Mini Falling Leaf Lace Dishcloth

I don’t know about you, but I make a dishcloth and have a good amount of cotton left over. Too much to throw away but too little to make another cloth. It also has the annoying habit of not going with any other left overs, so I can’t make another full sized one. Based on my previous Falling Leaf Lace Washcloth, I set out to discover how making a smaller one would work out. Turns out it does and I like it.

This “mini” dishcloth measures about 7.5 inches by 6.75 inches.

Materials: Less than 1/2 ball of worsted weight dishcloth cotton. The sample is made with Sugar ‘n Cream.

Needles: Size 7

Cast on 29 stitches and knit 3 rows in seed stitch (p1, K1). Start and end each row with a p1.

Each of the pattern rows that follow are written to begin and end with p1, k1, p1 to create the seed stitch border that runs up each side.

Falling Leaf Lace stitch pattern:

Multiple of 10 + 3 plus 6 stitches for border

1^st row (right side): p1, k1, p1, K1, k2tog, k3, *yo, k1, yo, k3, sl 1, k2tog, psso, k3; rep from * to last 10 sts, yo, k1, yo, k3, sl 1, k1, psso, k1, p1, k1, p1.

2^nd and every even row: p1, k1, Purl 25, k1, p1.

3^rd row: p1, k1, p1, K1, k2tog, k2, *yo, k3, yo, k2, sl 1, k2tog, psso, k2; repeat from * to last 11 sts, yo, k3, yo, k2, sl 1, k1, psso, k1, p1, k1, p1.

5^th row: p1, k1, p1, K1, k2tog, k1, *yo, k5, yo, k1, sl 1, k2tog, psso, k1; repeat from * to last 12 stitches, yo, k5, yo, k1, sl 1, k1, psso, k1, p1, k1, p1.

7^th row: p1, k1, p1, K1, k2tog, yo, k7, *yo, sl 1, k2tog, psso, yo, k7; repeat from * to last 6 stitches, yo, sl 1, k1, psso, k1, p1, k1, p1.

____________This line is added to help you keep your place. ____________________________________

9^th row: p1, k1, p1, K2, yo, k3, *sl 1, k2tog, psso, k3, yo, k1, yo, k3; repeat from * to last 11 stitches, sl 1, k2tog, psso, k3, yo, k2, p1, k1, p1.

11^th row: p1, k1, p1, K3, yo, k2, *sl 1, k2tog, psso, k2, yo, k3, yo, k2; repeat from * to last 11 stitches, sl 1, k2tog, psso, k2, yo, k3, p1, k1, p1.

13^th row: p1, k1, p1, K4, yo, k1, *sl 1, k2tog, psso, k1, yo, k5, yo, k1; repeat from * to last 11 stitches, sl 1, k2tog, psso, k1, yo, k4, p1, k1, p1.

15^th row: p1, k1, p1, K5, *yo, sl 1, k2tog, psso, yo, k7; repeat from * to last 11 stitches, yo, sl 1, k2tog, psso, yo, k5, p1, k1, p1.

16^th row: p1, k1, Purl 25, k1, p1.

Repeat these 16 rows once more.

For the purposes of this mini dish cloth you work the 16 rows twice always beginning and ending the rows with the p1, k1, p1. Work 3 rows p1, k1 (Seed stitch) for bottom border. Cast off and weave in ends.

As a variation, you can crochet a chain of about 12 stitches off of your last cast off stitch; fasten the end; and have a loop for hanging the cloth.

(A note about the stitch pattern. It is not mine but I did convert it a bit from one found in an old Harmony Guide published in England in 1983. )

Nettie