FREE PATTERN: Clover Tweed Dishcloth

I like my dishcloths to be on the modern side of classic. I chose to use black and natural here but the color possibilities are endless! The stitch pattern is easy to remember and even simpler to knit. No purling necessary!





My gauge is 5 sts per 1 inch with size 7 needles and my resulting cloth is exactly 8" x 12". Your mileage may vary!

Begin by casting on 39 stitches. With Color A, knit for 2 rows. (I started off using the natural as my first color.) Now, onto the stitch pattern:

**Always slip stitches as if to purl, with the yarn in back.

Garter Stitch Clovers (multiple of 4 sts + 3)

Row 1 (Color B) K 3, *Sl 1, K 3* until end.

Row 2 Knit across.

Row 3 (Color A) K 1, *Sl 1, K 3* until last 2 stitches, then Sl 1, K1.

Row 4 Knit across.

Just repeat these 4 rows until it's almost as long as you want it to be, ending with Color A. In my case, it was around 11.5 inches from the needles. Finish the cloth by knitting 3 rows with Color B and then bind off as usual.

EDIT:: Just to clarify things a bit here- The pattern as written will give you a different colored stripe at each end. I wanted a little bit of funk and asymmetry in the original dishcloth but this may not be to your taste. If this is the case, just knit your final pattern rep with color B (or, end with row 2 of the stitch pattern) and then knit the final border rows with color A. This will give you a more traditionally lovely cloth. :)





(I should stick to natural light for my pictures, heh.)

Voila! You now have an awesomely stylish new addition to your kitchen! I'm sure your dishes will enjoy it quite muchly. :D

FREE PATTERN: Ballband Dishcloth Reusable Swiffer Cover

It started as just another clumsy and spill prone day. Then, I tried using my Ballband Dishcloth to scrub the kitchen floor. I was amazed at how effective it was at making my linoleum nice and sparkly clean! I figured that if I could convert the dishcloth into a Swiffer Cover, I could get my knees off the floor and stop using disposeables at the same time.





I measured my gauge from a previously completed dishcloth but getting exact gauge isn't crucial to this pattern. It's just going to get abused anyway! It's also great practice for seaming because it really doesn't matter in the end if you screw it up... and you may get requests for these from friends or family, so that is a buttload of practice, let me assure you.


Here's the pattern:

Supplies:
Color A: varigated kitchen cotton remnants (sugar and cream, etc)
Color B: solid kitchen cotton remnants
Size 7 knitting needles

Gauge: 5 sts per 1" in Ballband Dishcloth stitch pattern.

When asked to slip a stitch, always do so purlwise.

yf = yarn forward (move yarn across needles towards you)
yb= yarn back (move yarn across needles away from you)

Cast on 69 stitches using Color A (the "outline" color) and the long-tail method. This means you will be starting with a wrong-side row.
Purl across that first row.

Begin following Ballband Dishcloth stitch pattern:

(multiple of 6 + 3)

Row 1: (color A) Knit across.
Row 2: Purl across.
Row 3: (color B) K4, slip 1, *K5, slip 1* repeat from * to * until the last 4 stitches, K4.
Row 4: K4, yf, slip 1, yb, *K5, yf, slip 1, yb,* repeat from * to * until the last 4 stitches, K4.
Row 5: P4, yb, slip 1, yf, *P5, yb, slip 1, yf,* repeat from * to * until the last stitches, P4.
Row 6: Repeat Row 4.
Row 7: (Color A) Knit across.
Row 8: Purl across.
Row 9: (Color B) K1, slip 1, *K5, slip 1,* repeat * to * until the last stitch, K1.
Row 10: K1, yf, slip 1, yb, *K5, yf, slip 1, yb,* repeat from * to * until the last stitch, K1.
Row 11: P1, yb, slip 1, yf, *P5, yb, slip 1, yf,* repeat from * to * until the last stitch, P1.
Row 12: Repeat row 10.

Repeat rows 1-12 twice. Next, work rows 1-8.
Knit one row.
Bind off loosely.

My swiffer measures 10" x 4" and my finished pieces average 14" x 5".
If your gauge is vastly different from mine, just make sure that your finished piece fits YOUR swiffer. You can adjust for any size variations when you sew the cover together.








To assemble: fold your ends over about 2 inches on each side (or however much length you need to best fit your mop head.) Sew the sides together, creating a pocket on each end. Again, this doesn't have to be exact or match up perfectly. You do plan to use this thing, right? A tip: I found it easier to line up my edges by picking an enlongated slip stitch to use as a visual guide.






I recommend machine washing the cover before your first use, especially if you plan to use it dry. It helps set the size and makes the kitchen cotton absorbent.

I am really excited about this! I'm making more in better colors instead of these vomitous ones. However, this yarn does have lots of history as I've had it almost as long as I've been knitting. You can bet I'm glad it's gone now!