SHOW POODLE Cloth

SHOW POODLE Cloth by Ezcareknits

What is Being Made

The SHOW POODLE Cloth is a decorative knitted dishcloth or washcloth featuring a poodle motif created through colorwork patterning. This finished piece measures 7 inches wide by 7¼ inches tall (18 cm by 18.5 cm), making it an ideal size for kitchen use, bathroom display, or as a functional textile accessory. The design showcases a poodle silhouette rendered in knit and purl stitches against a contrasting background.

Craft and Techniques

This is a knitting project suitable for beginners. The pattern uses a combination of knit and purl stitches to create a textured surface design that forms the poodle image. Rather than traditional colorwork with multiple yarn colors, the pattern relies on stitch variation—alternating between knit stitches (which create a smooth V-textured surface) and purl stitches (which create a bumpy, recessed appearance)—to produce visual contrast and definition. This technique is sometimes called slip-stitch colorwork or texture-based patterning and is an excellent beginner-friendly alternative to stranded colorwork.

Stitches Used

• Knit Stitch (K): The foundation stitch used throughout the cloth, creating the primary fabric structure and forming the lighter or raised portions of the poodle design
• Purl Stitch (P): Used strategically in specific rows and stitch counts to create recessed areas that form the poodle's body, head, and decorative pom-poms characteristic of show poodle grooming
• Cast-On: The pattern begins with casting on 37 stitches to establish the foundation
• Bind-Off: All stitches are bound off in knit at the completion to secure the final edge

Materials and Tools

The SHOW POODLE Cloth is worked in 100% cotton yarn in a medium/worsted weight, requiring approximately 60 yards total. Cotton is an excellent choice for dishcloths and washcloths because it is absorbent, durable, and becomes softer with washing. Crafters will need straight knitting needles in size 7 (4.5mm) or the size required to achieve proper gauge for the yarn being used. A darning needle is necessary for finishing and weaving in any yarn ends after the cloth is complete. The pattern is provided as a downloadable PDF format suitable for personal use.

Pattern Structure

The cloth is constructed flat from a single cast-on edge. After casting on 37 stitches, the first 7 rows are worked entirely in knit stitch to create a garter stitch border. From row 8 onward, the poodle design emerges through a series of rows that alternate between knit and purl stitches in specific sequences. All wrong-side rows (even-numbered rows) from row 8 through row 50 are worked as knit 4, purl 29, knit 4, creating a consistent border frame. The right-side rows (odd-numbered rows) contain varying combinations of knit and purl stitches that build the poodle image across the cloth's center. After the design is complete at row 50, rows 51 through 56 return to knit-across rows, establishing a finished garter stitch border on the opposite end. The pattern concludes with binding off all stitches in knit to create a neat, secure edge.