Today’s dishcloth crochet pattern was designed as part of the charity spotlight series to meet the donation requirements of Each Stitch Counts. It’s also part of the Crochet to Donate Challenge Blog Hop with Sunflower Cottage Crochet, so read on for details.
This post contains affiliate links. I may receive compensation (at no added cost to you) if you make a purchase using these links. I am a King Cole Brand Ambassador and this post is part of our ongoing collaboration.
This Month’s Featured Organization: Each Stitch Counts
Each Stitch Counts is an organization focused on addressing hygiene insecurity in collaboration with food pantries that address food insecurity. Many government programs don’t allow for purchase of soaps and detergent, even for adults and families receiving other forms of government assistance. Each Stitch counts facilitates donations of dishwashing detergent with handmade dishcloths through food pantries.
Founded by Stitches by Debbie, author of Dishcloth Dresses and More Dishcloth Dresses (reviewed here), Each Stitch Counts encourages people to donate to local food pantries or to send their donations to Debbie’s headquarters in New Jersey, which works directly with eight food pantries.
You can ship your dishcloths directly to Each Stitch Counts, donate dishwashing products through a Walmart wishlist, or distribute to a local food pantry. More details are available on the Each Stitch Counts website or through the Each Stitch Counts Crafting Change page.
How To Make Great Dishcloths for Each Stitch Counts
Each Stitch Counts has several guidelines for making an appropriate dishcloth. You can use any crochet or knit pattern. 100% cotton yarn is recommended, in a size of at least 8″ x 8″ (20.5 cm x 20.5 cm) square.
- Dishcloths do not have to be perfectly sized, so they are great projects for beginner crocheters or for those folks who don’t want to check gauge first (you know who you are!).
- Dishcloths can be knit or crocheted.
- 100% cotton yarn is the best fiber choice.
Scroll down for the free crochet pattern for the Spirals into Square Dishcloth, or use any of the free crochet and knitting patterns for dishcloths available on the Each Stitch Counts Crafting Change page.
About the Spirals into Square Washcloth
The Spirals into Square Washcloth is the featured pattern for May 17, 2023 in the Crochet to Donate Challenge with Sunflower Cottage Crochet.
I’ve partnered with King Cole, who has generously provided yarn for this year’s charity spotlight series. I used Vogue DK for the Spirals into Square Washcloth. Vogue DK is available at your local yarn shop or online at Wool Warehouse UK. Vogue DK is a soft but durable 100% cotton yarn that has subtle color changes.
If you love charity patterns, you should check out the Crochet to Donate Challenge Blog Hop with Sunflower Cottage Crochet. There are two ways to participate in the Crochet to Donate Challenge Blog Hop.This challenge includes 27 fabulous patterns that are perfect for donating to charitable and community organizations that accept handmade donations. Each day, the featured pattern is available as a free PDF download for 24 hours with a coupon code. Follow the Crochet to Donate Challenge and get the daily pattern here!
- Visit the Crochet to Donate Challenge Blog Hop roundup post on Sunflower Cottage Crochet to get links to all of the patterns included in the Blog Hop and to grab the daily coupon code for the free pattern through May 30, 2023.
- Visit each designer’s post to use the coupon code to grab the ad-free PDF for free for 24 hours. The Ravelry PDF version of the Spirals into Square Dishcloth pattern is free through 10 am London time on May 18, 2023. Get the coupon code in the Crochet to Donate Challenge Blog Hop roundup post, or click HERE or the button below to add the pattern with coupon code to your cart on Ravelry.
If you make your own Spirals into Square Washcloth, I’d love to see it! Share your progress and questions by tagging me on Facebook as @Underground Crafter on on Instagram as @ucrafter. You can also share a picture in the Underground Crafters Facebook group. Sign up for my weekly newsletter and get a coupon code for your choice of one of my premium patterns and private access to my vault of subscriber goodies. Plus, you’ll never miss one of my free patterns again!
Add the Spirals into Square Washcloth to your favorites or queue, or buy the ad-free PDF on Ravelry.
Spirals into Square Washcloth
Dishcloth Crochet Pattern by Underground Crafter
The Spirals into Square is a charity dishcloth crochet pattern designed as part of Underground Crafter’s Charity Spotlight series. This textured dishcloth crochet pattern starts with 4 spiral motifs that are joined with a single crochet seam. The Spirals into Square Washcloth pattern was designed to meet the donation requirements of Each Stitch Counts, an organization that provides food pantries with handmade washcloths paired with dish detergent to alleviate hygiene insecurity.
Finished Size
- Approximately 9” (23 cm) square after blocking.
Materials
- King Cole Vogue DK yarn (100% cotton, 1.75 oz/50 g, 113 yd/103 m) – 1 skein in 2120 Pale Denim, or approximately 113 yd (103 m) in any light weight, cotton yarn.
- Drifter Chunky is available at your local yarn shop or online at Wool Warehouse UK.
- US Size G-6/4 mm crochet hook, or any size needed to obtain correct gauge.
- Yarn needle.
- Stitch marker.
Gauge
- Motif = 4” (10 cm) x 4.25” (11 cm) in pattern. Exact gauge is not critical for this pattern.
Abbreviations Used in This Pattern
- BL – back loop only – Fiber Flux has a helpful video tutorial for identifying the back loop here.
- ch – chain
- dc – double crochet
- hdc – half double crochet
- Rnd(s) – Round(s)
- BPdc – back post double crochet
- sc – single crochet
- sl st – slip stitch
- sp – space
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- *Repeat instructions after asterisk as indicated.
- [] Repeat instructions within brackets as indicated.
- () Work stitches within parentheses into same stitch or space.
Pattern Notes
- Motifs are crocheted in the round, first in unjoined spirals and then in joined rounds. Motifs are then seamed together with a single crochet join and a border is added.
- If you’re new to blocking, this blog post has helpful instructions and tutorials.
Pattern Instructions
Motif – Make 4
- Ch 4, skip 3 ch, join with sl st to next ch to form ring.
- Rnd 1: Ch 1, 12 dc in ring, place stitch marker in last stitch and move up each round to mark position. (12 sts)
- Rnd 2: 2 dc in each st around. (24 sts)
- Rnd 3: [2 dc in next st, dc in next st] around. (36 sts)
- Rnd 4: [2 dc in next st, dc in next 2 sts] around. (48 sts)
- Rnd 5: Hdc in next st, sc in next 2 sts, sl st in next st, skip remaining 44 sts. Remove marker.
- Rnd 6: Ch 1, 2 dc in same st, *dc in next st, hdc in next st, sc in next 7 sts, hdc in next st, dc in next st,** (2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in next st; repeat from * around, ending last repeat after **, 3 dc in first st, ch 2, join with sl st to first dc. Fasten off. (15 sts on each side + 4 ch-2 sp)
Join Motifs
- Your Motifs will be not exactly square because you worked in spirals and not rounds. Lay them out so that the longer edges are at the top and bottom and the shorter edges are on the sides. Position the Motifs as you like.
- Position 2 Motifs with wrong sides together and join with single crochet seam (see video below) on right (front) side as follows: start with sl st in ch-2 sp at short edge, ch 1, sc in ch-2 sp, sc in next 15 sts, sc in ch-2 sp. Fasten off. Repeat with other 2 Motifs.
- If you can’t see the single crochet seam video tutorial above, click HERE to watch the video on Instagram.
- Join Rows of 2 joined Motifs together with single crochet seam on right (front side) as follows: Position Rows with wrong sides together, start with sl st in corner ch-2 sp, ch 1, sc in same ch-2 sp, sc in next 15 sts, sc in next ch-2 sp twice, sc in next 15 sts, sc in ch-2 sp. Do not fasten off.
Border
- Rnd 1: Ch 1, sc in next ch-2 sp, sc in next 15 sts, (2 sc, ch 2, 2 sc) in corner ch-2 sp, [sc in next 15 sts, sc in next ch-2 sp twice, sc in next 15 sts, (2 sc, ch 2, 2 sc) in corner ch-2 sp] 3 times, sc in next 15 sts, sc in next ch-2 sp, join with slstBL to first sc. (36 sts on each side + 4 ch-2 sp)
- Rnd 2: Ch 1, scBL in same st and in next 17 sts, 3 sc in ch-2 sp, [scBL in next 36 sts, 3 sc in next ch-2 sp] 3 times, scBL in next 18 sts, join with sl st to first sc. Fasten off. (156 sts)
Finishing
- With yarn needle, weave in ends.
- Spray block (see Pattern Notes).