The Knitting Fiend

Unbelievable! I knit a dishcloth, a lace dishcloth.

I swore I’d never do this. . .

I have excuses. I had a little bit of Lion Brand Kitchen Cotton left over from my raglan and didn’t have a clue what to knit with it. While I was at my in laws, helping them medicate the cat, I noticed my mother-in-law had an ancient hand knit dishcloth next to her kitchen sink.

I picked it up and said, “Wow, lace!”

She responded: “I love it; it dries out so fast!”

Evidently, lace cotton dishcloths are ideal because they are rough enough to scrub dishes with, but airy enough to dry quickly. Who’d a thunk?

Epiphany! I could kill three birds with one stone; I could: 1) practice a new lace pattern.¹ 2) use up some left over cotton and 3) make something my mother-in-law will actually use.

The lace pattern I decided to use required a multiple of 6 stitches plus 3 extra stitches; so you could cast on 8, 15, 21 etc. to knit the basic lace pattern. I thought 21 would be about the right size; I added 2 stitches on both edges and worked them in garter stitch. This created a nice firm border.

Here’s my dishcloth pattern:

Materials: Use worsted weight dishcloth cotton and needles you find comfortable to knit with. The size isn’t tremendously important; I used US size 7’s and my dishcloth is about 5″ across. You want the gauge too seem a little loose because it will tighten up when the dishcloth shrinks.

• Cast on 25 stitches
• Knit 2 rows garter stitch.
• Row 1: and all odd rows–Slip first stitch, purl across row.
• Row 2: Sl 1, p1, k1, * yo, ssk, k1, yo, k2 tog, k1; repeat from *, end yo, ssk, p2.
• Row 4: Sl 1, p1, k2, * yo, ssk, k1, k2 tog, yo, k1; repeat from * end k1, p2
• Row 6: Sl 1, p1, k3, * yo, sl 1, k2 tog, psso, yo, k3; repeat from *, end p2. ²
• Row 8: Sl 1, p1, k1, * yo, k2 tog, k1, yo, ssk, k1, repeat from *, end yo, k2 tog, p2.
• Row 10: Sl 1, p1, k2, * k2 tog, yo, k1, yo, ssk, k1; rep from * end k1, p2
• Row 12: Sl 1, p1, k1, k2 tog, yo, * k3, yo, sl 1, k2 tog, psso, yo; repeat from *, end k3, yo, ssk, k1, p2. ³

Work until the dishcloth is a about 5-10% longer than it is wide. It will shrink more lengthwise than widthwise. Work 2 rows garter stitch; bind off. Weave in ends and tidy. Look at the swatch and vow to do a better job on your next one. But, comfort yourself with this thought “At least it’s big enough!”

Throw the dish cloth in the laundry and wash on hot. Tumble dry. Stretch and press. Be impressed because it looks looks better. Decide you probably wish it were a little larger to use in the kitchen.⁴ Start thinking, “It’s pretty cute. It would be pretty in my kitchen.

Be a good girl; give this 5″ dishcloth to your mother-in-law. Next time cast on 37 stitches so she can have a decent sized one.

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Tips & Info:
1. This is “Pierced Diamond Pattern” from page 269 of Walker’s “Second Treasury of Knitting”.

2. I underlined the sl 1, k2 tog, psso to emphasize this is sort of one operation. It’s a decorative method to decrease 3 stitches leaving only the center stitch. This decrease forms the tip of the diamonds. The bold diagonal lines running up and to the left are the ’ssk’ operations.

3. I don’t know if this information will help you, but I found I tended to goof up on row 12, and work a sl 1, k2 tog, psso when all I needed to substitute an (ssk, k1). If you make the same mistake I did and don’t count after every row, you’ll be one stitch short when you finish the next repeat of row 2. You can either rip back two rows or cheat and make a stitch just before the two purl stitches. I cheated.

4. To make a larger washcloth cast on extra stitches, but be sure to add in multiples of 6. So, you can cast on 31, 37 etc. Or use this calculator to figure out how many to cast on. (The number of stitches for my dishcloth must be a multiple of 6 plus 3.)

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Sunday, April 17, 2005. Edited to add link to a calculator.