1098 Charaxes - Tea Towels Knitting Pattern for Home in Valley Yarns Leverett

1098 Charaxes Tea Towels Knitting Pattern

What is Being Made

The 1098 Charaxes is a beginner-friendly knitting pattern designed by Julie Turjoman for creating practical and decorative tea towels suitable for both kitchen and guest bath use. The pattern yields enough yarn to make two complete towels, each measuring 12 inches by 19 inches. These striped dish towels combine functionality with aesthetic appeal, featuring cheerful striped borders and a textured surface that makes them visually attractive while remaining highly practical for everyday kitchen tasks.

Techniques Used

This pattern employs flat knitting construction, meaning the piece is worked back and forth in rows rather than in the round. The towels feature striped colorwork created through alternating colors across the design. The pattern incorporates slipped rib stitch as the primary textured stitch pattern, which creates both visual interest and a slightly raised surface ideal for scrubbing and cleaning tasks. The combination of these techniques produces a fabric with excellent durability and a professional finished appearance.

Stitches Used

The primary stitch pattern is Slipped Rib, which creates a textured, dimensional surface. Slipped rib stitches work by alternating knit and purl stitches with slipped stitches, producing a fabric that is both elastic and structurally sound. This stitch pattern is worked consistently throughout the towel body and contributes to the gauge of 20 stitches and 36 rows equaling 4 inches when blocked. The slipped rib construction provides the textured surface that enhances the towel's scrubbing capability while maintaining an attractive appearance.

Materials and Yarn

The pattern calls for Valley Yarns Leverett, a linen and cotton blend yarn composed of 70% cotton and 30% linen. This fiber content provides the soft durability necessary for frequent washing and use as a functional kitchen textile. Leverett is a DK weight yarn with a yardage of 109 yards per 50-gram hank. The yarn requirements include 2 hanks of the main color (MC) in White, 1 hank of a contrasting color one (CC1) in either Lilac or Sky, and 1 hank of a contrasting color two (CC2) in either Leaf or Seafoam. This color combination creates the cheerful striped borders referenced in the pattern description.

Tools and Notions

• Needles: US 5 (3.75mm) needles and double-pointed needles (dpn), or the size needed to achieve the specified gauge
• Additional Materials: Stitch markers for tracking pattern repeats and color changes, and a tapestry needle for weaving in yarn ends and finishing

Difficulty Level and Suitability

Rated as a beginner skill level, this pattern is accessible to knitters new to the craft while remaining engaging for more experienced makers. The straightforward flat construction, simple color changes, and repetitive slipped rib stitch pattern make it an ideal project for building fundamental knitting skills. The finished towels serve as both practical household items and satisfying completed projects that demonstrate the knitter's ability to create functional, beautiful textiles.