Hedges Dish / Kitchen Towel

Hedges Dish Towel by Cluck Cluck Boots

Project Overview

The Hedges Dish Towel is a beginner-friendly knitted kitchen towel designed by Cluck Cluck Boots. This downloadable PDF pattern creates a practical and decorative dish towel measuring 15.5 inches wide by 18 inches long, making it an ideal size for everyday kitchen use. The finished towel combines simple stitch techniques with a clean, textured design suitable for crafters new to knitting.

What is Being Made

This pattern produces a functional dish or kitchen towel with a subtle textured surface. The towel features garter stitch borders framing a central knit-purl pattern that creates visual interest while remaining easy to execute. The finished dimensions of 15.5" x 18" make this towel appropriately sized for drying dishes, wiping counters, or displaying as a decorative kitchen textile.

Knitting Techniques Used

The Hedges Towel employs fundamental knitting techniques accessible to beginners. The pattern begins with a long-tail cast on method to establish 71 stitches, providing a secure foundation for the project. The body of the towel is worked using a straightforward back-and-forth knitting method, whether using circular needles or straight needles. Crafters have the flexibility to choose their preferred needle style, as the pattern accommodates both 24-inch circular needles and straight needles for the main body.

Stitches and Stitch Pattern

The pattern utilizes two essential knitting stitches:

• Knit (K): The fundamental stitch that forms the foundation of the towel
• Purl (P): The reverse of the knit stitch, used to create texture and visual variation

The stitch pattern is highly repetitive and beginner-friendly. After knitting 6 rows of garter stitch (all knit stitches) to establish the top border, the body pattern repeats consistently: knit 4 stitches, then alternate knit and purl stitches across the row until the final 5 stitches, which are knitted. This creates a balanced, textured appearance with clean garter stitch edges that frame the central pattern. The use of repeat notation (indicated by asterisks) simplifies pattern reading for newer knitters.

Materials: Yarn and Needles

The Hedges Towel pattern calls for 260 yards of worsted weight yarn, making it an economical project that uses less than three standard 100-gram balls. The pattern specifies Knit Picks Dishie yarn in the Ash colorway as the designer's choice, which is a practical selection for a kitchen textile. Worsted weight yarn works quickly on larger needles, reducing overall project time while creating a fabric with appropriate drape and absorbency for a dish towel.

The pattern requires 3.75mm / US 5 knitting needles. Crafters may choose between 24-inch circular needles or straight needles for working the main body of the towel. The pattern notes that when using circular needles, stitches are worked back and forth rather than in the round, a common technique for flat projects. Optional double-pointed needles (DPNs) in the same size are mentioned for creating a decorative loop, adding a practical hanging feature to the finished towel.

Gauge

The pattern specifies a gauge of 19 stitches by 30 rows over a 4-inch by 4-inch square. Checking gauge before beginning ensures the finished towel will achieve the intended dimensions of 15.5 inches wide by 18 inches long. This gauge measurement is essential for proper fit and function in a kitchen textile.

Skill Level

Rated as an easy, beginner-level project, the Hedges Towel is ideal for knitters developing fundamental skills. The straightforward stitch pattern, simple shaping, and repetitive rows make this pattern an excellent choice for practicing basic knitting techniques while creating a useful finished object.