Beginner Crochet Dishcloth Pattern with Striped Option

This beginner crochet dishcloth pattern gives you two options on how to make this; a solid color, or a simple three-color striped pattern. Either way, the only stitch this pattern calls for is the single crochet. Both dishcloths are finished off with a simple single crochet edging.

One of the reasons for two options is that I wanted a crochet dishcloth for beginners to build on, meaning that you make this your very first crochet project. Then once you have mastered the solid colored rows of single crochets, then you can go ahead and add some color.

The second option for the striped dishcloth is good practice to learn to make simple color changes at the end of each row. I chose three colors and changed my yarn at the end of each row. This way, you always have one strand of loose yarn on each side of your work making it easy to grab the next color when you get to the end of the row. This is not only good practice for carrying yarn, but you don’t have to worry about weaving in a million loose ends.

Another bonus of this absolute beginner-friendly pattern is that you get to practice working in the round as well.

But best of all, if you make a mistake somewhere in a dishcloth, it really doesn’t matter because it’ll only be used to wash your dishes! As long as the fabric holds together it doesn’t matter if the rows or stitches are uneven. That is why a basic crochet dishcloth, such as this one, is perfect as first projects for young children!

About the Yarn

For this crochet dishcloth I chose a #4 worsted weight cotton yarn: Bernat Handicrafter Cotton. It is a 100% durable cotton material. If you need to substitute, the next best thing is Lily Sugar ‘n Cream, which is basically the same. However, feel free to choose your favorite cotton yarn.

If you’re new to crochet and are wondering why cotton is so important, it’s because it holds up better when it comes to scrubbing. Acrylic yarn tends to wear out rather quickly when used for heavy scrubbing, making it almost a waste of time to crochet your own dishcloths. Whereas cotton, it’ll last you forever!

The Size

I’ve included two sizes for this dishcloth, simply because of the striped design add-on. The original measurement was only 7 inches square, but with the stripes I needed to work an extra few rows, which then prompted a few extra stitches in the rows as well to keep it square.

With that said, this pattern has no stitch multiple, so you can basically crochet this to any size you want, including a placemat to match the dishcloth or a full-sized afghan if you want! Simply make your starting chains the length you want and away you go!

Other Patterns to Try

• Dandy – Easy Crochet Dishcloth
• Stashbuster Striped Crochet Dishcloth
• Slanted Cluster Crochet Dishcloth Pattern
• Crochet Star Dishcloth
• Free and Easy Crochet Dishcloth Patterns (Roundup)

Beginner Crochet Dishcloth Pattern with Striped Option

Work this up in a solid color if you're an absolute beginner. Then when you're ready, begin to incorporate a few rows of color.

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Skill Level

• Beginner

Materials

• Yarn: Bernat Handicrafter Cotton (Worsted Weight, #4; 100% Cotton; 1.75 oz/50g; 80yds/73m)
• Crochet Hook: I/9-5.50mm
• Other: Measuring Tape, Scissors, Yarn Needle.

Finished Sizes

• 7" by 7" for the plain, and 7.5" by 7.5" for the striped version.

Abbreviations

• CA = Light Yellow
• CB = Pink
• CC = Green
• Ch/Chs = Chain/Chains
• Sc = Single Crochet

Notes for the Striped Version

• For the striped version I added two extra rows to accommodate the color sequence, thus to keep it square, I increased the width as well. Aside from that, I used the same yarn and hook size.
• Color is changed after each row to avoid having to fasten off.
• To Change Color: Work the stitch as normal until the last step and you have two loops left on hook; drop the old color, pick up the new color and draw through both loops to complete the stitch.
• Unused yarn is carried up at each row to avoid loose ends.

Instructions

Plain Version

• Ch 21,
• Row 1: Sc in 2nd ch from hook and into each ch across. Turn. [20 sc]
• Rows 2-24: Ch 1, sc in first st and into each st across. Turn. [20 sc]
• Ch 1, sc evenly around working 3 sc in each corner; join with slip stitch in first sc. Fasten Off.

Striped Dishcloth for Advanced Beginners

• 
• With CA, Ch 23,
• Row 1: With CA, sc in 2nd ch from hook and into each ch across, changing to CB at last step in last sc. Turn. [22 sc]
• Row 2: With CB, ch 1, sc in first st and into each st across, changing to CC at last step in last sc. Turn. [22 sc]
• Row 3: With CC, ch 1, sc in first st and into each st across, changing to CA at last step in last sc. Turn. [22 sc]
• Row 4: With CA, ch 1, sc in first st and into each st across, changing to CB at last step in last sc. Turn. [22 sc]
• Rows 5-26: Rep rows 2-4 consecutively, ending last rep with CB and changing to CC at last step in last sc. Turn and continue with edging.

Edging

• With CC, Ch 1, sc evenly around working 3 sc in each corner; join with slip stitch in first sc. Fasten Off.

This pattern is also available at Ravelry.