Sharing a very simple pattern for hand-knit washcloths that uses the double seed stitch. These washcloths are perfect for gifting or for your own use.
The other night my husband and I were guests of our friends at a basketball game. While the game was carrying on in front of us, my girlfriend and I were catching up on each other, our families, and stuff in general.
Somehow we migrated to chatting about hand-knit washcloths or as some say knit dishcloths or perhaps dishcloths? (isn’t that what you chat about at basketball games?).
She was telling me about this great washcloth a friend had knit for her and she wanted to knit some herself. She came over the next day with the washcloth and we figured out the yarn and needle used, as well as the pattern, a simple double seed stitch. I love that they look like there are little hearts in the pattern.
(This is one of several knit washcloth/dishcloth patterns I’ve published. To see all the washcloth patterns…scroll down towards the bottom of the page)
I was eager to get started on these great washcloths, they are the kind of knit project I’m looking for these days. As I’ve said before, I need to have something to do while on car trips, sitting in front of the TV or sitting in the carpool line, and these washcloths fit that bill.
They are a quick knit (read…semi-immediate gratification) and don’t require my undivided attention.
I used 100% cotton yarn for these washcloths. Cotton is far more absorbent than polyester, so is a good material for a washcloth. The yarn is a worsted weight and I used size 6 needles.
These double seed stitch hand-knit washcloths measure 11 inches by 11 inches. Adjust your cast on if you want something smaller or bigger. I find them the perfect size.
Here are the materials you will need to knit 2 washcloths, each measuring 11 inches by 11 inches:
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A gauge of 4 stitches and 6 rows to the inch.
Instructions to make these 11 x 11 inch knit cotton washcloths:
If you want to resize your washcloth, I have explained that process on this post: How to Resize a Blanket, Washcloth or Towel.
Cast on 46 stitches
1st row: K1, *P2,K2* Repeat from * to * until last stitch. K last stitch
2nd row: P1, *K2P2* Repeat from * to * until last stitch. P last stitch
3rd row: K1, *K2P2* Repeat from * to * until last stitch. K last stitch
4th row: P1, *P2,K2* Repeat from * to * until last stitch. P last stitch
Repeat these 4 rows until your piece measures 11 inches. Bind off and tuck in your loose yarn.
So, I use the washcloths in my kitchen and in my bathroom. I’ve gifted them for Mother’s Day and for housewarmings. I keep a stash on hand for last-minute gifts for any number of occasions (Teacher Appreciation Day, hostess gifts and ‘just because’ gifts)
Here’s a round-up of some great items to accompany your hand-knit washcloth if you’re looking to gift them.
Looking for other knit and crochet patterns? Once you have mastered this pattern, consider knitting your washcloths using the Chinese Wave Stitch or the Daisy Knit Stitch.
Or pop over here for all my knit & crochet patterns in one place!
If you are gifting these washcloths, these little wraps really dress them up nicely. If you’d like to receive the downloadable PDF of these washcloth wraps, click the button below.
And, if you want to be ‘in the knit know’ and you’d like to be notified of the publication of any knitting or crochet pattern before the rest of the world, you can do that here.
In general, you want an unmercerized cotton as the mercerization process makes less absorbent material. I stay away from polyester/acrylic yarns for knitting washcloths as I find that those materials are not absorbent and don’t hold their shape.
Some brands to consider:
If you would like to knit something a little more challenging, give this Chunky Knit Blanket a try. Or, pop on over to all of my Knit and Crochet Patterns page.
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Until next time…
Hi there, I’m Lynn. I’m in my happy place when I’m cooking, baking, creating, crafting, diy-ing and gardening. You too? Hey, we should be friends!
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Lynne
August 30, 2015 at 7:57 pmHi Lynn, I made 2 of these washcloths and they are beautiful! Thought it might make a good pattern for a baby blanket. Any thoughts on size, # of stitches,yarn? Thank you
lynn
August 31, 2015 at 6:25 amGood Morning Lynne, I think this pattern would be beautiful as a baby blanket! The few baby blankets I have made are about 36″ by 36″. If I were to make a baby blanket with this pattern, I’d try the following:
I’d stay with a worsted weight. The yarn I used for the washcloth would be fine, but you could also use something with some alpaca in it. I’ve used the Berroco Modern Cotton which was softer than the yarn for the washcloth, but did not have alpaca in it.
I’d use a size 7 or 8 needle, solely because its a bigger piece.
I’d check my gauge with whatever size needle I chose. I’m guessing I’d end up casting on 120 or so stitches.
I hope this helps! If you do make the baby blanket, please let me know how it turned out and I’d love to see a picture! Happy Knitting.
BTW…what did you do to make sure you were working on the right row. That was my biggest problem with this patter…I’d get busy knitting and lose track of what row I was supposed to be on…not a big row marker user. Did you just use row markers?
Lynne
August 31, 2015 at 9:24 pmThanks, Lynn, for your ideas! I will certainly try making a baby blanket using this pattern. I have searched high and low for something different and unique. Also, I love that it is reversible!!
FYI: when I’m knitting I keep the pattern right in front of me so I can refer to it at all times. Also, I make sure I complete the 4 row pattern before putting it down. Never used a row marker. I found making these washcloths to be instead gratification, i can’t wait to knit and it is very relaxing. Thanks so much!
Sue
May 31, 2017 at 5:25 pmThanks for sharing these patterns. The washcloths are all so lovely and fun to make.
lynn
June 2, 2017 at 7:09 amSue, you are so very welcome and hope you have a great time knitting!
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your kind words.
Hugs, Lynn
Carole
July 16, 2017 at 10:16 amBeautiful stuff on your site! Love it!!
lynn
July 17, 2017 at 10:22 amAw thanks Carole! I very much appreciate your kind words and support. Hope you come back and visit again soon!
Thacia Stirling
July 21, 2017 at 4:29 pmFairly new to knitting… can I scale this to make a smaller dish cloth or scale up and what do I scale the number of stitches by? Does it just have to be an even number?
lynn
July 21, 2017 at 7:43 pmHi Thacia, yes…you can scale up or down and just need to have an even number of stitches. Happy Knitting!
Earlena Ferrell
July 29, 2017 at 9:20 pmThank you so much for sharing, I’m new to making wash clothes and dish clothes , I will be making this one,
Thank you?
lynn
August 2, 2017 at 8:25 pmYou are so welcome Earlena! I hope you enjoy knitting them as much as I did and be sure to pop back in if you have further questions.
Hugs, Lynn
Cindy
June 6, 2018 at 1:14 pmHow do you knit pictures and words on a dishcloth/block?
lynn
June 6, 2018 at 6:38 pmHi Cindy,
I would either work the pattern into the knitting by switching colors for the picture, using intarsia, or you could ’embroider’ your image using duplicate stitch. Here’s a link for the duplicate stitch. http://www.dummies.com/crafts/knitting/knitting-stitches/how-to-add-duplicate-stitch-to-knitting/
Here’s a link for intarsia.
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-your-own-intarsia-picture-knitting-c/
You’ve made me realize that I should do a post on this topic!!
Have a great day my friend.
Hugs, Lynn
Jasmine
July 2, 2018 at 10:40 pmWhat is the gauge for for your washcloths pattern? I don’t see them on the patterns’ page.
lynn
July 4, 2018 at 10:28 amThanks for pointing that out Jasmine! It is 2 stitches and 2 rows per inch.
Happy Knitting my friend!
hugs, Lynn
Jasmine
July 24, 2018 at 1:43 amHow big should my gauge be?I’m still confused on it.How big was your gauge?
lynn
July 24, 2018 at 6:51 amHi Jasmine, so because the gauge is 2 stitches and 2 rows per inch, it’s really up to you how long to make it. For instance, if you knit a 6 inch by 6 inch gauge, then you should have 12 stitches across and 12 rows within that 6 by 6 swatch. Does that make sense?
My travels have slowed down and I’ll be home now and it’ll be easier to answer questions, so ask away my friend.
Hugs,
Lynn
Sarah
August 20, 2018 at 1:08 pmFor adjusting the stitch count, I found it worked to do multiples of 4 plus 2 to keep with the pattern. Otherwise, just going with even meant that I was not getting the last two stitches of the repeating pattern before the last stitch. I’m just learning to knit (avid crocheter!), so perhaps I’m wrong, but it worked for me!
lynn
August 24, 2018 at 1:56 pmThat’s exactly right Sarah! You do need that multiple of 4 plus 2 to stay in pattern. Thanks for pointing that out my friend.
Have a great weekend knitting and crocheting!
hugs, Lynn
Kate
September 10, 2018 at 12:59 pmHello! I’m working on one of these now and I’m quite pleased with how it is turning it out. Thank you for the pattern. I’m wondering how do you care for them once finished? Do you put them in washer/dryer on normal settings?
lynn
September 10, 2018 at 7:28 pmHi Kate…I put mine through the washer and dryer…that cotton holds up real well!
lynn
September 10, 2018 at 7:30 pmHi Kate…I put mine through the washer and dryer…that cotton holds up really well!…
And your tip about keeping track is a great one! Thanks for sharing it, my friend.
Hugs, Lynn
Kate
September 10, 2018 at 1:04 pmAlso – in response to a comment upthread re: how to keep track of where you are in the pattern. I keep a pad and pen close by. When I take a break I leave a note to myself “Start with row X (1,2,3 or 4)”. I use the same note over and over and just cross out the last “X” and replace it as needed. Simple but it works.
lynn
September 10, 2018 at 7:30 pmGreat tip! Thanks for sharing it my friend.
Jeanne O'Neill
October 5, 2018 at 8:31 pmI’m so excited to start, again, to make washcloths. I have knitted many articles throughout the years and now as the aging process is taking hold, I don’t like anything to complicated. So fancy knit washcloths are it. Thanks for your interesting comments and answers. Jeanne
lynn
October 6, 2018 at 5:42 pmHi Jeanne! I got tired of knitting sweaters that may or may not get worn, so have switched over to blankets and washcloths…which always seem useful. So glad you found some patterns you like my friend.
Happy Knitting!
Hugs, Lynn
BetteAnn Slivka
October 13, 2018 at 9:21 pmHi, Lynn,
I have been knitting dishcloths using the basic corner to corner pattern for years now, and am ready to try some different ones. Your washcloths are so pretty and look almost as easy as the pattern I use. I can’t wait to start on them. My main reason for writing, however, is to tell you that your instructions, with pictures, are the clearest and easiest to follow that I have ever seen on any site. (And that includes video instructions, which can sometimes be confusing.) Thank you. I am thrilled to have found your site.
lynn
October 17, 2018 at 6:40 amWowza!!!! What a lovely way to start my day!
Thanks so much, BetteAnn…it is always a struggle to make sure that I make instructions as clear to everyone as possible and it really makes me feel good that you think I might have achieved that goal.
I hope that you are having fun making a stash of knitted washcloths!
Hugs, Lynn
Stephanie
October 23, 2018 at 10:20 pmSo I just finished this washcloth but am not sure how to bind off. Do I follow row one’s knit and purl pattern and bind off respectively? Or can I just go with a straight knit bind off? I’ve never purled a bind off before so I guess that’s why I’m confused.
Love these washcloth instructions-so glad to have found your site as well!
Thanks!
Steph
lynn
October 24, 2018 at 7:24 amGood Morning Steph!
At the end of the day, it is up to you. But, I would bind off in pattern, meaning bind off in the knit and purl. It is really easy and will help prevent that bind off the edge from flaring out.
Step 1: Knit your first stitch as normal.
Step 2: Purl your second stitch as normal.
Step 3: Slip the first stitch over the second stitch.
Step 4: Knit one.
Step 5: Slip stitch over the new stitch.
Step 6: Purl one.
Step 7: Slip stitch over the new stitch.
Step 8: Repeat until you have one stitch on your needle.
Come back and let me know how it worked for you!
And I’m so glad you found me too! I’m very happy you are here!
Hugs and happy knitting.
Lynn
Noelle Nielsen
March 20, 2019 at 10:20 pmI have super duper wash merino wool leftover fro. A project. Do you think I can use this for a washcloth? Thanks for your post. Live your pattern and ideas for gifting!
lynn
March 21, 2019 at 6:59 amGood Morning Noelle,
To be honest, I have never knit a washcloth with anything other than cotton, so I can’t say for sure. But, my gut is that you probably don’t want to knit a washcloth with wool, even the superwash. I would imagine it would take forever to dry and then you’d end up with a funky smelling cloth. I completely understand your desire to use up partial ball…but think for these I’d just get an inexpensive 100% cotton ball.
That being said, if you do decide to give the wool a whirl (see what I did there?), do let me know how it works as a washcloth material.
Have a great day my friend,
Hugs, Lynn
Doris Knight
July 1, 2019 at 12:15 pmthanks for the free patterns.
DJK
lynn
July 8, 2019 at 11:19 amyou are so welcome!
Judith
August 16, 2019 at 8:44 pmI can’t wait to knit this washcloth. I love to knit dishcloths using the Grandma’s Favorite pattern and like you, I keep a stash handy for when I need a quick gift. Thanks for posting the pattern.
lynn
August 18, 2019 at 6:14 amHi Judith, I am so glad to know that my washcloth pattern will be included in your knitting rotation! I actually need to get busy rebuilding my stash as I have been whittling it down through gifting.
Happy Knitting my friend.
Hugs,
Lynn
Jackie
September 17, 2019 at 8:58 pmHi,
I’m brand new to knitting and love your site! Just made these washcloths are my very first project, and love them! Thanks for sharing. I wanted to know, how do you clean these? Can they go in the washer? Thanks!
lynn
September 18, 2019 at 4:15 pmHi Jackie! Well done! Getting that first project under your belt is huge! The sky is limit for you now.
And depending on the yarn you used, the washcloths are very durable. I have used both the Lion Brand Kitchen Cotton and the Lily Sugar N Cream Cotton and they have stood up to many washings in the washing machine and, for the white ones, bleachings.
I hope this helps, but do let me know if you have additional questions.
Hugs,
Lynn
Ashley Fryar
December 28, 2019 at 10:23 pmI wanted to make a smaller dishcloth so i halfed the stitches (46 to 23) and i used this pattern and it made a super cute chevron pattern!! And accidental success!!
lynn
December 30, 2019 at 7:53 amOh Yippee! So glad that it worked so well for you. It is a sweet pattern, isn’t it!?
Happy Knitting my friend.
Hugs,
Lynn
Kathleen
March 5, 2020 at 12:23 pmWe still use washcloths as well, and I love the super absorbency of homemade knit cloths! Again, maybe you could teach me, others have tried and failed, maybe it can be your challenge!!
lynn
March 8, 2020 at 7:07 pmI would be thrilled to teach you! Anytime my friend.
Jean
June 11, 2020 at 4:03 pmI saw a pretty border somewhere on here, I think, and it was for the washcloth. I can’t seem to find it. Can you suggest a border for it? Thanks
lynn
June 11, 2020 at 4:30 pmHi Jean, are you thinking of the applied I-cord? If so, here it is.https://nourishandnestle.com/how-to-knit-an-applied-i-cord/
But, you could use any of the borders on these washcloths as well. Some of them are crochet:
https://nourishandnestle.com/diagonal-basket-weave-washcloth/
https://nourishandnestle.com/daisy-stitch-knit-washcloth-pattern/
https://nourishandnestle.com/chinese-wave-knit-washcloth-pattern/
Let me know if you need further suggestions!
Hugs,
Lynn
Jan
September 4, 2020 at 1:59 pmIm new to knitting. What type of cast on do you use for this washcloth? Thanks for your help.
lynn
September 4, 2020 at 4:06 pmHi Jan, I use long-tail cast on.
Happy Knitting!
Blanca
September 8, 2020 at 1:22 pmI am just learning to knit. These are so nice and will be great to practice on. Thank you so much for your answer,
lynn
September 12, 2020 at 7:19 pmYou are so welcome, Blanca. They are the perfect project to learn to knit! Don’t hesitate to let me know if you have any more questions.
Hugs,
Lynn
Cazra
September 27, 2020 at 1:31 amThe beautiful white one with the brown paper gift wrap sleeve, could you tell me which pattern it is? I love the woven looking design…help, pretty please? 😊
Thanks so much. These are just BEAUTIFUL!
Cazra
lynn
September 27, 2020 at 10:24 amHi Sweet Cazra! The ‘woven’ looking washcloth is the Diagonal Basketweave Washcloth. Isn’t it lovely? You can find the pattern at https://nourishandnestle.com/diagonal-basket-weave-washcloth/
Happy Knitting, my friend.
Hugs,
Lynn
Jimmy
October 26, 2020 at 5:59 amI have just learn how to knit. Make me so relax after work. I have ever think doing it for relax but your idea help me to think of giving someone as a present. Great! Happy to know your site!
lynn
October 26, 2020 at 2:54 pmHi Jimmy, I am so glad you found this helpful! There are many patterns for new knitters, so you should be able to knit a bunch of washcloths for your gifts this year.
Happy Knitting, my friend.
Hugs,
Lynn
Karens
December 24, 2020 at 8:50 pmThank you for showing me the way to make it. Very useful!
lynn
December 26, 2020 at 12:33 pmHi Karen,
You are so very welcome! Happy Knitting.
Hugs,
Lynn
Diane
October 12, 2021 at 11:40 amSo I knitted one … my first time knitting with cotton , my stitches don’t look as even as I would like as they are with other yarns . Will it be better after washed and dried ? Also will they shrink ? Will the stiffness go away ? Do you wash them before you gift them ?
lynn
October 13, 2021 at 9:03 amHi Diane,
Cotton does seem to show ‘everything’ because there are no loose fibers to help blend any inconsistencies. It will even out after washing. Did you use the Lily Sugar n Cream? As with any 100% cotton yarn, it will shrink a little, but then I feel it stretches back a little when wet. The yarn is very durable and perfect for washcloths, I certainly wouldn’t want it against my skin given the stiffness. It will soften with washes, but it is utilarian cotton.
Sometimes I do wash before I gift, just depends on how much time I have! 😉
Have a great day!
Hugs,
Lynn