Handmade Holidays- Evergreen Washcloth

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This year I am doing a series leading up to Christmas of 12 Weeks of Handmade Holiday Gift Ideas. I am a little behind this week, but are on week 5 of the 12 weeks. Each week I will be sharing 2 different projects that can be made as holiday gifts- 1 crocheted gift idea, and one gift idea that is a craft other than crochet. This is the crochet project for week 5 and for this week's crochet gift idea I decided to make a washcloth. 

I was thinking of different crochet projects that I could include in this series I was trying to include mostly projects that would be pretty quick and simple to make, with a few that may require a little bit more time. But as I was trying to come up with quick crochet projects one of the things that immediately came to mind was a washcloth or dishcloth.  

That is one of my favorite small projects because they work up fast, and they can be paired with a nice soap or body care item as a washcloth. Or for more of a kitchen gift you could pair it with something kitchen related, a kitchen utensil, a coordinating dishtowel, a nice dish, or even a plate of homemade treats. 

Years ago I made a washcloth using the trinity stitch, and then I recently used that stitch for the book sleeves I made a couple of weeks ago as part of this series, I have also used in a couple different hat patterns and a few other projects. The trinity stitch looks very different worked in rounds vs. rows and obviously making a washcloth it is going to be worked in rows. But I had an idea to alternate it with other stitches to see how it would work. I actually have another pattern that I am working on using this idea, and that one kind of inspired me to try something similar for this washcloth.

What I decided on was a pattern that alternated a row of trinity stitch, which is made by working a single crochet 3 together followed by a chain, with rows of single crochet. This makes is so all of the trinity stitch rows are worked on the same side, similar to working in rounds, but they are also not worked directly on top of each other so it gives a completely different look. Not the same as normal rows, but also not the same as working in rounds. It creates a slightly textured surface on front of the washcloth, the back looks different but it also has kind of a cool texture. 

I am still playing catch-up from this past weekend, trying to get the week 5 gift ideas up, I have one more to do now that I have this pattern up. But so far this project gets us to 9 different handmade holiday gift ideas, 5 crocheted and 4 that are other crafts. The projects we have so far are the Solitude Scarf, the Merry Hat, Trinity Stitch Book Sleeves, a Sleepy Baby Doll, and now the Evergreen Washcloth, as well as Corner Bookmarks, a Fabric Lanyard, an Initial Trinket Tray, and a Charm Square Doll Blanket. 

How to Crochet the Evergreen Washcloth

You will need:

• medium weight cotton (sample made in Peaches & Creme in the color Forest Green)
• I crochet hook (5.5 mm)
• yarn needle
• scissors

Instructions:

Note: to adjust the size of the washcloth you can 1- adjust the length of your beginning ch to adjust the width, and 2- add or subtract the number of row you work to make it shorter or taller, just end on a single crochet row. 

The trinity stitch requires an even number of stitches (it is actually a multiple of 2 +1 for the number of stitches, + 1 for a turning ch, which will end up giving you an even number for your starting chain, but an odd number of the actual stitches), so you can adjust the number of stitches as needed to get the size you want. 

The Trinity Stitch is made by working a single crochet stitch across three stitches- single crochet 3 together or sc3tog. You will begin each new sc3tog in the same stitch you ended the previous sc3tog.

sc3tog: insert hook in first st, pull up a loop, insert hook in next st, pull up a loop, insert hook in next st, pull up a loop, yo, pull through all 4 loops on hook

Washcloth

Finished Size 9" square

ch 30

Row 1: 1 sc in 2nd ch from hook, 1 sc in each ch to the end (29 sc)

Row 2: ch 1, turn, 1 sc in first st, sc3tog starting in the same st as the sc you just worked, [ch 1, sc3tog starting in the same stitch as the last leg of the previous sc3tog was worked in] repeat to the end, sc in last st (same st as last leg of last sc3tog) (14 sc3tog, 13 ch, 2 sc)

Row 3: ch 1, turn, 1 sc in each st (29 sc)

Repeat rows 2 and 3 until you have 27 rows or the size that you want

When you finish the pattern rows do not cut your yarn, continue on to the border

Border

ch 1, turn 90 degrees so that you are working along the side of the washcloth, work 1 sc in the side of each row, work 3 sc in the corner, 1 sc in each stitch along the bottom, 3 sc in the corner, 1 sc in the side of each row along the other edge, 3 sc in the corner, 1 sc in each st across the top, 2 sc in same st as the first sc, sl st to first sc to join

Finish off, cut yarn, weave in ends