Author Archives: Coffee Tea Knits

The With a Twist Dishcloth Pattern

Posted in 2025, The With a Twist Dishcloth Pattern by


The With a Twist Dishcloth is a knitted mitered square dishcloth. Two stitches are decreased in the middle every other row to create a mitered square. The dishcloth is knitted using cotton yarn and the twisted stockinette pattern. The mitered square is created using the double vertical decrease technique. The double decrease technique creates a vertical stitch in the center of the mitered square. Dishcloths are budget friendly and versatile in their use for cleaning, wiping, and drying. They are also useful for learning new knitting stitch patterns and techniques. The With a Twist Dishcloth is finished using the crochet moss stitch in the round. This is followed by a round of slip stitch and a chain one border edge. A hanging loop of crochet chain is added to the dishcloth in the end.

Materials Needed to knit the With a Twist Dishcloth:

Yarn: Capri Eco Cotton™ by Loops and Threads® yarn in Gray Splash colorway. The yarn was purchased from Michaels and is now discontinued. Substitute for this yarn can be found on Yarn Sub
Gauge: 4.0 stitches / 7 rows per inch after blocking in the twisted stockinette stitch pattern
Knitting Needles: US #8 (5.0 mm) for knitting the dishcloth and US #9 (5.5 mm) for cast on.
Crochet hook: US size 7 (4.5 mm) for the border edge
Tapestry needle to weave in ends

Knitting Skill Level: Advanced Beginner to Intermediate level – knit, purl, slip stitches, and familiarity with reading knitting patterns
Crochet Skill Level: Basic level with chain one and slip stitch 

Abbreviations:

  • K: Knit
  • P: Purl
  • sm: slip marker
  • pm: place marker
  • K1tbl or Ktbl: Knit 1 stitch through the back loop (Tutorial Series: K1tbl and P1tbl)
  • wyif S1: with yarn in front slip one stitch purlwise
  • RS: right side
  • s2kp: slip two stitches on the left knitting needle as if to knit 2 stitches together onto the right knitting needle, knit the next stitch on the left knitting needle, and then pass the two slipped stitches on the right knitting needle with the left knitting needle over the knitted stitch
  • s2kp with a stitch marker: slip 2 stitches as if to knit 2 stitches together onto the right needle, remove stitch marker, K1, pass the 2 slipped stitches over the knitted one, place the removed stitch marker back on the right knitting needle
  • WS: wrong side
  • Sc or sc: single crochet (Tutorial Series: How to Single Crochet)
  • […]: stitch pattern repeats

Knitting Skill Level: Advanced beginner – knit, purl, knit through back loop, slip 2 together
Crochet Skill Level: Basic level with chain one and slip stitch

The With a Twist Dishcloth Pattern (text and images for personal use only)

Knitting the Mitered Square:

Cast on 65 stitches (63 stitches plus 2 edge stitches) using a US #9 (5.5 mm) knitting needle using any longtail cast on method of choice.

With a US #8 (5.0 mm) knitting needle begin knitting as follows:

  • Row 1 (RS): K1, pm, Ktbl the next 30 stitches, s2kp, pm, Ktbl the next 30 stitches, pm, wyif S1
  • Row 2 (WS): K1, sm, P to marker, sm, P to marker, sm, wyif S1
  • Row 3 (RS): K1, sm, Ktbl to 2 stitches before marker, s2kp with a stitch marker (slip 2 stitches as if to knit 2 stitches together onto the right needle, remove marker, K1, pass the 2 slipped stitches over the knitted one, place the removed stitch marker back on the right knitting needle), Ktbl to marker, sm, wyif S1
  • Row 4 (WS): K1, sm, P to marker, sm, P to marker, sm, wyif S1

Repeat Rows 3 and 4 till five stitches left. 

Repeat Rows 3 and 4 one more time removing all the stitch makers (3 stitches remaining)

Last Row (RS): sk2p the remaining three stitches (1 stitch remaining)

Slip the last stitch off the knitting needle and onto a US #7 (4.5 mm) crochet hook

Border Edge for the With a Twist Dishcloth (worked in the round):

Round 1 (Crochet Moss Stitch):

  1. With the US #7 (4.5 mm) crochet hook, chain two and then single crochet into the V of the  last remaining stitch, chain one (beginning of the round). Turn in counter clockwise direction (see image below)
  2. [Sc in the slipped row edge stitch, chain 1, skip the next stitch], and repeat […] all along the left front side of the dishcloth till the last corner stitch
  3. Sc in the corner stitch, chain 2, sc chain one all in the same corner stitch, turn in counter clockwise direction
  4. [Sc, chain 1 in the next stitch of the first cast on edge, skip the next stitch], repeat […] all along the first cast on edge till the last corner stitch
  5. Repeat step 3 at the corner stitch
  6. [Sc, chain 1 in the next stitch of the second cast on edge, skip the next stitch], repeat […] all along the second cast on edge till the last corner stitch
  7. Repeat step 3 at the corner stitch
  8. Repeat step 4 all along the right front side of the dishcloth till the first corner stitch at beginning of round 

Round 2 (Slip stitch, chain 1):

  1. In the beginning of the round corner stitch chain 2 space, [slip stitch in the chain 2 space, chain 1], repeat […] once more . Turn in counter clockwise direction
  2. [In the chain 1 space of the crochet moss stitch, slip one, chain one], repeat […] all along the left front side of the dishcloth
  3. At the corner stitch, [slip one, chain one] twice in the chain 2 space of the crochet moss stitch. Turn in counter clockwise direction
  4. Repeat step 2 all along the first cast on edge of the dishcloth
  5. At the corner stitch, [slip one, chain one] twice in the chain 2 space of the crochet moss stitch, turn in counter clockwise direction
  6. Repeat step 2 all along the second cast on edge of the dishcloth
  7. At the corner stitch, [slip one, chain one] twice in the chain 2 space of the crochet moss stitch, turn in counter clockwise direction
  8. Repeat step 2 all along the right front side of the dishcloth till the last stitch in that row.
  9. Chain 12 stitches (Tutorial Series: How to Crochet Chain) for the hanging loop 
  10. Slip stitch the last chain stitch into the chain 2 space of the beginning of round corner stitch and pull yarn through


Weave in the ends, wash and block the With a Twist Dishcloth

~coffeeteaknits.com

© 2025 Coffee Tea Knits, LLC. All text and images for personal use only. All Rights Reserved.

Tutorial Series: The Basic Knit Bind Off

Posted in June 2025, The Basic Knit Bind Off by

The live stitches on a knitting needle of a knitted piece are secured with a bind off row. This is also the last row. There are many bind off techniques. Some examples include the basic knit bind off, the stretchy bind off and the crochet bind off. Other examples include the picot bind off, the Icelandic bind off and so on. The basic knit method is the most common bind off method. In this technique, the first knitted stitch on the right knitting needle is passed over the second knitted stitch. This basic knit bind off is my favorite for blankets, dishcloths etc. since I can easily pick up the stitches to make a more decorative crochet or knitted border edge. I use knitting needles a size or two larger for the basic knit bind off. This makes the stitches easier to pick up for a border edge. The video and written instructions below for the basic knit bind off method are for right-hand knitting.

The Basic Knit Bind Off:


Written instructions for Basic Knit Bind Off Method:

  1. Knit (Tutorial Series: Knit and Tink) the first 2 stitches at beginning of the row
  2. Pass the first stitch knitted over the second stitch on the right hand knitting needle
  3. Slip the passed stitch off the right knitting needle (one stitch remains on the needle)
  4. Knit the next stitch on the left knitting needle
  5. Pass and slip the remaining stitch over the newly knitted stitch on the right knitting needle (one stitch remains on the right knitting needle)
  6. Repeat Steps 5 and 6 till the end of the row
  7. Break yarn and pull the working yarn through the last remaining stitch

~coffeeteaknits.com

© 2025 Coffee Tea Knits, LLC. All text and images for personal use only. All Rights Reserved.

Tutorial Series: K1tbl and P1tbl

Posted in K1tbl and P1tbl, Tutorial Series by

A knit (Tutorial Series: Knit or Tink) or a purl (Tutorial Series: Purl or Un-Purl) stitch is created through the front loop of the stitch. A variation of the the knit or purl stitch is created through the back loop of the stitch. Knitting or purling through the back loop (K1tbl/Ktbl or P1tbl/Ptbl) twists the stitches. It looks quite different from the knit and purl stitch. K1tbl and P1tbl makes the knitted fabric more dense and is sometimes used in ribbing or as a design element.


The video and written instructions below show how to K1tbl and P1tbl for right-hand knitting.

Knit 1 through the Back Loop (K1tbl):


Written Instructions for Knit 1 through the Back Loop (K1tbl):

  • Insert the right knitting needle front to back through the back loop of the stitch on the left knitting needle.
  • Take the working yarn around the top of the right needle and wrap it between the two needles on top of the first stitch
  • Catch and pick up the working yarn loop (the new stitch) with and onto the right needle
  • Slip the remaining stitch off the left needle

Purl 1 through the Back Loop (P1tbl):


Written Instructions for Purl 1 through the Back Loop (P1tbl):

  • Insert the right needle from back to front through the back loop of the stitch on the left knitting needle
  • Wrap the working yarn around the inserted right needle
  • Catch the loop made made by the working yarn (the new stitch) with the right needle
  • Slip the loop (the new stitch) onto the right needle and the old stitch off the left needle

~coffeeteaknits.com

© 2025 Coffee Tea Knits, LLC. All text and images for personal use only. All Rights Reserved.

The Springtime Baby Blanket Pattern

Posted in May 2025, The Springtime Baby Blanket Pattern by


Early in my knitting and crocheting journey, I bought several one-skein yarns for blankets. These yarns weigh about 454 grams and are perfect for making a baby blanket (Lion Brand yarn). I’ve made several blankets over the years, but I still have some one-skein yarn left. Starting now, I want to use up all my one-skein yarn and any leftover yarn from past projects this year. I intend to work on knitting/crochet patterns that are quick and simple to use up most of these one-skein yarns.

Center-out and in the round technique is one way to use up most of these one-skein yarn. Another way is the corner to corner technique. The Springtime Baby Blanket is crocheted flat from corner to corner using a single crochet, chain one stitch pattern. The Springtime Baby Blanket starts with a chain of 2. Then, four stitches are increased every other row. This continues until the midpoint is reached. It is then decreased by four stitches every other row down to 2 stitches. The blanket is finished with a border in the crochet moss stitch pattern. The Springtime Baby Blanket pattern is beginner friendly and can be customized easily. Weigh any amount of one-skein yarn and set aside equal amounts for the increase and decrease sections. Also, reserve some extra amount for the border.

The Springtime Baby Blanket Pattern (text and images for personal use only)

Materials Needed:
Yarn: Lion Brand Pound of Love® Yarn in Pastel Yellow colorway (454 grams). Although the pastel yellow colorway is not available now, similar shade can be found in stores today
Gauge:  4.5 stitches per inch in the variation crochet moss stitch pattern 
Crochet hook: US size H-8 (5.00 mm) 
Tapestry needle to weave in ends

Abbreviations:
sc: single crochet (Tutorial Series: How to Single Crochet)
[…]: pattern repeat
Skill Level: Beginner friendly pattern with single crochet and crochet chains

Crochet Foundation Chain:

  • Chain 2 using US size H-8 (5.00 mm) crochet hook

Increase Section:

  • Row 1 (RS): Single crochet, chain 1 in the second foundation chain stitch from the crochet hook, sc, chain 1 again in the same second stitch and turn
  • Row 2 (WS): Single crochet in the second stitch from the crochet hook, chain 1, skip a stitch and sc in the last stitch, chain 1 and turn (4 stitches)
  • Row 3 (RS): Single crochet in the second stitch from the crochet hook, chain 1, sc in the same stitch again, chain 1, skip a stitch, and sc in the last stitch, chain 1, sc in the same last stitch again, chain 1 and turn 
  • Row 4 (WS): Single crochet in the second stitch from the crochet hook, chain 1, [skip a stitch, sc in the next stitch, chain 1], repeat […] till the last stitch, sc in the last stitch, chain 1 and turn (8 stitches)
  • Row 5 (RS): Single crochet in the second stitch from the crochet hook, chain 1, sc in the same stitch again, chain 1, [skip a stitch, sc in the next stitch, chain 1], repeat […] till the last stitch of the row, sc in the last stitch, chain 1, sc again in the same last stitch, chain 1 and turn 
  • Row 6 (WS): Single crochet in the second stitch from the crochet hook, chain 1, [skip a stitch, sc in the next stitch, chain 1], repeat […] till the last stitch, sc in the last stitch, chain 1 and turn (12 stitches)

Repeat Rows 5 and 6 till 204 stitches in the row (about 200 grams of yarn). I put aside about 50 grams for the border.

Decrease Section:

  • Row 1 (RS): Skip the first stitch, insert crochet hook into the next stitch, wrap yarn around the crochet hook and pull the loop under and through that stitch (there are 2 loops on the crochet hook), skip a stitch and insert hook in the next stitch (4th stitch from the beginning), wrap yarn around the crochet hook and pull the loop under and through that stitch (three loops on the hook now), yarn over and pull loop through the three loops on the hook, chain 1, [skip a stitch, sc in the next stitch, chain 1], repeat […] till 4 stitches left, insert crochet hook into the next stitch, yarn over and pull the loop under and through that stitch (there are 2 loops on the crochet hook), skip a stitch and insert hook in the last stitch, yarn over and pull the loop under and through that stitch (three loops on the hook), yarn over and pull loop through the three loops on the hook, chain 1 and turn
  • Row 2 (WS): [Skip the first stitch and sc in the next stitch, chain 1], repeat […] till 2 stitches left, sc in the last stitch, chain 1, and turn 

Repeat Rows 1 and 2 till 4 stitches left in the row. Facing the right side of the work, wrap yarn around the crochet hook and pull the loop under and through that stitch (there are two loops on the crochet hook), skip a stitch and insert hook in the last stitch (three loops on the hook now), yarn over and pull loop through the three loops on the hook (one loop remaining on the hook)

Crochet Moss Stitch Border (in the round):

Round 1:

  • With the remaining loop on the hook, chain 2, sc in the same stitch again and chain 2 (beginning of round). Facing the top left corner of right side of the blanket turn counter clockwise
  • Pick up stitches in the crochet in moss stitch pattern (pick up a stitch and sc, chain 2, skip the next stitch and repeat) all along the left side
  • At the bottom left corner edge stitch of the right side of the blanket, sc, chain 2, sc again in the same corner stitch, chain 2
  • Turn and pick up stitches in the crochet moss stitch pattern (pick up a stitch and sc, chain 2, skip the next stitch and repeat) along the bottom edge.
  • At the bottom right corner edge stitch of the right side of the blanket, sc, chain 2, sc again in the same corner stitch, chain 2
  • Turn and pick up stitches in the crochet in moss stitch pattern (pick up a stitch and sc, chain 2, skip the next stitch and repeat) going up all along the right side
  • At the top right corner edge stitch of the right side of the blanket, sc, chain 2, sc again in the same corner stitch, chain 2
  • Turn and pick up stitches in the last row in the crochet in moss stitch pattern (pick up a stitch and sc, chain 2, skip the next stitch and repeat) along that last row

Rounds 2 to 5:

  • At the corner edge stitch (beginning of the round), sc , chain 2, sc again in the same corner stitch, chain 2
    Crochet moss stitch (sc in the chain 2 space, chain 2, skip the next stich and repeat) all around the blanket with a sc, chain 2, sc, chain 2 at each of the corner edge stitches

Single crochet in the first beginning of round stitch, cut yarn and pull yarn through the loop

Weave in ends, wash and block the Springtime Baby Blanket

~coffeeteaknits.com

© 2025 Coffee Tea Knits, LLC. All text and images for personal use only. All Rights Reserved.

The Favorite Things Cowl Pattern

Posted in April 2025, The Favorite Things Cowl by


Change is inevitable, whether we want it or not, and embracing it allows us to move forward with enthusiasm. Whenever I face challenges in decision-making, thinking about my favorite activities brings me joy. I like exploring the yarn aisles at arts and craft stores and choosing beautiful yarn. Spending time knitting or crocheting is also a favorite thing of mine. While it’s true that Jo-Ann stores are closing, I will cherish the memories of browsing their colorful yarn selections. I’ve created some wonderful patterns using Jo-Ann yarns, like The Long Striped Crochet Scarf and The Unexpected Find Wrap. I, of course, had to stock up on some Jo-Ann store-brand yarn before the store closes. Every time I knit or crochet with these yarns, I will fondly remember the joy of exploring their yarn aisles.

The Favorite Things Cowls are bandana-style cowls crocheted flat with a variation of the crochet moss stitch pattern. One uses K + C yarn and the other uses Loops and Threads yarn. Both start with a chain of 2 and are increased every other row to form a triangle. The cowl lengths are then extended without any row increases. One cowl is extended over 2 inches long, and the other over 3 inches. The edges of the extended section are joined, and a fringe is added at the end. These cowls are quick one-skein projects, perfect for keeping the neck warm and cozy.

The Favorite Things Cowl Pattern

Materials Needed:
Yarn: Cowl 1 – K + C Botanical yarn in Colorway: Feather Gray (one skein of yarn from Jo-Ann store)
Yarn: Cowl 2 – Loops and Threads® Luxe Merino™ Wool Blend Colorway: Raindrops
Gauge: 4.0 stitches per inch for Favorite Things Cowl 1 and Favorite Things Cowl 2 in the variation crochet moss stitch pattern (gauge not necessary)
Crochet hook: US size H-8 (5.00 mm) for Favorite Things Cowl 1 and US size 7 (4.5 mm) for the Favorite Things Cowl 2
Tapestry needle to weave in ends

Abbreviations:
sc: single crochet (Tutorial Series: How to Single Crochet)
[…]: pattern repeat
Skill Level: Beginner friendly pattern with single crochet and crochet chains

The Favorite Things Cowl Pattern (images and text for personal use only)

Crochet Foundation Chain:

For Favorite Things Cowl 1: Chain 2 using the US size H-8 (5.00 mm) and K + C Botanical yarn
For Favorite Things Cowl 2: Chain 2 using the US size 7 (4.5 mm) and Loops and Threads® Luxe Merino™ Wool Blend

Increase Section:

  • Row 1 (RS): Single crochet, chain 1 in the second foundation chain stitch from the crochet hook, sc, chain 1 again in the same second stitch and turn
  • Row 2 (WS): Single crochet in the second stitch from the crochet hook, chain 1, skip a stitch and sc in the last stitch, chain 1 and turn (4 stitches)
  • Row 3 (RS): Single crochet in the second stitch from the crochet hook, chain 1, sc in the same stitch again, chain 1, skip a stitch, and sc in the last stitch, chain 1, sc in the same last stitch again, chain 1 and turn 
  • Row 4 (WS): Single crochet in the second stitch from the crochet hook, chain 1, [skip a stitch, sc in the next stitch, chain 1], repeat […] till the last stitch, sc in the last stitch, chain 1 and turn (8 stitches)
  • Row 5 (RS): Single crochet in the second stitch from the crochet hook, chain 1, sc in the same stitch again, chain 1, [skip a stitch, sc in the next stitch, chain 1], repeat […] till the last stitch of the row, sc in the last stitch, chain 1, sc again in the same last stitch, chain 1 and turn 
  • Row 6 (WS): Single crochet in the second stitch from the crochet hook, chain 1, [skip a stitch, sc in the next stitch, chain 1], repeat […] till the last stitch, sc in the last stitch, chain 1 and turn (12 stitches)

Repeat Rows 5 and 6 till the cowl is wide enough to fit around the neck with some positive ease. For both cowls I repeated the rows till I reached 92 stitches (Cowl 1 is between 26 – 27 inches and Cowl 2 is between 22 to 23 inches after blocking)

Cowl Length Extended:

  • Row 1 (RS): Single crochet in the second stitch from the crochet hook, chain 1, [skip a stitch, sc in the next stitch, chain 1], repeat […] till the last stitch, sc in the last stitch, chain 1, and turn

Repeat Row 1 till the preferred length reached. Cowl 1 is a little over 3 inches and Cowl 2 is a little over 2 inches.

Joining the Extended Section:
For Cowl 1, I used size H-8 (5.00 mm) crochet hook and the zig zag crochet slip stitch method to join the two edges. For Cowl 2, I just seamed the two edges together with a tapestry needle.

Weave in the ends, wash and block the Favorite Things Cowls

Optional: Add a fringe of preferred length to the foundation chain edge

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