Beginner’s Knit Washcloth

Yarn

45 yards (50 meters) worsted weight yarn. Cotton or linen yarn is preferred for a washcloth.

Needles and Notions

Needles: US 7 (4.5 mm) knitting needle

Tapestry Needle

Pattern Notes and Abbreviations

K: Knit

P: Purl

LHN: Left hand needle

RHN: Right hand needle

Instructions

Tie a slipknot on to LHN, leaving a tail of about 6 inches. 

Gently tighten knot. This is your first stitch.

Slide RHN through front of knot, with yarn in the back. Wrap yarn counter- clockwise around RHN.

Pull RHN through loop made by knot, while catching the yarn that you just looped around it.  

Place that loop on to LHN.  Pull it so that it’s not loose, but not so tight that it will be hard to get your needle in for the next stitch. 

Repeat, starting by putting RHN through loop you just added to LHN.  

Repeat until 40 stitches are on LHN.

Insert RHN into first stitch on left hand needle, from the front to back.  Bring yarn around RHN. Pull RHN through loop, catching the yarn you just wrapped.

  Leave that stitch on RHN. The stitch on LHN that you just worked will come off of the needle; it’s now under the stitch you just worked. 

Repeat with second stitch on LHN and so on until all stitches on LHN are worked.  Be sure to keep working yarn in the back of your needle.

A rhyme to remember how to do a knit stitch:

In through the front door (Insert RHN into stitch)

Around the back (Bring yarn around RHN)

Peek through the window (Pull RHN through loop, catching yarn that was wrapped)

Off jumps Jack (Stitch just worked comes off LHN)

Once all stitches on LHN have been kit, switch needles between your hands, putting the one with all the stitches in your left hand and knit all the stitches the same way again.

Keep knitting until the washcloth is your desired length, about 9 inches.

Bind off

Knit two stitches. Slip stitch that was knit first over the second and off the needle. Knit another stitch.  

Slip other stitch over and off the needle. 

Repeat until all stitches are bound off. There will be one remaining stitch.  Cut yarn, leaving a tail about 6 inches long, and pull through remaining stitch.

Using tapestry needle, weave ends into washcloth. Only 1-2 inches needs to be woven in.  The rest can be trimmed.

Contact and Support 

For questions, pattern support, and other information, please email darklakefiberart@gmail.com 

Tips

Watch for yarnovers! If you start your stitch with the yarn in front instead of the back, it will create an extra stitch and a little hole in the fabric.

Don’t pull the yarn too tight. It will make it hard to put the needle in the next row. 

It’s ok to make mistakes!  I’ve been knitting for 15 years and still make mistakes.