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
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
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.
PRINT
Hi!
I think my latest comment didn’t register (sorry if it shows up twice!). Thank you for offering the customer service email to help me with my round edge email. I sent a couple of pictures last week and would be so grateful for your help! Really can’t wait to get back to knitting this! Thanks!
Hi Cynthia,
Thanks for reaching out! We did receive your email and responded to it the next day, so you should have it somewhere in your inbox! Have you checked your spam folders? Just in case you can’t find it, we took a look and your washcloth looks perfectly normal! This is exactly how ours looked while knitting the short rows. As you continue on, the triangle will continue to grow off of your needle and the curved edge will eventually straighten out.
Best,
Julianna
Thanks to your help, I did end up seeing the triangle!!!! Yeay! I do have another question though: it says to follow the pattern until all stitches are wrapped, except the last two. To me, that looks like 70 wrapped stitches + marker + 2 stitches. Next row says « k1, remove marker » – however there are 2 stitches before the marker, not 1, no? If I am right, could you tell us how to work those two last rows of triangle 1 please? Thank you!
Hi Cynthia,
I’m happy to hear your first triangle turned out correctly! It sounds like you might have misplaced your marker in Row 5. On your final Row 4, the last wrap and turn was on the third stitch from the end, leaving two stitches for your final Row 5, in which you knit one, place the marker, and then knit the last stitch. This should result in just one stitch before the marker to set up correctly for the next step!
Best,
Julianna
I am a fairly experienced knitter — and pretty smart too! I can usually figure out a problem and follow a pattern when knitting. I simply cannot transfer the wrap and turn info from the video you reference to making this washcloth. Could you possibly make a video for the wrap and turn for your colorful half and half washcloths? TY!
Hi Linda,
Thanks for writing in! Unfortunately we don’t have the resources to create a video tutorial for this pattern at the moment, but it should be just like our video! You might find it helpful to write the written instructions for the wrap and turn, which you can find at the top of this pattern in the Notes section, on a sticky note and keep it right next to the part of the pattern you are working on. That way you won’t have to go searching for a video or instructions when you get to the wrap & turn!
I hope that helps!
Julianna
At first I read the other comments and thought, at least I’m not insane, because I had no idea how this was going to work. I couldn’t imagine it. But then I saw that I could try with a CO of 20, and I thought I’ll try it that way, and by the 5th row I thought, oh, this makes perfect sense! But I couldn’t imagine it before then. Now I’m having a blast with the pattern – thank you!
What gauge crochet needle would you use with this cotton to create a similar result? Thanks!
Hi Mary Eileen,
Thanks for writing in! We recommend using a US E or F hook with Cotton Pure. Everyone’s personal tension is a little different, so I would recommend trying out a swatch or two to see which size gives you a fabric you are happy with!
Best,
Julianna
Hello
For pattern 1, in the last part of the row, where you leave 3 stitches:
1. place marker (I get this)
2. knit stitch (I get this)
3. wrap and turn (I’m confused by what happens after this)
What do you do then? I don’t really understand what happens after wrap and turn.
Thank you
Hi Rowena,
Thanks for reaching out! After working the wrap and turn, you should have the wrong side facing you, with 3 stitches that you didn’t knit on your right-hand needle and the rest of the stitches on your left-hand needle. Now that you have turned your work, you can go on to Row 4, which has you knit across all the stitches that are on the left-hand needle!
I hope that clears things up!
Julianna
Hello!
This is my first time using the wrp-t technique. I have watched the video tutorial on how to wrap and turn, but once I turn the piece around I have two stitches left. What am I supposed to do with those two stitches once i have turned my yarn around?
Hi Maggie,
Thanks for reaching out! You will simply be leaving those two stitches where they are without knitting them! Once you have wrapped the stitch and slipped it back over to the left-hand needle, you will turn your work so the wrong side is facing you, and you will have three stitches left on the right-hand needle, the wrap and turn stitch and the two stitches that you didn’t knit. Those stitches will stay put while you knit across the rest of the stitches that are now on the left-hand needle. Short rows are always mystifying the first time you try them, but as long as you follow the pattern, even if it doesn’t make seem like anything you’ve ever done before, the triangle should start to magically grow off of your needles!
Best,
Julianna
half and half pattern, triangle 2, color A. How many stitches do you have on your needle after row 2?
Hi Constance,
Thanks for reaching out! After you have worked the wrap and turn at the end of Row 2, you should have the wrong side facing you, and you will have 3 stitches on your right-hand needle and 69 stitches on your left-hand needle. Your total number of stitches will always be 72 throughout the washcloth!
I hope that clears things up!
Julianna
I love these washcloths. Is there a more secure way to deal with the ends than simply weaving them into the fabric? These are going to be used and used hard, washed over and over. I’d love a way to deal with ends that doesn’t have them coming undone with hard use.
Thanks.
Hi Mary,
Thanks for reaching out! Even in cotton items that will see heavy use and frequent washing, it is possible to make the ends very secure by weaving them in! Duplicate stitch for garter stitch, which can be found about half way through our Weaving In Your Ends tutorial, is a very reliable method since the tail will be traveling in multiple directions. This means that a tug or snag in the wrong place won’t be able to pull out the whole tail! To add an extra layer of protection, I would suggest working duplicate stitch in one direction for about two inches, then skipping up or down a row and working it in the opposite direction for another inch. You may find that the very tip of the tail pops out on the first wash or two, but if you ignore it or tuck it to the wrong side of the washcloth, it should fray slightly and work itself into the fabric over time.
I hope that helps!
Julianna
Thanks so much. I’ve copied these ideas and will try them.
Love these washcloths, but wish they were a bit smaller. Can I adapt the pattern by 1/3 less stitches and get the same result. thanks
Hi Suze,
Thanks for reaching out! I’m very glad to hear you love this pattern! I believe it would be very easy to adjust the pattern by 1/3 less stitches to get a smaller version of the washcloths with the same result! Please let us know how this goes!
Happy knitting!
Gianna