So if you haven’t already noticed from the granny squares and t-shirt yarn rug, I’ve been on a bit of a crochet kick lately. It’s been one of my favorite crafty things for years, but my efforts come in waves, especially over the last few years. School and work lead to large chunks of time where I have almost no free time. It’s a bummer for sure!
One thing I’ve been dying to crochet are some new kitchen towels. I’m trying to green up my life, both for saving money purposes and saving the environment purposes, but one thing I’m horrible with is using too many paper towels. I put one in my lunch box every morning and use them for drying fruit and vegetables, wiping down the counter, and pretty much everything else in my kitchen. At school, I only have two kitchen towels so I have to rotate and wash them pretty frequently. Anywho, I’ve been scouring the interwebs for crochet towel patterns and stumbled upon these beauties made by MarriedACarrot and posted on r/crochet.
These guys use a modified linen stitch, which leads to a really thick, beautiful weave that should hold up very well with regular kitchen use. The dish towels are super fast to whip up and look so pretty. I’m halfway through my second and hope to make more! The great thing about this pattern is that it’s repetitive, so you can make your kitchen towels as big or as small as you’d like. You could even turn this into a blanket if you have enough yarn! The light blue towel featured in the pictures is about the size of a place mat (~12 x 18 inches).
Supplies:
100% cotton yarn – I used 5 or 6 ounces of Lily Sugar ‘n Cream (I had used it for past projects, so I don’t know the exact amount)
G and H crochet hooks
Scissors
Tapestry needle to weave in ends
Begin by chaining 54 (or any even number, depending on your desired size of dish towel). Since cotton yarn has less give than acrylics, I like to chain in a slightly larger crochet hook. I used an H hook for my first towel and an I hook for my second.
Row #1: Switch to your G hook. Skip (sk) the first chain (ch) and single crochet (sc) in the second ch from the hook. *ch 1, sk 1, sc* and repeat until you reach the end of the chain. You should be crocheting a single crochet stitch in every other chain, with a chain in between.
Row #2: Ch 1 and turn. sc in the previous row’s sc, double crochet (dc) in the previous row’s chain (in the hole/gap, not through the stitch). Repeat this pattern (sc, dc) until you reach the end of the row. You should end on an sc.
Repeat rows #1 and #2 until you’ve reached the desired size or you get close to running out of yarn (that’s what happened to me on the first go-round). I ended up being able to finish 18 repeats (36 rows) before I neared the end of my skein of yarn. My towel ended up being about 12 by 18 inches, smaller than I had hoped but still big enough to use for drying dishes and veggies.
If you don’t want an edging, you’re done here! If you want to hear how I finished off my towel with a border, keep reading!
For the edging, I just turned after my last #2 row and started a row of only sc. I did two rows of single crochet, with the second row in the back loops only. I added a couple extra stitches in the 3 sc at each corner (2, 3, 2), just to help turn the corner without turning up the edges of the towel.
You can do any type of border or edging you want. I picked a simple sc border because it looks finished and tidies up the project, but is solid and sturdy like the rest of the kitchen towel.
What do you crochet for your kitchen? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below!
This post was shared on The Weekend Social, The Pin Junkie, The Pretty Pintastic Party, and Snickerdoodle Sunday.
46 Responses
Cat
Pretty! I love your color choice too! I’ll definitely try it out when I get a bit more settled here.
Alex
Thank you! I know how you much you love teal. If you try it you’ll have to let me know how it turns out!
Jane
Your instructions are so clear and very interesting stitch.
Alex
Thanks Jane!
Kristina & Millie
Oh love the color and the stitch! I haven’t used this stitch, I really like it. I am going to try it for a baby afghan, I think it would work great! If you haven’t before, please stop by our Snickerdoodle Sunday!
Alex
Thanks for stopping by, Kristina and Millie! I think it would work fabulously for an afghan, but you’ll have to stop by and let us know the results! I’m heading over to your blog right now.
Kimberlee
Cute crochet towel. I have done some dishcloth’s – crochet and knit but never a towel. I bet it makes a good drying mat, too. Found you on Snickerdoodle Sunday.
Alex
Thanks for stopping by, Kimberlee! That’s why I tried to make it big, I use the towels a lot more than small dish cloths.
carol ann
I would like to download pattern for thrifty kitchen towel if you can tell me how Thank You Very Much
Alex
Hey Carol Ann! I’m sorry, but we don’t have a downloadable version of the kitchen towel pattern at this time. The pattern is located within the text of the blog, but you can print it out or view it on your phone.
Barb
I selected, copied and pasted to a word document where I could organize it. I don’t need the step-by-step pictures so I just deleted them.
carol ann
I’m back making dish towels again for my daughters I tried making dishcloth but it seemed to large.I have one hanging from the oven its orange variegated different shades of orange Thank You So Much .
Alex
The orange sounds very pretty, Carol Ann!
Laura Hyde
I stumbled upon this pattern on Pinterest, and of course I pinned it. I started crocheting it last night. I love it! I am doing it in white with a yellow border. I want to make a small washcloth with the same pattern, done in yellow and trimmed in white for a gift for a friend.
Alex
That sounds like a beautiful gift, Laura! I’m sure your friend will appreciate the time and thought you’ve put into it. So glad my pattern was helpful!
Carolyn
I just finished a mostly beige dishcloth (some teal and mauve spots throughout the yarn) that looks similar but was a sc, dc in one stitch, skip a stitch then sc, dc in next stitch etc. I edged the same as you. But now I am going to start a dishcloth using this stitch. I think this will be less of a yarn hog. A skein only made a size 9×9 with only a tiny bit left over. Thanks for sharing.
Alex
No problem, Carolyn! Come back and share the results when you finish your dish cloth!
Kathleen Ruth
Nice pattern! This will be the next one I make-I love my handmade dishcloths, towels and swiffer covers and so does my daughter.
Alex
Me too, Kathleen! My crocheted dish cloths end up so much sturdier and more absorbant than the other dish towels I’ve purchased.
FizzH89
I love all these lovely colours and patterns for washcloths available on Pinterest and am trying some of them out, but when I search for the yarn all I can source here in the UK is white and ecru. Is there a difference between cotton yarn used for clothing and cotton yarn used for washcloths?
Phyllis
Are these absorbent enough to dry dishes. I do not have a dishwasher ( we live full time in a motorhome and have for the last 12 years) so I have to dry dishes
Alex
Sorry for the delay, Phyllis! To answer your question, it all depends on what type of yarn you use. I’ve been using the Sugar & Cream cotton yarn and it’s pretty absorbent. Sometimes I use these towels for drying dishes, and other times I lay it out as a mat and just let bigger things dry over night.
CarolAnn Kruse
12/13/15 I’m making kitchen towels I like this pattern I’m making verigated red white and green my daughter said the colors of the Mexican flag because she lives in Tijuana BajaCalifornia Sur Mexico. I said no Christmas colors.
Alex
I’m sure it turned out beautifully, CarolAnn!
Cheryl
Love this towel. I am using Hobby Lobby’s I Love This Cotton and it is so nice to work with and so soft. Thank you for making your pattern available.
Alex
There isn’t a Hobby Lobby by me, so I’ve never tried I Love This Cotton, but I’ll have to keep an eye out for it! I usually just use the Sugar & Cream cotton. Glad you liked the pattern, Cheryl!
Leila
Thanks for the use of your pattern. I am planning to use it again
Alex
No problem, Leila! So glad you liked it!
Leila
I used purple for half and lavender for second half. Made mine into a place mat. I love it,thanks
Mona
Just tried your pattern and I loved it, I think I will make a mat to dry my dishes. Thanks
Gina
I’m having severe brain fade here, but after 5 rows I’m still having trouble turning from row 2 back to row 1. Are there one or two chain stitches before starting row one again? I know I don’t change hooks, so does row 1 begin at the *? I’m getting stuck in a tight mess going from 2 back to 1. Thank you. I have a similar color, more aqua, that I think will look really good if I can keep my edges straight
Terri Lee
I love this pattern . I also love the colors you used . They are so cheerful and bright and clean .
Angela Shea
I done dishcloths & potholders. I have tried to do a tea towel but had so many issues keeping edges straight I gave up.
Kim
Hi Alex, on the repeat rows do you alternate hooks or is that just the beginning? I chose the I hook because I generally crochet tight, even though I try not too. Also, if I use the I hook for the chain, do I use an H hook or G hook for 1st row.
Your instructions are very good, but I just want to be sure.
Tx
Thanks, Kim
Alex
Hi Kim! This is a very late response, but you only make the chain in the larger hook. Cotton yarn isn’t as stretchy as acrylic, so I use a bigger hook to make it easier to build off the starting chain.
Helen
Hi!
Tk u so much for sharing this gorgeous pattern – love it – love the edging that you used and thank u for sharing that too – it really finishes it off. Love the colour and the stitch you used – looks awesome. I am surely going to try this one for sure – my dish towels are getting pretty ratty-looking. Tk u again for sharing your talent and the pattern.
Helen
Joyce Kemmery
I make a lot of dishcloths/washcloths, towels with toppers on them, pot holders, coasters, crocheted hanging towels. I hope to try to make one or more of your hand towels.
Jessi
Hi! Any idea about how much of a ball of Sugar n Cream should be reserved for the 2 rounds of sc border? Was planning to use 3 balls total. Thanks!
Elise
Starting third row; do I chain before turning or go directly into the stitches as done with row 1?
Alex
Elise, sorry for the delayed response. You’ll chain 1 before starting the row.
Joni
Love the pattern and look new to this type of project going to make some for Christmas Gifts! Thank you for clear pics and instructions!
Vonzi
Love. What should i do to make a matching dishcloth.
Alex
Vonzi, to make a dish cloth, just chain an even number in the size you want. The basic pattern is the same.
Helen
Hi!
Tk u for sharing this beautiful towel – so love the design and the colour you chose – one of my favourites.
I have one question: you state “I added a couple extra stitches in the 3 sc at each corner (2, 3, 2), just to help turn the corner without turning up the edges of the towel” – just want to clarify – do you mean in corners you did 2 sc, 3sc, 2sc in each corner – not sure what you meant. Many tks.
Tk u for sharing your talent and your patterns with us.
Helen
Hi again!
Started to make this but have a few more questions: 1) how many sts do u have at end of each row 2) for row 3 – do u sk 1 at beginning of row? 3) do u ch1 at end of each row?
Many tks. Can’t wait to really dig into this – love it so.