My Famous Knitted Dishcloths
Here's how I knit my famous dishcloths. I don't know why they are famous, but I have strangers asking to buy them (and you can too if you can't or don't want to knit one). Word of mouth is an amazing thing!
They are a simple pattern, but I think the secret of their success is in the yarn.
Over the years I've tried so many different brands and plys of cotton yarn and have always come back to Bernat Handicrafter.
It's the perfect strength to be tough enough to clean, but it's soft enough to knit with and to use on the finest crystal and china.
This yarn isn't cheap. Yes, you can get cheaper cotton yarns. You might find them at the op shops, or on sale at Spotlight, or even in some $2 shops. If you're working borders they are perfect. If you want a dishcloth with strength and durability, that feels nice to knit and to use, they just don't compare.
Some of them are too soft, being made for garments, not dishcloths. Some of them are too course, making them tough on your hands as you knit and tough on your dishes. Some of them are weak, breaking down into holes in just a few washes.
I do use other brands of cotton yarn, but for other projects, not dishcloths; I always, always use Bernat Handicrafter 100% cotton yarn for my dishcloths.
These dishcloths are knitted on the diagonal, using 4.5mm needles.
Cast on 3 stitches.
Knit 2 rows.
Third row: Knit 1, increase in next stitch, knit to end of row.
Fourth row: Knit 1, increase in next stitch, knit to end of row.
Continue until there are 50 stitches on the needle
Start the decrease: knit 1, knit 2 together, knit to end of row.
Repeat this row until there are 3 stitches on the needle.
Knit 2 rows.
Cast off. Weave in ends.
They knit up fairly quickly and even a beginner can knit a dishcloth. Of course if you don't want to knit a dishcloth, or can't knit, then pop over to the Dish Cloth department, we have plenty available for sale and they're just $10 each.
They are a simple pattern, but I think the secret of their success is in the yarn.
Over the years I've tried so many different brands and plys of cotton yarn and have always come back to Bernat Handicrafter.
It's the perfect strength to be tough enough to clean, but it's soft enough to knit with and to use on the finest crystal and china.
This yarn isn't cheap. Yes, you can get cheaper cotton yarns. You might find them at the op shops, or on sale at Spotlight, or even in some $2 shops. If you're working borders they are perfect. If you want a dishcloth with strength and durability, that feels nice to knit and to use, they just don't compare.
Some of them are too soft, being made for garments, not dishcloths. Some of them are too course, making them tough on your hands as you knit and tough on your dishes. Some of them are weak, breaking down into holes in just a few washes.
I do use other brands of cotton yarn, but for other projects, not dishcloths; I always, always use Bernat Handicrafter 100% cotton yarn for my dishcloths.
These dishcloths are knitted on the diagonal, using 4.5mm needles.
Cast on 3 stitches.
Knit 2 rows.
Third row: Knit 1, increase in next stitch, knit to end of row.
Fourth row: Knit 1, increase in next stitch, knit to end of row.
Continue until there are 50 stitches on the needle
Start the decrease: knit 1, knit 2 together, knit to end of row.
Repeat this row until there are 3 stitches on the needle.
Knit 2 rows.
Cast off. Weave in ends.
They knit up fairly quickly and even a beginner can knit a dishcloth. Of course if you don't want to knit a dishcloth, or can't knit, then pop over to the Dish Cloth department, we have plenty available for sale and they're just $10 each.