Knitting

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Two-Tone Bias Knit Washcloth

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two tone bias knit washclothThe bias knit washcloth is a classic knitting pattern, so classic in fact it has a default name: Grandmother’s Favorite.

I like it because it’s super easy, but still fun and quick to knit, and it’s perfect for using just about every scrap of leftover yarn you have.

I had the teensiest little bit of blue yarn left from other projects that I wanted to use, so I stitched the first half of my washcloth with that, and the second half with a coordinating green.

It made a tiny cloth perfect for face washing, but of course you can use this method to make a washcloth or dishcloth of any size you like.

Materials

  • I used about 35 yards of two colors of Lion Brand 24/7 Cotton (colors Aqua and Mint), but you can use as much as you like to make a larger cloth
  • one pair size 6 US/4mm knitting needles
  • yarn needle

Gauge

Gauge is not critical but I got about 5 stitches and 10 rows per inch/2.5 cm in bias Garter Stitch

Size

My finished washcloth is about 6 inches/15 cm square. It’s a perfect little face cloth but just keep increasing a while longer to make yours bigger if you like.

How to Knit a Two-Tone Bias Knit Washcloth

bias knit washclothWith color A, cast on 4 stitches.

Knit 1 row.

Knit 1, yarn over, knit across.

Repeat this row until you are almost out of yarn or the sides of your triangle are the length you’d like a side of your washcloth to be. I had 30 stitches when I began decreasing.

Change to color B.

Knit 1, yarn over, knit 2 together, knit to last 3 stitches, knit 2 together, knit 1. One stitch decreased.

Repeat this row until 4 stitches remain (the last row will end with the decrease, not a knit 1).

Knit 1 row.

Bind off. Weave in ends.

More Knitted Kitchen

Check out my other patterns from the series: Circular Washcloth | Loop Stitch Washcloth | 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.

Comments

  1. How do you change colors so as to hide the tail of Color A? Thanks, Sarah! I make lot of these superquick (Portuguese purl), look forward to doing the two-color version!

  2. Just start knitting with the second color at the beginning of a row, leaving a few inches of both hanging at the side. When you weave in the ends, make sure you weave the color A to the color A side and the color B to the color B side.

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.