Waffle Washcloth - Crochet Pattern Review

This is a crochet pattern review of the Waffle Washcloth pattern by designer Spotted Horse Design Co. Review done by A Stitch Shy of Normal for EyeLoveKnots.

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This has been a crazy month. I can’t be alone in this struggle, with someone in the house constantly getting a cold or getting over one, or dealing with allergies if you happen to be in between head colds. It’s just a nasty time, and that makes it hard to finish up large crochet projects like sweaters or blankets if you never have time to sit down and stitch! When I’ve had a moment to breathe, I just want to take a nap or read a book, or I have to clean up something that I didn’t have time for before.

So I’ve been really getting into smaller projects lately. I discovered that my yarn stash contains a surprising amount of cotton yarns. I thought I knew that, but as I dig further in I’m finding a lot of full or almost full skeins of Lily Sugar ‘n Cream! Say whatever you will about this yarn, I know everyone has their opinions on it, but I truly like it and choose it for 90 percent of my crochet projects that call for durable cotton–cleaning items, keychains, etc.

I had to make the most of this discovery, so I searched up a washcloth pattern (which would be quick and simple) that used less than 120 yards, so I could use up all these colors! Having a toddler, I need a steady supply of small cloths that are textured enough to scrub messes on a high chair tray but soft enough that I can also use it to clean off his face with minimal drama–what is it about washing their faces that causes such a tantrum with toddlers? It’s a warm soft cloth on their face! It’s hilarious to me and doesn’t stop me from getting his little chubby cheeks as clean as possible with all the squirming and yelling.

The Waffle Washcloth pattern by Spotted Horse Design Co. worked beautifully for my needs. It used less than a full skein, even though I made mine slightly larger than the pattern. It was incredibly easy to stitch up and even easy to memorize so I could zone out with a YouTube video in the background and whip out a cloth without much thought! And it’s nice and functional. The toddler does not approve of the face-washing use, but I do, and at least he likes to play with them hanging on the cupboards so he kind of approves of them aesthetically.

It’s me, Abigail with A Stitch Shy of Normal

Visit with me on Instagram @astitchshyofnormal for all kinds of awesome crochet makes and inspiration!

What Materials Do I Need to Crochet a Washcloth?

About 100-120 yards of worsted weight cotton yarn (which is most/all of one skein of Lily Sugar ‘n Cream)
G6/4mm crochet hook – I love to use Clover Amour
Scissors
Yarn needle for finishing
Waffle Washcloth pattern, paid crochet pattern by Spotted Horse Design Co. via Ravelry

Material Notes:

Lily Sugar ‘n Cream cotton is perfect in my opinion for pretty much any dishcloth. I will note that it seems a little thicker to me than the designer’s choice of Lion Brand 24/7 Cotton, so it’s not perfect in terms of gauge. But when you’re making a home item like a wash cloth, gauge can be pretty flexible as long as the fabric turns out how you want. See my sizing information below for more on that.

The pattern recommends using 70-90 yards of worsted weight cotton yarn. I made mine slightly larger, so I used closer to 100-120 yards of yarn instead.

As far as other thoughts on this yarn for this pattern, I think it worked great! The yarn holds the waffle stitch texture very nicely, giving it crisp straight lines but not being stiff as a full cloth. The colors I used look adorable, and I’ve found this yarn to hold color well through numerous uses and washes. (Others have mentioned color bleed with it before so be careful if you choose to machine wash, but I haven’t personally had that issue!)

I would absolutely use this yarn again for this cloth. And I will. I plan to keep this pattern in mind for those mostly-full leftover skeins when I just used a little bit for an accent on something, and now have a hundred-ish yards to use up. I recommend both the yarn and the pattern wholeheartedly!

How Long Does it Take to Crochet a Waffle Washcloth?

I was able to make one of these in about half an hour, maybe 45 minutes. This was with adding extra rows too (see my sizing notes below).

What Size is a Crocheted Waffle Washcloth?

The written pattern is supposed to be about 6 inches square.

My finished cloths are about 7.5-8″ across.

If you look at my gauge, my yarn is thicker than the pattern gauge, so my starting width was already larger than their 6 inches. I realized this on my first cloth and added rows until it was roughly a square, which turned out to be 4 extra rows. I then did this on all my subsequent cloths. They’re not necessarily perfect squares but no one is going to notice in a wash cloth.

Gauge:

Pattern gauge is 2″ being equal to 5 rows or 10 stitches.

In that same 2″, I have 4 rows and 8 stitches.

This makes sense why mine came out larger. I did not gauge swatch; I just started working up the first cloth and liked how the stitching looked so I continued. If it had been too loose or too stiff, I would have rethought things, but the exact size of a wash cloth is not a vital factor. If it’s a size that’s comfortable and practical to use, it’s a success!

All About the Waffle Washcloth Pattern:

The Waffle Washcloth pattern is a very simple pattern so there isn’t a ton to say, but I’ll share my thoughts.

The waffle stitch is a classic in crochet items, and I love using it in small projects like this. It can be a headache to make something big in this stitch pattern, and you end up with some sore hands, but it’s so pretty! So I especially like using it in smaller items like this cloth. I get to scratch that itch of seeing this beautiful texture, but it’s not enough to drive me nuts. And it gives a lovely thickness to the cloth without adding a ton of bulk and stiffness.

The designer did a great job explaining the stitch pattern and even includes a link to their own video tutorial of this pattern if you need further help! I did not use this video when making these cloths but I just now skimmed through it and it’s a nice in-depth tutorial if you’re stuck. This stitch pattern looks intimidating when you’re first learning it but once you get the hang of it with pictures and videos, it’s a fun one to work up!

Since it’s such a simple pattern, there isn’t a ton of notes on the pattern itself. But in the past few days since I made my first three of these cloths, I have put them to use many times, so I can speak on the practicality of the item itself! I found this size (my slightly larger size) to be great. It’s small enough to comfortably hold in one hand while wiping up mess, but big enough that it can pick up a lot of gunk. I believe I used it on applesauce, peanut butter, cottage cheese…that’s just off the top of my head but that should be enough to convince you that it works pretty well. I just rinsed it out between uses and used the hanging loop to let it hang in the sink to air out. I would probably use it for a day or two before tossing it in the wash and swapping to my next one (I just now did this to my first cloth and it washed up great, and number two is now in use!)

I actually would recommend making a few of these if you’re going to try it out. When you find a quality pattern like this and you start using the first one, you’ll be sad when you need to wash it and you’ll want another one to use in the meantime! It’s not often that I make three of something right off the bat but I knew right away after finishing the first that this was going to be a good cloth, and I’d need more.

I never really thought I’d be able to talk this much about a wash cloth but that’s what crafters do. We overthink a simple little item and get really excited about a good one!

What’s your go-to stitch texture for home items like wash cloths? Most people have a favorite, like waffle stitch for me. What’s your choice?

Looking for More Great Washcloth Patterns?

Check out these free washcloth patterns available right here on the EyeLoveKnots blog!

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Waffle Washcloth – Crochet Pattern Review