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Learn to Knit a Dishcloth

I am offering this tutorial (pattern + instructional videos) for FREE! This is a traditional pattern, not my own design, that has been used for generations. I am presenting this for beginning knitters who would like to learn this technique, and to give a free sample of my video tutorials.

For knitters, knitting a dishcloth is similar to a chef cooking a perfect egg. It is a chance to really focus on basic skills and do them well. In knitting, that means beautiful stitches, even edge tension, and tidy finishing work.

Size: any size square, mine are about 9×9”
Needles: size 7 US, straights or circulars
Yarn: about 35 grams of worsted weight cotton (65 yards)
Additional Materials: tapestry needle for weaving in ends
Gauge: really not important, but I got 4.5 stitches per inch in garter stitch

UPDATE – this pattern has been updated to include instructions for working rectangular dishcloths.

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Pattern + links to instructional videos FREE Ravelry download.

Be sure to check out my other video tutorials.

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135 comments on “Learn to Knit a Dishcloth”

  1. Thank you so much for the fantastic tutorials. I have given knitting a few tries before and found it very frustrating. You definitely have the best tutorials and because of the great instructions I have finished my first scarf. I am now excited to knit and look forward to attempting more difficult patterns, which I will purchase from you! Thanks again!

  2. Aloha Staci,
    Thank you for your tutorials! I am on my 3rd dishcloth and I have never knitted before. My question? Can I make a baby blanket following the dishcloth pattern? Is it possible to knit the diaganol as long as I need to create a 26 in baby blanket? Any suggestions of how many knit stictches across I should continue to create the length before I decrease? I appreciate all the help I can get.
    Mahalo!

  3. Rosalee – yes, you can make this pattern in any size. Just keep increasing until you reach the diagonal width you’d like, then start decreasing. There is no way for me to give you a stitch count, because your gauge will determine that. But baby blankets are usually about 35 to 40″ in width (not on the diagonal).

    Hope that helps!
    S t a c i

  4. Hello there! Would you mind if I share your blog with my twitter
    group? There’s a lot of folks that I think would really appreciate your content. Please let me know. Cheers

  5. Thank you for asking, and yes – feel free to share. You are free to share anything on my website, or my YouTube channel. I even have the permissions set so that my videos can be embedded on other websites.

    Thank you again for asking! I tried to respond to you via email, but I’m afraid your email address is sending bounce-backs.

  7. I have a question. When you yarn over and continue knitting, do you leave the yarn in the front and continue there or do you bring the yarn back, to the back after that one stitch that needs the yarn over?

  8. I just found your videos. They’re great! That yarn you use for the dishcloth looks very soft. What brand is it?

  9. Hi Linda – thank you for the note. I’m not sure of the yarn I used for the dishcloths, but I think it might be Cascade Pima. Yes, I’m pretty sure that’s what it is.
    🙂
    S t a c i

  10. Hi Staci, I’m in Australia and knitted dishcloths are not big here – in fact no one has heard of them! I have knitted a few using your video as guidance – just brilliant! However I did find that the worsted weight was a bit heavy (I used Sugar and Cream yarn). So I’ve switched to 4 ply yarn on size 3 needles as this gives a lighter and softer cloth.

    My (probably very basic) question is about weaving off. The 4 ply cotton I’m using only has 3 strands, not 4. I tried separating it into 1 and 2 strands then tying a knot but the yarn broke. Not sure if there is a different process for weaving off the lighter yarns. Pardon the basicness of the question. I’m returning to knitting after 35 years of doing nothing, so am having to pretty much learn again.

    Also is sugar and cream an ok yarn to use? I found the dishcloths made from that yarn on size 7 needles was a bit cumbersome and not really soft.

    Love your videos by the way – very clear and useful.

    Kind regards – Jane from Down Under!

  11. Hi,
    I was knitting this dishcloth and practically finished it, and now I have only 2 cast-ons left. Is that right? Because I don’t know what to do now if it is. I’m new, please help me.
    Thanks,
    Whitney

  12. Actually,
    I just skimmed through the comments and found one place where you said that someone should stop when they come to a point where they have 4 cast-ons. Sorry for bothering you!

  13. I have a friend who really wanted to learn how to knit, so I’m teaching her at the same time as showing her this pattern!!! Thanks for posting it!

  14. Thanks so much for the video with this! Very helpful to me! I had no idea they were this easy 🙂

  15. Hi, Thanks so much for your website. Your tutorials have helped me tremendously. Quick question about this pattern: I’ve made this twice now and both times it appears as if the decrease holes are larger than the holes on the increase side. Is this typical? If not, any ideas what I could do to correct this?
    Thanks so much,
    Lindsay

  16. So love this pattern! You are right the purl bumps are great for scrubby action on dishes or counters. I have used scrap yarn to clean out what tiny stash I had so my left over ones are used for tub and shower scrubbing since the colors don’t match 🙂 thanks again!

  17. Thank you for the video on knitting dish cloths. I’m not sure when to bind off. My dish cloth kept going into a long skinny tail. I’m guessing when you decrease and end up with 4 knit stitches on your needle? I need help! Robn

  18. Robin – are you working from the written pattern? Yes, the instructions are to decrease down to 4 stitches, then bind-off. If your dishcloth is looking long and skinny, it is probably only because it is stretched out. (I address this in the video.)

    S t a c i

  19. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I just watched your video. I’ve knit a couple of these dish cloths previously and have been so unhappy. I couldn’t figure out what I was doing wrong on the decreasing side. Mine got all long and out of shape. Now I know I didn’t do anything wrong! Mine are stashed in a drawer somewhere. I have to go find ’em, wash ’em and block ’em into shape! I can do that! Now, I’m excited to knit another one. But first I’m going to check out the rest of your site here. Again, a huge thank you.

  20. For some reason in the end I never wind up with just four stiches left to bind off with. Everthing goes well until this last part. I always have five stiches left. If I continue to try to get down to the last four the end corner gets very misshapened. This is just making me crazy. Do you have any idea what I am doing wrong ???
    Love, Love, Love your tutorials.

  21. Hooray!!! After talking about wanting to knit for 3 or 4 years now, I’ve finally learned!!!! Countless friends have tried to teach me and it just didn’t stick. However, I’ve just completed my first project (the dishcloth) thanks to your tutorial! (I also used youtube for casting on and binding off tutorials.) I’m so excited! thanks, you are a wonderful teacher! I wish we still lived in the Austin area so I could come to one of your classes!

  22. hi! I really love them! but how to knit the decreasing-part in “continental version”? 🙂

  23. Hannah – the decreasing in this pattern is really no different between English/American and Continental knitting…the only difference is the hand in which you’re holding the yarn. This video, “Lefties vs. Righties” may help you: https://verypink.com/2011/01/18/lefties-vs-righties/

    That is, unless you’re a “mirror” knitter, who knits on to an empty needle in your left hand. If that’s the case, then things are a bit different, but you can research mirror knitting to get some tips. This video will help you identify if you’re a mirror knitter: https://verypink.com/2012/09/26/backwards-or-mirror-knitting/

    Hope that helps!
    S t a c i

  24. I was wondering if someone wanted to use cotton string as my GGM did), what weight would it be? It seems that the ply is different for string than yarn. Any anwers?

  25. I thought that after I did one dishcloth (which I did) I would know the pattern easily. But then later, on my decreases, it seemed like I wasn’t doing anything right! A while after that, I looked at the pattern, and it turned out that I was forgetting to yarn over! 😛 Silly me. Anyways, I think that this pattern is really easy, and turns out really well!! Thnx Staci!

    ~Whitney

  27. This is a wonderful project! It’s super easy and great for beginners like me. I was just wondering what needle length you recommend since I find it a little inconvenient to be knitting with full length needles.

  28. Hi Ryley – thank you for the note. I like to use the shortest needles possible, too. For these dishcloths, I managed fine using 8 inch double-pointed needles. DPNs aren’t designed for straight back-and-forth knitting, but I like them because they’re the shortest.

    S t a c i

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  31. I am having a hard time doing the increases but i keep on watching the videos on your website.

  32. Love this pattern, very easy with a cute result. Just wondering if there is a way to alter this pattern in any way or if there is another pattern to be able to have the same resuts but in a rectangle rather than square. it would make very cute place mats or casserole hot mats. Thanks, and thanks for the free patterns, they are great for us beginners 🙂

  33. Hi Natasha – yes, that can be done. I’ve done it myself to make small, rectangular dishcloths. Instead of working increase rounds and then switching to decrease, you add some more rows in-between. The rows you add are working an increase on one side, and a decrease on the other side. That will give you the rectangular shape, on the bias. Once the piece is as wide as you’d like it, you work the decreases as written in the pattern.

    S t a c i

  34. Hi Stacie,
    I use crochet #3 cotton and make face wash cloths. The little garter purls create a nice exfoliating cloth. I originally made white but make up perminantly stained them, so I now make pink…..no stains. I am a sponge user and in the past I have used Peaches and Cream yarn and find them too thick and hold too much water when wiping down counters. Do you know of a less thick yarn for dishcloths. I really would like to switch.
    Thanks for your great instructions.
    Beth

  35. HI Stacie
    I want to thank you for your video and pattern for the dish clothes.
    My mother pasted about a year ago and she was a great knitter and taught me
    years ago to knit,but I forgot some of the things she taught me. I was so happy to run across your video and to find a nice pattern for the dish clothes
    Thank you so much
    Roxanna

  36. Hi Staci
    Another great pattern! I have been meaning to ask for a while, what is the worsted yarn that you use for a lot of your sample pieces please? I really like it! Thanks, Suzie

  39. At the end of the dishrag, down to the final corner, is it necessary to bind off? Or is it finished down to final stitch? Thank you

  40. Pat – that information is all in the pattern. You can get your free copy by following the link “free Ravelry download” here on this web page.

    S t a c i

  43. Just finished my first dishcloth, thanks for the tutorials! I love that you explain the reasoning behind everything that helps me remember it!

  44. Hi there,

    Everyone always recommends Lily’s to knit these in. But I’m wondering if there is something a little less thick but also inexpensive that you use.

    Many thanks!

  45. Where do you purchase blocking wires. I have been working on lacy triangle scarves and want to use wires rather than pins to block them.

  47. Dear Staci, do you have a video for the rectangular dish cloths mine don’t seem to come out right I am wanting to make some
    For my daughter who will be moving soon.
    Thank you,
    Kay T
    Maple grove,MN

  50. Joan – look for the link, here on this website where you commented, that says, “Pattern + links to instructional videos FREE Ravelry download.”

    S t a c i

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