purlJam

# Shoal of Fish Dishcloth

A cheerful, beginner-friendly dishcloth worked flat in worsted-weight cotton, featuring a simple repeating fish motif in two colours. The garter-stitch border keeps the edges tidy and flat, while the central panel showcases a little school of fish swimming across your kitchen. Finished at roughly 23 cm (9") square, it makes a quick, satisfying make and a lovely handmade gift.

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## Materials

- **Yarn:** Knit Picks Dishie (100% cotton, worsted weight; approx. 174 m / 190 yd per 100 g ball)
  - **Colour A (background):** approx. 30 g
  - **Colour B (fish):** approx. 15 g
  - *Tip: Choose a high-contrast pair (e.g. a pale colour A with a bright colour B) so the fish read clearly.*
- **Needles:** 4.5 mm (UK 7 / US 7) straight or circular needles, or size needed to obtain tension
- **Notions:** Tapestry/darning needle for weaving in ends; scissors

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## Tension (Gauge)

18 sts and 24 rows = 10 cm (4") measured over stocking stitch (st st) on 4.5 mm needles, after gentle blocking.

*Tension is not critical for a dishcloth, but matching it will give you the stated 9" width. A square or two of swatching is worthwhile if you want an exact size.*

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## Finished Size

Approximately **23 cm × 23 cm (9" × 9")** after blocking.

*Width check: 41 sts ÷ 18 sts per 10 cm × 10 = 22.8 cm ≈ 9". ✓*

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## Abbreviations

- **k** – knit
- **p** – purl
- **st(s)** – stitch(es)
- **st st** – stocking stitch (knit on right side, purl on wrong side)
- **RS** – right side
- **WS** – wrong side
- **sl1** – slip one stitch purlwise
- **A** – Colour A (background)
- **B** – Colour B (fish)
- **rep** – repeat

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## Pattern Notes

- The dishcloth is worked **flat, from the bottom up, in one piece**.
- The cloth is framed by a **garter-stitch border** (3 edge stitches each side, plus garter rows top and bottom). The **central 35 stitches** carry the fish colourwork.
- The fish motif is a **7-stitch repeat**, worked **5 times** across the central panel: 5 × 7 = 35 sts. ✓
- The colourwork is **stranded (Fair Isle) style**: carry the unused colour loosely across the back of the work. Keep floats relaxed so the fabric does not pucker and lose width.
- **Slip the first stitch of every row purlwise** (with yarn at WS) to create a neat chain edge. This slipped stitch is counted within the 3-stitch border.
- Cotton has little stretch, so work at a comfortable, even tension and avoid pulling your colour changes too tightly.

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## Attached Stitch Chart

The visual fish motif is provided as a **separate attached chart panel** accompanying this pattern. Please refer to that panel for the symbol grid — it is **not reproduced here in the pattern text**.

**Where it sits:** The attached chart corresponds to the **central 35-stitch colourwork field only** (it does not include the 3-stitch garter borders on each side, nor the top/bottom garter rows). Work the chart between the border stitches as directed in the instructions.

**How to read the chart (knitting, worked flat):**
- The chart shows **one full repeat unit of 7 stitches wide**; work this repeat **5 times** across each charted row to fill the 35-stitch field (7 × 5 = 35).
- Read the chart from **bottom to top**.
- Read **right-side (RS, odd-numbered) rows from right to left**, and **wrong-side (WS, even-numbered) rows from left to right**.
- Each square = one stitch. The two chart colours/symbols correspond to **Colour A (background)** and **Colour B (fish)** as keyed on the attached panel.
- On WS rows, **purl** the stitches in their charted colours (the chart colour is the colour shown on the RS).

**Colour / yarn management notes:**
- Carry the non-working colour loosely across the **wrong side**; aim to "catch" any float longer than about 5 stitches to keep the back neat and the fabric flexible.
- The 7-stitch repeat keeps floats short and beginner-manageable.
- Maintain consistent dominance: hold the same colour in the same position throughout for an even appearance.
- **Stitch-count integration:** 3 border sts (A) + 35 charted sts + 3 border sts (A) = **41 sts** on every row. ✓

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## Instructions

### Cast On & Lower Border
With **Colour A**, cast on **41 sts**.

**Rows 1–6 (garter border):** Sl1, knit to end. *(6 rows garter; 41 sts.)*

### Main Body (with fish motif)
Set-up: The central 35 sts will follow the **attached chart**; the first 3 and last 3 sts are worked in garter/border as written.

**RS rows:** Sl1, k2 (in A), work the **7-st chart repeat 5 times** across the next 35 sts, k3 (in A). *(41 sts.)*

**WS rows:** Sl1, k2 (in A), work the **7-st chart repeat 5 times** across the next 35 sts following the chart (purling), k3 (in A). *(41 sts.)*

Continue in this manner, working **all rows of the attached chart in sequence**, repeating the full chart vertically until the piece measures approximately **18 cm (7")** from the cast-on edge, ending after a **completed chart repeat** on a **WS row**.

*Note: Complete whole vertical repeats of the chart so the fish are not cut off mid-body. Adjust the finishing length by a row or two if needed to land on a full repeat — the cloth need not be a perfect square.*

Cut **Colour B** and weave in later; continue in **Colour A** only.

### Upper Border
**Next 6 rows (garter border):** With Colour A, sl1, knit to end. *(6 rows garter; 41 sts.)*

### Cast Off
Cast off all 41 sts knitwise, not too tightly. Cut yarn, leaving a 15 cm tail.

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## Finishing

1. Weave in all ends on the wrong side using the tapestry needle, anchoring colour-change ends securely (cotton can work loose).
2. **Block** by soaking the cloth in lukewarm water, gently squeezing out excess (do not wring), then patting flat to roughly 23 cm × 23 cm. Square up the edges and leave to dry flat. Blocking evens out the colourwork and relaxes any tension from the floats.
3. Trim any remaining tails once dry.

Your shoal of fish is ready to swim through the washing-up! Enjoy.

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### Quick Maths Recap (for your reassurance)
- Cast-on: **41 sts** = 3 (border) + 35 (chart field) + 3 (border). ✓
- Chart field: **5 repeats × 7 sts = 35 sts**. ✓
- Width: 41 sts ÷ 18 sts/10 cm × 10 = **22.8 cm ≈ 9"**. ✓
- Stitch count is **constant at 41 sts** on every row (no shaping). ✓