Easy-to-Knit Dishcloth Pattern for Beginners

This easy-to-knit dishcloth pattern for beginners, typically known as “Grandmother’s Washcloth” is a pattern my grandma used to knit in the evenings while she watched her favorite shows. I remember many years where everyone in the family got a new stack of dishcloths for Christmas. As a kid, I remember watching her and wondering two things. The first was how the heck she could knit without looking at her work, and how she knew the pattern by heart.

Turns out that since I have learned how to knit, I can also knit without looking, and I have memorized this very easy pattern! Just like Grandma, I too like to knit as I watch a show or movie in the evening. Sometimes I crochet, but this cloth pattern is definitely a go-to for me. Grandma has been gone a couple of years now, but the memory of her knitting washcloths will stay with me.

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Knitting Supplies You’ll Need:

Size 7 (4.5 mm) knitting needles – I use Grandma’s now, but these ones will definitely work if you don’t have any in size 7. You can use other sizes too, just keep in mind that the size of the stitches will vary and so will your finished product. But I am all for experimenting and would love to know if you used a different size and what the outcome was.

Yarn – I prefer to use cotton yarn (my favorite is the Bernat Handicrafter) or a cotton blend (my favorite is the Lion Brand) as I find that they hold their shape better over time, and they also just seem to wash batter. I don’t know if that is actually true, or something Grandma used to say so it is a preconceived notion, but hey! You can let me know in the comments whether you agree or disagree with this. Cotton dishcloths also make for nice face cloths and shower scrubbies, Much better than buying those plastic poufs that will take eons to break down at the dump! I also like to make scrubby cloths with Red Heart Scrubby Yarn for when I happen to have stubborn stuck on stuff that I am trying to wash off. Also great to use in the shower as an exfoliating cloth.

See?! These cloths are far more than just plain old dishcloths! And ultimately, you really can use whatever yarn you would like but results will vary.

Knitting Counter – this is an optional item but will help keep track of how many stitches you are at so you won’t need to count. I have one that is very similar to this one.

Knitting Bag – Also totally optional, but this one is super handy and I love it!

Knitting Terms to Know:

CO __ Stitches = Cast on ___ Stitches

K = Knit

YO = Yarn Over

K2TOG = Knit 2 Together

CO = Cast off

Tips to Know:

I can’t remember exactly where I read this next tip. It was probably some Pinterest Pin I saw somewhere in time, but I don’t think it was from dear old Grandma… Anyways, I have tried it out, and it definitely works for me. It may not work for everyone though since there can be differences in size and materials used based on tension. But if you want to use an entire ball of yarn, increase your stitches to 50. If you want to be super thrifty and get two smaller cloths out of one ball, increase your number of stitches to 25 only.

When you do the YO, you are creating the holes you see around that nice decorative edge. To keep the decorative holes along the border during the decrease, you will still need to do the YO (adding a stitch), which is why you need to K2TOG twice.

Easy-to-Knit Dishcloth Pattern

CO 4 Stitches

Row 1 – K4

Row 2 – K2, YO, K to End

Repeat Row 2 until desired width is achieved. I typically go to 50 and use up a whole ball with one cloth if it is a cloth for our household. If I plan on gifting, or selling, I will typically go to 25 and get two out of a ball. My grandma used to only go to 45, it really is knitters choice! Just keep in mind that if you want to go with more than 50 stitches, you may well run out of yarn before the cloth is finished!

For the Decrease: K1, K2TOG, YO, K2TOG, K to End

Repeat until you have 4 stitches left.

CO

Tie off and hide your ends and you’re done!

Please let me know in the comments below if you have made this pattern before and what you think of it! I personally love it. It has been a go-to for many many knitters for many many years, and I hope you will add it to your repertoire too!