Five years ago I posted my first pattern “A Seed Stitch Mitered Dishcloth“. It was a time of social distancing and staying at home due to the coronavirus pandemic. Since we couldn’t go out much the yard and the flowers became our outdoor retreat. At that time the Hydrangeas were in full bloom (June-July) and I took a picture of these flowers with the “Seed Stitch Mitered Dishcloth”

It’s five years later, and the hydrangeas are in bloom again.

Hence, the name of the dishcloth pattern for the month is the Hydrangea Dishcloth pattern. The Hydrangea Dishcloth is a mitered square dishcloth with a double vertical decrease and a 1×1 mistake rib stitch pattern. Two stitches are decreased using the double vertical decrease technique. I prefer this technique to the K2tog and SSK techniques I used in the Seed Stitch Mitered Dishcloth. The SSK does not form a straight line like the K2tog or the double vertical decrease.

The Hydrangea Dishcloth is then finished with a round of the wrapped single crochet stitch. Crochet chain stitches are added end of the round for the hanging loop.

Materials Needed to knit the Hydrangea Dishcloth:

Yarn 1: Peaches & Crème in Panorama colorway
Yarn 2: Lily Sugar’n Cream in Country Red colorway
Gauge: 4.5 stitches per inch in 1×1 mistake rib stitch pattern
Knitting Needles: US #7 (4.5 mm) and US #8 (5.0 mm) 
Crochet hook: G-6 (4.0 mm)
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
• 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 (see photo tutorial below*)
• 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, and slip 2 together
Crochet Skill Level: Basic level with chain one and slip stitch

The Hydrangea Dishcloth Pattern (text and images for personal use only)

Knitting the Mitered Square:

With Yarn 1, cast on 65 stitches with a US #8 (5.0 mm) knitting needle using any longtail cast on method of choice.

With a US #7 (4.5 mm) knitting needle begin knitting as follows:

• Setup Row (WS): K1, pm, P till 1 stitch before last, pm, wyif S1
• Row 1 (RS): K1, sm, [K1, P1] 15 times, s2kp, pm, [P1,K1] 15 times, sm, wyif S1
• Row 2 (WS): K1, sm, P to marker, sm, P to marker, sm, wyif S1 
• Row 3 (RS): K1, sm, K1, [P1, K1] till 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), K1, [P1, K1] till marker, sm, wyif S1
• Row 4 (WS): K1, sm, P to marker, sm, P to marker, sm, wyif S1
• Row 5 (RS): K1, sm, [K1, P1] till 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), [P1, K1] till marker, sm, wyif S1
• Row 6 (WS): K1, sm, P to marker, sm, P to marker, sm, wyif S1
• Row 7 (RS): K1, sm, K1, [P1, K1] till 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), K1, [P1, K1] till marker, sm, wyif S1
• Row 8 (WS): K1, sm, P to marker, sm, P to marker, sm, wyif S1

Repeat Rows 5 to 8 twelve more time (nine stitches remaining at the end of Row 56)

• Row 57 (RS): Repeat Row 5
• Row 58 (WS): Repeat Row 6 (7 stitches remaining)
• Row 59 (RS): K1, sm, K1, slip 2 stitches as if to knit two stitches together, remove marker, K1, pass the 2 slipped stitches over the knitted stitch, place marker back, K1, sm, wyif S1 
• Row 60 (WS): K1, sm, P1, sm, P2, sm, wyif S1 (5 stitches remaining)
• Row 61 (RS): K1, sm, slip 2 stitches as if to knit two stitches together, remove marker, K1, pass the 2 slipped stitches over the knitted stitch, sm, wyif S1 
• Row 62 (WS): K1, remove marker, P1, remove marker, wyif S1 (3 stitches remaining)
• Last Row (RS): s2kp (1 stitch remaining)

*How to do the double vertical decrease (s2kp):

Slip the last stitch off the knitting needle and onto a US #G-6 (4.0 mm) crochet hook.

The Wrapped Single Crochet Border Edge (worked in the round):

With Yarn 2 make a slip knot (How to Slip Knot) and place the loop onto the US #G-6 (4.0 mm) crochet hook. Insert the slip knot loop through the remaining stitch on the crochet hook and chain 1 (beginning of round)

Turn the work in a counter clockwise direction (see image below) to work the wrapped single crochet border stitch

Step 1: Insert the crochet hook under both the strands of the slipped edge stitch (Side 1). There are two loops on the crochet hook

Step 2: Wrap the working yarn counter clockwise around the crochet hook

Step 3: Yarn over with the working yarn and pull though the 2 loops on the crochet hook as in single crochet (see images below of the worked stitches Side 1 of the dishcloth)

Repeat Steps 1 to 3 all along Side 1 of the dishcloth.

At the corner stitch of Side 1, make 2 wrapped single crochet stitches. Then turn to the first cast on edge stitches (Side 2). Repeat Steps 1 to 3 all along Side 2 until you reach the corner stitch

At the corner stitch, make 2 wrapped single crochet stitches. Then turn to the second cast on edge stitches (Side 3). Repeat Steps 1 to 3 all along Side 3 until you reach the corner stitch

At the corner stitch, make 2 wrapped single crochet stitches. The turn to the slipped edge stitches on Side 4. Repeat Steps 1 to 3 all along Side 4 until you reach the beginning of the round stitch

Slip stitch into the first stitch of the beginning of the round and chain 10 stitches (How to Crochet Chain). Slip stitch the loop on the crochet hook into the fist chain stitch, break yarn and pull yarn through

Weave in the ends. Wash and block the Hydrangea Dishcloth