Mar
The Basic Square Dishcloth Nobody Can Screw Up
So okay the absolute easiest dishcloth pattern is just a basic square and I know that sounds boring but honestly it’s what I still make most of the time. You’re literally just making rows back and forth until you have a square shape. I made my first one back in spring 2022 when I was stuck at home with nothing to do and kept seeing all these fancy patterns online but they made no sense to me.
Here’s what you actually do. Get some cotton yarn because acrylic will melt if you put a hot pot on it which seems obvious now but wasn’t to me at first. I usually grab Lily Sugar’n Cream because it’s at every craft store and Walmart. Sometimes I use Bernat Handicrafter Cotton if they have colors I like better. You need a size H/8 (5mm) hook or maybe a G/6 if you want it tighter.
Chain like 30 stitches to start. It doesn’t have to be exact because this isn’t some precise thing it’s a dishcloth. Then you’re gonna single crochet across that whole chain. When you get to the end, chain 1 and turn your work around. Single crochet back across. Keep doing that. Just back and forth and back and forth until it looks square-ish.
The annoying thing about this is that your edges might get wavy or tight and you have to pay attention to actually getting your hook into that last stitch at the end of each row. I still sometimes miss it and my dishcloths end up trapezoid shaped but whatever they still clean dishes.
Why Cotton Matters More Than You Think
I tried making dishcloths with Red Heart Super Saver once because I had a ton of it leftover from another project and it was completely useless. Acrylic doesn’t absorb water it just pushes it around. Cotton actually soaks stuff up. Also cotton can go in the washing machine and dryer on hot which you’re definitely gonna want because these things get gross.
Lily Sugar’n Cream comes in these big balls that are I think 2.5 ounces and you can usually get two dishcloths out of one ball. Sometimes three if you make them smaller. They have a million colors. I have made dishcloths in basically every color they make at this point. The yarn is kind of rough and stiff when you first use it but after you wash it a few times it softens up.
Peaches & Creme is the same thing basically just a different brand name. I can’t tell the difference honestly. Sometimes one is cheaper than the other so just get whichever.
The Diagonal Dishcloth That Looks Fancier But Isn’t
This one starts in the corner and you increase until it’s the size you want then decrease back down to a point. It’s literally the same stitch you just add and subtract stitches.
Start with chain 4. Single crochet in the second chain from your hook and in each chain across so you have 3 single crochets. Chain 1 and turn. Now here’s the increase part: make 2 single crochets in the first stitch, single crochet across until the last stitch, make 2 single crochets in that last stitch. You just added 2 stitches to your row.
Keep doing that increase row over and over. Every row you’re adding 2 stitches one at each end. Do this until your dishcloth measures like 9 or 10 inches across the long side.
Then you switch to decreasing. Chain 1 and turn. Skip the first stitch, single crochet across until 2 stitches remain, skip the next stitch, single crochet in the last stitch. You just decreased 2 stitches. Keep doing decrease rows until you’re back down to 3 stitches or so. Tie it off.
I made a bunch of these in summer 2024 because my friend was moving into her first apartment and I needed cheap gifts and I was also binge watching this show about cults which was super distracting so some of them came out kind of uneven. But she liked them anyway or at least said she did.
The Thing About Gauge That Doesn’t Really Matter Here
Patterns always talk about gauge and tension and all this stuff but for dishcloths who cares. If it’s a little bigger or smaller it still works. If your stitches are loose it might be a little floppy and if they’re tight it’ll be stiff but both versions clean plates fine.
I crochet pretty loosely I think because my dishcloths are usually kind of drapey. Some people crochet really tight and their dishcloths are like little stiff boards. Both work. The tight ones might last longer actually because there’s less space for the yarn to wear down but I don’t know I’ve never tested this scientifically or anything.
The Waffle Stitch One That Actually Scrubs Better
Okay so this one has actual texture which makes it better for scrubbing stuck on food. It’s not that much harder you just have to know what a double crochet is.
Chain a multiple of 3 plus 2. So like 32 or 35 or whatever. Row 1 is just double crochet across the whole thing. Chain 2 and turn.
Row 2 is the pattern row. You’re gonna do front post double crochet, then back post double crochet, then back post double crochet. That’s your 3-stitch repeat. A front post double crochet is where you stick your hook around the post of the stitch from the front. A back post double crochet you go around from the back. This makes some stitches poke forward and some go back which creates the waffle texture.
The pattern is: FPDC, BPDC, BPDC, repeat across. Then you repeat that same row over and over until it’s square.
I’m not gonna lie this one confused me for a while because I couldn’t figure out which way was front and which was back when I turned my work. The front is the side facing you. That’s it. When you turn your work the other side is now facing you so that’s the new front. It made sense eventually but I had to make like three attempts.
Why This Pattern Annoyed Me
The thing that annoyed me about the waffle stitch is that the edges curl up. Like no matter what I did the sides wanted to roll inward. I tried adding border stitches, I tried changing my tension, I tried blocking it which is where you wet it and pin it flat to dry but it still curled up once I unpinned it.
Eventually I just accepted that this pattern curls and that’s fine. It still functions as a dishcloth. Maybe even better because the curled edges give you something to grip when you’re scrubbing.
The Granny Square Dishcloth Because Why Not
You can make a dishcloth out of a granny square. It’s just a regular granny square but with cotton yarn. If you know how to make a granny square you’re done here.
If you don’t: Chain 4 and slip stitch to form a ring. Chain 3 (counts as first double crochet). Make 2 more double crochets in the ring. Chain 2. Then do 3 double crochets, chain 2, four times total so you have four corners. Slip stitch to the top of your starting chain 3.
Round 2: Slip stitch to the next chain-2 space. Chain 3, make 2 double crochets in that same corner space, chain 2, make 3 double crochets in that same corner space. That’s your first corner. Chain 1. In the next corner space do 3 double crochets, chain 2, 3 double crochets. Chain 1. Keep going around all four corners.
Each round you add 3 double crochets, chain 2, 3 double crochets in each corner space. In between corners you do 3 double crochets in each gap with chain 1 in between groups. Keep going until it’s as big as you want.
I made a bunch of these but honestly they’re kind of holey? Like the gaps between stitches are bigger than a solid dishcloth so they don’t work as well for wiping counters. They’re okay for washing dishes though because soap and water go through all the holes.
Colors and Why I Overthink Them
You’d think choosing colors for dishcloths would be simple but I spend way too much time on this. White shows every stain immediately. Black doesn’t show stains but shows lint and crumbs really bad. Bright colors are cheerful but might fade in the wash or the sun if you leave them by the window.
I usually go with medium colors. Blues, greens, purples, that kind of thing. They hide most stains and don’t show lint too much. Variegated yarn looks fun but can be kind of busy and chaotic which bothers some people.
Last year I made a set of dishcloths in different shades of green for my mom and she actually uses them which is the highest compliment because she’s the type to “save” things instead of using them. I used Lily Sugar’n Cream in Sage Green, Key Lime, and I think Hot Green which is like a bright lime color.
My cat kept trying to steal the ball of yarn while I was working on those which was— anyway I had to keep it in a bag between sessions.
Striped Dishcloths By Accident or On Purpose
If you want stripes you just switch colors every few rows. I usually do 2 or 3 rows of one color then switch. You don’t have to cut the yarn if you’re doing narrow stripes you can just carry it up the side.
To carry yarn up the side: when you finish a row with color A, drop it. Pick up color B and start your next row. When you come back to color A in a few rows, just pick it back up from where you left it. The unused color makes a little line up the edge but you can crochet over it to hide it or just not care because it’s the edge.
If you’re doing wide stripes like more than 4 rows you should probably cut the yarn and weave in the ends later. Otherwise you have this long strand hanging there that gets in the way.
I made some striped dishcloths that were supposed to be planned stripes in blue and white but I ran out of blue halfway through so they ended up being blue, white, blue, white, blue, green because I substituted a different color and honestly they looked kind of nautical by accident so I went with it.
Finishing and the Part Nobody Likes
When you’re done crocheting you have to weave in your ends. This means taking a yarn needle (which is a big blunt needle with a big eye) and threading your yarn tail through it and weaving it back and forth through your stitches to hide it.
I usually weave ends back and forth a few times then trim close to the work. Some people say you should weave in different directions or split the yarn or all these complicated things but for dishcloths it really doesn’t matter that much because the yarn is cotton and kind of grips itself.
You can add a border if you want. I usually do one round of single crochet around the whole edge just to make it look neater. In each corner I do 3 single crochets in the same stitch so it lays flat around the corner.
Blocking If You’re That Person
Blocking is when you wet the finished dishcloth and shape it and pin it and let it dry. This makes it lay flat and look more professional. I’ve done this exactly twice and then decided it wasn’t worth the effort for something that’s gonna scrub crusty oatmeal off bowls.
But if you want to block: soak the dishcloth in water, squeeze out excess water in a towel, pin it to a blocking board or foam mat or even a carpeted floor if you’re desperate, shape it into a nice square, let it dry completely. Done.
The dishcloths I blocked did look nicer and flatter but after the first use and wash they went back to their normal slightly rumpled shape anyway.
How Many Dishcloths Does One Person Need
The answer is you can never have too many apparently because I keep making them. They’re good mindless projects when you’re watching TV or listening to podcasts. You don’t have to pay attention or count much once you get going.
I probably have like 20 dishcloths in rotation in my kitchen. I use a fresh one every day or two and throw the dirty ones in the laundry. This is way more sanitary than using the same sponge for weeks which I know some people do and it grosses me out.
Dishcloths also make good gifts. People are weird about handmade gifts sometimes but dishcloths are practical enough that most people will actually use them. I made a set for my sister when she got married and she told me later she uses them every day which made me feel good.
The Cost Breakdown Nobody Asked For
A ball of Lily Sugar’n Cream costs like $2 to $3 depending on where you buy it. You can make 2 or 3 dishcloths from one ball. So each dishcloth costs less than $2 in materials. You can buy dishcloths at the store for anywhere from $1 to $10 depending on quality so handmade ones are price competitive especially if you factor in that they last longer.
The time investment is maybe an hour or two per dishcloth depending on the pattern and how fast you crochet. If you’re watching TV anyway the time doesn’t really count as labor in my opinion.
