Loop Stitch Washcloth Knitting Pattern

Hello, again, and welcome to this month’s installment of the Knitted Kitchen Blog Hop!

This week I’m bringing you a fun technique that makes a super scrubby (and stash busting) dishcloth or washcloth, but it’s a stitch pattern you might also want to use on other projects for a bit of funky texture.

Loop Stitch here is worked on a base of Garter Stitch, with the loops worked every fourth row. The only tricky part is figuring out how to make the loops; I made a little video I hope will help!

Materials

about 100 yards medium-weight cotton yarn (I used the Lion Brand 24/7 Cotton in Aqua that I had left over from the Cartridge Rib Dishcloth I made back in February)

one pair size 7 US/4.5 mm knitting needles

Gauge

Gauge is not critical — and really hard to measure — with this project, but I got about 4.5 stitches and 5 rows per inch/2.5 cm in Loop Stitch.

Size

This is a very stretchy washcloth; I was going for an 8-inch square but when relaxed it is closer to 9 inches/23 cm square.

How to Knit the Loop Stitch Washcloth

Cast on 40 stitches.

Knit 3 rows.

Knit 1, make loop stitch in each stitch to last stitch, knit 1.

Repeat these 4 rows until desired length; end with 3 knit rows.

Bind off.

Making the Loop Stitch

The video should help you understand how to make the Loop Stitch, but if you need it in words:

Put the right-hand needle through the stitch as if to knit.
Make a loop on the back of the work with the working yarn. I like to loop it around my index finger and measure down the width of my middle finger. Hold the loop in place with your other hand slip your fingers out of the loop.
Grab the working yarn, keeping the loop secure, and take the yarn over the needle and continue to form the knit stitch by bringing the right-hand needle under the loop.
Place the loop that’s now on the right-hand needle onto the left-hand needle and knit it together with the original stitch.

It sounds harder and looks more awkward than it is. Once you’ve done it for a row or two you will get into the rhythm, I promise.

Add this project to your Ravelry queue.

More Knitted Kitchen

Check out my other patterns from the series: Ridged Ribbon Eyelet | Cartridge Rib Dishcloth | Two-Color Moss Stitch Dishcloth | Vine Lace Dishcloth

You can find the full list of blog hop patterns as they become available on the main blog hop page, or join us on Facebook.

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Blankets are a great blank slate project that you can change up in a million different ways. From color to stitch pattern to size, the possibilities are almost endless.

Jared Flood, the designer behind Brooklyn Tweed, was inspired by a log cabin quilt his mother made in 1995 to re-create that design in knitting, which led to more blankets and ultimate Brooklyn Tweed’s Knit and Crochet Blankets, which includes 25 patterns from an array of designers using different skills and techniques to make cozy, pretty blankets.

The patterns are divided into three aesthetic themes: traditions, minimalism and colorplay. The patterns are rated on a scale of one to five, with one being the easiest, and there aren’t any pieces rated five. Two blankets are rated one, 14 are two, eight are three and one is four.

In addition, three of the 25 patterns are crocheted, but they either use single crochet or granny stitch, so they are pretty easy even if you don’t do a lot of crochet. You can see all the patterns on Ravelry.

Some of my favorites include Rattan by Rastus Hsu, a chunky blanket worked in knits and purls with simple crossing stitches to make a raised woven look; Homewood by Seth Richardson, covers in dramatic, loopy cables; Ainur Berkimbayeva’s Tessellate, one of the beginner projects that doesn’t really look beginner but is totally worked in knit and purl stitches; Warp + Weft by Aist? Butkevi?ien?, which is mostly knits and purls but makes a fun woven look fabric that blew my mind a little bit; and the same designer’s Canyonland, a multicolored blanket with wavy stripes.

The patterns tell you how to resize them for different dimensions and include information on pattern repeats where it is possible to make a totally custom size.

Many different techniques are included here such as cables, lace, shadow knitting, intarsia and other colorwork techniques, as well as modular knitting and lots of sewing pieces together. The patterns are all presented with charts, but there are line by line written instructions available on the Brooklyn Tweed website if you need them.

The book ends with a deep dive into log cabin knitting, telling the story of the quilt Jared’s mom made and how he made it in knitting, as well as the multitude of variations you can make if you want your own log cabin style design.

The back of the book includes a little written information about some of the special techniques needed, but there are no photos.

This is a lovely book full of inspiration for knitting and crochet blankets for any skill level. If you like to make blankets as gifts or aspire to have a handmade blanket in every room of the house, these designs would be a great place to start.

About the book: 192 pages, paperback, 25 patterns. Published 2024 by Abrams Books, suggested retail price $24.99.

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