Multidirectional Diagonal Dishcloth in Plymouth Boku and Galway Worsted - F320

Multidirectional Diagonal Dishcloth – Plymouth Yarn Design Studio Pattern F320

This free downloadable knitting pattern from Plymouth Yarn Design Studio (pattern code F320) guides knitters through creating a multidirectional diagonal dishcloth — and, with the felting finish described, a pair of felted hotpads — using two of Plymouth Yarn's most popular yarn lines: Boku and Galway Worsted. The pattern is offered free with yarn purchase and is suitable for knitters who are comfortable with basic increases, decreases, and short-row shaping techniques.

What Is Being Made

The pattern produces two distinct finished objects depending on how the knitter chooses to use the construction:

• A multidirectional diagonal dishcloth — a flat, geometric knitted square worked on the bias using increases and decreases to create a striking diagonal fabric structure.
• Two felted hotpads — the same construction is taken through a wet felting process that shrinks and melds the wool fibers together, producing a dense, heat-resistant pad suitable for kitchen use.

The finished hotpads are shaped into squares while still damp and can be finished with a disposable razor to remove surface fuzz and brighten the colors — a simple but effective finishing technique unique to felted wool projects.

Materials Used

Yarn

• Plymouth Yarn Boku — 1 ball (50g). For the felted hotpads, Boku color 9 is specified (color 13 is noted as an acceptable alternative).
• Plymouth Yarn Galway Worsted — 1 ball (100g). For the felted hotpads, Galway Worsted color 09 is used.
• Both yarns are held together as a single strand throughout the entire project, combining their textures and colors for a rich, blended effect.

Needles

• US Size 11 knitting needles. The larger needle size, combined with holding two strands together, creates a looser fabric that is ideal for felting — the fibers have room to migrate and bond during the wet felting process.

Gauge

• Gauge is explicitly noted as not important for this pattern, making it an approachable project for knitters at many skill levels. The final dimensions are shaped by the felting and blocking process rather than precise stitch counts per inch.

Techniques and Construction Method

The construction of this pattern is what makes it particularly interesting. Rather than working straight rows from cast-on edge to bind-off, the dishcloth and hotpad are built using a multidirectional, short-row triangle method that creates the diagonal fabric structure from which the pattern takes its name. The work is divided into clearly defined sections:

First Triangle Section

• Begins with a loose cast-on of just 2 stitches.
• Stitches are increased one at a time using the kf&b (knit into the front and back) increase at the beginning of every row until 30 stitches are on the needle.
• This builds the first triangular wedge of the fabric, establishing the diagonal bias direction.

Second Triangle Section — Short-Row Shaping

• This section introduces short rows — rows that do not travel all the way across the needle — to build the second triangle perpendicular to the first, creating the multidirectional effect.
• Odd-numbered rows begin with a kf&b increase and end with an SSK decrease worked across the gap between the two sections, joining them seamlessly.
• Even-numbered rows are worked plain (knit even), providing a simple return row.
• Work continues until 15 stitches sit on each needle — the midpoint of the second triangle.
• From the midpoint onward, the top of the triangle is sloped downward by substituting a k2tog decrease at the beginning of odd rows in place of the kf&b increase, while