Pebble Dishcloths
Our Pebble Dishcloths are like a collection of carefully gathered stones, beautifully textured, spirited, and very charming!
A single-color block of garter stitch with an I-cord loop for hanging, making our Pebble Dishcloths couldn’t be simpler! Their complexity comes from our newest yarn, Lantern, a linen-wrapped white cotton core filled with immense character and surprise. It’s also wonderfully durable for the wiping, drying, and scrubbing work of a kitchen!
Make a set of your own beautiful Dishcloths with our Pebble Dishcloth Bundles. Available in 5 five-color palettes, each one explores its own corner of the spectrum, from delicate grays to syrupy purples.
It’s amazing how a set of Pebble Dishcloths in Lantern illuminates the kitchen with sparks of color and beauty. Pack a Bundle on your summer travels and return with your own collection of hand knit treasures!
Designed by Purl Soho designer, Jake Canton. Click here to see even more of Jake’s designs!
Share your progress and connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho, #PurlSohoBusyHands, #PurlSohoPebbleDishcloths, and #PurlSohoLantern. We can’t wait to see what you make!
Materials
- 5 skeins of Purl Soho’s Lantern, 61% cotton and 39% linen. Each skein is 164 yards/ 100 grams; approximately 147 yards required. (NOTE: We no longer offer Lantern, but choose from one of our other worsted weight yarns.)
You will also need…
- US 5 (3.75 mm) circular or straight needles
- If using straight needles: Two US 5 double pointed needles for I-Cord
Choose from five palettes, shown above from top to bottom…
- Oyster Shell: Gray Ember, Nickel Gray, Platinum Gray, Lavender Frost, White Smoke
- Honeysuckle: Beech Leaf, Moth Wing, Peach Cream, Pink Salt, Dogwood Pink
- Sumac: Beet Red, Horse Chestnut, Pigment Red, Cinnabar Red, Orange Poppy
- Aubergine: Black Feather, Blue Black, Blue Violet, Purple Heliotrope, French Purple
- Coast: Bluegrass Blue, Frost Blue, Copse Green, Shibori Blue, Dew Blue
Gauge
19 stitches and 46 rows = 4 inches in garter stitch
Size
Finished Dimensions: 10 inches wide x 15 inches long
Notes
Avoid Pooling
If you are using Purl Soho’s Lantern (or any other yarn whose color or texture is supposed to appear irregular and random when it’s knit), alternate skeins every one or two rows or rounds. For tips on alternating skeins, check out our Working With Irregular + Hand Dyed Yarns: Avoiding Pooling tutorial here.
Care Instructions
Although our official recommended care instructions for Lantern are to hand wash and lay flat to dry, our insider practical knowledge is that Lantern holds up great in a cold or warm machine wash and even in a low or warm dry cycle. There may be a very small amount of shrinkage (like 2%), so stick with hand washing for garments. Also, washing with like colors is always a good idea!
Pattern
Cast on 48 stitches. We used a basic Long Tail Cast On.
Row 1: Knit to end of row.
Repeat Row 1 until piece measures 15 inches from cast-on edge.
Bind off knitwise, until 3 stitches remain (1 stitch on the right needle and 2 stitches on the left needle), k2.
Make I-Cord Loop
With the remaining 3 stitches, use two double pointed needles to make a 3-inch I-cord, working the last row as follows…
Last Row: K1, k2tog, pass first stitch over second and off the right needle. Cut yarn, leaving a 12-inch tail, and pull it through the remaining stitch.
Thread the tail onto a tapestry needle. Make a loop with the I-cord and weave the tail into the fabric of the Dishcloth at the base of the I-cord, then weave it through the looped I-cord, and back into the fabric of the Dishcloth.
Weave in the cast-on end and your Dishtowel is ready to use!
Just wondering how many dishcloths can be made per bundle…
Hi Ruth,
Thanks for writing in! Each dishcloth takes most of one skein of Lantern, so the bundle will make five dishcloths. You will also have enough leftover yarn to make a sixth striped dishcloth if you would like!
Best,
Julianna
Thanks very much Julianna!
Do you still have latern bundles?
Hi Barbara,
Thanks for writing in! Unfortunately we no longer stock Lantern bundles as several of the original colors have been discontinued. For a full set of dishcloths, however, all you have to do is select five colors from our current selection that you like together!
Best,
Julianna
Can these be machine washed? If so, do they shrink?
Hi Carey,
Thanks for reaching out! Although our official recommended care instructions for Lantern are to hand wash and lay flat to dry, our insider practical knowledge is that Lantern holds up great in a cold or warm machine wash and even in a low or warm dry cycle. There may be a very small amount of shrinkage (about 2%) and washing with like colors is always a good idea!
Best,
Julianna
The recommended care instructions for this yarn is hand washing in cold… for dishcloths? I am OK with hand washing many things, but I think this is pushing it! Is there something I’m missing.
*Beautiful* yarn though, congratulations on another great addition to your line.
Hi Amelia,
Thanks so much for the kind words! Although our official recommended care instructions for Lantern are to hand wash and lay flat to dry, our insider practical knowledge is that Lantern holds up great in a cold or warm machine wash and even in a low or warm dry cycle. There may be a very small amount of shrinkage (like 2%) and washing with like colors is always a good idea!
Best,
Julianna
one more question…can you make up your own bundle of five colors?
thx
Hi Lin,
Thanks for writing in! Although you are more than welcome to design your own color palette from the full range of Lantern, the discount only applies to our Pebble Dishcloth Bundles.
Best,
Julianna
I don’t see any discount for purchasing the bundle which contains 5 skeins of yarn to $95. each which works out to be $19. per skein which is the individual price.
Hi Andrea,
Thanks for reaching out! Unfortunately our introductory price for the Pebble Dishcloth Bundles has already ended. The best way to stay up to date on all of our new products, patterns, and promotions is to subscribe to our newsletter!
Best,
Julianna
Two questions:
1. Approx what yardage is required for one of these dishcloths in case I were to use a different yarn with same gauge?
2. Are you suggesting I would need to buy TWO of the Lantern dishcloth bundles, since your “Note” specifically states I should alternate skeins every couple of rows in order to avoid pooling infusing Lantern?
Thank you.
Hi Bev,
Thanks for writing in! We used about 150 yards for each washcloth, which is most of one skein of Lantern. When working on a one skein project, you either wind the skein into two balls and alternate with those, or if using a swift and ball winder, alternate between pulling from the center and outside of the ball.
I hope that helps!
Julianna
How many dishcloths can you make with one skein?
Hi Amy,
Thanks for writing in! Each dishcloth uses most of one skein – although you will have some yarn leftover, it is not enough for another dishcloth.
I hope that helps!
Julianna
Another stunningly beautiful yarn! I firmly believe that we need to surround ourselves in beauty every day, with every item in our home. You make that possible purlsoho! Thank you!
Julie
I am an 86 year old woman and am looking for a simple pattern for an afghan with cables. Not too many. I have 78 stitches cast on and would like to knit and purl a blanket with about 3 or 4 cables.
Hello Beverly,
Thank you for reaching out- I love your idea for a cabled blanket! Unfortunately we do not currently have any cabled blanket patterns, but If I were you I would choose my favorite cable and evenly distribute it across your 78 stitches. Here are a couple of cables that I enjoy;
I hope this gives you some inspiration!
Happy knitting,
Marilla
This yarn is beautiful! Can you recommend any sweater patterns (Purl Soho or otherwise) that this yarn would work well with?
Hi Janice,
Thank you so much for the kind words! Lantern will work for just about any pattern written for worsted weight yarn – I think it would be especially lovely in our Pebble Tank!
Best of luck and happy knitting!
Julianna
Lantern has a beautiful appearance, but only masochists would want to wear it next to the skin. It’s extremely coarse, which makes it perfect for dishcloths.
Hello Lizzie,
Thank you for reaching out! This yarn is cotton wrapped with linen so the linen is a bit coarse to the touch. However I have found that, like any linen yarn, as I use and wash my yarn it softens up quite a bit.
I hope you are enjoying knitting your dishcloths and happy knitting!
-Marilla
I agree Lizzie. Having knit a swatch*, I think it would make a good scrubbing cloth or rough face cloth. I cannot imagine working with this yarn long enough to create a garment or ever wearing it. Different people have different tastes and impressions, so there must be knitters who enjoy working with it. I found Lantern uncomfortable to knit. I returned the five skeins I had not wound. It is pretty and I love the colors and the idea of it, but it unravels easily and is rough on my fingers. Perhaps I will only use it to wrap packages.
*I wet blocked my swatch, hoping it would soften. It did not. Maybe after a dozen washes?
Hello JP,
Thank you for reaching out. Thank you for sharing your experience with us and our readers! It is true, this yarn is very unique. It does soften over time, the more it is used and washed.
Happy knitting!
-Marilla
These are Not free patterns. They are free with purchases.
Untrue advertising.
Hi Jeanne,
Thanks for reaching out! This pattern is free! No need to purchase the yarn. You can find the free pattern above and it is always accessible, along with hundred of other free patterns, on our site! No purchase is necessary.
I hope that this helps!
Cassy
I have some yarn in my shopping basket but am wondering if you offer a ball winding service. My swift and ball winder turn my skeins of yarn into unspeakable puddles of knots and tangles, through no fault of my own, (yeah, right). So since the yarn in my basket is so delicious and expensive, I do not want anything un-toward happen to it. Thanks,
Judi
Hi Judi,
Thanks for writing in! We would be more than happy to wind your yarn for you! When you are completing your order, just leave us a note in the comment box and we will wind everything before we ship it.
Happy knitting!
Julianna
I usually crochet my dish cloths using a half double crochet stitch. Will each skein make one good size dish cloth? I’m aware crocheting uses more yarn. It looks like a beautiful yarn. Thank you
Hi Terri,
Good question! It is hard to say exactly without actually crocheting a sample, but since crochet uses about a third more yarn than knitting and we used most of a skein of Lantern for each knitted dish cloth, I think it would be best to plan on using a skein and a half for a similar sized crocheted dish cloth.
I hope that helps! Let us know how your crocheted version turns out!
Julianna
Do you have a shawl pattern you can recomend for one of the bundles? I don’t have much use for dish towels, but the colors are so lovely that I thought they would be nice in a simple garter stitch long shawl.
Hi Julieanne,
Thanks for writing in! Although we don’t have a garter stitch shawl pattern, I think Lantern would create a very unique and interesting version of our Linen Stitch Colorblock Wrap! It would take 9 skeins which is more than one bundle, but you could create a really lovely palette or gradient from the full line of Lantern or by combining two bundles that coordinate, such as Oyster Shell and Coast.
If you would prefer a simpler garter stitch color blocked wrap, I would suggest knitting a gauge swatch on US 8 or 9 needles or whatever size creates a fabric with a nice drape and hand, and multiplying your stitches per inch by your desired wrap width to find a cast on number. One bundle may not be quite enough for a good sized wrap so you may want to supplement with a few skeins of coordinating colors!
I hope that helps!
Julianna
I enjoy knitting dishcloths but have found the readily available cotton yarn in mass market craft stores is not very absorbent when used to wipe up water on counters. Is this yarn readily absorbent?
Hello Liz,
Thank you for reaching out! I to enjoy knitting dishcloths and I have found this yarn to be quite absorbent when I have used my dishcloth.
Happy knitting,
Marilla
Good morning, does free shipping over $100 apply to Canada as well?
Hello and thanks for writing in! Unfortunately our free shipping offer applies only to addresses within the United States. You can review our Shipping policy for full details on international shipments!
Best,
Julianna
I’m currently knitting dischloths with a cotton yarn with a cord wrap – not Lantern but a similar thing – and GOODNESS it is hard on the hands! Hopefully this yarn is different, but if anyone suffers from hand strain, just be aware and maybe try to consciously loosen your tension if you know you knit tight!
Hi Laura,
Thanks for reaching out! Many knitters find knitting with cotton and linen can cause hand strain, but your tip to relax and loosen up will certainly help! I find that taking frequent breaks can also prevent pain when working with less elastic fibers, but the results are well worth the extra effort!
Best of luck and happy knitting!
Julianna
Can this Bundle be used for the slip stitch dish cloth pattern? I love the pattern and wanted to order the yarn that is used for it but those yarns are not available so I was wondering if these would work and if so will the dish towels be soft enough and absorbent using this yarn?
Hi Renee,
Thanks for reaching out! I think Lantern would be beautiful for the Slip Stitch Dishtowels, but since Lantern is a bit heavier weight than Cotton Pure, you will have to make a few adjustments to the pattern. I would suggest knitting a gauge swatch in Lantern in stockinette stitch using US 5 needles, and once you have measured your stitches per inch, you can multiply that by 11.25 (the width of our Slip Stitch Dishtowels) and round to the nearest multiple of of 4 plus 3 for the Three-and-One Tweed and the Basket Stitch patterns, or a multiple of 3 plus 1 for the Triple L Tweed. This pattern is both wider and longer than our Pebble Dish Cloths, so I would plan on having one skein of each color for each dish towel.
I hope that helps!
Julianna
I think this would be a great yarn for knitted baby bibs, don’t you? Beautiful. I can’t wait until my bundle comes in the mail, ?
Hello Catherine,
Thank you for reaching out! I agree, this yarn will make and adorable baby bib, be sure to let us know how it goes!
Happy knitting,
Marilla
Is this a dish cloth to wash dishes, or a dish towel to dry them? The instructions are calling it both in different places. I am looking for something to wash dishes, not dry them, how would Lantern work for washing dishes? Or would you recommend it more for drying them. Thanks,
Hello Susan,
Thank you for writing us and for your interest in this pattern! This dish cloth is very durable, but would not be a replacement for a sponge for heavy duty scrubbing. It is not strictly for drying or washing and can be used for many kitchen chores including washing and drying.
I hope this clears things up for you and happy knitting!
-Marilla
Just received my skeins and they are just unbelievably gorgeous. The tones are so rich and deep. I missed reading the in-depth detail about pooling, so instead of trying to split my skeins by hand, I ordered 1 more of each color. These will be gifts for someone and now I can make four!
Hi,
I love the colors and the texture as far as looks, but my concern is how it feels. I started the dishcloth and the texture is very rough and does not feel like it will absorb. Will this soften up with use?
Hi Jacey,
Thanks for writing in! As with all linen yarns and fabrics, Lantern does get much softer with wear and use! A trip through the washer and dryer will go a long way towards this – although our official recommended care instructions for Lantern are to hand wash and lay flat to dry, our insider practical knowledge is that Lantern holds up great in a cold or warm machine wash and even in a low or warm dry cycle. There may be a very small amount of shrinkage (like 2%) and washing with like colors is always a good idea!
Happy knitting!
Julianna
The Pebble Dishcloths look beautiful. However, is there anyway to create this as a crochet pattern? I don’t knit, but love to crochet. The dishcloths would make a great bridal shower gift for my niece. Thanks.
Nancy
Hi Nancy,
Thanks for writing in! Although we don’t have a crocheted version, I think you could make a very similar dishcloth using half double crochets! To figure out your starting chain, you will want to crochet a gauge swatch with an F or G hook in half double crochets . Once you know how many stitches you are getting per inch, you can multiply that number by the width that you would like and chain that number plus two for a turning chain. Since crochet uses about a third more yarn than knitting and we used most of a skein of Lantern for each knitted dish cloth, I think it would be best to plan on using a skein and a half for a similar sized crocheted dish cloth.
Best of luck and happy crocheting!
Julianna
I love the dishcloth bundle and am enjoying knitting it up.
However, I have a question about gauge. To get gauge I am using a size 1 needle! I’m so interested to learn if other people had to go down in needle size to get close to this gauge.
It seems extreme. But with size 5 the cloths are very loose.
any thoughts?
Hello Debra,
Thank you for reaching out! This is a big difference, especially if you are not usually a loose knitter. My first thought is that due to this yarn’s unusual texture i think it is prone to a looser knit. The type of needle can change your gauge as well, for example from metal to bamboo. All this being said, If you are getting gauge on a 1 needle I wouldn’t worry to much. Gauge varies greatly from knitter to knitter.
I hope this helps and happy knitting!
-Marilla
I think Lantern is a beautiful yarn. I am wondering if it is a good choice for placemats-perhaps in garter or linen stitch. If so, could you recommend how much yarn would be needed for a 13×19 size placemat? Also, what needle size would you suggest?
Thanks,
Lesa
Hello Lesa,
Thank you for reaching out! I think this is a fantastic idea. I would estimate that this will take two skeins. Depending on how dense you would like your fabric to be I would use a US 4 needle.
I hope this helps and happy knitting!
-Marilla
Was wondering if you can just bind off if you don’t want the cord loop on it, then you would only need the US 5 circular/straight needles.
Hi Edna,
Thanks for writing in! You are correct, if you wish to omit the hanging loop, you will not need the double pointed needles!
Best,
Julianna
I made 5 washcloths out of one skein of Lantern. My hands are small so I made them small. I love their looks. But, the darn things don’t absorb water. They are fine washing things by hand but don’t even try to wash off your counters or stovetop. They leave a trail of water, rather than picking it up, no matter how hard I wring them out beforehand. Very disappointed that have 4 more skeins of the stuff that I don’t know what to do with. On the other and, the towels I knit with Field Linen are fabulous. My husband say they are the best kitchen towels we’ve ever had. That’s 48 years worth of towels so that really says something. Thank you for at least some success in my knitting.
Hi Mommo,
I’m so sorry to hear you aren’t completely happy with Lantern! Have you tried running your washcloths through the washer and dryer to see if they improve? Linen does often take a few washes to break in and reach peak softness and absorption, so I would try that before giving up on your other skeins. If all else fails, you can return any unwound yarn for store credit.
Best of luck and I hope that helps!
Julianna
Thank you for your response. I’ll keep washing them and see what happens.
I have a friend that finds the lantern yarn is a bit heavy for her hands when using this washcloth. She has a problem with arthritis. Can you suggest a lighter yarn to use without compromising the basic and simple pattern? I crochet so the washcloths were done in single crochet. They all came out beautifully.
Hello Susan,
Thank you for reaching out- I’m so happy to hear your dishcloths came out beautifully! I would reccomend checking out our Field Linen for a lighter weight option or Habu’s Cork Chenille.
Happy knitting,
Marilla
Re: Pebbles Dishcloth Bundles
I am unable to find this bundle on your website. Is it still available? Thanks!!
Hi Kim,
Thanks for reaching out! Unfortunately we do not stock the Pebble Dishcloth Bundle any more, as a few of the original colors have been discontinued. However, we do still have quite a few colors of Lantern available for you to choose from to make your set of dishcloths!
Best,
Julianna
The dishcloths look beautiful! It would be fantastic to have a suggested weaving draft to create something similar with your gorgeous Lantern yarn.
Hi Rosemary,
Thank you so much for the kind words and for writing in! I think you could use our Classic Woven Dishtowels as inspiration and guidance for creating a woven version of the Pebble Dishcloths! We used Lantern as the weft just for the contrast stripes, but I think it would be lovely to weave the entire dishcloth using Cotton Pure for the warp and Lantern for the weft!
I hope that helps!
Julianna
I’m confused. Is this a washcloth or dishtowel? It’s called both in the description.
Hi Betty,
Thanks for reaching out! You could use these as either washcloths or towels! Lantern has a wonderful scrubby texture and is quite absorbent, so this is a wonderful multi-purpose knit.
Happy knitting!
Julianna
Do you have a similar crochet pattern?
Hi Jennifer,
Great question! We don’t have a similar crochet pattern, but a simple rectangle of half double crochet should do the trick! I would recommend crocheting a gauge swatch in half double crochets using a US F hook, and then multiplying your stitches per inch by 10 inches and adding two to determine how long to make your starting chain. Once your dishcloth measures 15 inches long, you can chain for 3 inches to create the hanging loop. Crochet takes about a third more yarn than knitting, so you will need one and a half skeins for each dishcloth.
I hope that helps, and please do let us know how your crocheted version turns out!
Julianna
Could you make these out of cotton pure? Or would that mean adjusting the pattern?
Hi Suzette,
Thanks for reaching out! Cotton Pure is a sport weight yarn, so you would have to adjust the pattern a bit. We usually get around 24 stitches and 50 rows to 4 inches on a US 3 needle using Cotton Pure, so to knit these 10 inch wide dishcloths, you will need to cast on 60 stitches on a US 3. Otherwise you can follow the pattern as written!
Best,
Julianna
Hello. I’m using a size 6 needle with 48 stitches and getting a 9 1/2 inch width. Should I go up to a size 7 needle or add another 4 stitches? I’m concerned I might not have enough yarn for 15 inches if it’s a tighter knit.
Thanks so much.
Hi Pat
Thanks for reaching out! This pattern uses up most of the skein, so you could either keep it at the 9.5″, or cast on the extra 4″ and have it a little shorter than the 15″ length. As long as you like the way it looks, I would probably just keep going on what you have so far! I hope this helps!
Happy knitting
Jessica
Thank you Jessica.
Hello! I am knitting up a pebble dishcloth with lantern. Would it work if i use a size 7 needle? Thank you!
Hi Lisa,
Thanks for reaching out! I would suggest knitting a small swatch before embarking on the full dishcloth if you wish to use a US 7! Lantern can work up beautifully on a larger needle, but the fabric will be looser than our dishcloths, so knitting a sample will let you decide if you’re happy with the looser stitch. Knitting at a larger gauge will also take up more yarn, so you can adjust the cast on based on your swatch to make sure you don’t run out of yarn. To do so, you can measure your stitches per inch in the swatch and multiply that number by 10 inches to determine how many stitches to cast on.
I hope that helps, and happy knitting!
Julianna
Hi, I LOVE lantern yarn and have made oodles of dishcloths and towels from them but I’m curious now where they are manufactured and where the material comes from and hope you can let me know as the tag doesn’t appear to say.
Thank you, Amanda
Hi Amanda,
Thanks for reaching out! I am so glad to hear that you love Lantern, it is such a unique and special yarn and we are so happy to be able to share it with you all! The yarn is manufactured by our mill in Japan, the cotton comes from Zimbabwe and is spun in Zhejiang or Jiangsu provinces of China, and the linen comes from France and is spun in Japan! We insure that the entire process from harvesting, spinning and manufacturing this yarn is done completely fair and humane!
I hope this helps and please let me know if you have any more questions!
Warmly,
Gianna
Could I use this pattern with buttercup cotton or organic cotton? Would I have to do any altering to the pebble dishcloth pattern?
Hi Donna,
You could absolutely use either our Cotton Pure or Buttercup Cotton for these dishcloths! Because both Cotton Pure and Buttercup Cotton are lighter weight yarns, as opposed to Lantern’s worsted weight, you’ll need to adjust your needle size down a bit and cast on a few additional stitches to get the same finished dimensions, but because the pattern is knit in garter stitch it wouldn’t be too difficult to adjust! With the Cotton Pure, I’d suggest using a US4 needle and casting on about 56 stitches. With the Buttercup Cotton, I’d suggest using at US2 or US3 needle and casting on 66 stitches.
I hope this gives you some inspiration to make the Pebble Dishcloths your own!
Warmly,
Kelsey
I have made some of these dishcloths and they are almost too lovely to use. I think they would make great placemats, if done in a slightly larger size. Can you suggest how many stitches? Skeins?
Many thanks.
Myra
Hi Myra,
Thanks for reaching out. To figure out your cast-on number, you will want to first knit a gauge swatch in pattern. Once you know how many stitches you are getting per inch, you can multiply that number by the width that you would like and cast on the nearest whole number! I’d say that you will probably need 2 skeins to make a decently sized placemat. Hope this helps!
All the best,
Lili
I have a question on forming the loop; when following these directions:
Last Row: K1, k2tog, pass first stitch over second and off the right needle. Cut yarn, leaving a 12-inch tail, and pull it through the remaining stitch.
*Is this last row done when still using the dp needles, with the yarn in back, or do you at that point configure yarn, stitches, and needle(s) back to straight knitting for the final 3 stitches?
Thank You!
Hi Dona,
Thanks for reaching out. For the final 3 stitches, you’ll still work them like an i-cord! So you will keep your work on the DPNs and slide the stitches so that you can work them from the same side. Hope this clarifies things!
All the best,
Lili