10 Knit Dishcloth Patterns for Beginners

By
Mollie Johanson
Mollie Johanson
Mollie Johanson
Mollie Johanson is a professional needlecrafter with over 10 years of hands-on embroidery, sewing, and knitting experience. She is the author of “Stitch Love: Sweet Creatures Big & Small." Mollie also designs and sells stitching projects, co-hosts a crafting podcast, and has taught online embroidery courses.
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Updated on 01/31/20
Crochet Dishcloths and Crochet Hooks
PamWalker68 / Getty Images

What's something that's both useful and easy to knit? Dishcloths! These small hand-knit items work up quickly and give you the opportunity to practice knitting techniques that may be new to you. Plus, everyone needs at least a few on hand, making them excellent gifts for others... or yourself!

You might think that knitting dishcloths would be fairly basic, but you can find so many free patterns that mix up the design and keep it interesting. These 10 free dishcloth patterns offer options for beginning knitters and those who wish to learn a few new skills.

Grab a skein of your favorite cotton yarn to get started. And after you make a few, you may even look forward to a sink filled with dishes!

  • 01 of 10

    Diagonal Dishcloth With Open Center

    Diagonal Knit Dishcloth

    Jana Trent / Ravelry

    Designer Jana Trent based this easy dishcloth off a classic pattern, but she added her own twist. The center section uses yarn overs and SKP stitches to create an open and textured area that looks great and is both fun and interesting to knit. On Ravelry, you can even see other ways people have adapted the pattern!

  • 02 of 10

    Simple Stripe Dishcloth

    Seed Stitch Stripe Dishcloth

    Just Be Crafty

    The red and white color combination of this cloth is a classic, and it's worked with simple stockinette stitch and seed stitch. The seed stitch border looks great while keeping the edges from curling, but it's also a fun texture contrast on the stripe. And because the center is stockinette, you can quickly knit or purl through most of the center area.

  • 03 of 10

    A Rainbow of Seed Stitch Dishcloths

    Seed Stitch Dishcloth

    Alaina Privette / Ravelry

    Almost the reverse of the dishcloth pattern above, this design features a small garter stitch border and a seed stitch center. The texture is great for cleaning dishes, but it's also good for gently scrubbing your face. Make a rainbow of these ​dishcloths and give them as a colorful housewarming gift!

  • 04 of 10

    Dishcloths from Knit Picks

    Honeycomb Dishcloth and Neeli Facecloth

    Knit Picks

    Knit Picks is an excellent source for free dishcloth knitting patterns, as well as a place to buy cotton yarn suitable for these useful cloths. The two pictured designs have a few more intricate patterns, but the range of free patterns is extensive so you can choose from plenty of options! 

    Continue to 5 of 10 below.
  • 05 of 10

    Circular Dishcloth Worked in Eight Sections

    Crazy Eights Dishcloth

    Simply Notable

    For a dishcloth with a different shape, try Simply Notable's 500 round cloth. It has eight wedge sections and the shaping is as simple as turning your work before knitting all the stitches on a needle. Once finished, these dishcloths also double as a trivet!

  • 06 of 10

    Textured Hanging Dishcloths

    4 Patterned Hanging Dishcloths

    Schachenmayr

    This downloadable pattern includes four different designs for dishcloths, each with a colored edge and hanging loop. You can match all the colored edges to your kitchen or make each one different and designate a specific purpose to each one to avoid cross-contamination. 

  • 07 of 10

    Leaf-Shaped Washcloth

    Leafy Washcloth

    Tricksy Knitter

    Getting into some unique shapes and a few more techniques, these leaf-shaped cloths may stretch your skills. But it's worth it! Learn the m1 (or make 1 stitch) to shape your leaves and choose from the bordered version shown here or a garter stitch variation.

  • 08 of 10

    Honey Bee Dishcloth

    Beehive Dishcloth

    Yarnspirations

    You won't bee-lieve how cute this dishcloth is. In fact, you may not even want to use it to clean your dishes! The main part of the hive is simple enough, but it's those tiny bees that really make this one something special!

    Continue to 9 of 10 below.
  • 09 of 10

    Textured Knit Dishcloth With Crochet Border

    Daisy Stitch Washcloth

    Nourish and Nestle

    Lynn from Nourish and Nestle shows how to work daisy stitch, which makes the unique texture in the center of this dishcloth. You'll need to practice the stitch a little, but once you get the hang of it, you can create stacks of these cloths for gifts!

  • 10 of 10

    Patterned Scrubbing Dishcloth

    Scrubby Dishcloth

    Little Miss Stitcher

    For a dishcloth that's perfect for scrubbing away food on dishes, Little Miss Stitcher shares her pattern that uses a textured yarn. Her recommended yarn is still 100 percent cotton, but it has a fringe designed for a little more vigorous use.