"SUNBURST" - 14-POINT KNITTED WASHCLOTH

I don't really consider myself a knitter or crocheter, but I do like to attempt small easy projects.  The scarves I knitted my CO grandchildren for Christmas this past year were a big hit.

I come from a family (mother, grandmother, and aunts) who enjoyed crocheting.  They did some truly beautiful pieces.  Every time I tried to learn, I gave up due to frustration with getting the chains the same length.  (I just wasn't ready to learn.)  

One summer when my parents came to visit us in CA, I told my mother I wanted her to teach me how to crochet. Everyone else could do it but me.  I guess I was really ready this time, because I "picked it up" quickly. In fact she was surprised I learned so quickly.

I am still not very advanced...with either knitting or crocheting, but when I see something that looks like I could do, I try it.  I saw this knitted washcloth and was attracted to the unique design....not your normal square washcloth.  Simply Notable called it "the almost lost washcloth pattern".  She told her interesting story here.  

The pattern reminded me of some of my mother's recipes when she just said "cook til done".  There were a lot of questions that people asked and I read almost all of them.  Someone really interested asked if she could do a tutorial because she was having difficulty fully understanding the pattern.  One comment tried to explain the pattern which helped me a lot.  Anyway I decided I would give it a try.

I wanted to use cotton yarn and actually "undid" a washcloth I had started but didn't finish quite a while ago.  I think it worked out okay.  My finished "center circle" isn't a perfect circle, but maybe it will look better when I make another one.  Once it is wet I probably won't be able to tell it doesn't have a "perfect center circle".  (I really need to work on this problem I have with perfectionism.)

Anyway I have lots of pictures but it shows how to make what I am calling a "sunburst" 14-point washcloth. I should add that I finished it in an evening....I think I can do it in a couple of hours when I am not having to stop to take pictures.

Here is the pattern as Simply Notable presented it:

# 8 knitting needles (U.S.) ((I used #9 needles))

Cast on 14 stitches and knit across

1.  Knit 4, yarn over, knit, leaving 2 stitches and knit back

2.  Knit 4, yarn over, knit, leaving 4 stitches and knit back

3.  Knit 4, yarn over, knit, leaving 6 stitches and knit back

4   Knit 4, yarn over, knit, leaving 8 stitches and knit back

Cast off 4 and knit to end (should be 14 stitches on needle)

Repeat for 14 points

Leave enough yarn to sew sides together and go around circle and draw circle together.  Tie ends in a double knot.


****You have to include the initial "knit across" after casting on the 14 stitches here in the repeat so that you will be back on the right side for the next point.  Her numbers 1 - 4 was confusing for me as that implied the pattern to me. In my pattern I made it row 11 to better follow the pattern. See below with my pictures.

Here is my tutorial.  Hopefully it will help if you are like me and need a little bit more directions.  I have included my directions beside the pictures.  If you have any questions, please ask.  I will get back to you as soon as possible.

"SUNBURST" - 14 - POINT KNITTED WASHCLOTH PATTERN

Cast on 14 stitches

Row 1 - Knit across the 14 stitches 

Row 2 - Knit 4, then yarn over (bring yarn from back over front of right needle and then insert the right needle into next stitch on left needle to knit)

Knit the next 8 stitches, leaving the last two stitches on the left needle (end of row 2)

Row 3 - Turn, bringing the yarn to the back for knitting

Knit across to finish Row 3 - now 15 stitches

Row 4 - Knit 4, yarn over, knit across leaving the last 4 stitches on the left needle.

Row 5 - Turn, move the yarn to the back and knit across the row - now 16 stitches.

Row 6 - Knit 4, yarn over, knit across leaving the last 6 stitches on the left needle.

Row 7 - Turn, moving the yarn to the back to knit

Knit across - Row 7 is finished with 17 stitches 

Row 8 - Knit 4, yarn over, knit across leaving the last 8 stitches on the left needle

Row 9 - Turn, move yarn to the back to knit across the row - now 18 stitches on the needle

Row 10 - Bind off the first 4 stitches

(you now have 14 stitches on the two needles)

Knit across to end - Row 10 finished

***Row 11 - Knit across.  First point finished.  (She doesn't include this row but it puts you back on the right side.)

Row 12... - Repeat Rows 2 thru 11 thirteen more times to make 14 points. 

(Third point finished)

and fourth point finished (You get the idea)

Fourteen points finished.

To finish the washcloth....


-cut the end of the yarn...for the desired length, measure 4 times the length of the 14 (bound) stitches for weaving the ends

- tie the two ends together in a double knot to make a closed circle

- thread a tapestry needle with the cut yarn and insert the needle in the (cast on) stitch on the left

and then the top loop of the (bound) stitch on the right 

all the way down - (the 14 cast-on stitches should match up with the 14 bound stitches)

The other end (from casting on the stitches) can be woven on the wrong side in the same manner.













Totally finished....