Hot Springs Towel Set
Whether after a quick morning rinse or a long, steamy soak, these towels wrap you in soft comfort, a moment made all the more special because you knit them yourself. Cast on for our free Hot Springs Towel Set knitting pattern and meet June Worsted, our new cotton and linen yarn that’s absolutely perfect for handknit towels!
Create a springy, waffle-y texture with an easy stitch pattern of knits and purls that feels plush against the skin and absorbs water beautifully. Your Hot Springs Towel will dry you off quickly but will also invite you to linger, like slipping into a hot thermal bath and never wanting to get out.
The pattern includes instructions for a whole set of towels: a little washcloth (complete with an I-cord hanging loop), a medium hand towel, and a big bath towel. Make a whole set or just pick your favorite to knit and enjoy.
Our June Worsted yarn is as good as it gets for knitting towels, with its laid-back feel and hardworking character. Made with 70% organically grown Tanguis cotton (a Peruvian cotton known for its strength and durability) and 30% Belgian linen (amazing for absorbing water), this worsted-weight yarn has a soft, lived-in character that just gets better and better with every trip through the washer and dryer.
Pick from June Worsted’s palette of beautiful sun-warmed colors, inspired by early summer and barefoot afternoons. We made our Hot Springs Towel Sets in Pale Denim and Peach Canyon, serene colors that look like they were drawn straight from a geothermal spring. Choose whatever shade speaks to your own daydreams… You could even mix and match!
Take the plunge and knit a Hot Springs Towel Set… You won’t believe how much you love using towels you made yourself! Whether at home or out on an adventure, these towels turn even a quick dip into a moment of calm, comfort, and beauty.
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, Gianna Mueller. See even more of Gianna’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, 9) balls of Purl Soho’s June Worsted, 70% organically grown cotton and 30% linen. Each ball of this worsted/aran-weight yarn is 164 yards/ 100 grams; approximately 65 (480, 1395) yards required. We used the colors Pale Denim and Peach Canyon.
- US 7 (4.5 mm), straight or 24-inch circular knitting needles
- If using straight needles, for Washcloth and Hand Towel: Two US 7 double pointed needles for I-cord
GAUGE
21 stitches and 26 rows = 4 inches in stitch pattern
SIZES
Washcloth (Hand Towel, Bath Towel)
Finished Dimensions: 6¾ inches wide x 9 inches long (17¼ inches wide x 30 inches long, 29½ inches wide x 50 inches long)
NOTES
STITCH MULTIPLE
This pattern works over a multiple of 3 stitches.
PATTERN
Cast on 36 (90, 156) stitches. We used a basic Long Tail Cast On.
Row 1 (right side): K2, *p2, k1, repeat from * to last stitch, k1.
Row 2 (wrong side): K1, *p1, k2, repeat from * to last 2 stitches, p1, k1.
Row 3: Knit to end of row.
Row 4: K1, purl to last stitch, k1.
Repeat Rows 1–4 until piece measures 9 (30, 50) inches from cast-on edge, ending with Row 2.
FOR WASHCLOTH + HAND TOWEL ONLY
With right side facing you, bind off knitwise to last 2 stitches, k2, leaving 3 stitches on right needle.
MAKE I-CORD
NOTE: If using straight needles, switch to double pointed needles.
With remaining 3 stitches, work an I-cord for 3 inches.
Bind-Off Row (right side): K1, knit 2 together, 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.
FOR BATH TOWEL ONLY
With right side facing you, bind off all stitches knitwise.
FINISHING
Weave in ends and block as desired.
Learn About June Worsted + All Our Beautiful Yarns
This project is the perfect mix of cool, cozy, and soft, thanks to our June Worsted yarn! Made with a mix of organically-grown cotton and Belgian linen, this worsted-weight yarn has the wonderfully soft and knit-able feeling of an animal-fiber yarn, but rest assured, it also has the cooling, vegan, and anti-allergen properties of a plant-based yarn. It’s also super beautiful, incredibly endearing, and machine washable, too… You will love it for everything from towels to garments to blankets!
More Knitting Patterns
- Be sure to explore our June Worsted knitting patterns and cast on!
More Worsted/Aran-Weight Yarns
- Shop our entire collection of worsted/aran-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 (What helps cotton keep its cool? Learn all about this soft, natural fiber in our guide to cotton yarn!)
- Shop linen 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!
Hi: Could you tell me what each option (washcloth/hand towel/bath towel) requires in yarn amounts? Lovely gift for friends who don’t use washcloths, but need bath towels, etc.
Thanks!
Duitch Sloane
Hi Duitch,
Thank you so much for reaching out! The washcloth requires 65 yards of June Worsted, the hand towel requires 480 yards, and the bath towel requires 1395 yards. If you’d like to make just the bath towel, you’ll need 9 balls of June Worsted! If you’d like to make one hand towel, you’ll need 3 balls of June Worsted, and for one washcloth, you’ll just need 1 ball. Since each ball of June Worsted has 164 yards, you could make two washcloths with 1 ball of this yarn!
I hope this helps, and please let us know if you have any other questions at all!
All the best,
Cat
I love, love, love Purl Soho!
Hi MJ,
Thank you so much for your super kind comment! We truly appreciate it and hope you are having a wonderful day!
All the best,
Cat
How many skeins for the towel only?
Hi Regina,
Thank you for asking! You’ll need 9 balls of June Worsted to make the bath towel. To make the hand towel, you will need 3 balls. I hope this helps, and please let us know if we can be of any further assistance!
All the best,
Cat