93 comments on “Shaker Dishcloths and Coasters”

1. Please put this pattern on amazon! I can only buy it there with my amazon credit (problems with my credit card)

2. I love these! I just purchased the pattern on Ravelry and can’t wait to start making them. 🙂

3. I love making practical things to use in my home. I bought this pattern and can’t wait to make some dishcloths and coasters ! Thank you

4. Hi Stacy! Thank you for another wonderful pattern! I clicked on the link for the notions box and the site (Nancy’s Knit Knacks) seems to be having major issues, at least it won’t let me purchase anything, I get a weird error message. Do you happen to know if their site is down?
   Thank you!!

5. Leti – I don’t know if or why they’re having problems. You can find the same product here on Amazon:
   http://www.amazon.com/Alpaca-The-Perfect-Notion-Case/dp/B0038HYPH6/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1371686599&sr=8-2&keywords=perfect+notions+case

   Amazon is always ready to take your money. 🙂
   S t a c i

6. Hi Staci,
   I got so excited when I saw this pattern. I made a pillow with this pattern when I was ten years old (my grandmother taught me to knit when I was eight). I remembered this pattern a few weeks ago, and I wished I still had the pillow to remember the pattern better. You can’t imagine my joy this morning! All that to say, this pattern makes a beautiful pillow:)

7. Thanks Staci, in addition to the pattern you show and teach a lot of good techniques that can be applied anywhere. I so enjoy your tutorials.

8. You’re welcome, Mary – and thank you for the note. I always try to use patterns for the tutorials that will build on skills…making everyone more skilled and confident in their knitting. Thank you for noticing!

   🙂
   S t a c i

9. Hi Staci!
   An other beautiful pattern – I ´m going to buy it and make a lot of coasters for me and my friends. But there is something I wanted to ask you a long time now:how can you knit without letting the needle of your (right) hand? Is it beacause of your very very long fingers? Or is it something that anyone (I mean anyone with short fingers…)can learn?
   Thanks again for your excelent tutorials.
   Anna

10. Hi Anna – the way I knit is called “flicking”, and you can see my video explaining how to do it here: https://verypink.com/2011/03/02/flicking/

    S t a c i

11. Staci,
    I am so excited about this pattern! I have been dying to try new things like the provisional CO, short rows & kitchner stitch but hate the idea of trying it on a garment or other large piece. You’ve made it possible for me to learn & practice all of these with one patten and I get the added benefit of beautiful dishcloths and coasters. Thank you!
    Anna, I highly recommend Staci’s video on flicking. It took me awhile and a lot of practice but I am now flicking away with ease. I used Staci’s dishcloth pattern to practice – did 2 with the knit stitch and 2 with pearl stitches. Be patient, it will come!

12. Hi again,
    This is unrealted to the above pattern, which I did purchase. Are you familiar with a shawl pattern called Dreambird? I saw it somewhere and looked it up on Ravelry, there are several versions in different colors. I personally think they are beautiful and would like to make one. Sorry to take so long to get to the point but would you be interested in doing a tutorial about the feather portion? I know the triangles are simialr to the wingspan shawl you did but I would love to see how the feathers are done. Thanks for reading.

13. can I use this pattern to make hakysacks for my son? if so what typ of yarn and what size needles do you think would work?

14. Carol – this pattern won’t fold up and make a ball, but I do have another pattern for a knitted ball here: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/orb-it-ball-pattern

    S t a c i

15. I am so happy you brought back this beautiful pattern. Thanks for all your wonderful work. I always refer other knitter’s you your website to learn new techniques and great patterns.

16. thank you for your quick responce and the link . Im looking forword to making the haysacks and the beautiful dish cloth pattern . I also would like to tell you that Im a huge fan and that I tell every one I know about verypink . I think you and your web page is awesome keep up the good work.

17. You did a video on wingspan? I can’t locate it anywhere. Like Mary, I love the Dreamscape shawl but figured I’d start with Wingspan (after doing several Shaker Dishcloths) to get my feet wet with short rows. I’d love to see your videos on the shawl. Can you point me to the link?

18. No, sorry Peggy – I knit a Wingspan, just for my own knitting project, and I didn’t do a video on it. But thank you for the suggestion.
    🙂
    S t a c i

19. I must have done the provisional cast-on wrong. But it still all worked out. Just took a little longer. No unzipping for me. Going to have to work on that. Love this easy little pattern!

    Pam

20. Iam really one of your fans and evry day morningI make my coffee bring my Ipad and check your web .Today when I saw you closing the hole of shaker dish cloth ,I had an idea of not closing it and let the cover of tea pot go through it ! Does it fit? Thanks for your active mind

21. Note: sorry I can’t afford buying any of your toturials because we don’t use cards in my country!

22. I ordered your pattern Shaker style pot holders. For some reason I cannnot get into the tutorial for it. Help

23. Zabia – probably not. The whole is very small, even before tightening it up.

24. Hi Patricia – the video tutorial is linked in the pattern, is available here on the website (where you left your comment), and is available on YouTube here:
    http://youtu.be/wh9nO9aM-fo

    Please let me know if you have any more questions!
    S t a c i

25. This was such a fun pattern to knit! I finished it in no time. I really need to practice the Provisional CO and Kitchner stitch (need to do it when I’m alone so people don’t interrupt my chant, LOL) Will be making many more.

    The only issue I had was keeping my 2 colors of yarn from getting all twisted together. Any tips or suggestions?

26. Glad you enjoyed the pattern, Peggy. To keep the two colors of yarn from twisting, I always turn the work one way on right-side rows, and the opposite way on wrong-side rows. After a while, it becomes habit.

    S t a c i

27. Hi Staci,

    I love the pattern but I’m getting ridges between the colors. You recommended pulling the kitchener stitch tight for the bind off, but what if it happens throughout the pattern? What am I doing wrong? T

    Thanks,
    Teri

28. Hi Teri – I’m not sure I understand your question, because the whole dishcloth is made up of ridges (garter stitch ridges). Are you talking about a ridge that contains both colors when you change colors? That is normal on the wrong side of the work. If I haven’t answered your question, you’ll need to send me a photo to show me what you mean.

    S t a c i

29. Hi Staci
    I am working on my second dishcloth and love it because it works up pretty quickly. On my second one, I have gone down a needle size and adjusted the pattern up slightly in st count. No problem there, but I am consistently getting a bit of a gap (especially on the back side) next to the K row that follows the short rows (before the color change). It is garter stitch that looks stretched out and flat.It may be a result of short rows ending next to a full Knit row. Is this normal? Do you have any suggestions for avoiding this? How can I send pictures to you?
    Thanks for your clear, helpful tutorials!

30. Judy – have you machine washed and dried the dishcloth yet? That will make a big change in how your stitches look. You can see how mine look in the pattern photos (no photoshopping), and I took those photos after washing and drying. Give that a try first.

    S t a c i

31. Judy – I just went and inspected my dishcloths after replying to you. Yes, on the backside of the work, the last row of each color segment does have a gap. It’s very slight – maybe 2mm after washing a drying, using the yarn I used. So I guess this is to be expected. I honestly hadn’t noticed it!

    S t a c i

32. I finally got a good provisional cast on and then I went and “kitcherer’d” on the wrong side. Another washcloth for me!

33. Hi Staci,

    Beautiful pattern, as usual. I’m in the process of knitting it now and in my work I was getting obvious gaps at the short row turns. To counteract this, I’ve done wraps and turns at the short row turns and picked up the wraps on the last row of the old colour. It took me a couple of goes to get it right, because w&ts in garter stitch is different to stocking stitch, but I’ve got it now and it really has made the gaps go away and my work is more even now. 🙂

34. Hi Brian – it’s great that you’ve figured out a way to make your knitting look better, but ultimately, it isn’t necessary to do wraps on the short rows. After you machine wash and dry your dishcloths (which is blocking, as far as this pattern is concerned), all of those gaps close up and look perfect. Washing and drying will make all of your stitches look amazing and even and perfect.

    I test knit with and without wraps, and decided that they were not necessary.

    🙂
    S t a c i

35. I’m wondering if there was a reason you chose Comfy (cotton/acrylic) vs Dishy (100% cotton)? Does the acrylic keep its shape better?

    thanks!

36. Tamara – that is a good question. I always choose a cotton/synthetic blend over 100% cotton, only because I don’t enjoy knitting with 100% cotton. Because there is no “give” to cotton, it ends up making my hands ache when I work with it. Also, the yarn I used (Knit Picks Comfy) is so very soft, and machine washes and dries beautifully.

    S t a c i

37. Hi Staci!
    I’ve been working on coasters following your pattern. I seem to have a problem when I unzip the provisional cast on in that when I get to the end, I sometimes only have 11 stitches instead of 12. My count is fine up to that point. Don’t know why that’s happening. Any suggestions?

38. Hi Annelie – yes, I think I understand what is happening. Sometimes the first and/or last stitch of the provisional cast-on is different from the rest. Make sure you’re picking up all of the loops when you unzip the crochet chain, even if they don’t look like stitches. I usually find that the last stitch looks more like a yarn-over than a real stitch, because there is no knot under it.

    Hope that helps!
    S t a c i

39. Thanks for the quick reply, Staci. That must be the problem because if it doesn’t look like a stitch, I’m not knitting it. Always enjoy your website and videos. I have learned so much and you are such a good teacher. Keep up the good work.

    Annelie

40. Staci,

    Thank you for posting this video. I have learned so much from you.

41. this looks amazing. reminds me of the sweets we used to eat back in the old days

42. Hi, Brilliant idea, will be good to make this for our Christmas fete as coasters . Well done

43. I love the pattern and I’ll make a cushions for me. Thx

44. Love, love, love this!!! I’m anxious to get started on Christmas projects. For whatever reason 🙁 (I think it had something to do with being too lazy to get up and grab the credit card LOL) I purchased the pattern for my Kindle instead of thru Ravelry and I am unable to print it. 🙁 I was wondering if you would be able to send me a PDF for it?

    Thanks in advance!!

    Debbie

45. Hi Debbie – I’m glad you’re excited about this pattern! I’m afraid I don’t have any control over Amazon purchases, so your best bet is to return the eBook version, and purchase the PDF. Amazon has great customer service, it should be a quick and easy thing to do.

    Let me know if you need any help.
    S t a c i

46. Hello-

    I already knit one dishcloth and on to my second. I plan to make a few bigger ones for placemats!

    Love this pattern.

    Heather

47. Hey Stacie. I love your videos so informative. I bought your shaker dishcloth pattern and now and can’t find the pattern I bought

48. Susan – yes, I see you purchased the pattern back on August 1st. I have sent it to you again via email. Please save it to your hard drive, or check your Ravelry library – it is most likely there as well. Enjoy!

    S t a c i

49. Hi Stacie!

    Thank you very much for your interesting blog! 🙂

    In your youtube-information about how to make the dishcloth, you mention the book by R Rutt where you found the inspiration to this pattern. I went to the library to borrow this book, and found the part you were quoting.

    I really thought it would be neat to try to make a dishcloth with tiny needles and 16 segments just like the shakers did. Do you know if there might be a pattern for this somewhere? Where do you think I should look?

    Thank you for Your help!
    Greetings from Annika in Oslo, Norway

50. Hi Annika – sorry, I don’t think that pattern exists. I naturally did some research before I designed this pattern, to see if anyone else had written a pattern based on R Rutt’s description of the dishcloths the Shakers made. I didn’t find anything at all, then I proceeded with making this knitter-friendly version, using bigger gauge than the Shakers did.

    S t a c i

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