Knitting

Free Patterns, Tutorials and Project Ideas

Easy Dishcloth Knitting Patterns

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I guess it was after I did my post on washcloth knitting patterns that Pinterest decided I really wanted to see a lot of knit dishcloths and towels. Since that post was strictly washcloths I decided I should share some of the towels, too (though of course they could be knit to washcloth size, too, just make a square instead of a rectangle). With these patterns you’ll be ready to do all your cleaning chores, just as soon as you finish one more row!

Linen stitch is one of my favorite basic knitting stitches that makes a nice solid fabric, which is just what you’d want for a dish towel. This pattern from Arianna Frasca uses linen stitch striped in two colors to make a totally classic, completely gift-worthy knit towel.

The Cilantro Tea Towel from Whileberry is another great pattern that uses basic knits and purls for a fun textured look. It’s shown in a solid color but you could also work the moss stitch section in one color and the rest of the body in another.

Cluck Cluck Boots has another easy dish towel worked in a reversible textured stitch pattern. It looks like rows of seed stitch broken up with rows of garter stitch, so it should be a pretty quick and easy project no matter your skill level.

Purl Soho’s Farmhouse Dishtowels are worked in white with a dash of color at each end for a totally classic look, though of course they can be worked in other colors if white doesn’t seem like a good choice for your lifestyle. This one is a little bit higher in skill level because for part of the pattern you are sliding the work instead of turning it so you work the same row in different colors from the same side of the work. But one you understand how to do it, it’s not really difficult.

The Stay Put Kitchen Towel from Fancy Step Knits on Etsy is perfect for hanging over the oven or dishwasher handle. It’s worked in garter stitch so it’s super easy even if you’re a newer knitter, and the keyhole used to hold the towel in place is just a bind off and cast on.

 

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Patchwork Blanket Knitting Patterns

Any time of year is a good time for stash busting, but if you can combine it with knitting a blanket that will keep you warm when it (finally!) gets cooler that’s even better. Let’s take a look at some fun patchwork blanket knitting patterns. 

If you want to keep it super simple, you can just make blocks of garter stitch and sew them together, like the beginner’s patchwork baby blanket from Mini Baa Baa or the color block blanket from Make and Do Crew. Both projects are worked in strips and sew together, with the baby version calling for two strands of DK or light worsted weight yarn held together and the larger one using bulky yarn. 

Add a little more texture with the mixed blocks of the cottage quilt throw from Mama in a Stitch. This one combines garter stitch and seed stitch and uses worsted weight yarn. She used a crochet join to make the chains on top of the blocks, but you can join them however you like. It calls for eight colors but you can use what you have, and there are three size options. 

Get a real sampler style patchwork blanket with this design from Knit Sew Make. It calls for worsted weight yarn and has four size options. All of the patterns just use knit and purl stitches so this one is still pretty easy for beginners. 

If you want a more complex colorwork project that will keep you entertained all season, try the Peace by Piece blanket pattern from Needle and Feather. This one is made up of two color colorwork blocks and calls for worsted weight yarn. You can choose to use just a few of the blocks and repeat them more often, or make multiples of the whole set. 

The knitted patchwork recipe from Martine Ellis (free on Ravelry) uses mitered squares in fingering weight yarn, so it’s perfect for using up all your leftover sock yarn and mini skeins. This one is a tutorial more than a pattern so you can make your blanket as big as you like or keep going until you run out of yarn. 

Susan B. Anderson’s 100 Squares blanket (find it on Ravelry) has a lot of mitered squares, too, but they’re arranged in fun ways and includes some quilt inspired designs as well. This one also is a bit of method more than pattern but it sure looks like a lot of fun for using all the leftovers. 

Of course you can totally improvise a patchwork blanket using the yarn and stitches you like, but I hope these patterns inspire you to look at your leftover yarn in a new way.