Pattern: Beginner's Striped Dishcloth

Beginner's Striped Dishcloth

Materials:

H8 (5 mm) Crochet Hook

2 colors of cotton, medium weight (4) yarn.

Gauge: Finished piece measures approximately 9 inches square.

Pattern:

With A, Ch 26.

Row 1: SC in second ch from hook and in each ch across. Turn. (25 stitches made)

Row 2-3: Ch 1, sc in each st across. Turn.

Row 4: Ch 1. Sc in each st across to last st. Begin to sc in last st with A, but change to B with last loop of the final sc.  (See below for a more detailed description for changing colors.)

Row 5-7: With B, repeat row 2.

Row 8: With B, repeat row 4 – change to A in last sc.

Row 9-11: Repeat row 2 with A.

Row 12: Repeat row 4.

Row 13-15: With B, repeat row 2.

Row 16: With B, repeat row 4 – change to A in last sc.

Repeat rows 5-16 until piece measures approximately 9 inches.

With last row (a Row 16 row), do NOT change to A. Sc in last st normally. Ch 10, sl st in same st to form a hanging loop. Finish off.

To change colors during a single crochet stitch:

1. Insert your hook into the next stitch.

2. Yarn over and pull a loop up (through the stitch you went into) with your current color. (You'll have two loops on your hook at this point.)

3. With your new color, yarn over your hook and pull the new color through the two loops. (This should not need a slip knot.) 

4. Continue with your next stitches with the new color. Be careful with the first couple of stitches as you could pull the yarn all the way through. Your goal is to leave a small tail of the new color. 

This method does take some getting used to, but will lead to less bulkiness in areas where you change colors.   In a few days, I will add a tutorial for this method.