Let me start this post by saying that I am not a knitter. I dream of being a knitter. I read blogs of knitters and have a sort of knitting envy. Someday…

All that said, I have done a bit of knitting in my time. I”ve made a half of a scarf, and I”ve made a handful of washcloths. So today, I wanted to share with you an easy knitting pattern that even you, fellow-wannabe-knitter, can follow!

I use these cloths to wipe my counters and my daughter even has a few small ones in her play kitchen for when she pretends to wash the dishes.

They”re soft and absorbent (after their first washing/drying), and I also use them for my face-washing regiment, the Oil Cleansing Method.

I recommend choosing a darker color for the OCM so that any leftover makeup residue doesn”t stain the washcloth.

This is my mother-in-law”s (Granny, as my kids call her) pattern– she learned it from her mother. She”s been using it for years to make  dishcloths/washcloths of all sizes. They wash and dry well and last for years.

Granny (left) teaching Yaya (my mom) the washcloth pattern.

She taught my mom and me the pattern a few years ago on a camping trip, and my mom has gone on to recall her knitting skills from years ago to make beanies, scarves, and even a dress for my daughter. I, on the other hand, have not ventured beyond the washcloths yet.

Granny”s Washcloth {perfect for OCM face-washing!}

Supplies needed:

  • Knitting needles size 8
  • Cotton yarn, 4-ply (such as the Sugar “n” Cream brand)

Instructions (annotated with helpful how-to videos):

  • 4 st.
  • K (knit) 2, , K to end of row.
  • Repeat until  there are 48 stitches (or 20, 30, 40, or whatever size you want).
  • K 1, , yarn over, K 2 together, K to end of row.
  • Repeat until there are 4 stitches.
  • . (Granny secures the ends by knotting them to the dish cloth and running the loose ends through the edge with a crochet hook.)

And remember, it doesn”t have to come out perfect! These are for wiping counters, washing dishes or cleaning your face. It”s the perfect project with which you can hone your most basic knitting skills. My first few were super wonky (as I worked on getting the hang of decreasing the stitches on the second half), and although most of mine have at least one missed stitch or little “hole,” none of them have unraveled yet!

Thanks to my friend Kara of Simple Kids for the recommendation of the videos above from knittinghelp.com— they have an iPhone app, too!– and to my mom for helping me remember how to knit the washcloths whenever I want to make a new one since I always forget. 😉

If you”re an amateur like me, please let me know if you try out this pattern. You could even share a photo on our Facebook page! If you”re an experienced knitter, I”d love to hear your favorite thing you”ve made, or you could even share a link to other easy patterns for those of us still learning.