Colorful Half + Half Washcloths

For anyone looking for a bright spot in the everyday, here’s one you can hold in your hand. Our Colorful Half + Half Washcloths dip into our 10 new colors of Cotton Pure. They are a shower of cheer, a warm bath, and a cool refresh!

These small squares with a big presence are based on our Half + Half Blanket, a clever short-row pattern that has you knit one triangular half of a square and then the other without any picking up or seaming!

For this version, we boosted the colorplay, adding some simple stripes to the design options. Each washcloth is such a quick knit that it’s within reach to whip up a full set, in color combos either subtle or striking. We love the pop of our new Jonquil Yellow, but also the sweet tones of newbies Moonflower Blue and Peach Peony… Play a little!

Cotton Pure makes a naturally beautiful washcloth, too: organically-grown and super absorbent with its non-mercerized fiber, it also has an extremely soft touch. A most welcome gift or a self-care little treat, Colorful Half + Half Washcloths manifest a bright spot in the day!

Designed for Purl Soho by Jake Canton.

Materials

• 8 skeins of Purl Soho’s Cotton Pure, 100% organically grown cotton. Each skein is 279 yards.
  • Color A: 4 skeins in Heirloom White; approximately 1,006 yards required for all 8 washcloths.
  • Color B: 1 skein in Jonquil Yellow; approximately 210 yards required for all 8 washcloths.
  • Color C: 1 skein in Peach Peony; approximately 150 yards required for all 8 washcloths.
  • Color D: 1 skein in Tomato Orange; approximately 180 yards required for all 8 washcloths.
  • Color E: 1 skein in Moonflower Blue; approximately 230 yards required for all 8 washcloths.

NOTE Each washcloth requires a total of 222 yards.

You’ll also need…

• US 3 circular or straight needles
• A stitch marker

Gauge

24 stitches and 50 rows = 4 inches in garter stitch

Size

Finished Dimensions: Approximately 12 inches wide x 11½ inches long

Notes

Short Row Shaping: Wrp-t (Wrap And Turn)

Keeping yarn in back, slip next stitch purlwise from left needle to right needle. Bring yarn to front. Return slipped stitch to left needle. Turn work so wrong side is facing you.

To see this technique in action, visit our Short Row Tutorial and follow along with the wrap and turn on the knit side section (at 0:30 seconds), except do not bring the yarn to the back before you turn.

Knit With Wrap

Keeping yarn in back, pick up wrap with right needle from front to back and place on left needle. Knit stitch and wrap together. This step is described at minute 3:29 of our Short Row Tutorial.

Construction

Due to their construction, the dimensions of these washcloths are fixed to a set ratio. The width (i.e. the cast-on edge) can be altered by casting on any number of stitches, and the length will always be approximately 95% of the width.

Schematic

This is a basic schematic for the construction of the Half + Half Pattern.

Pattern

Half + Half Pattern

NOTE This is the foundation pattern for all the washcloths. Later we’ll detail how to add stripes and colorblocks, but this simple Half + Half Pattern makes a great washcloth, too!

Triangle 1

With Color B, cast on 72 stitches. We used a basic Long Tail Cast On.

Row 1 (wrong side): Knit to end of row.

Row 2 (right side): Knit to last 3 stitches, place marker (pm), k1, wrap and turn (wrp-t, see Notes).

Row 3: Knit to end of row.

Row 4: Knit to marker, remove marker, wrp-t.

Row 5: K1, pm, knit to end of row.

Repeat Rows 4 and 5 until you have wrapped every stitch except the last two, ending with Row 5.

Next Row (right side): K1, remove marker, wrp-t.

Next Row (wrong side): K1.

Cut Color B.

Triangle 2

Row 1 (right side): With Color A, k1, *knit next stitch with its wrap (see Notes), repeat from * to last stitch, k1.

Row 2 (wrong side): Knit to end of row.

Row 3: Knit to end of row.

Row 4: K1, wrp-t.

Row 5: K1.

Row 6: K1, knit next stitch with its wrap, place marker, wrp-t.

Row 7: Slip marker, knit to end of row.

Row 8: Knit to marker, remove marker, knit next stitch with its wrap, place marker, wrp-t.

Repeat Rows 7 and 8 until you have completed a wrap and turn on the second to last stitch, ending with Row 7.

Next Row (wrong side): Knit to marker, remove marker, knit next stitch with its wrap, k1.

With right side facing you, bind off knitwise to last 2 stitches, k2, leaving 3 stitches on right needle.

Make I-Cord

With remaining 3 stitches, work an I-Cord for 3 inches, working last row as follows:

Last Row: K1, k2tog, pass first stitch over second stitch and off right needle. Cut yarn, leaving an 8-inch tail and pull through remaining stitch.

Thread tail onto a tapestry needle. Make a loop with I-cord and weave tail into fabric of washcloth at base of I-cord, then weave it through the looped I-cord, and back into fabric of the washcloth.

Weave in the ends and wet block!

Layout Options

Here are 5 more ways to play with color. All of these layouts use the above Half + Half Pattern as the foundation, and here’s how we did each one….

Layout 1

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NOTE We knit this layout in two different color schemes: one using Colors E and A and one using Colors D and A. The second version is in parentheses…

Follow the Half + Half Pattern as written, casting on with Color E (D) and using it for 6½ inches of Triangle 1, ending with a wrong-side row. Use Color A for the remainder of Triangle 1, then use Color A for Triangle 2.

Layout 2

Follow the Half + Half Pattern as written, casting on with Color A and using it for 5 inches of Triangle 1, ending with a wrong-side row. Use Color C for the remainder of Triangle 1, then use Color A for Triangle 2.

Layout 3

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NOTE We knit this layout using Colors C, B, and A for one washcloth and Colors D, C, and A for the other. The second version is in parentheses…

Follow the Half + Half Pattern as written, casting on with Color C (D) and using it for 3½ inches of Triangle 1, ending with a wrong-side row. Use Color B (C) for the remainder of Triangle 1, then use Color A for Triangle 2.

Layout 4

Follow the Half + Half Pattern as written, casting on with Color E and using it for 2½ inches of Triangle 1, ending with a wrong-side row. Use Color A for 1½ inches, ending with a wrong-side row, then use Color C for the remainder of Triangle 1. Use Color A for Triangle 2.

Layout 5

Follow the Half + Half Pattern as written, casting on with Color B and using it for 2 inches of Triangle 1, ending with a wrong-side row. Use Color D for 2 inches, ending with a wrong-side row, then use Color C for 2 inches, ending with a wrong-side row, then use Color A for 2 inches, ending with a wrong-side row, then use Color E for the remainder of Triangle 1. Use Color A for Triangle 2.