How to Knit Dishcloths With a Distinctive Diagonal Pattern

Make bright dishcloths or white cloths that will withstand bleaching.

Even a knitting beginner can make distinctive dishcloths with a diagonal pattern while perfecting the basic knitting techniques of increasing and decreasing stitches. Handmade dishcloths, with their natural texture for gentle scrubbing, are useful in the kitchen or bathroom. Keep your handmade knitted dishcloth sanitary by tossing it in the washer and dryer after use to kill bacteria. Knit dishcloths and washcloths make great gifts for housewarmings or baby showers.

Things You'll Need

• Cotton yarn
• Size 8-10 knitting needles

Instructions

1. Use size 8-10 needles and cast on four stitches. This project can be made on straight or circular knitting needles.

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.

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.

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.

5. Repeat this pattern to create the triangle that makes the other side of the square dishcloth. Stop when four stitches remain on your needles. Do not knit the row with four stitches. Instead, simply cast off at this point.

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

Tips & Warnings

• Inexpensive white cotton yarn is a good choice for this project because it can be bleached and sterilized in the laundry. One ball of cotton yarn will make two cloths.

• Add a crocheted border around the cloth to give it more panache.

• 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

Resources

• Utah State Extension; Diagonal Knit Dishcloth; Debra G. Proctor