Umbrella Square

Umbrella Square Dishcloth by Terry Morris

What is Being Made

The Umbrella Square is a 7-inch knitted dishcloth featuring a decorative umbrella motif. This downloadable knitting pattern creates a finished square suitable for kitchen use, designed as part of the Holiday Mystery Gifts collection of 7 x 7 squares. The project combines functional dishcloth construction with charming umbrella imagery created through strategic stitch placement and yarn manipulation.

Craft and Technique Overview

This is an intermediate-level knitting project that demonstrates fundamental colorwork and shaping techniques. The pattern uses a combination of increases and decreases to create the umbrella design while maintaining a 7-inch square finished size. The construction method involves varying stitch counts throughout pattern repeats—increasing stitches on some rows and decreasing back to the original cast-on number by the end of each repeat. This dynamic stitch manipulation creates the visual structure of umbrella spokes and canopy.

Stitches Used

The Umbrella Square employs a limited palette of essential knitting stitches, making it accessible for intermediate knitters:

• Garter stitch – fills the fabric between the umbrella spokes, creating a textured, reversible base
• Yarn-over (YO) – creates decorative eyelets and contributes to the umbrella motif
• Purl 2 together (P2tog) – a left-leaning decrease used in shaping the design
• Knit 3 together (K3tog) – a centered double decrease that helps form the umbrella structure
• Slip 1 stitch – worked at the beginning of rows with yarn held in front, slipped as if to purl, then yarn moved to back through needle tips before knitting the next stitch, creating a neat edge finish

Materials and Gauge

This pattern calls for worsted weight washable yarn and US size 7 (4.5mm) needles, or the size needed to obtain proper gauge. The recommended gauge is 4.4 stitches per inch (or 5.3 stitches per inch as an alternative) measured over the pattern stitch. The pattern notes that worsted weight yarns vary considerably in actual thickness, so gauge flexibility is built into the design. Knitters can choose their preferred gauge and adjust the initial cast-on stitch count accordingly to achieve the target 7-inch square, allowing for customization based on individual yarn characteristics and desired fabric drape.

Pattern Structure

The cast-on begins with either 31 or 37 stitches depending on the chosen gauge option. The pattern is organized in repeats that feature increases and decreases working in concert to create the umbrella visual. The stitch count fluctuates throughout each repeat cycle before returning to the original cast-on number, ensuring the finished square maintains consistent dimensions while the internal stitch manipulation creates the decorative motif.