2 Ways to Knit Diagonal Dishcloths (Holes or No-Holes)

September 17, 2017 by Beverly

There are two things I think all knitters love: Quick Projects and Garter Stitch 🙂

And maybe those are really the same thing! Because almost any project that uses garter stitch (where you knit every row – no purling!) usually turns out to be a project that moves along very quickly.

A classic quick knitting pattern that uses garter stitch is the diagonal knit dishcloth. They’re a perfect example of something practical you can complete after just a few hours of knitting, they’re easy enough for beginners, and yet they’re still a fun and relaxing project for old die hard knitters (like me!)

Several years ago I wrote about my dishcloth pattern as being one of my favorites but since that time I’ve kept tweaking and trying some different things and now I have a NEW favorite (a No Holes version!) and updated corners and have put them all together in one printable pattern.

But first a quick note – – no more #10 needles for my dishcloths. I made them that way many times, but have now decided I like them knit a little tighter. Any dishcloth I knit now I do on #7 needles.

OK, on to the updates!

The No-Holes Diagonal Knit Dishcloth

This is my new favorite knit dishcloth pattern, and it’s easy to do! The classic pattern for diagonal knit dishcloths uses a yarn over that creates holes along the edge. This is also how you keep increasing as you knit diagonally. But with a little tweak you can still increase and not have the holes. How?

By using a reverse yarn-over. Instead of wrapping the yarn from the back to the front as you would normally do, you wrap the yarn from the front to the back. This might feel a little strange at first but as you knit along you’ll easily get used to it. This reverse yarn over let’s you keep increasing as you knit, but without creating a hole. I found this to be a nice change that created a sturdy dishcloth.

The second tweak you’ll find in my No Holes Dishcloth pattern is on the corners. I’ve slightly changed how I increase at the very beginning, and also how I bind off at the end. But the more interesting thing is the use of a short row in the middle to make sharper corners. This seemed to give the corners just a bit more definition and it’s a change I now incorporate into all my knit dishcloths.

I did my best to make a quick little video showing both the reverse yarn over, and the short rows for the corners.

Updated Traditional Diagonal Knit Dishcloth With Holes

Even though I’m loving my No Holes version of the knit dishcloths, I still like to make the traditional “Holes” version from time to time too. The updates to this pattern are that I’ve switched to using #7 needles, and I’ve also incorporated my changes to the corners. BUT, I found that I only liked to use the short row method on one side of the Holes dishcloth. So the short row is incorporated in this pattern too, but in a slightly different way.

All 3 Options In One Printable Pattern!

Can’t decide which version to make? I’ve put all three of my garter stitch dishcloths together in one printable pattern!

Click here – – > Garter Stitch Diagonal Dishcloth Patterns – Printable pdf

This printable pattern includes these options:

Option #1 – The tried and true original (no reverse yarn overs or short rows to confuse beginners). This is the classic version with holes along the edge.

Option #2 – The classic “holes along the edges dishcloth”, but with updated instructions for more defined corners.

Option #3 – The No Holes diagonal dishcloth. A fun twist on the pattern that uses a reverse yarn-over and the updated corner instructions.

And of course you are free to mix and match! For instance you can use the simple corners from Option 1, but work the body of the dishcloth with the Option 3 No Holes method.

Finally, knit dishcloths should be made with 100% cotton yarn. The Sugar ‘n Cream brand is always a good choice and comes in lots of nice color options.

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