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Knit a Heart-Shaped Washcloth

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how to knit a heart-shaped washclothI wanted to do a little pattern for Valentine’s Day, but I really don’t love making holiday themed things that you feel like you can’t or shouldn’t use the rest of the year.

A washcloth, though, can be used all the time, and it’s a sweet reminder for someone you love or for yourself, to give yourself a little love as you go through your daily routine.

This is a really quick and easy project, worked in Garter Stitch, with a little increasing, a little straight knitting and a little decreasing.

I happen to have a lot of red yarn, so I made mine red, but you can make your heart shaped washcloth whatever color you like.

What You’ll Need

Gauge is not important for this project, but I got about 5 stitches per inch/2.5 cm in Garter Stitch.

Finished cloth is about 7 inches (almost 18 cm) across at widest point and about 5.5 inches (about 14 cm) tall.

How to Knit a Heart Shaped Washcloth

Cast on 3 stitches.

Knit 1 row.

Knit in the front and back, knit 1, knit in the front and back. 5 stitches.

Knit 1 row.

Knit in the front and back of the first stitch, knit to last stitch, knit in front and back of last stitch.

Knit 1 row.

Repeat these 2 rows until you have 31 stitches.

Knit 10 rows straight. how to knit a heart-shaped washcloth

SSK, knit 13, k2tog.

Turn and work just these stitches. Knit across.

SSK, knit to last 2 stitches, k2tog.

Repeat these 2 rows until 2 stitches remain. Bind off.

Join yarn to remaining 16 stitches and work in the same manner, with decreases at each end of every other row, until 3 stitches remain.

SSK, Knit 1.

Bind off.

Weave in ends.

Add this project to your Ravelry queue.

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Have you read?

Knit a Great Button Down Shirt

Just about anything you can make in fabric you can make in knitting, but there are some styles that you just don’t see that often translated into knitting. 

For example, a button down collared shirt. This is a classic design, of course, and it looks great in a knit version, but it’s just not something you see much of. 

Noma Ndlovu’s Guglethu shirt is the pattern to try if you want to knit your own button down shirt. This one is inspired by cashmere tops (though the sample was made out of yak yarn, not cashmere, and uses two strands of lace weight yarn held together) and includes lots of high-fashion details like double-knit cuffs, collar and shoulder seams. 

It has a patch pocket on the front and 10 buttons including the button band and the cuffs. 

The designer says you can also use a DK weight yarn held singly if you’d rather, and that the shirt looks good in a variety of yarns. There is another version on Ravelry that uses Berroco Remix Light, which is a mix of nylon, cotton, acrylic, silk and cellulose fibers. It has a more relaxed look but it still really pretty. 

The pattern has 12 sizes, with a full bust measurement ranging from 32.35 to 72.25 inches, or 82 to 183.5 cm. The designer suggests 2 to 6 inches, or 5 to 15 cm, of positive ease when you pick your size. I could totally see knitting one that’s even bigger to wear more like a jacket, because I do that a lot with button down shirts I already own.

I love all the details on this shirt, which isn’t necessarily difficult to knit, but might introduce you to some things you’ve never knit before (like those cuffs with the plackets, or a shirt collar like this). 

To learn more about this shirt and grab a copy of the pattern for yourself, head to Ravelry. 

[Photo: Noma Ndlovu]

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