Have you ever used the crocheted or knitted cotton dish cloths? They are fantastic! They last forever and when they get dirty you can throw them in the wash. Some people even use them as face cloths.
Best of all they are super simple to make. Perfect for a mother's day gift, Christmas, birthday, or anything really.
Today I am going to show you how to make your own, to keep or give as a gift.
I hope you will bear with me as this is my first crocheted tutorial. Crochet tutorials can be kind of hard, because there are so many steps.
I'm sure you will be able to make your own fantastic dishcloths, even if you have never crocheted before now.
You will need:
- Crochet hook Size H (5.00 mm)
- Cotton Yarn-I used I Love This Cotton (1 skein of I Love This Cotton will almost make 2 dish cloths. Depending on the size of cloth you like.)
- Scissors
- Large needle (Tapestry needle)
First make a slip stitch with your hook inside.
Tighten your slip stitch to your hook. One of the hardest things about crocheting is learning how to hold your yarn. There are many different styles. This is how I hold mine. I wrap my yarn around my little finger twice then in front of my 4 other fingers and around my pointer finger. I hold my knot or project with my thumb and index finger.
First we are going to make our foundation chain. To make a chain hold the tail of the yarn (the short part not the long part with attached to the skein) Put your yarn over your hook. In crochet patterns it can be written as YO or yarn over.
Hook your yarn with your crocheted hook and pull it through the loop on your hook.
Taaaaaadaaaaaaaaaaaa you made your first chain. Now make 36 more. The chain stitch is the most basic stitch you use it all the time in crocheting. Go ahead and practice it for a while.
This is what your chain should look like.
I like to make my foundation chain 37 stitches long. After you have made your foundation chain you are going to start making half double crochet stitches. This is what makes up your dish cloth. In a pattern it would be written HDC.
Put your yarn over your hook and then insert your hook into the second chain from the hook.
Put your yarn over your hook and pull it through. Now you should have 3 loops on your hook.
Put your yarn over your hook and pull it though all three loops.
That's it. Repeat the stitch to the end of the row. You should have 35 stitches at the end of the row. In the beginning it is good to count so you will have straight edges.
I know, you would think you would just be able to see all the stitches but trust me you will want to count. I have made more things than I care to remember that have looked more like a triangle than a square.
At the end of the row chain 2 stitches, turn your dish cloth and start over with your half double crochet stitch.
For this project (and if you are right handed) you will always work from right to left. Repeat the rows until your dishcloth is as big as you want it to be.
Here is the pattern:
Chain 30-40 stitches depending on the size of cloth you like. I chained 37 for the size in the photos.
Row 1
Half Double Crochet in 2nd chain from hook. Repeat to the end of the row. (35 stitches) Chain 2, turn.
Row2 -Size you want (27 rows for the size in the photo)
Half Double Crochet in first stitch. Repeat to the end of the row. (35 stitches) Chain 2, turn.
Tie off and weave in ends.
Usually I leave the edge plain but you could add a simple scalloped edge.
Thanks for stoppin' by and hangin' out.
