tog, k to end
Repeat Dec Row until there are 5 stitches on the needle
Next Row: k 1, sl 1 st, k 2 tog, psso, k 1 (4 st remaining)
Next Rows: k even
Next Row: BO all st