Square Dishtowel: centered bold "FUCK" in knits and purls

This squared dishtowel uses only knit and purl stitches to create a bold, centered word. The design works flat with a small garter border to keep the edges flat. The letters are made by working the chart stitches as knit on the right-side (RS) and purl for the background on the RS; on wrong-side (WS) work the opposite. Materials and exact row-by-row guidance included so you can follow without guessing.

Finished size

Approximate: 14" x 14" (36 cm x 36 cm). Slight variation depends on yarn and personal tension.

Yarn

• 100% cotton, worsted weight (Aran/worsted). Approx required: 140 yards (128 meters), one skein (~100 g). Use a cotton dishcloth/utility yarn for absorbency and durability.

Needles

• Recommended: US 7 / UK (old) 6 / 4.5 mm straight needles (or size needed to obtain gauge).
• Optional: one size up or down to adjust gauge.

Gauge

Stockinette: 18 sts x 24 rows = 4" (10 cm) with recommended yarn and needles. If your gauge differs, adjust cast-on to keep proportions.

Notions

• Tapestry needle to weave in ends
• Stitch marker (optional)
• Scissors

Abbreviations

• CO = cast on
• BO = bind off
• K = knit
• P = purl
• RS = right side
• WS = wrong side
• st(s) = stitch(es)

Construction notes

Total cast-on: 60 sts. There is a 6-stitch garter edge on each side (first and last 6 sts) to stop horizontal curling; those 6 sts are knit on every row (both RS and WS). The center panel is 48 sts wide. The 48-st center contains:

• left margin inside center: 8 background stitches
• letter blocks: F (7 sts), 1-st space, U (7 sts), 1-st space, C (7 sts), 1-st space, K (7 sts)
• right margin inside center: 9 background stitches

Vertically the word uses a 9-row high pixel font and is centered in the body of the towel.

Reading the charts

The small letter charts below use the symbols X = letter stitch (knit on RS) and . = background (purl on RS). On RS rows work X as K and . as P. On WS rows work the opposite: X => P and . => K. Always knit the first and last 6 sts of every row (garter edge).

Letter charts (each is 7 sts wide x 9 rows high). Top row is Row 1 (RS).

F:
XXXXXXX
X......
X......
XXXXX..
X......
X......
X......
X......
X......

U:
X.....X
X.....X
X.....X
X.....X
X.....X
X.....X
X.....X
X.....X
.XXXXX.

C:
.XXXXX.
X......
X......
X......
X......
X......
X......
X......
.XXXXX.

K:
X.....X
X....X.
X...X..
X..X...
X.X....
XX.....
X.X....
X..X...
X...X..

Stitch counts and placement reminder

Center panel width check: 8 (left margin) + 7 (F) +1 (space) +7 (U) +1 +7 (C) +1 +7 (K) +9 (right margin)=48 sts.

Pattern

1. CO 60 sts. (If you prefer a looser or denser towel, adjust cast-on in multiples of 4 to keep proportion.)
2. Work 6 rows garter (K every row) for bottom border.
3. Set body pattern: For all following rows (except the 6-row garter borders at top and bottom), the first and last 6 sts are garter edge (K on every row). The middle 48 sts are worked in reverse-stockinette background so that on RS you P the background and K the letters (per chart). Concretely: on RS rows, after the first 6 edge K, work the 48 center sts as specified (RS chart: X = K, . = P), then K the final 6 edge sts. On WS rows always knit the 6-st edges, and for the 48 center sts work the opposite of the RS chart (i.e., X => P, . => K).
4. Knit 31 body rows in this body pattern (these are the rows before the word). That is: repeat the row routine described in step 3 for 31 rows.
5. Work the 9 chart rows to create the letters. For each chart row (Row 1 to Row 9) work the full row as follows (RS rows shown): K6, center 48 (substitutions below), K6. The center 48 is: P x8 (left interior margin), then F-row (7 sts using X/. mapping), P x1, U-row (7 sts), P x1, C-row (7 sts), P x1, K-row (7 sts), P x9 (right interior margin). On WS (the row after each RS chart row) knit the edges and invert chart stitches in the center.
6. After completing the 9 chart rows, continue working the body pattern for 32 more rows (same RS/WS rules) to finish vertical centering.
7. Work 6 rows garter (K every row) for the top border.
8. BO loosely in pattern (if on an RS row with edges knit, BO knitwise to match edge, or use a stretchy bind-off if you prefer).

Explicit center chart rows (RS) — substitute X => K, . => P on RS. Edges are K6 at start and end of each row.

Row 1 (RS): K6, P8, F: XXXXXXX, P1, U: X.....X, P1, C: .XXXXX., P1, K: X.....X, P9, K6
Row 2 (RS): K6, P8, F: X......, P1, U: X.....X, P1, C: X......, P1, K: X....X., P9, K6
Row 3 (RS): K6, P8, F: X......, P1, U: X.....X, P1, C: X......, P1, K: X...X.., P9, K6
Row 4 (RS): K6, P8, F: XXXXX.., P1, U: X.....X, P1, C: X......, P1, K: X..X..., P9, K6
Row 5 (RS): K6, P8, F: X......, P1, U: X.....X, P1, C: X......, P1, K: X.X...., P9, K6
Row 6 (RS): K6, P8, F: X......, P1, U: X.....X, P1, C: X......, P1, K: XX...., P9, K6
Row 7 (RS): K6, P8, F: X......, P1, U: X.....X, P1, C: X......, P1, K: X.X...., P9, K6
Row 8 (RS): K6, P8, F: X......, P1, U: X.....X, P1, C: X......, P1, K: X..X..., P9, K6
Row 9 (RS): K6, P8, F: X......, P1, U: .XXXXX., P1, C: .XXXXX., P1, K: X...X.., P9, K6

Reminder for WS rows immediately following each of the above RS chart rows: knit the 6-st edges, then within the 48-st center do the exact opposite stitch for each position (i.e., where the RS chart row uses K, on the WS you P; where the RS chart row uses P, on the WS you K). That keeps the letters raised on the RS.

Finishing

• Weave in ends neatly on the WS.
• Block lightly to shape the towel and flatten the stockinette body. Cotton can relax with a warm steam block or wet block; pin to square and let dry.
• Optionally machine wash and tumble dry to soften slightly.

Sizing notes & variations

• To make a larger towel, add multiples of 4 sts to the center panel and adjust left/right margins equally so letters remain centered.
• To change the look, swap the garter side edge to 4 sts instead of 6 (reduce cast-on by 4 sts each side accordingly) — just keep the center letter block centered.

Care

100% cotton: machine wash warm, tumble dry low. For longevity, avoid bleach and high-heat drying.

If you need help adapting the stitch counts, centering a different word, or making a rectangular version, contact support: team@verde.uk. More from us at https://purljam.verde.uk and socials: #purljam.

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