Knitting

Free Patterns, Tutorials and Project Ideas

Loop Stitch Washcloth Knitting Pattern

by

Hello, again, and welcome to this month’s installment of the Knitted Kitchen Blog Hop!Knit a dishcloth in loop stitch with 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 WashclothKnit a dishcloth in loop stitch with the Knitted Kitchen Blog Hop.

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 StitchKnit a dishcloth in loop stitch with the Knitted Kitchen Blog Hop.

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

  1. Put the right-hand needle through the stitch as if to knit.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.

Save

Have you read?

A Nostalgic Christmas Pudding Knitting Pattern for Your Handmade Decorations

There are some Christmas decorations I’ll always have a soft spot for, and a little knitted Christmas pudding is definitely on that list. Brown yarn, white icing and a cheerful red cherry—it’s a simple combination, but it brings back that lovely feeling of unpacking the handmade decorations each December.

This Christmas pudding knitting pattern from CraftBits is a small decorative project worked on straight needles. If you enjoy knitting Christmas ornaments but prefer to avoid working in the round, the flat construction makes this one worth a look.

A Small Project for Leftover Yarn

One of the appealing things about this project is its modest materials list. The pudding uses brown and white 8-ply yarn, with a little red yarn for the cherry and green felt for the holly leaves. You’ll also need 4 mm needles, stuffing and your usual sewing-up supplies.

It’s the sort of project that sends me straight to the leftover yarn basket. Those small balls that seem too useful to throw away finally have somewhere to go, and you can choose a rich chocolate brown or a softer, more muted shade depending on your Christmas colours.

The felt leaves are a practical finishing touch, too. They give the pudding its familiar festive appearance without adding another fiddly knitted component.

How the Knitted Pudding Comes Together

The pattern begins with 40 stitches and a brown stocking-stitch section. Colour changes introduce the white icing, followed by a white top that decreases towards the centre.

Once the knitting is finished, the piece is sewn together, stuffed and gathered at the bottom. A separately knitted cherry and the felt holly leaves complete the decoration.

I like projects where the finishing makes such a difference. A flat piece of knitting becomes a rounded little ornament, and those final details give it personality. It would look lovely tucked into a Christmas shelf display or sitting among greenery on a mantelpiece. You could also add a securely attached hanging loop for the tree.

A Pattern Detail to Check Before Starting

The design is charming, but the published instructions would benefit from a clearer technical edit. Some readers have reported difficulties with the colourwork rows, particularly the stated row endings.

I haven’t knitted a sample myself, so I wouldn’t describe this as a tested recommendation for a first colourwork project. Before starting, read through the pattern and check that each colourwork row accounts for all 40 stitches. Keep the carried yarn loose enough that the fabric can expand when stuffed.

A little more detail about the cast-on colour, finishing and finished measurements would also make the tutorial easier to follow.

A Lovely Idea for a Traditional Handmade Christmas

What appeals to me most is the pudding’s old-fashioned simplicity. It doesn’t need beads, elaborate embellishments or a perfectly coordinated decorating scheme. The knitted texture and little holly topper do the work.

For knitters comfortable checking a pattern and sewing up small projects, it’s a sweet source of festive inspiration. I’d be tempted to make a small collection in slightly different browns, keeping that lovely homemade character rather than trying to make every pudding identical.

Find the Christmas pudding knitting pattern at CraftBits and read through the instructions and reader comments before casting on.