Farmhouse Dishtowels
Special without being stuffy, our Farmhouse Dishtowels have the style of an heirloom kitchen linen and the practicality of a true workhorse. They’re also super easy to work up. Going to stay with friends or family this summer? Make a house gift on the way and ace the art of being a good guest!
Unmercerized cotton and a lofty (and simple) slip stitch pattern make a wonderfully absorbent fabric, perfect for wiping down dishes or cradling a fresh loaf of warm bread (add that to the gift!).
We knit these up in our Cotton Pure, which has undergone a bit of a makeover. No need to panic, we kept all the good stuff but made some choice improvements: same gauge, same spin, same soft touch, but now the cotton is 100% organically grown… Wonderful!
Plus, enjoy a whole new palette of colors, each taking its cue from a landscape in full bloom: birch and linden trees, warm rocks, crystalline water, and meadows of wildflowers. You’ll need just two skeins (one for the main color and one for the stripes) and nice, long road trip!
If you love the yarn used in this project, you’ll love all of our other yarn, too! Explore our 35+ lovingly created yarn collections, in nearly every natural fiber and spectacular color you can imagine… Only available here at Purl Soho’s online yarn shop!
Designed by Purl Soho designer, Jake Canton. Click here to see even more of Jake’s designs!
Share your progress + connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho, #PurlSohoBusyHands, #PurlSohoFarmhouseDishtowels, and #PurlSohoCottonPure. We can’t wait to see what you make!
Materials
- Main Color: 1 skein of Purl Soho’s Cotton Pure, 100% organically grown cotton yarn. Each skein of this sport weight yarn is 279 yards/ 100 grams; approximately 279 yards required.
- Contrast Color: 1 skein of Purl Soho’s Cotton Pure; approximately 22 yards required.
- US 4 (3.5 mm) 24-inch circular needles
We knit up our Dishtowels in these pretty palettes, pictured above from top to bottom, left to right… (NOTE: Some of these colors are no longer available.)
MC: HEIRLOOM WHITE + CC: TOMATO ORANGE
MC: HEIRLOOM WHITE + CC: LINDEN GREEN
MC: HEIRLOOM WHITE + CC: CRYSTAL BLUE
Gauge
31 stitches and 44 rows = 4 inches in stitch pattern
Size
Finished Dimensions: 11 inches wide x 17¼ inches long
Notes
Slip Stitches
Slip all slipped stitches purlwise, unless the pattern indicates otherwise.
Stitch Multiple
This pattern works over a multiple of 4 + 1 stitches.
Turn + Slide
When you work this Stitch Pattern, you either “turn” or “slide” the work at the end of each row.
“Turn work” means to do what you would normally do when knitting rows with circular needles: Transfer the needle from your left hand into your right hand and the needle from your right hand into your left, flipping the work around so the opposite side is facing you.
“Slide work” means to keep the same side of the work facing you and to push all the stitches to the right end of the circular needles. Without turning the work, start the new row as you normally would.
You will know that you’re doing this right if the yarn you need to complete the next row is right there waiting for you!
One-Color Stitch Pattern
Row 1 (wrong side): With Main Color (MC), slip 1 knitwise with yarn in front (wyif), *k1, slip 1 wyif, k2, repeat from * to end of row.
Row 2 (right side): With MC, slip 1 knitwise wyif, *k3, slip 1 wyif, repeat from * to last 4 stitches, k4.
Two-Color Stitch Pattern
Row 1 (wrong side): With Contrast Color (CC), slip 1 wyif, *k1, slip 1 wyif, k2, repeat from * to last 4 stitches, [k1, slip 1 wyif] twice. Slide work.
Row 2 (wrong side): With Main Color (MC), slip 1 knitwise wyif, *p3, slip 1 with yarn in back (wyib), repeat from * to last 4 stitches, p3, k1. Turn work.
Row 3 (right side): With CC, slip 1 wyib, *p1, slip 1 wyib, p2, repeat from * to last 4 stitches, [p1, slip 1 wyib] twice. Slide work.
Row 4 (right side): With MC, slip 1 knitwise wyif, *k3, slip 1 wyif, repeat from * to last 4 stitches, k4. Turn work.
Pattern
With Main Color (MC), use a Basic Long Tail Cast-On to cast on 85 stitches.
With MC, work One-Color Stitch Pattern (see Notes) until piece measures 1 inch from cast-on edge (repeat Rows 1 and 2 six times), ending with Row 2.
Work Two-Color Stitch Pattern (see Notes) for 1 inch [repeat Rows 1-4 three times], ending with Row 4.
Do not cut CC. Instead, can it carry up the selvage to the next time you need it.
With MC, work One-Color Stitch Pattern for 1/3 inch [repeat Rows 1 and 2 twice], ending with Row 2.
Work Two-Color Stitch Pattern for 1/3 inch [repeat Rows 1-4 once], ending with Row 4.
Cut CC.
With MC, work One-Color Stitch Pattern for 13 inches, ending with Row 2.
Work Two-Color Stitch Pattern for 5/8 inch [repeat Rows 1-4 twice], ending with Row 4.
Cut CC.
With MC, work One-Color Stitch Pattern for almost 1 inch (repeat Rows 1 and 2 five and a half times), ending with Row 1.
Bind Off (right side): K1, *[k1, slip first stitch over] 3 times, p1, slip first stitch over, repeat from * to last 4 stitches, [k1, slip first stitch over] twice, k2, leaving 3 stitches on right needle.
Make I-Cord
With the remaining 3 stitches, work an I-cord for 3 inches, working the last row as follows…
Last Row: K1, k2tog, pass first stitch over second stitch and off the right needle. Cut yarn, leaving an 8-inch tail and pull through 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 Dishtowel at the base of the I-cord, then weave it through the looped I-cord, and back into the fabric of the Dishtowel.
Weave in the remaining ends and block as desired.
Learn About Cotton Pure + All Our Beautiful Yarns
As special as it is popular, our Cotton Pure brings true natural beauty to this project. 100% organically grown cotton, this sport-weight yarn feels exceptionally soft and supple in your hands, and it comes in tons of gently heathered colors you won’t find anywhere else! Making something big, like a blanket or sweater? Shop our 1,000-gram Cotton Pure On A Cone collection, too!
More Free Knitting Patterns
- Be sure to explore our vast collection of (mostly free!) Cotton Pure knitting patterns and cast on!
More Sport-Weight Yarns
- Shop our entire collection of sport-weight yarns
- If you want to use a different yarn, be sure to take the time to get the correct gauge. Need help? Check our All About Gauge Tutorial!
More Yarns With Similar Fiber
- Shop cotton yarn
- Shop plant-based yarn
- Shop machine-washable yarn
Looking for more inspiration? Explore all of our free knitting patterns and knitting tutorials, buy one of our many knitting kits and yarn bundles, and shop for beautiful yarn. We have over 35 gorgeous natural fiber yarns in 100’s of magnificent colors, designed to bring integrity, beauty, and joy to your next knitting project and only available at Purl Soho!
Can this be knitted with straight needles or does it have to be in circular needles? Thank you!
Hi Maria,
Thanks for writing in! While knit flat, to accomplish this pattern, you will need to work on circular needles or very long DPNs. This is because for the color work portion of the pattern, you will be sliding the work back to one end of your needles as opposed to turning your work and working back. You certainly could transfer the stitches back to your other straight needle should you strongly prefer straight needles!
I hope that this helps!
Cassy
I wanted to knit this without colorwork on my first try.
I am so confused as to how you slide the work down and begin knitting on those rows!
Very confusing.
Hi MB,
Thanks for the question! If you want to make these lovely dishtowels in a single color, after you cast on you will work follow the “One-Color Stitch Pattern”. This will mean that you will not need to slide your work. The sliding is only used in the two color section.
If you do want to give the colorwork a go, when it says to slide your work at the end of a row, instead of turning the work as you normally would, you push the work back to the end where you just knit from and join the new color or pick up the strand that is there if you are into the colorwork already and work back across the stitches that you just worked. It can feel a but funny at first but once you do it a few times, it starts to make sense!
I hope that this helps!
Cassy
Will you be offering cones of the new Cotton Pure in the future?
Hi,
Great question! It’s coming back, too, with the same improvements! Be on the lookout for its return this summer!
Best,
Cassy
If we want to make the towel a bit wider, what stitch increments to we increase by?
Hi Bev,
Thanks for reaching out! This pattern is worked over a multiple of 4 + 1 stitches!
Happy knitting!
Cassy
How many dishtowels are produced with one skein of the main and one of the contrast color?
Hi Gwen,
Thanks for writing in! One dishtowel takes one skein of the main the main color and approximately 22 yards of the contrast color!
Best,
Cassy
How much additional yarn is required to increase the 4″ (31 stitches-44 rows equals 4″). I would like to towel to measure 15×21.
Will the towel shrink when washed and dried?
Will you ball the skeins?
thanks Susan
Hi Susan,
I am happy to help! A towel of 15 x 21 inches would be about 66% larger than our towel here of 11 x17 1/4 inches. With that in mind, you would need about 455 yards of the main color and 37 yards of the contrast color. With that in mind, you will need about 1 2/3 skeins of the main color per towel. For Cotton Pure, when machine washed cold and tumbled dry low, we find minimal shrinkage if any.
We are also always happy to wind your yarn for you! Just leave a note in the “Special Instructions” on check out and please do know that winding yarn does make it final sale.
Best,
Cassy
Suggestion: It would be helpful if one could download a pdf/print the pattern without all the photographs. Save a tree–save some ink!! Thanks
HI Kim,
Thanks for writing in! You certainly can! By using our handy print function, you can download the pattern as a PDF and choose to keep the images, make them smaller or eliminate them all together! To do so, if you’re on a desktop version of the site, you will find the Print icon in the right margin just below the Save to Favorites button. If you’re on a mobile version of the site, you will find the Print icon below the pattern and above the comments.
Follow the easy on-screen instructions to delete whichever parts of the pattern you don’t want to print or save. For example, you may decide to shorten the pattern by omitting certain images or the list of materials.
Best,
Cassy
These are so pretty! If I’d like to make them into a washcloth size, say about 7”x7”, would I cast on 58 stitches? And then if I only worked one of the two-color stitch pattern, could I get two washcloths out of one set of the MC and CC? Maybe even three if I switched the MC and CC for the third washcloth?
Hi Sarah,
Thanks for writing in! Since this stitch pattern requires a multiple of 4 stitches plus 1, I would suggest casting on 57 stitches. It’s hard to say for sure without actually knitting the first washcloth, but I think you might actually be able to get 3 washcloths out of one skein of the MC, and a fourth by switching colors!
I hope that helps, and please do let us know how it turns out!
Julianna
Just before you cut the CC is that where we would “Work Two Color stitch Pattern for 1/3 inch? Just want to make sure I do it right, I’m a beginner.
Hi and thanks for writing in! Yes, you will cut your contrast color after work the 1/3 inch of Two Color Stitch Pattern.
Best,
Julianna
Hi PS – terribly sorry if I missed seeing this info posted . . . re’ the Cotton Pure; how many plies is it, please? To Mr. Canton; love the simplicity of your designs!
Hi Martilynn,
Thanks for reaching out! Cotton Pure consists of 20 plies of organically grown cotton. I will most certainly pass your compliments along to Jake!
Best,
Julianna
Does this cotton tend to stretch? Or will it hold its shape if used in a garment?
Hi Tamarque,
Great question! I have made several garments out of Cotton Pure and find that they hold their shape quite well! If you do find that your garment stretches out a bit, a trip through the washer and dryer will put it right back into shape.
I hope that helps!
Julianna
Does everything made with cotton pure have to be blocked after each washing?
Hi Olga,
Great question! Most items out of Cotton Pure do not have to be blocked as we recommend machine washing and drying the yarn. If you were to knit a lace item out of Cotton Pure you would probably want to block it every time, but for every day items such as dish towels, a quick wash and dry will be fine!
Best,
Julianna
Hello!
I’m wondering if these lovely towels can go in the dryer or must they lay flat to dry.
Thank you!
Eileen
Hi Eileen,
Thanks for writing in! The care instructions for Cotton Pure are to machine wash cold and tumble dry low! This will be the same for these lovely dishtowels!
Best,
Cassy
Can you crochet this instead of knit?
Hi Melinda,
Great question! While we do not have a crochet version of this pattern, our Mother’s Day Washcloth pattern can certainly be made larger to give a similar look and feel! You can also use the same hook size and gauge as suggested in the original pattern!
Best,
Cassy
If l were to purchase 2 skeins would there be enough to knit 2 teatowels. One the reverse colourway of the other? Thanks.
Hi Niki,
Great question! We used almost all of the skein of the main color for one towel and 22 yards of the contrast color. Without making the towels a bit smaller, you will need one full skein of the main color for each towel!
I hope that this helps!
Cassy
What length of circular needles would you recommend for this project?
Thanks!
Hi Frances,
Thanks for the question! You can use a 16 inch, 24 inch, or 30 inch long circular for this project!
Best,
Cassy
I’m still not visualizing the way it works to “slide your work at the end of a row, ” Could you do a little video of it?
Hi Irene,
Thanks for writing in. Unfortunately we don’t have the resources at the moment to do a video tutorial of this. We will keep your request in mind though for the future! However, I do think that while this technique can be hard to visualize, it makes total sense when you are actually knitting the project and following the directions. I would suggest trying a small swatch on double pointed needles to see if that clears things up!
Best,
Julianna
Can you use ? % cotton tor these dish towels?
Thank you
Hi Carol,
Thanks for writing in! Yes, you absolutely can! Our Cotton Pure that we used for this pattern is sport weight 100% organically grown cotton and it is fantastic for dish towels and washcloths.
Happy knitting!
Julianna
When you knit the stitch slipped knitwise with yarn in front in the next row, is the leg of the stitch in the back, rather than the front (twisted?)
Hi Jerilynn,
Thanks for reaching out! All the slipped stitches in this pattern should be slipped purlwise, so the stitches will still be oriented correctly on the next row and you do not have to knit them through the back loop.
Happy knitting!
Julianna
Hi, this confused me as well. I’m not sure I’m pretty new to slip stitch, but I think it’s put the yarn in front flip the stage put the yarn and back before you move onto the next knit stitch.
I LOVE your printing method for free patterns. At first I felt dismay that I would end up with way too many pages. Then I noticed your highlight and delete for whole chunks of text and pictures, so I could get the pattern down to three pages. GENIUS!
I am confused. My slip stitch ends up in the same place in each row. Is it suppose to? If so at what point do you make the slipped stitch longer? It seems I keep pulling the same stitch to be slipped.
Hi Pamela,
Thanks for reaching out! The placement of your slipped stitches should stagger on each row, but stack on each side of the work – in other words, every time you work a right side row, your slipped stitches will be in the same column as the slipped stitches from the previous right side row, but you will be knitting the slipped stitches from the wrong side row you just worked. If you find that you are continuing to slip the same stitches on every single row, I would suggest double checking how many stitches you cast on, as this pattern will only work with a multiple of 4 plus 1.
I hope that helps!
Julianna
Hi…I don’t know why I am getting so confused on this pattern. First of all, when it states slip knitwise, I actually slip purlwise? And when it states “slip 1 stitch knitwise with yarn in front, knit 2,” is that the same as saying wyif slip 1 stitch knitwise, then knit 2?
Thanks for any help…
~Maria
Hi Maria,
Thanks for reaching out! When the pattern indicates that a certain stitch is the be slipped knitwise, you will slip it knitwise; however, if the pattern just says to slip a stitch without any other instruction, you will slip those stitches purlwise. I believe you are referring to Row 1 of the one-color stitch pattern, which reads, “slip 1 knitwise with yarn in front (wyif), *k1, slip 1 wyif, k2, repeat from * to end of row. To work this row, you will slip the first stitch knitwise with the yarn in front, then knit one, slip one purlwise with the yarn in front, knit two, and repeat from the knit 1, working all the rest of the slipped stitches in the row purlwise.
I hope that clears things up!
Julianna
Thanks, Julianna! I thinks it’s wonderful that you/PurlSoho answers all our emails.
~Maria
Sorry to be such a pain, but how do I slip 1 knitwise wyif at the beginning of the row with the CC? Believe it or not, I have knitted before lol!
Hi Maria,
No worries, I’m happy to help explain this step! After slipping the first stitch knitwise with the MC yarn in front, you will need to take your MC to the back of the work between the needles, the same way you would when switching from a purl to a knit. Next, you will knit the second stitch with the CC, joining the new color using the method we show in our Adding a Ball of Yarn tutorial.
I hope that helps, and please don’t hesitate to ask if you run into any other questions!
Julianna
A million thanks to you?
I’m really excited about this pattern, however, I’m having trouble with the first row in the one-color stitch pattern. I’m confused about the very first “slip 1 knitwise with yarn in front”. Do I slip the stitch through the back loop with the yarn in front? If not, what do I do with the working yarn when I’m slipping the stitch? I think I would understand better if this was not the very first stitch on the row. Thank you for any help!
Hello Emma,
Thank you for reaching out! When it says to slip stitch knitwise you insert your needle as if to knit your stitch, but instead of knitting a stitch you just slip your stitch. This will twist your stitch, but you are not knitting into the back of your stitch. If you were to slip your stitch purlwise it would not twist your stitch.
I hope this makes sense! Let us know if you have any further questions!
-Marilla
Do you have a crochet pattern for the farmhouse dish towel?
Hi Cecilia,
Thanks for writing in! We do not have a crocheted version of this blanket but we will keep your request in mind for the future!
Best,
Julianna
I’ve got about an inch knit but my edging is not neat, I think I must be doing it wrong. When I slip the first stitch knit wise with the yarn in front how do I get the yarn into position for the first knit stitch? I think this is where I’m going wrong. Would you happen to have a clear picture of the edge?
Hi Pat,
Thanks for reaching out! Unfortunately I do not have a picture of the edge, but hopefully I can explain this step a bit better! After slipping the first stitch knitwise with the yarn in front, you will need to take your yarn to the back of the work between the needles, the same way you would when switching from a purl to a knit, to be ready to knit the next stitch. The edging should look like a tidy chain running up the edge of the dishtowel.
Best of luck, and I do hope that helps!
Julianna
Thank you, that makes sense!
I find that first slipped stitch a bit awkward, but I learned before I frogged that beginning attempt that pulling the yarn on the slipped stitch plus the knit stitch after it as tight as I could pull them created a very nice, tidy edge.
Hello, dears!
This dishtowel is an amazing pattern, that I’m in love with.
I started my gauge just to get used to the pattern and I need your clarification. Regarding the stitches we should slip, on the right side they remain with MC, but on the wrong side, they are knitted in the contrast colour. Should it be like this?
And also, as I’m a beginner in knitting, can you, please, explain me a little bit in details, how to keep the CC to the next time I need it without cutting it?
Thanks a lot and happy knitting projects!
Kind regards,
Maria
Hello Maria,
Thank you for reaching out and for your sweet words!
I hope I can help! Are you working the two color stitch pattern section? If you look at the photo of the two color section on the dish cloth you will see that white (MC) stripes appear. If I understand you correctly, you are correct. These stripes are formed by slipping your MC on the right side and purling on the wrong side. Let me know If this answers your question or if you need any further qualification.
Carrying your CC yarn up the side of your row can sound complicated, but is actually very simple. When you need to carry your CC yarn up you are basically locking your CC yarn in with your MC yarn before you start knitting your row with your MC. To do this you place your CC over your MC which brings your CC up one row and locks it in place.
I hope this all makes sense and let me know if you need any clarification and happy knitting!
-Marilla
Hello – Lovely dishtowel. Since the white yarn is out of stock can you recommend another comparable yarn?
Thank you!
Ilene
Hi Ilene,
Thanks for reaching out! Unfortunately we don’t have any other washable sport weight yarns that would be suitable for dishtowels; however, if you don’t mind tweaking the pattern a bit, you could use Field Linen, which makes lovely dishtowels and wash cloths! Since it is a fingering weight yarn, I would suggest knitting a gauge swatch in pattern on US 3 needles. You can then multiply your stitches per inch by 11 inches and round to the nearest multiple of 4 stitches plus 1.
I hope that helps!
Julianna
Hi there!
Thank you for this lovely pattern, which was actually quite easy to knit once I understood the pattern, a few rows in 🙂
Just one question, though: How do you weave in the contrast color ends without it showing much? It looks very untidy on my towel 🙁
Best,
Carmen
Hi Carmen,
Great question! I would suggest weaving in your ends using duplicate stitch, similar to what we show in our Weaving In Your Ends tutorial. The process will be a bit different since the dishtowel is knit in a slip stitch pattern instead of stockinette, but you will still follow along the path of one strand of contrast color. Although it takes more work than other methods of weaving in ends, it does turn out the closest to invisible!
Best of luck, and I hope that helps!
Julianna
I made a swatch to check gauge, then realized my yarn is too big for an 86 stitch cast on. My yarn = 100% cotton, #4, 2.5 oz= net 120 yards. Gauge 4” x 4”, US 7 =20 st.
Casted on 56 st with #4 circ for the 11” width. ?
Correction, Cast on should be 4+1….or 57 stitches
Hi please excuse me if this is considered a silly or has already been addressed query, to begin row 1: is the very first stitch we make the slip stitch with yarn in front or it is “k1
Hi Kim,
Thanks for reaching out – we are always happy to clarify anything in our patterns! Row 1 begins with a slip 1 knitwise wyif.
I hope that helps, and happy knitting!
Julianna
I’m loving this pattern,but I want to make around the 13” of the main part. Is it measured from the cast on beginning or from the end of the color part? Either way my measurements won’t come out to 17 /4” length! If it’s from the end of the color part, it will be very long!
Thanks
Hi Susan,
Thanks for reaching out! This section is measured from the end of the previous two-color section or stripe, and you will repeat the two color stripes after completing the center 13 inches for the total length of 17.25 inches.
I hope that clears things up!
Julianna
Hi, I love this pattern and the result is amazing. However, I think it would help a lot having a video tutorial 🙂
Thanks!
Hello Julie,
Thanks for reaching out and for the great suggestion! I will pass it along to the team.
Happy knitting!
-Marilla
Hello,
I’m learning to knit on my own and don’t know anyone else who knits. There are no yarn stores or knitter’s groups near me. So when I get stuck or make mistakes I’m pretty much on my own. My Bible is Debbie Bliss’s “The Knitter’s Book of Knowledge” but nothing compares to actual one-on-one advice.
You recommend US 4 circular needles for these towels but there are so many sizes to choose from. There are US 4 with lengths 12-47. How do I know which needles to buy? What determines the length?
Thanks for your help.
Hello Limner,
Thank you for reaching out- I’m so excited for you! You can use any cord length for this project because of how you are using circular needles. I would recommend using a 20″ or 24″ cord for this particular project.
I hope this helps and happy knitting!
-Marilla
Can you please explain the “slide work” process. I have knit the first CC row and can not figure out how to do the second CC row. After I slide the stitches the yarn is still on the left side.
Hi Maxine,
Thanks for reaching out! For Row 2, instead of turning, you will keep the wrong side facing you and slide your work to the other end of your circular needle. Row 2 is knit with the MC, and it should be waiting for you after you slide!
Best,
Julianna
Confused about this instruction: “Slip all slipped stitches purlwise, unless the pattern indicates otherwise.” The pattern seems to indicate directions for every stitch. Does this mean I slip the slipped stitch on row 2 of two-color pattern instead of p3? Where does this instruction apply?
Thank you!
Hello Amelia,
Thank you for reaching out! This note only applies to slipped stitches. It means that if the pattern instructs you to slip a stitch you will slip it purlwise as apposed to when the pattern instructs you to slip knitwise.
I hope this clears things up for you and happy knitting!
-Marilla
Thank you! I was not reading that correctly but now I get it. Thanks again!
Hello, and thank you for this lovely pattern. I hope you can clear up my confusion, (I’m sure I’m over thinking this), but where the pattern instructs to slip 1 wyif, then k2, do I put the yarn in back to do the knit stitch, or do I leave it in front?
Thank you!
Hi Sharon,
Thanks for reaching out – we’re always happy to clarify our patterns! After slipping the stitch with the yarn in front, you will return it to the back – just as you would between a purl and a knit stitch – before knitting the next stitch.
I hope that helps, and happy knitting!
Julianna
Patterns with written directions for stitches.
I followed the literal written directions and have taken out the knitting several times. Looking at closes up photos of some finished projects the knitted stitch is looks like a type of broken Brioche rib where I am getting slipped mosaic type stitch.
Instructions say Slip WYIF, which means with yarn in front. This creates a different effect than YO slipped stitch front to back. I am thinking that is what I should be doing.
Please clarify.
Hello Kim,
Thanks for your question! The slipped stitches do give a similar dense ribbed look as a brioche stitch. It sounds like your stitches might not be lining up correctly. You want to make sure that you are alway knitting the stitch that you slipped on the reverse side.
I hope this makes sense and let us know if you have any further questions!
Happy knitting,
Marilla
What length for circular needle?
Thanks!
Hi Sarah,
Thanks for writing in! You could knit these dishtowels on either a 24″ or 32″ circular needle, whichever you already have or prefer!
Best,
Julianna
Hi – I’m almost finished knitting this, and it looks nice except for the sides (the last stitch of each row). They look loose and sloppy, as if they’re longer than the main fabric so they do a sort of buckling/crimping thing. Is this something I can solve through blocking? Is there a way I can prevent it the next time around? I am slipping the first stitch of each row and knitting the last one, as written. Thanks!
Hello Cara,
Thank you for reaching out! The first thought I had is if you are remembering to slip your yarn knitwise with your yarn in front. These two things should tighten up your edges.
I hope this is helpful and makes sense. Let us know how it goes.
Happy knitting!
-Marilla
I have finished the towel and I think it turned out quite nice. However, I’m confused about the i-cord. The towel was knitted on circular needles. After binding off, I’m at the point where I have 3 stitches remaining on my right needle and one on the left needle. The i-cord instructions use double pointed needles and I do not know how to translate the instructions to my circular needles (i.e., sliding the stitches so the end in the correct position). I love how this turned out with your Cotton Pure and would like to make more of these for gifts, but need to get the i-cord knitted to complete the project. Please help!
Hi Marilyn,
Thanks for reaching out! Although it’s a bit faster to knit i-cord on double pointed needles, you can certainly do it on circular needles instead! You will simply follow the instructions in our i-cord tutorial, but will slide the three stitches all the way to the other end of the circular needle, instead of to the other end of the double pointed needle as we show, and then knit them with the “empty” end of the circular needle.
I hope that helps, and happy knitting!
Julianna
Hello,
Is there a video that demonstrates how to knit this pattern.
It is such a lovely dishtowel, yet have not worked with multiple colors.
Thank you.
Hi Yolanda,
Thanks for writing in! Unfortunately we don’t have the resources at the moment to do a video tutorial of this. We will however keep your request in mind for the future!
Best,
Julianna
Love just about everything about you but recently purchased cotton pure to make the dish towels, waited for about 3 months to get heirloom white lot #7E4994.
Each skein has taken me a few hours to wind because it was so poorly wound at the factory. Wanted you to be aware of this. Will in no way affect my love for purl soho
Thank you❤️
Hi Georgia,
Thanks so much for reaching out and letting us know! I will certainly pass this feedback along to the mill so they can review their skeining practices. I’m very glad you are still happy with the yarn, but in the future, we would love to wind your yarn for you! Just leave us a note in the comment section of your order, and we will wind your yarn before shipping.
All the best,
Julianna
These were fun to make! One question.. is there a way to keep the working yarn from coiling on itself as you’re using it..? It’s annoying having to continuously straighten it out..
Thanks!
Hi Christine,
I’m so happy you enjoyed knitting these dishtowels! This issue can be quite common with cotton yarns or any yarn with a firm twist, and unfortunately there isn’t a way to entirely prevent it. I would recommend only unwinding a small amount of yarn from the ball at a time, so there isn’t as much slack to twist back on itself while you are knitting.
I hope that helps!
Julianna
I love this pattern! I have been a knitter for a long time, and can’t seem to get this to look anything like the pattern.It ends up looking like a seed stitch.I must be reading the pattern wrong. The rows also don’t end right, maybe that’s the problem. In the first row, you knit 3, right? The k 1 by itself plus the other 2. Thanks if you can help me!
Hi Sheila,
Thanks for writing in, and I’m sorry to hear that this stitch pattern isn’t turning out correctly! Yes, when working Row 1, you will be knitting 3 stitches between the slipped stitches and you will end right at the end of a repeat with k2 if you are following the repeat correctly. Have you double checked that you have the correct number of stitches cast on? This pattern will work with any multiple of 4 plus 1 stitches, so it might be helpful to practice on a small swatch of 17 stitches until you have the stitch pattern down.
I hope that helps!
Julianna
Hello- love the stitch on this dishtowel . Have you ever done a blanket in this stitch in worsted yarn ? Thoughts .?
Hi Debbie,
Great question – thanks for writing in! While we haven’t done a blanket in this exact stitch, we do have a blanket that is very, very similiar – the No-Purl Ribbed Blanket! You can browse all of our blanket patterns here:
Hope this helps – happy knitting!
Cassandra
Is it possible to adjust dimensions of finished product by casting on in increments of 5?
Hi Xima,
Thanks for reaching out! Actually, this pattern works with any multiple of 4 stitches plus 1. This means that, if you already know how wide you would like your dishtowel to be, you would multiply your stitches per inch by your desired width, round to the nearest multiple of 4, and then add 1 stitch. This does often turn out to be a multiple of 5, but not always!
I hope that clears things up!
Julianna
These little towels are so lovely, but the idea that you can whip one up on your way to your destination is a total fantasy (unless you are traveling cross country)! My big problem with the pattern is the “slip first stitch knitwise with yarn in front” instruction. I find it awkward to do, and I seem to end up with a twisted selvage that is different on each side. I feel like I must be doing something wrong. I would like to figure it out since you have other patterns with the same instruction. Thank you!
Hi Kathryn
Thanks for writing in! It can be a little awkward to slip the first stitch knitwise with yarn in front (wyif). This does create a tiny twisted chain that runs up the side of the dishtowel. Both edges should be identical, perhaps try knitting the second stitch a little tighter to see if that helps tighten the edges up a little, and blocking will always help smooth things out when you finish. With a little more practice, I’m sure it will feel easier as you go. I hope this helps you out!
Happy knitting
Jessica
Where do I put my discount code?
Hi Marilyn,
Thanks for reaching out. You can apply your discount code at checkout in the CUSTOMER CODE space. Let us know if this works for you!
Kindly,
Anna
purlsoho.com
I need this Kitchen Towel Pattern in Crochet!!! I do NOT knit and I do NOT want to knit either, crocheting is MY passion!!! And I like using different patterns to crochet towels for my Family and Friends, and Myself, of course!
Hi Mary,
Thanks for writing in! I will certainly pass your request for a crocheted version of this dishtowel along to the design team!
Best,
Julianna
Are there crochet instructions for the farmhouse towel
Hi MaryAnn,
Thanks for reaching out! Unfortunately, we don’t have a crocheted version of this dishtowel, but I will certainly pass your request along to the design team!
Best,
Julianna
I tried to download the Farmhouse dish towel and got the message that I already downloaded it. I searched my download file and it isn’t in my computer. Is there any way I can download it again?
Hi Nancy,
Thanks for writing in! You can save our free patterns like this by clicking on the “Print” icon under the “Buy This Yarn and Save to Favorites” section. From there you can click on PDF to easily save it and download at any time. I hope that helps! Please let us know if you continue to have any issues.
All the best,
Zha Zha
Can you open the comments back up so we can see them? Thanks much!
Hi Heather,
Thanks for writing in! We recently did a massive upgrade on our website, and we are still working out some of the kinks. Missing comments is one of them, but don’t worry! We still have them, and our tech team is working on getting them back on the website.
Best,
Oscar
Thanks! They are back!
Hi, I just finished knitting one of these dishtowels and wondered how you recommend weaving in the ends in this pattern. Is there a way to hide the woven-in ends of the contrasting color?
Thanks!
Hi Gail,
Thanks for writing in! I would suggest modifying the duplicate stitch method from our Weaving In Your Ends tutorial to match the stitch pattern in these dishtowels! Essentially, you will be tracing along the path of a single strand of yarn, making sure to choose a strand the same color as the tail you are weaving in and to never cross over a stitch of the opposite color. This should be nearly invisible and quite secure!
I hope that helps!
Julianna
I am new to knitting and was wondering if you might have a video on how to knit these. I ordered the yarn from you and would love to get started. Thanks!
Hi Melanie,
Thanks for reaching out! We do not have a tutorial specific for the dishtowels but we do have many tutorials to help get you started! You can find them all on our Tutorial Page!
Please feel free to reach out with any questions you may come across while knitting!
All the best,
Gianna
Hi
Is there a video that demonstrates the slide? I have knit plenty but not familiar with this. When I do as directed my yarn colour is not at the side of the work needed. Do I run a separate yarn thread at each side?
Hi Julia,
Thanks for reaching out! We do not have a tutorial for the Turn + Slide technique at this time but thank you for expressing your interest and I will be sure to pass this along to the rest of the team! If you are working the rows correctly the contrast color should be waiting for you to pick up when you get to the end of the row, there should be no need to run a separate yarn at each end. Just be extra mindful of which rows you “Turn” and which rows you “Slide” and you shouldn’t have any problems picking up the next color!
I hope this helps, but please feel free to reach out with any more questions!
All the best,
Gianna
A P.S. now that I have completed most of the pattern prior to the stretch of MC. I am a dedicated swatcher, but this pattern uses virtually every inch of MC and my brain didn’t kick in that I could swatch with the CC hank. If you swatch for a dozen or so rows, you will see a definite, consistent pattern that appears on both the right side and the wrong side of the piece. If you don’t see what appear to be consistently three purl stitches followed by one elongated knit stitch, you went off track somewhere. Check often, because this knit pattern is virtually impossible to fix with a crochet hook. You will need to unknit backward every stitch until you get to the error or frog it all and begin again unless someone corrects me.
Jake Canton has designed for Purl Soho many items that use the turn/slide technique. It was new to me the first time I tried it, but I just followed Jake’s directions and found it to be not only easy but also to produce results you can’t get any other way. Since that first experience, I think I have knitted every turn/slide pattern he has produced – or close to it. It has become my favorite technique. Although you are not knitting in the round, you must use a circular needle.
Hi! Thanks for this great pattern. I am thinking I will have LOTS of leftover yarn of the contrast color. If I purchased 2 of the white and 2 of a contrast color, would there be enough to make 2 towels…one with the contrast color as the main color?!?
Hi Marcey,
Thanks for writing in! For this pattern we used 274 yards of the Main Color and each skein is 279 yards; for the Contrasting Color we used approximately 22 yards out of the 279 yards! So yes, I would say if you wanted to make two dishtowels and one that has the contrasting color as the main color you would need an extra skein of each color!
I hope this helps, happy knitting!
Gianna
Hi
How many farmhouse dish towels do you think can be knitted with one ball of the main color and one ball of the contrasting color?
Hi Deana,
Thanks for writing in! For one dishtowel you need 274 yards on the main color and 22 yards of the contrasting color! Each skein is 279 yards so you will use basically all of the skein of the main color for one dishtowel but you will have plenty of the contrasting color to make multiple dishtowels!
I hope this helps, happy knitting!
Gianna
What is the name of the stitch pattern?
Hi Sue Ellen,
Thanks for reaching out! This is a variation on a slip stitch pattern!
All the best,
Gianna
I don’t trust myself with the two colors yet, so if I want to make the dishtowel with just one MC, what would be the stitch pattern from start to finish? And could you tailor it so one skein can make one completed dishtowel? I really appreciate this guidance.
Hi Betsy,
Thanks for writing in! In the NOTES sections we have instructions for both the ONE-COLOR STITCH PATTERN and TWO-COLOR STITCH PATTERN, if you would like to make the dishtowel 1 color just follow the ONE-COLOR STITCH PATTERN section from start to finish! To get away with 1 skein you would have to shorten the overall length by about 3″.
I hope this helps, happy knitting!
Gianna
Want to buy yarn how much?
Hi Pauline,
Thanks for writing in! For this pattern we recommend 2 skeins of our yarn Cotton Pure, 1 skien of the main color and 1 skein of the contrasting color!
All the best,
Gianna
Hi Gianna,
I’ve wanted to try one of your patterns, they are beautiful
And this looks easy enough. I would like to make it around 14×24”. How many stitches do I cast on and how many yards of yarn do I need? I will make it in one color. It will make a wonderful Christmas gift. Thank you for your help with this question.
Kathleen🧶
Hi Kathleen,
Thanks for reaching out! I am happy to help! I would recommend buying 2 skeins of our Cotton Pure and casting on 109 stitches for 14″.
Happy knitting!
Gianna
I am loving this yarn and pattern so much that I just ordered a cone of Cotton Pure in Heirloom White and another hank of colored yarn. I knitted a few rows with a #4 needle, but the knit was too loose so I switched to #3. Knit quality is good, but I know that the width will be much greater than 11″ but am not willing to frog again and use a #2 needle. Thus I know I will run out of the main color before the towel is finished. I will finish with yarn from the cone. I advise anyone who plans to knit multiple dishtowels to begin with a come of the desired MC. You will save $$ per item, you will be able to swatch before you begin the project, there will be only two MC tails to weave in, and you won’t have to wind all of those hanks. How I wish that more yarn is available in cones! An added note: I generally do not like knitting cotton yarn – I seldom veer from wool yarn for its elasticity – but Cotton Pure is a dream to knit, even with my arthritic hands.
Hi Ellen,
Thanks for reaching out and for your kind words! That is an excellent tip, thank you for sharing!
All the best,
Gianna
Hello, i think these towels wb a beautiful Christmas/hostess gift,using the cream color with a green stripe and one with red stripe, then making one in the same green or red with a cream stripe wb very pretty.
Thank you for a beautiful gift idea and very easy pattern.
Hi Jen,
Thanks for reaching out! That sounds like such a beautiful gift! We would love to see your work when you finish, so please feel free to email us photos to [email protected] or share on Instagram and tag us at @purlsohobusyhands or use the hashtag #purlsohobusyhands
Happy knitting!
Gianna
I love this yarn and pattern so much that I ordered a cone of heirloom white Cotton Pure. I am not knitting loop hangers for the towels because I think they make perfect small table runners, place mats and keep-warm wraps for breads and rolls. They are so multi-purpose! For knitters who prefer to use straight needles, you can use straight needles if you use the directions for MC only. After I finish my Christmas gift knitting projects, I plan to use these directions to knit a single-color scarf of a fingering weight merino yarn. If knitters haven’t noticed yet, this pattern produces two identical sides. Without the contrasting color segments, there is no right or wrong side except on the ends. Hurrah! Thanks to Jake for another marvelous, versatile basic design.
Hi Ellen,
Thanks for reaching out and for your kind words! I am so please to hear that you have enjoyed making this pattern so much, it is such an excellent versatile pattern and I am happy that you have found some many different uses! Also thank you for sharing your tips with everyone, it is very much appreciated!
All the best,
Gianna
I agree with others that this is the nicest cotton yarn I have ever worked with. I am enjoying this pattern so much. I just have a few questions. When it says to knit 13” of the main color, does it mean 13” more or a total length of 13”? I’m assuming more based on the way the pattern is written for the color portions. I’m giving this as a gift for Christmas. For the best presentation, do you recommend wet blocking it first or will that take away from the texture? An idea for the extra contrast yarn is to knit a washcloth to go with the towel. I’m using heirloom white with warm rock.
Hi Lori,
Thanks for reaching out and for your kind words! Yes, that is correct! When we say to work 13″ in the main color we mean 13″ more from where began the MC section after the CC section! I recommend wet blocking the towels once you finish knitting to get the best presentation. With Heirloom White and Warm Rock for a beautiful contrast I would suggest Linden Green, Tomato Orange or Wild Lavender!
Happy knitting!
I am so trying to like this pattern! I am trying to do the two-color pattern. After I cast on 85 stitches, it is giving me two instructions, one for one-color stitch and another for two-color stitch if I read this right, to do for 1 inch. However, all the pictures of this towel shows a main color knit for one inch. Why does the option for two color then say to follow the two-color pattern when it starts out with CC? I am so confused. Please explain.
Thank you
JoAnn
Hi Joann,
Thanks for reaching out! For the two color version the pattern doesn’t start where it says TWO-COLOR STITCH PATTERN, it starts a little further down under the PATTERN section. The area where it says ONE-COLOR STITCH PATTERN and TWO-COLOR STITCH PATTERN is just an explanation of how to work the rows but it is not the pattern itself! So you begin the pattern With Main Color (MC), use a Basic Long Tail Cast-On to cast on 85 stitches and then with the MC, work the One-Color Stitch Pattern (see Notes) until piece measures 1 inch from cast-on edge (repeat Rows 1 and 2 six times), ending with Row 2. You then will work the Two-Color Stitch Pattern (see Notes) for 1 inch [repeat Rows 1-4 three times], ending with Row 4.
I hope this clarifies things for you!
Warmly,
Gianna
Hi,
I am doing a swatch for this lovely pattern and I have a question about the slipped stitch. I have tried with the yarn staying ‘under the needle’ and with the yarn crossing over the needle with the slipped stitch. Both give e different effect. Which is the one to use here?
Hi Natanja,
Thanks for reaching out! For this pattern you will be slipping all stitches purlwise with the yarn in front (coming around the front of the stitch, not corssing over the needle) unless otherwise noted in the pattern!
I hope this helps, happy knitting!
Gianna
Hi,
I would really like to knit in this pattern, but I do have some trouble with it 🙂 I’m Danish, so recepies in English is not my usual thing. One question: Are stitches on wrong side to be purl stitches or knit stitches on both sides?
When I try to look close on the picture, I can’t figure it out.
I hope you can help med out.
Rgds Kristina
Hi Kristina,
Thanks for reaching out! So this pattern is a bit unique where you will both be purling and knitting on both the right and wrong sides! For example the ONE-COLOR STITCH PATTERN section you will be knitting on both the right and wrong sides. Then for the TWO-COLOR STITCH PATTERN row 1 (wrong side) you will be knitting, then you will slide the work and and work over the wrong side again for row 2, this time purling!
I hope this helps and please let me know if you have any more questions!
Warmly,
Gianna
Hi,
I have been wanting to make one or hundreds of these for quite some time. I purchased a woven dish towel some years ago, that was made by a local woman, and it is wonderful. Does anyone have any input if these towels can be used for drying dishes, or are they mainly decorative (which they are!!!! If I like them, these will be in all my Christmas presents).
Thank you as always for your beautiful site.
Hi Ute,
Thanks for reaching out and for your kind words! Luckily these towels are not only beautiful to look at but also very practical! Our Cotton Pure is one hundred percent organically-grown, and this cotton is also unmercerized, which makes it soft, durable and extra absorbent! These dishtowels are perfect for drying your hands and dishes and will also look great in your kitchen!
I hope this helps, happy knitting!
Gianna
Hello,
I love this pattern but wonder how to add the second color. Do I slip that first stitch and then start the new color with the second stitch? And how does this work at the end of each row after the 2nd color is added?
Hi Sandra,
Thanks for reaching out! Yes that is correct, you will start by making sure you have previously ended with row 2. You will then start by slipping the first stitch and you will bring in the new color when you k1, you will then work in stitch pattern till you have reached the end of the row, and slide your work. You can then repeat the rest of the instructions for the TWO-COLOR STITCH PATTERN alternating between the Contrasting Color and the Main Color!
I hope this helps!
Gianna
How do you finish the bind off if not making the i-cord? Just K3 moving the stitches over then P1 the last stitch and move the stitch over it?
Hi Mommo,
Thanks for reaching out! If you didn’t want to make the I-cord, then you’ll just continue the same [k1, slip first stitch over] 3 times, p1, slip first stitch over repeat that you worked from the beginning of the row! Then you’ll have a clean edge bound off with no I-cord attached.
Warmly,
Kelsey
I have made 2 sets of these, one with heirloom white and one with warm rock. I just love the pattern, the towels, and the yarn! I also love the portable size of the project! In fact, I now have 3 cones (I added Gray Birch) so I can make as many towels as I want, sometimes varying size, because the compliments just flow when I give them away! Lol. So this is my new “go to” for wedding gifts and for Christmas! I love that you always come up with delightful projects and the loveliest yarns! Many thanks!
Your dishtowel looks really nice. I would like to know how many stitches to cast on for a dishcloth? And about how many rows for the length? I like them to match for a set. I could start knitting them for gifts. Thank You! Linda
Hi Linda,
Thanks for reaching out! These dishtowels are 11 inches wide x 17¼ inches long and you cast on 85 stitches, if you can let me know the specific size you have in mind I can help you further with the cast on and length!
Looking forward to your response!
Gianna
I’m loving making this dish towel. Cotton pure is my new favorite yarn. But, my selvedges are a train wreck. Any advice to make them look better?
Hi Maralie,
Thanks for reaching out! If you would like, please send our customer service team a few photos of your work to [email protected] and they can troubleshoot what may be happening with your selvages further from there!
Warm regards,
Gianna
I’m having a similar issue that Maralie is having. Slip one knitwise wyif is the first stitch. I seem to twist it as I get a few rows done and then they stitch is too big. Are the rest of the slip 1 wyif throughout the row supposed to be knitwise as well or purl?
Hi Rennae,
Thanks for reaching out! You will actually slip all slipped stitches purlwise unless the pattern indicates otherwise (like at the beginning of the row for the ONE-COLOR STITCH PATTERN.)
I hope this clears things up!
Gianna
I cannot for the life of me figure out this slide technique! I am totally good with the turning, but sliding is not working for me. Can you recommend a video or better instructions?
Hi Mary,
Thanks for reaching out! We don’t have a tutorial for this, but it is a quite simple technique! Since you are working with two yarns, once you work a turn row, there should be another strand of yarn waiting for you on the other side of the work. You will want to get back to that other side, so you will simply slide the work across your circular needle from the left side to the right side so that you can pick up the other yar!
I hope this clears things up!
Gianna
Love these dish towels
Thank you for the pattern but I do have a question. How many cast on stitches do you need to start? I noticed the pattern repeat but no mention of how many to cast on in the beginning. I assume long tail cast on is preferred.
Sorry if I missed it but I have read your post several times and just don’t see this detail.
Hello!
Thank you so much for reaching out to us directly about this! For these dishtowels, you will be using the long tail cast-on to cast-on 85 stitches. These instructions can be found in the “Pattern” section located under the pattern notes.
I hope this helps!
All the best,
Carly
Can this pattern or any of the slip stitch dish towel patterns (except the tin ceiling) be used with the tulip cotton yarn? Thanks.
Hi Carlene,
Thanks for reaching out to us with your question! Tulip Cotton is heavier than the yarn that was originally used for the Farmhouse Dishtowels and the Slip Stitch Dishtowels, and using a worsted weight yarn like Tulip Cotton for these projects would change the overall dimensions of the dishtowels. I’d recommend using a fingering weight yarn like Cotton Pure for the Farmhouse Dishtowels, and a DK weight yarn like Blackbird Linen for the Slip Stitch towels. You might also like our Checks + Stripes Dishtowel project which is knit in Tulip Cotton instead!
I hope this helps! Please let us know if you have any other questions.
All the best,
Carly
Hi. I can’t make sense of row 4 of two-colour pattern. It says to slide my work at the end of row 3, so should remain right side for row 4. So when I use mc for working it according to the pattern it breaks the pattern entirely with the slipped stitch all wrong. Have I completely misunderstood patterns?
Hi Ida,
Thanks for your question. I’d be happy to help with the color change rows!
After completing row 3 and sliding your work so that you remain on the right side of the fabric, the first stitch of row 4 should be slipped with the MC yarn held in front as if to Purl. Since the first stitch of row 3 was also a slipped stitch, the first stitch in row 4 should still be your MC yarn. It’s possible that if your edge stitches are not in the MC, you might have either knit the last stitch from the previous row instead of slipping it, or that the stitches are being slipped with yarn held to the wrong side (to the front or back of your work).
I hope this helps, and please let me know if you have any other questions!
All the best,
Carly
Hi. thanks for your help. I still can’t understand it unfortunately! When I follow instructions it just breaks off the pattern. Unfortunately I will need to frog it. I seem to have “mirrored” it, I’ve been working ot from the correct side all the way through and it looks great. This last row only works if I mirror it 😔 I can’t retrace my steps so unfortunately I’ll give up here.
You’re very welcome, Ida! I’m sorry to hear that you are planning on putting your project down, though!
I’d be happy to help you further with your project, but it might be helpful for me to see some pictures of the problem you’ve been running into on the edges. If you’re not ready to put your needles down just yet, please feel free to reach out to us over email at [email protected], this way we can help get your project back on track!
All the best,
Carly
Hi, and thanks for this fun pattern. I want to comment on some of the replies I’ve read and also ask a question for which I may already have an answer. First, This pattern is similar to (but not the same) as Brioche Knitting. Purl Soho has a video called “Brioche Stitch: Two-Color Brioche & Fixing Mistakes” that demonstrates the slide & turn method. It may help to watch a couple times to understand how the stitches are formed but remember that it’s not the same pattern we’re using here. 2nd, after we work through the first full sequence of contrast color, the pattern instructs to continue for 13 inches. Is this 13 inches from the end of the color work or 13 inches from the cast on edge? I think from the color work, but wanted to check.
Thanks again. Can’t wait to give these as gifts!
Hi Margrethe!
Thank you for writing in. We really appreciate your insight! As for your question, the 13″ of work in the Main Color will be measured from the most recent stripe of your contrast color, not from the cast on edge.
We hope this helps clarify things, and happy gift knitting!
All the best,
Margaret
The slip one at the beginning of each row makes a nice edge.
With the two color Stitch Pattern, Row 2 and 3 are purled, as if you are knitting the row backwards, so I have been placing the slip 1 at the end of the row and it makes a nicer edge.
Hi,
I was thinking of knitting this pattern with a little skein of leftover cotton just to see how it works out because I love the idea of selfmade dishcloths and towels or potholders. But I am hesitant to try because of the slide- method described. It does not make sense upon reading and re-reading it. Even with a flat knitting project on a circular needle in front of me I can’t (as we Ditch would say) ‘make cheese of it’. How would the working thread end up in the right place without me turning the work or closing it? (Which is obviously not what is meant.) I have googled but couldn’t find another written explanation or a tutorial. Could you refer me to one or to another blogpost either on Purl Soho or anywhere else? It would be much appreciated.
Thanks from an advanced knitter who is a newbie at English patterns.
Hi Dees,
Thanks for reaching out! The slide method works in this pattern because you are using two different working yarns at once–one for each color. When you slide the work after just finishing a row, the other color’s working yarn will be right there waiting for you to begin knitting with it!
I hope this helps clarify things!
All the best,
Lili
Thanks a bunch Lili! This helps a lot!
I am having a hard time figuring out how to add the cc. Would someone be able to help me with this?
Regards,
Toni
Hi Toni,
Thanks for reaching out! To add the CC, all you need to do is begin knitting with it, instead of with the MC. One thing to note though, is that all the rows in this pattern begin with a slipped stitch, so you will start by slipping that stitch (no working yarn of either color involved), and then you’ll start knitting with the CC on the second stitch. Hope this helps clarify things!
All the best,
Lili
To follow-up on Toni’s question, do I just leave the MC attached or cut it?
Hi Susan,
You’ll leave the MC attached! Throughout the two-color section, you’ll be alternating knitting with the MC and the CC, so you’ll need both to remain available. Hope this helps clarify things!
All the best,
Lili