First project · free small project

Garter stitch dishcloth

A larger everyday rectangle for building an even knitting rhythm. Use a washable yarn and your own garter gauge, then make a coordinated kitchen set without changing the construction.

Original Purlgrid recipe · engine-checked counts · diagrams are previews, not photographs of a physically made sample.

Supplies and skills

Washable cotton yarn, suitable knitting needles, a ruler, scissors and a blunt yarn needle.

  • Cast on
  • Knit every row
  • Finish loose ends

How to make it

  1. Wash and dry a garter-stitch sample before measuring it. Dishcloths are washed often, so use that settled gauge for the calculation.
  2. Cast on the calculated count and knit every row. Mark every tenth completed row with a removable marker or keep a tally in My projects.
  3. Stop after the listed fabric rows, then bind off on the next row. Keep the edge flexible rather than tightening each loop.
  4. Weave in the ends securely, wash the cloth and dry it flat. Record the final dimensions and yarn used if you want to repeat the project.

A measured sample can estimate yarn by weight; without one, this recipe does not invent a metre requirement.

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Optional: estimate yarn from a weighed swatch

Use a washed, dry sample in the same yarn and stitch pattern. Fill all five measurements; the estimate includes the reserve you choose.

Stitches across
36
Fabric rows
64
Calculated rectangle
20 × 20 cm
Cast on
36

The target size is 20 × 20 cm. Whole stitches and rows give the calculated size shown above, before finishing.

Gauge used: 18 sts and 32 rows per 10 cm in this fabric.

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Stitch schematic, not a finished-product photograph. V = knit, – = purl, × = single crochet. Preview: first 36 stitches and 24 rows.

Working instructions

Cast on 36 stitches. Turn after every row. Knit and purl abbreviations use the stitch count of the complete row.

  • Rows 1–64: k36 (36 sts in every row).

After the listed fabric rows, bind off on the following row. The bind-off edge is outside the calculated fabric-row count.

No yarn quantity is assumed. Add a weighed, measured swatch below for an area-based estimate.

  • ✓ Every row keeps the same stitch count.
  • ✓ The instructions cover every row exactly once.
  • ✓ The optional lettering fits inside the patch.

Questions about this project

How is this different from the coaster?

The larger target size, cotton choice and repeated washing make this a useful tension and finishing exercise. It uses the same reliable garter construction but recalculates all stitches and rows for the larger area.

Can I use a partial ball?

Weigh a measured sample and enter its dimensions plus the yarn label below. The resulting area-based estimate includes the chosen reserve; it remains an estimate, especially for edges and finishing.

Terms and next steps

k = knit; p = purl; sc = US single crochet; MC = main colour; CC = contrast colour. A number after a stitch abbreviation is the number of stitches to work. Read repeat instructions as written.

Abbreviation references: Craft Yarn Council knitting terms · Craft Yarn Council crochet terms and US/UK comparison.

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