purlJam

# Shoal of Fish Dishtowel

A cheerful, beginner-friendly dishtowel worked flat in one piece using only knit and purl stitches. The little fish are created entirely by texture — raised purl bumps swimming across a smooth stocking-stitch background — so there is no colourwork to manage. A tidy garter-stitch border keeps every edge flat and neat. Work it as short or as long as you like; simply keep repeating the pattern until your towel reaches the desired length.

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## Materials

- **Yarn:** Knit Picks Kitchy (100% cotton, worsted weight; approx. 102 m / 112 yds per 50 g ball), 1 colour.
- **Quantity:** 1–2 balls (1 ball makes a short towel of approx. 35 cm / 14"; allow 2 balls for a longer towel of approx. 50–55 cm / 20–22").
- **Needles:** 4.5 mm (UK 7 / US 7) straight or circular needles. *Use whatever needle size achieves the tension below.*
- **Notions:** Tapestry/darning needle for weaving in ends; scissors. Optional: locking stitch marker to track row repeats.

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## Tension (Gauge)

18 sts and 26 rows = 10 cm (4") over stocking stitch, after light blocking.

> Tension is not critical for a dishtowel, but it does affect the finished width and how much yarn you use. A looser tension makes a wider, more open cloth; a firmer tension makes a denser, more absorbent one.

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## Finished Measurements

- **Width:** approx. 22 cm (8¾") — close to the requested 9".
- **Length:** your choice (see Pattern Notes).

**Width check:** 40 sts ÷ 18 sts per 10 cm = 22.2 cm ≈ 8¾".

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## Sizing / Stitch Count

- **Cast on:** 40 stitches.
- **Construction:** 4 garter border sts + 32-st textured panel (4 repeats of an 8-st fish motif) + 4 garter border sts = **40 sts total.**
- **Maths check:** 4 + 32 + 4 = 40 ✓ and 32 ÷ 8 = 4 motif repeats ✓.

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## Abbreviations

- **k** – knit
- **p** – purl
- **st(s)** – stitch(es)
- **RS** – right side
- **WS** – wrong side
- **rep** – repeat

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## Pattern Notes

- The towel is worked **flat, from the bottom up, in one piece.**
- The **first and last 4 sts of every row are worked in garter stitch** (knit on both RS and WS rows) to create stable, non-curling side borders. The pattern instructions already include these border stitches.
- The **fish motif is an 8-stitch by 8-row repeat.** Each repeat of these 8 rows produces one row of little fish.
- **Length is open-ended.** Work the 8-row Fish Motif as many times as you like. When your towel is almost as long as you want, finish with the Top Border and bind off. Stop adding repeats while you still have enough yarn to work the top border and bind off (roughly 2 m / 2 yds).
- Slipping the first stitch is *not* used here, to keep things simple for beginners — just knit the border stitches firmly.

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## Attached Stitch Chart

A separate **Stitch Chart panel is attached alongside this pattern** (placed immediately after the written instructions, as its own labelled image/grid). It shows the 8-stitch × 8-row fish motif visually for knitters who prefer a chart.

**How to read the attached chart (knitting, worked flat):**
- Read the chart from the **bottom row upward**.
- Read **right-side (odd) rows from RIGHT to LEFT**, and **wrong-side (even) rows from LEFT to RIGHT**, mirroring the way the fabric is worked back and forth.
- The chart shows **only the 8-stitch motif repeat** (one fish). Work this repeat **4 times across** the panel, between the garter borders that are *not* shown on the chart.
- **Colour/yarn management:** This is a single-colour, texture-only design — there are **no colour changes and no yarn carrying**. Chart symbols represent knit and purl stitches only (a blank square = "knit on RS, purl on WS"; a dotted square = "purl on RS, knit on WS"). Simply keep your one ball of Kitchy attached throughout.
- **Stitch-count integration:** 4 border sts + (8-st repeat × 4) + 4 border sts = 40 sts. The chart accounts for the central 32 sts only; always add the 4 garter border sts at each side as written below.

The written instructions and the attached chart are identical in content — use whichever you prefer.

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## Instructions

### Bottom Border
Cast on 40 sts.
**Rows 1–6:** Knit every stitch. (6 rows garter stitch)

### Fish Motif (8-row repeat)
The 4 border sts at each edge are included. The central 32 sts contain 4 fish.

- **Row 1 (RS):** k4 (border), *k3, p2, k3; rep from * to last 4 sts, k4 (border).
- **Row 2 (WS):** k4, *p2, k1, p2, k1, p2; rep from * to last 4 sts, k4.
- **Row 3 (RS):** k4, *k1, p1, k4, p1, k1; rep from * to last 4 sts, k4.
- **Row 4 (WS):** k4, *p3, k2, p3; rep from * to last 4 sts, k4.
- **Row 5 (RS):** k4, *k8; rep from * to last 4 sts, k4. *(plain stocking-stitch row — the "water" between rows of fish)*
- **Row 6 (WS):** k4, p32, k4.
- **Row 7 (RS):** k4, k32, k4. *(this is a knit-all RS row, giving a single garter ridge to separate the shoals)*
- **Row 8 (WS):** k4, p32, k4.

**Stitch-count check:** every row uses 4 + 32 + 4 = 40 sts ✓. Each 8-st group in Rows 1–4 totals: Row 1 = 3+2+3 = 8; Row 2 = 2+1+2+1+2 = 8; Row 3 = 1+1+4+1+1 = 8; Row 4 = 3+2+3 = 8 ✓.

**Repeat Rows 1–8** for the body of the towel, working as many repeats as you like until the towel is your desired length (remember to leave enough yarn for the top border and bind off).

> **Tip:** Place a locking marker on your work each time you complete Row 8 to keep count of how many shoals of fish you have made.

### Top Border
After finishing a full 8-row repeat:
**Next 6 rows:** Knit every stitch. (6 rows garter stitch)

**Bind off** all 40 sts knitwise. Cut yarn, leaving a 15 cm (6") tail.

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## Finishing

1. **Weave in ends:** Using the tapestry needle, weave the cast-on and bind-off tails into the garter borders on the wrong side. Trim neatly.
2. **Block (optional but recommended):** Soak the towel in lukewarm water, gently squeeze out excess (do not wring), and pat into a rectangle approx. 22 cm (8¾") wide. Lay flat to dry. Blocking evens out the stitches and makes the fish texture pop.
3. **Optional hanging loop:** If you'd like to hang your towel, cut a 20 cm (8") length of yarn, fold into a loop, and stitch securely to one corner of the top border using the tapestry needle.

Enjoy your finished shoal of swimming fish — and happy washing-up!