by Linda Shrigley

Created on: July 18, 2008

How to crochet a dishcloth

Making dishcloths is the easies way a beginner can learn the different stitches used in any crochet pattern. There a few different simple patterns for crocheting dishcloths that I would like to share with you. All you will need is a G sized crochet hook, and a ball of cotton yarn.

Single crochet dishcloth

Start off with your chain stitch, casting on about 40 chains, I like to make a good sized dishcloth. Once you have your chain made, turn your work, chain one, then you can continue crocheting along the chain. A single crochet is done by bringing your hook through the two top loops of your chain, and draw your cotton yarn back through the loops. Wrap your cotton around your hook and draw the cotton through the two loops on your hook. Continue this until the end of your row, then turn and continue in this fashion for 40 rows. At the end of the last stitch, insert your hook through the same stitch and single crochet around the whole perimeter of the dishcloth. In the last stitch, cut your cotton and bring the last stitch through the last loop, and tie the last stitch off. When this is done, thread your cotton yarn through about four or five stitches that you have already done. This will also be done with the starting piece of yarn. This is done so that your work will not unravel while in use.

Double crochet dishcloth

Start off your chain stitch, casting about 42 chains. Turn you chain, wrap your cotton around the hook and insert into the top two loops of the third chain. Bring cotton through and wrap yarn around hook and draw through first loop on your hook, wrap cotton around hook again, and draw cotton through remaining loop on hook. Continue this step to the end of the chain, turn, and crochet two chains. Insert your hook into the top two stitches of the second loop. Continue the steps used throughout the first row until you have done 37 rows. Cast off as you did in the single crochet dishcloth.

Treble crochet dishcloth

Cast on as in single crochet dishcloth except that you are casting on 43 chains. Turn your chain, wrap your cotton around your hook three times, and insert hook in the top two stitches of the fourth chain, and pull through, 4 loops on your hook. Use the method used to remove the loops on your hook from the double dishcloth pattern. Continue this step through the chain, turn, and chain three, and continue as in first row. For this pattern you will not need to do 35 rows however. This stitch is longer than the first, therefore I usually only doing about 35 rows.

If you want to do variations, you may want to use different colors in some places. This is a simple method of learning how to crochet, even to teach your child/children, or a friend, to crochet. There are fancier steps that can be added for the more experienced crotchetier. There are many different patterns for making your own dishcloths, some just plain single stitch crocheting, and right through to putting a shell pattern throughout your dishcloth.

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