How to Knit a Dishcloth with a Distinctive Diagonal Pattern

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By jachesh
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Hand-made dishcloth after washing

Hand-made dishcloths are a pleasure to use in the kitchen or bathroom. They are also more sanitary than sponges because they can be washed in the laundry every few days to kill germs. Knit dishcloths and washcloths make great gifts for housewarmings or baby showers.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Cotton yarn (white)
Size 8-10 knitting needles

Step 1

Use size 8-10 needles and cast on 4 stitches. This project can be done on straight or circular knitting needles.
Step 2

Knit two stitches, then do one yarn over, then knit to the end of the row. Repeat this pattern for each row. This will increase your knitting with each row, creating a triangular shape.
Step 3

Keep knitting until you have 43 stitches on your needle. At that point, you can begin to reduce stitches to create the other side of the triangle.
Step 4

Knit 1 stitch, then knit the next two stitches together. Do one yarn over. Knit the next two stitches together, then knit to the end of the row.
Step 5

Repeat this pattern, creating the other (triangular) side of the square dishcloth. Stop when 4 stitches remain on your needles. DO NOT knit the row with 4 stitches. Instead, simply cast off at this point.
Step 6

Wash the cloth with like-colored laundry in warm water to shrink the loops. Enjoy!

Tips & Warnings

White is a good color choice because it can be bleached and sterilized in the laundry.
Inexpensive cotton yarn works well for this project. One ball of standard cotton yarn (which sells for about $1.50) will make two washcloths.
This is a wonderful project to work in while watching television, riding the bus or waiting for appointments.
To give knit dishcloths as a gift, fold three or four of them into quarters and tie them with a fancy ribbon for a nice presentation.
This pattern can be expanded to make baby blankets. A standard receiving blanket should be 34-36 inches square.
Optional: add a crocheted border around the cloth to give it more panache.