How to Crochet the Kitchen Cotton Shaped Washcloth

by Tamara Kelly, www.mooglyblog.com

Summer or winter, I love making a crochet washcloth or dishcloth! They are quick, fun, useful, and a great way to learn new techniques, stitches, and try out your ideas! And the Lion Brand® Kitchen Cotton Shaped Washcloth is one of my favorites! Here’s how it’s made!

First, you’ll want to gather your supplies – Lion Brand Kitchen Cotton yarn, a US-J (6.0 mm) hook, and the Shaped Washcloth pattern – it’s easy to download or print and follow along! And a cuppa whatever you like of course!

Then, we start with a magic circle. If you’re not familiar with the magic circle, be sure to check out the video below, as well as the written description in the pattern. It’s a great technique, but if you prefer to skip the magic circle, then you can just make a slip knot, use your fingers to open it up so it’s bigger (like a ring!) and crochet into that!

So, with your circle made, we begin Round 1. Chain 3 – this counts as our first double crochet of the round. Then double crochet in the ring, and chain 1. Then double crochet twice in the ring and chain 1 five times – at the end of Round 1 you should have 12 double crochets (including the chain 3!) and 6 chains. Join to the top of the chain 3 with a slip stitch and done!

On to Round 2! We’re going to slip stitch on over to the first chain 1 space, and then start with another chain 3 that acts as a double crochet. Double crochet, chain 1, and make 2 more double crochets in that same chain 1 space. Then skip the next 4 stitches and work 2 double crochets, a chain 1, and 2 more double crochets in the next chain 1 space. Do this in each chain 1 space around until you have 24 double crochets and 6 chain 1 spaces. Don’t forget to join with a slip stitch at the top of the chain 3!

Round 3: We start by working slip stitches to the next chain 1 space again, but be sure to leave these slip stitches a little bit looser – you’ll be working into one of them at the end of this round! Then it starts the same – chain 3, and work a double crochet, chain 1, and 2 more double crochets in that first chain 1 space. Then double crochet in the next stitch, skip 2 stitches, double crochet in the next stitch (the one right before the next chain 1 space), and work the 2 double crochets, chain 1, and 2 double crochets in the chain space.

Work your way around, working a double crochet in the stitch before the chain space, the 2 double crochet, chain 1, 2 double crochets in each chain space, and double crochet in the stitch after each chain space. You’ll end with a double crochet in the slip stitch that’s right before the very first chain 1 space you worked into. Don’t forget to join to the top of the chain 3!

Round 4 is pretty similar, and the pattern for the rest of the rows starts getting pretty well established. Start by slip stitching to the first chain 1 space, then ch 3 and work the double crochet, chain 1, 2 double crochets in the chain space. Then, double crochet in the next TWO stitches, skip the next 2 stitches again, and double crochet in the next TWO stitches before the chain 1 space. The chain 1 spaces are treated the same in every round – 2 double crochets, chain 1, 2 double crochets. And we work one more double crochet on each side of that chain space with each round!

So as we work through Rounds 5 through 8, we increase by one stitch on each side of the chain space set of stitches, always skipping 2 stitches in between!

By the time you get to Round 8, you’ll have 6 double crochet stitches on either side of the 2 double crochets, chain 1, 2 double crochets set.

One of the things I love about this pattern is that you can make them any size you like. I like to stop around Round 6 for a washcloth – or you could keep going and going in pattern for a blanket!

It’s an easy to memorize pattern and by changing sizes and colors you can make all sorts of lovely projects. And to help, here’s a video tutorial!