Fluffy Washcloth + Mitt

Soft as can be and full of feel-good fun… Our free Fluffy Washcloth + Mitt pattern is a little joy to knit in Witch Hazel, our 100% Pima cotton yarn that starts fluffy and gets even fluffier after a trip through the wash. With 12 new colors making a splash, Witch Hazel’s palette now includes more soothing neutrals, spa-inspired blues, and playful pastels!

Decide whether you’d like to knit a super easy washcloth worked flat, or an almost-as-easy bath mitt knit in the round, with just a bit of shaping to help it hug your hand. Both patterns are simple garter stitch, both take just one ball of Witch Hazel and a couple hours to knit, and both are the kind of small, satisfying project you’ll want to make (and give!) again and again.

Witch Hazel is a supremely soft, delightfully plush bulky-weight yarn made with 100% Pima cotton. Delicate strands bloom from a braided core, creating a texture that’s airy on the needles and wonderfully cushy in your hands. And the magic doesn’t stop there! Machine washing and drying densifies the fabric without losing its loft… It’s cotton like you’ve never felt before!

Now available in 21 appealing shades, Witch Hazel’s palette ranges from sweet and serene to bold and earthy. Each one is available on its own or in one of our 3-ball Witch Hazel Bundles. Choose from 7 artfully coordinated trios, perfect for knitting a matching set, or dive into our big 9-color bundle for a rainbow of bathtime play!

Whether you’re gifting a bundle to a fellow knitter or making a cheerful stack of washcloths and mitts for a housewarming gift or baby shower, a set of Fluffy Washcloths + Mitts will bring a burst of care, color, and cottony joy!

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!

Originally designed Whitney Van Nes, updated by Purl Soho designer, Gianna Mueller. Click here to see even more of Gianna’s designs!

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

WASHCLOTH

• 1 ball of Purl Soho’s Witch Hazel, 100% Pima cotton yarn. Each ball of this chunky/bulky-weight yarn is 48 yards/ 50 grams; approximately 45 total yards required.
• US 10 (6 mm) straight or 24-inch circular knitting needles
• If using straight needles: Two US 8 double pointed needles for I-cord

MITT

• 1 ball of Purl Soho’s Witch Hazel, 100% Pima cotton yarn. Each ball of this chunky/bulky-weight yarn is 48 yards/ 50 grams; approximately 35 total yards required.
• A set of US 10 (6 mm) double-pointed needles or 32-inch circular knitting needles for Magic Loop
• Stitch markers, including one unique

Our Witch Hazel Bundles include 3 colors of Witch Hazel and make 3 Washcloths, or Mitts, or a combination of both, and our 9-Color Bundle makes 9 pieces! We knit our samples in all 7 palettes of the 3-Color Bundle…

• SEASHELL: Pink Opal, Clay Pot, Whole Wheat
• HAY LOFT: Heirloom White, Sand Castle, Chamomile Yellow
• SHORELINE: Glacier Blue, Blue Yonder, Classic Denim
• EUCALYPTUS: Soft Jade, Soft Viridian, Pewter Gray
• OYSTER: Alpine Dawn, Autumn Hellebore, Beach Pebble
• PEAR TREE: Green Tea, Pistachio Green, Yellow Lime
• SPICE TEA: Peach Macaron, Fall Oak, Mesa Brown

GAUGE

10½ stitches = 4 inches in garter stitches, unlaundered

NOTE: The row gauge in this pattern is not listed because you are simply knitting to a specific length. Any row gauge will do, as long as your stitch gauge is correct!

SIZES

WASHCLOTH

• Finished Dimensions, Unlaundered: Approximately 7¾ x 7¾ inches
• Finished Dimensions, Laundered: Approximately 6½ x 6½ inches

MITT

• Finished Dimensions, Unlaundered: Approximately 7¾ inches in circumference x 8 inches in length
• Finished Dimensions, Laundered: Approximately 6½ inches in circumference x 6¾ inches in length

NOTES

CSD (Centered Single Decrease)

NOTE: Visit our Centered Single Decrease Tutorial for more help with this technique.

Slip 2 stitches knitwise, one at a time. Insert left needle into front of two slipped stitches, knit them together. Next, insert, from front to back, the left needle into the second of the stitches you just knit together (the one in back), and place it onto the left needle ready to be worked, then insert the right needle into the next two stitches on the left needle (the next stitch on left needle and stitch you just picked up) and knit them together. [1 stitch decreased]

WASHCLOTH PATTERN

Cast on 22 stitches. We used a basic Long Tail Cast On.

Knit every row for 7¾ inches, or until piece is square.

Bind-Off Row: Bind off knitwise until 2 stitches remain (1 on right needle and 1 on left), k1.

MAKE I-CORD

Using same circular needles, or if using straight needles, switching to two double pointed needles, knit a 3-inch I-cord.

Last Row: Pass first stitch over second.

Cut yarn and securely weave tail into base of I-cord, creating a loop.

FINISH

Weave in the ends and wet block by hand to keep Washcloth as is, or machine launder it for a denser, fluffier fabric! (Ours are machine laundered.)

MITT PATTERN

Cast 22 stitches onto double pointed needles. We used a basic Long Tail Cast On.

NOTE: Prefer to use Magic Loop? Distribute the stitches equally between the two ends of your circular needles instead. For more help with Magic Loop, visit our tutorial here!

Place a unique marker and join for working in the round, being careful not to twist the stitches.

Round 1: Purl to end of round.

Round 2: Knit to end of round.

Repeat Rounds 1 and 2 until piece measures approximately 5 inches from cast-on edge, ending with Round 2.

SHAPE TOP

Set-Up Round: P11, place marker, purl to end of round.

Round 1: Make 1 Centered Single Decrease (CSD, see Notes), knit to next marker, slip marker, CSD, knit to end of round. [2 stitches decreased]

Round 2: Purl to end of round.

Repeat Rounds 1 and 2 five more times. [10 stitches remain]

Cut yarn and thread tail onto a tapestry needle. Thread tail through remaining stitches. Pull taut and bring tail to inside of Mitt to weave in.

FINISH

Weave in the ends and wet block by hand to keep Mitt as is, or machine launder it for a denser, fluffier fabric! (Ours are machine laundered.)

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!