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Easy Scalloped Washcloth + Hand Towels
Our free Easy Scalloped Washcloth + Hand Towel pattern invites you to knit a simply beautiful set of towels, bordered by gentle undulations that echo the rippled edge of a seashell. Our new Sketchbook Cotton yarn brings a rustic beauty to every row, with a subtle thick-and-thin texture and the soothing softness of sun-warmed sand.
This beginner-friendly knitting pattern includes instructions for a full set: a washcloth (complete with a handy hanging loop!) and a small and large hand towel. Each piece is knit in all meditative garter stitch, with simple increases and decreases creating those rhythmic scalloped edges. Layered together on the rack, they evoke an outgoing tide and the traces it leaves in the sand.
Made in Japan and exuding earthy elegance, Sketchbook Cotton brings a uniquely soft hand and fascinating texture to simple garter stitch. This DK-weight yarn, spun from 100% unmercerized cotton, has a naturally matte finish, an appealingly broken-in feel, and excellent absorbency, just right for hardworking towels. Even better, this yarn is machine washable and dryable, ready for real life!
Sketchbook Cotton comes in a dozen beautiful colors, a mix of solid colors and tweed-y neutrals full of natural depth. For this project, we paired the four subtly flecked neutrals with Heirloom White for a beachcombing palette of worn shells, polished stones, weathered driftwood, and soft sand.
Easy breezy to knit and super satisfying to use, this set is a perfect way to explore the expressive beauty of our Sketchbook Cotton yarn. Cast on and let every soft, textured stitch bring joy to your hands and home.
Yarn lovers, if you adore the yarn used in this project, you’ll love exploring all of our other yarn collections! Discover over 45 thoughtfully designed yarns in nearly every natural fiber and in every spectacular color you can imagine. Only available here at Purl Soho’s online yarn store, where every skein is created with care and your creativity in mind!
Designed by Purl Soho designer, Hiromi Glover. See even more of Hiromi’s work on her Instagram!
Share your progress and connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho. We can’t wait to see what you make!
Want to print this pattern? On desktop, find the “print” icon in the right margin, and on mobile, scroll to the end of the pattern for it. Use the on-screen instructions to remove anything you don’t want to print!
Materials
- 1 (3, 4) ball(s) of Purl Soho’s Sketchbook Cotton, 100% cotton. Each ball of this light worsted/dk-weight yarn is 150 yards/ 50 grams; 145 (410, 600) total yards required.
- US 5 (3.75 mm), straight or 24-inch circular knitting needles
- Washcloth only: If using straight needles, two US 5 double pointed needles for I-cord
- A removable stitch marker
We used the following colors for our samples…
- Washcloths: Heirloom White, Moth Wing, Coyote Brown, Gray Smoke, Thunder Gray
- Small Towel: Moth Wing
- Large Towel: Coyote Brown
GAUGE
22 stitches and 38 rows = 4 inches in garter stitch, unlaundered
23 stitches and 44 rows = 4 inches in garter stitch, machine laundered
NOTE: When you run Sketchbook Cotton through the gentle cycle of a washing machine and dryer, it shrinks a little bit and also gets denser, softer, and even more amazing!
SIZES
Washcloth (Small Towel, Large Towel)
- Finished Dimensions, Unlaundered: 10½ (11, 13) inches wide x 11½ (32½, 41¾) inches long
- Finished Dimensions, Machine Laundered: 10 (10½, 12½) inches wide x 10 (28, 36) inches long
NOTES
STITCH MULTIPLE
This pattern is worked over any number of stitches.
SLIP STITCHES
Slip all slipped stitches knitwise with yarn in back.
PATTERN
CAST ON
Cast on 50 (52, 64) stitches. We used a basic Long Tail Cast On.
Set-Up Row (wrong side): Slip 1 (see Notes), knit to end of row.
SCALLOP SECTION
Increase Row (right side): Slip 1, knit to last 2 stitches, knit front and back (kfb), k1. [1 stitch increased]
Mark last row with removable stitch marker or piece of scrap yarn to indicate the right side.
Repeat Increase Row every row 7 more times, ending with a wrong-side row. [58 (60, 72) stitches]
Next Row (right side): Slip 1, knit to end of row.
Repeat last row 5 more times, ending with a wrong-side row.
Decrease Row (right side): Slip 1, knit to last 3 stitches, knit 2 together (k2tog), k1. [1 stitch decreased]
Repeat Decrease Row every row 7 more times, ending with a wrong-side row. [50 (52, 64) stitches remain]
CONTINUE
Repeat Scallop Section 4 (13, 17) more times. [5 (14, 18) scallops per selvage]
BIND OFF
WASHCLOTH ONLY
With right-side facing you, bind off knitwise to last 2 stitches, k2. [3 stitches remain]
With remaining 3 stitches, work an I-Cord for 3 inches.
Bind-Off Row: K1, k2tog, pass first stitch over second stitch and off right needle.
Cut yarn, leaving an 8-inch tail. Pull it through remaining stitch.
Thread tail onto a tapestry needle. Make a loop with I-cord and weave tail into fabric at base of I-cord, then weave it through looped I-cord and back into fabric.
SMALL + LARGE TOWEL ONLY
With right-side facing you, bind off knitwise to end of row.
FINISHING
Weave in ends and gently machine wash and dry.
LEARN ABOUT SKETCHBOOK COTTON + ALL OUR BEAUTIFUL YARNS
Earthy yet elegant, Sketchbook Cotton brings an incredibly soft hand and an appealing texture to this project! A cotton yarn made in Japan with a mix of Mexican-grown and American-grown Supima cotton, Sketchbook Cotton is full of quiet comfort, with a matte finish and a delightful, lived-in softness. This flexible light worsted/DK-weight yarn can also be knit at a sport-weight, and it’s conveniently machine-washable, too… Amazing for so many things you’ll want to knit!
More Free Knitting Patterns
- Be sure to explore our collection of Sketchbook Cotton knitting patterns and cast on!
More Light Worsted/DK-Weight Yarns
- Shop our entire collection of light worsted/DK-weight yarns (What does DK-weight yarn mean, really? Our guide to DK yarn will answer your questions and demystify.)
- 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 Fibers
- Shop cotton yarn (What helps cotton keep its cool? Learn all about this soft, natural fiber in our guide to cotton yarn!)
- Shop machine-washable yarn
- Shop plant-based 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 45 gorgeous natural fiber yarns in 1000’s of magnificent colors, designed to bring integrity, beauty, and joy to your next knitting project and only available at Purl Soho!
I’d like to make a table runner with this pattern at double the width so that the finished size is about 20 inches wide and about 60 inches long. How do I figure the cast on to get the wider width?
Hi J.Huebner,
Thank you for writing in! To figure out your cast on number, you will multiply your stitches per inch (5.5 in this case according to the pattern gauge) by your desired width. You will then subtract 8 from that number to account for the increased and decreases. So for a runner that will be 20 inches wide, you will cast on 102 sts.
I hope this helps and happy knitting!
All the best,
Gavriella
Thank you for the pattern! Is it possible to use Santolina and Sweet Grass for this project. I purchased it to make Sunday Dish towels but not sure I am ready for that project as I am a newer knitter!
Hi Patricia,
Santolina and Sweetgrass would be wonderful options for this pattern! They’re both fingering weight yarns though, so they’re thinner than Sketchbook Cotton. I bet you could hold two strands at once (perhaps a strand of Santolina along with a strand of Sweetgrass?) to achieve the gauge of the pattern. Alternatively, you could hold one strand and adjust the cast-on number so that your project still comes to the correct width.
To figure out your new 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. Then you can follow the pattern as written, although you may want to add some additional increase rows and decrease rows to make each “scallop” a little bit taller!
All the best,
Lili
I have a lot of Cotton Pure left over from other projects. Could I use it instead of the Sketchbook Cotton? What adjustments would I have to make? Cotton Pure is sport weight, Sketchbook DK.
Hi Mommo,
Cotton Pure is a great choice for this project! However, it is a sport weight yarn so it’s a bit thinner than Sketchbook Cotton. I’d recommend casting on more stitches to make sure your project comes to the correct width at a smaller gauge.
To figure out your new 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. Then you can follow the pattern essentially as written! The only other adjustment you might want to make is working more increase and decrease rows. That will help make each “scallop” the same height as in the original pattern while knitting with a smaller row gauge.
All the best,
Lili
How many washcloths can be made from on skein? I’m thinking ahead for Christmas.
Hi Mary,
Thanks for asking! Each skein contains 150 yards of yarn, and each washcloth requires 145 yards, so you’ll be able to make one washcloth per skein!
All the best,
Lili
Thank you!
How many skeins does it take to do 1 each of both the small and large hand towels? Am I right in thinking that the washcloth takes 1 skein?
Thanks
Beautiful!
Patti
Hi Patti,
Thanks for writing in! The small hand towel requires 410 yards of yarn, and the large hand towel requires 600 yards. Adding those together, you get 1010 yards. Each skein of Sketchbook Cotton comes with 150 yards, so you’d need 7 skeins to reach 1010 yards and make one of each size! And yep, the washcloth requires 1 skein!
All the best,
Lili
Beautiful pattern! I love the scalloped edges. Would Cotton Pure work well for this pattern, and what needle size would be best? Any other suggestions for this substitution? Thank you!
Hi Kathy,
Cotton Pure would work well! However, it is a sport weight yarn so it’s a bit thinner than Sketchbook Cotton. I’d recommend casting on more stitches to make sure your project comes to the correct width at a smaller gauge.
To figure out your new cast-on number, you will want to first knit a gauge swatch in pattern. We recommend using size US 3, 4, or 5 needles with Cotton Pure, so any of those would be a great choice!
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. Then you can follow the pattern essentially as written! The only other adjustment you might want to make is working more increase and decrease rows. That will help make each “scallop” the same height as in the original pattern while knitting with a smaller row gauge.
All the best,
Lili
I think this would make a beautiful baby car seat blanket with the scallops on the top and bottom approximately 22” long and 20” wide. How many stitches to cast on and how many yards of cotton chirp would I need? I’m currently using Cotton Chirp for the easy crib blanket in 6 colors…I love it. Thank you.
Kathleen
Hi Kathleen,
That sounds like a lovely idea! To get your cast on number for your blanket, you will want to multiply the stitches per inch by your desires size. In this case that would be 22″ x 5.5 sts. This will result in 121 stitch. I’d recommend about 4 balls of yarn for your blanket.
Happy making,
Gavriella
To knit a set of one each of the washcloth, small towel and large towel, would I need 8 balls of Sketchbook Cotton?
Hi Nancy,
Thanks for asking and that is correct! You will need a total of 4 balls.
Happy knitting,
Gavriella
Would love to make hand towels with Sketchbook Cotton for our powder room. Do items knit with this yarn dry quickly?
Hi Janie,
Thank you for writing in! A towel for your powder room sounds like a wonderful idea! Although hand knit towels may take a little longer to dry, they still make wonderful options as they are very absorbent. If you worry about the dry time though, you can always throw them into the dryer for a faster dry time if they get extra damp.
I hope this helps and happy knitting!
All the best,
Gavriella
I’m just a bit confused about the Sketchbook cotton. Should I be holding the yarn double throughout for the scallop-edged projects?
Thank you
Adrienne G.
Hi Adrienne,
Thanks for writing in! We designed these patterns with the yarn held single, so you wouldn’t want to double it!
All the best,
Lili