Knitting

Free Patterns, Tutorials and Project Ideas

Knitting Patterns -Washcloths Shaped Like Animals, Because, Why Not?

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Yesterday I saw the latest pattern in the Knit Picks 52 weeks of dishcloths collection. Called Bear With Me, it’s a adorable little center out circle colored and embellished to look like a bear! I almost can’t even stand it.

While it would probably have been enough just to share that one with you, I decided to head to Raverly, thinking surely some other creative souls have knit washcloths to look like animals.

Why, yes, my friends, they have.

Behold and get your needles ready for some cuteness.

Fish: Check out Lucia Tedesco’s Fish, which comes in two sizes for washcloths or other fun; cheezombie’s Flappy Flounder from Knitty (it has knit eyes!); and Flat Fish from Royal Redneck.

For more water-loving animals, try the Froggy Bath Puppet from brileyknits or Soapy the Soap Turtle by RosebyAny. So cute!

Birds: the Owl Puffs by Jenna Krupar can be left unstuffed to make a washcloth, or try the Owlie Soap Sack (scroll down the page a bit) from Live Lovely.

Wildlife: One Giraffe in a Million by Julie L. Anderson is really cute and could be made into other animals, and while the Grr washcloth from Alice Bell in Knitty isn’t really shaped like a lion, it does have an awesome loop stitch mane.

If you like your animals a little tamer, there’s always the Bunny Blanket from Lion Brand Yarn, which could be worked in cotton yarn as a washcloth with a built-in toy; and the Kitty Bath Mitt, also from LB.

If your kid still thinks bathtime is boring after all that, I just don’t know what to say.

Why use dishcloths? Dishcloths are re-useable and save on kitchen waste. Most dishcloths are made using cotton yarn and can be thrown into the washing machine when dirty. This makes them very hygienic, especially when compared to kitchen sponges, which sit on the sinks for days if not weeks.  Another great thing about dishcloths is when it comes to knitting the knit up quickly and are great for gift giving. Everyone needs a dishcloth.  For gifting, It’s not something that has to be in fashion or a certain colour for the recipient to like it, though there are so many great dishcloth pattern designs out there.

Looking to knit more dishcloth patterns ? Check out these dishcloth patterns on Etsy 

Have you read?

Beyond Basic Pumpkin Knitting Patterns

Over the years I have shared a lot of pumpkin knitting patterns, and I’ve knit and crocheted a lot of pumpkins myself. But it feels like there are always more fun things to try with knit pumpkins, so this year I wanted to look a little more beyond basic stockinette or ribbed pumpkins and share some pumpkin patterns with cables, bobbles and colorwork. 

In the cable collection we’ve got these cute little basic cable and ribbed pumpkins from Elly Bear Knits. There are two sizes that make a wide, flat pumpkin and a taller round pumpkin. Both are worked in the round as a tube that’s cinched top and bottom when you’re done, and they use bulky weight yarn. 

Another cute cable pumpkin knitting pattern comes from Gray Bear Akswokrat. This one is knit flat and it looks like a chunky yarn but you could use other weights to make pumpkins of different sizes. This one also has an I-cord stem and uses yarn to cinch up the sections of the pumpkin, giving it a more natural look. 

Add some bobbles to your pumpkins with this design from Autumn Shelter Makes. Also worked in the round in a tube, it features a repeating pattern of bobbles and uses yarn wrapped around the outside to make segments. This one looks like worsted weight yarn to me. 

Of course there’s nothing that says your pumpkin has to be a single color, so let’s throw in some colorwork. I love the look of the Cozy Fall Pumpkin knitting pattern from South Stitch Girls. The little leather loop adds a rustic touch but you could also just add a stick. These pumpkins have five colorwork options and are worked in worsted weight yarn in the round. 

There’s also the Autumn Fair Isle Trio pumpkins pattern from Equestriann Style, which has three different sizes of pumpkins with four colorwork designs. They are worked in super bulky yarn in the round and look good with high contrast or more muted color combinations.