Who else besides me really hates housework? I get so little ‘down time’ that the last thing I want to do is the cleaning up. I mean, I could be crocheting…or spinning wool… or playing with my dogs. But housework is one of the sad realities of life. No matter how well you do it, there will always be more to do the next day. Those dishes and kitchen benches won’t clean themselves. So, the least we can do it make it a little bit of fun, right? That’s where these crochet dishcloths come in!

In 2019, I started trying to lead a more eco-friendly lifestyle. I started reducing waste, buying in bulk, and making things that are reusable rather than disposable. Part of that journey included making washable, re-usable dishcloths. It started with the eco-tawashis I designed and then included 100% cotton dishcloths. This past Christmas I gave several eco-tawashis and dishcloths away as gifts and enough people asked me to either make more or share the pattern. So now that I have a break from my ‘day job’, I’ve written up all the patterns for the dishcloths and am sharing them with you! There are three patterns in this blog post – the basic Bobble Dishcloth, the Dachshund Dishcloth, and the Christmas Tree Dishcloth. The printable pdf of the patterns can be downloaded for FREE from the Long Dog Wool Fibre Arts pattern shop on Ravelry (click here for the general link to the Long Dog Wool pattern shop to browse all the patterns available). The pdf versions have extra information and include stitch charts, so be sure and check them out! Links to each of the individual dishcloth pattern pdf’s are at the bottom of this post (including the original eco-Tawashi). Because washing up should be fun… and environmentally friendly!

The ‘brand’ I use for my fibre arts crafts and patterns is Long Dog Wool Fibre Arts – inspired by my two miniature dachsunds, Roxy and Marcus (aka the loves of my life!). That should also explain why one of the motifs on the dishcloth is a dachshund! Once you are owned by these amazing (and completely naughty) dogs, you begin to understand that there is a whole subculture out there and your house will always be decorated in nouveau-dachshund-everything.

How to make the dishcloths

The dishcloths are all made from 100% cotton – some 8-ply and some 10-ply yarns. They all use basic crochet stitches with the only one that might be unfamiliar to a beginner being the bobble stitch, which is explained below. If you can do a double crochet, you can do a bobble stitch!. The Bobble Dishcloth gives you the option of using 5 stitch bobbles or 3 stitch bobbles depending on how nubbly you want the cloth to be, and also includes 3 different edging options (which you can use for the other two dishcloth patterns too). I made the Bobble Dishcloths with 10-ply cotton. The adorable Dachshund Dishcloth (a homage to the long dogs of Long Dog Wool) and the Christmas Tree dishcloth were made with 8-ply cotton yarn. Use whatever you want and whatever hook size is recommended. A smaller ply will give you thinner, smaller dishcloths while larger yarn will give…. surprise…. larger and thicker dishcloths!

The patterns below are written in USA crochet terminology. The pdf versions all come in USA terms with the option of a UK terminology version for the Bobble Dishcloth and Eco-Tawashi patterns.

All patterns use the following stitches and abbreviations:

The Bobble Stitch

How to do a 5dc Bobble Stitch

Yarn over, insert in stitch, pull up loop, yarn over, pull through 2 loops, yarn over, insert in same stitch, pull up loop, yarn over, pull through 2 loops, yarn over, insert in same stitch, pull up loop, yarn over, pull through 2 loops, insert in same stitch, pull up loop, yarn over, pull through 2 loops, insert in same stitch, pull up loop, yarn over, pull through 2 loops, yarn over, pull through 6 loops.

How to do a 3 dc Bobble Stitch

Yarn over, insert in stitch, pull up loop, yarn over, pull through 2 loops, yarn over, insert in same stitch, pull up loop, yarn over, pull through 2 loops, yarn over, insert in same stitch, pull up loop, yarn over, pull through 2 loops, yarn over, pull through 4 loops

Bobble Dishcloth Pattern

Materials:

• 100% Cotton yarn – 10ply or 12ply  (I usually use Sugar ‘n Cream yarn by Lily or Abbey Kung Fu Cotton)
• Hook size 5.0mm
• Yarn Needle

Note: I usually get two dishcloths out of one ball of yarn.   Sometimes I get one dishcloth and one scrubby from the Sugar ‘n Cream ombre. How much yarn you use is affected by your tension, hook size, which size bobble you choose,  and what variation you choose for the edging.

Main Pattern:

Edging Variation 1: No Border

This is the simplest way to finish.  At the end of row 19, simply fasten off and weave the ends in. The finished product will have

Edging Variation 2: Simple Border

At the end of row 19, ch 1, sc in corner st or space, ch 2 then sc in the same st or space again (the last st of the row). Turn the square ¼ turn so the side is now on top.  sc until just before the last st.  *(sc in the corner, ch 2, sc in the same space [corner now made], turn the square ¼ turn, sc across that side to the last st), repeat from * for the remaining to sides.  ss with the first sc after the ch1 at the beginning of the round and fasten off. Weave ends in.

Edging Variation 3: Crab Stitch

At the end of row 19, ch 1, then crab stitch (left to right) to the end of the row, *crab stitch twice in the corner space [corner made), turn the square ¼ turn to the left, continue in crabsitch to next corner, repeat from * all around the square, ss into the first st of the round and fasten off. Weave ends in.

Dachshund Dishcloth Pattern

Materials:

• 100% cotton yarn (8-ply) (I use Heirloom or Flinders)
• 4mm crochet hook
• Yarn Needle

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Instructions:

Bobble Dishcloth – download now
Dachshund Dishcloth – download now
Christmas Tree Dishcloth – download now
Eco-Tawashi Pattern – download now

I hope you enjoy making your new dishcloths! Love from Bridget A and Roxy & Marcus, the long dogs of Long Dog Wool Fibre Arts (who quality check every item but have questionable taste in AFL teams).