Beginner Cotton Dishcloth

A sturdy, reversible kitchen cloth in easy garter stitch. There is no shaping and no purling. If you can cast on, knit, and bind off, you can make this. The cloth is a practical square for dishes or as a washcloth.

Skill level: Beginner
Skills used: cast on, knit stitch, bind off, weave in ends

Materials

• Worsted weight (Category 4) 100% cotton yarn, approximately 75 yards (69 m) / 1.6 oz (45 g)
• Choose a smooth kitchen cotton. One typical ball is enough for one cloth. Avoid wool (it felts and absorbs poorly) and acrylic (it can melt near hot pans).
• US 7 (4.5 mm) knitting needles, or size needed to obtain gauge. Straights about 9–10 inches (23–25 cm) long are ideal; a circular needle used flat is fine if that is what you have.
• Optional: one US 8 (5 mm) needle, used only if you need a looser bind off
• Tapestry needle
• Scissors

Gauge

18 stitches and 36 rows = 4 inches (10 cm) in garter stitch, measured flat and unstretched, before washing.

That is 18 stitches across 4 inches and 36 rows over 4 inches. (18 ÷ 4 = 4.5 stitches per inch; 36 ÷ 4 = 9 rows per inch.)

Swatch (optional): Cast on 26 stitches and knit 44 rows. Lay the swatch flat and count stitches and rows over 4 inches (10 cm) in the middle. These swatch numbers are not the project numbers. If you have more than 18 stitches in 4 inches, switch to a larger needle. If you have fewer than 18 stitches in 4 inches, switch to a smaller needle.

Exact gauge is not critical for a dishcloth — a cloth that is a little larger or smaller still works — but matching gauge gives the size below.

Finished Size

8 inches × 8 inches (20.5 cm × 20.5 cm), before washing.

Cotton may relax or shrink slightly in the first wash. The cloth will still be a useful square.

Abbreviations

• BO — bind off
• CO — cast on
• k — knit
• st(s) — stitch(es)

Pattern

Notes

• Garter stitch: knit every stitch on every row.
• The fabric is reversible. Either side may face out.
• One garter ridge, counted on one side only, equals 2 rows. Do not count ridges on both sides and then double them.
• Stitch count stays 36 for the whole cloth. There are no increases or decreases.
• Lay the cloth flat and measure through the middle. Do not stretch it.

Cloth

Using the long-tail cast on (or the cast on you already know), CO 36 sts. Leave a 6-inch (15 cm) tail to weave in later.

(8 in × 18 sts ÷ 4 in = 36 sts ✓) — 36 sts on the needle.

Knit every row until the piece measures 8 inches (20.5 cm) from the cast-on edge to the live stitches, and the length matches the width.

At the gauge above, that is 72 rows, which is 36 garter ridges counted on one side.

(8 in × 36 rows ÷ 4 in = 72 rows ✓)
(72 rows ÷ 2 rows per ridge = 36 ridges ✓)
(36 sts ÷ 18 sts × 4 in = 8 in wide ✓)

BO all 36 sts loosely in knit. A tight bind off pulls the top edge in and makes a trapezoid. If your bind off tends to be tight, use a US 8 (5 mm) needle for the bind-off row only.

Cut the yarn, leaving a 6-inch (15 cm) tail.

Finishing

Weave in the cast-on and bind-off tails along the garter bumps so they disappear into the fabric. Trim the excess close to the cloth.

Wash before first use. Machine wash warm and dry on low, or hand wash and lay flat to dry. Slight shrinkage on the first wash is normal.

Optional hanging loop

Make this only if you want one. It is a separate little strip, sewn on after the cloth is finished. It does not change the 36-stitch cloth.

1. CO 3 sts, leaving a 6-inch (15 cm) tail.
2. Knit every row for 36 rows. (36 rows ÷ 9 rows per inch = 4 in / 10 cm of fabric ✓)
3. BO all 3 sts loosely. Leave an 8-inch (20 cm) tail for sewing.
4. Fold the strip in half. (4 in ÷ 2 = a loop about 2 in / 5 cm long ✓)
5. Sew both short ends to the same corner of the dishcloth. Weave in the remaining tails.

The loop is large enough to slip over a hook or a spoon handle.

Make another cloth any time you like. Each one takes about 75 yards (69 m).