Tag Archives: knitting

The Felted Potholder Pattern

Posted in 2026, The Felted Potholder Pattern by


Ever since I stumbled upon those felted insoles at the New Jersey Sheep and Wool festival last September, I’ve been wanting to learn how to felt wool. Felting wool is the process of shrinking, condensing the fibers and tightening the yarn that is knit or crocheted. The different methods of felting include wet felting (water and soap), needle felting (uses a barbed needle), and Nuno felting (wool fiber agitated with light weight fibers such as silk). Needle felting is mainly used for ornaments, figurines etc. whereas Nuno felting is more for shawls, scarves etc. Wet felting is used for shoe insoles, hats, purses, slippers etc.

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I knit the potholder first and then used the wet felting with hand technique to shrink the knitted piece. The potholder was knit flat in the garter knit stitch pattern with two strands of yarn held together. The knitted piece shown below was measured before wet felting. There is stitch definition, the piece is pliable and can be stretched.

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The Felted Potholder Pattern (text and images for personal use only)

Materials Needed for Knitting the Potholder:
Yarn: Patons® Classic Wool Worsted in Natural Mix colorway
Gauge: 4 stitches per inch garter stitch
Knitting Needle: Size Us #8 (5.0 mm) for cast on and bind off and US #7 (4.5 mm) for knitting the potholder
Tapestry needle to weave in ends

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Materials Needed for Wet Felting the Potholder:
Bowl
Gloves
Soap
Water
Patience

Abbreviations:
K: Knit (Tutorial Series: Knit and Tink)
RS: Right Side
WS: Wrong Side

Skill Level: Beginner friendly pattern with knit stitch, cast on and bind off

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Cast on 25 stitches with US #8 (5.0 mm) size knitting needles using any long tail cast method of choice. I cast on using the thumb cast on method (Tutorial Series: The Thumb Method Cast On)

With US #7 (4.5 mm) size knitting needles begin –

  • Row 1 (RS): Knit all stitches
  • Row 2 (WS): Knit all stitches

Repeat Rows 1 and 2 till the piece measures 5.5 inches

Bind off (Tutorial Series: The Basic Knit Bind Off) using US #8 (5.0 mm) size needles

The dimensions of the knitted potholder is 5.5 x 5.5 inches

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The Wet Felting Process*: YouTube has many tutorials on how to do wet felting by hand

  • In a bowl add warm but not not scalding water, soap and the knitted potholder
  • Rinse (wearing gloves) the potholder and soak it in hot water for about an hour or so
  • Add some more warm but not scalding water in the bowl
  • Take the potholder and with a circular motion rub it together between your hands to create friction for the felting
  • Repeat the previous 2 steps till the fabric becomes dense, taut and has no stitch definition left

The process of wet felting this potholder took about half an hour

Block and dry the potholder. I now use these felted potholders daily to hold pots and pans while cooking.

The dimensions of the Felted Potholder is 5 x 5 inches. It is dense, rustic with fibers that stick out and has no stitch definition

* I found the process of hand wet felting this potholder a bit labor intensive. Rolling pins, agitating in the washer are some other ways to felt knitted items

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Share your experience with wet felting wool in the comment section below

~coffeeteaknits.com

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

The Dotted Dishcloth Pattern PDF

Posted in January 2026, The Dotted Dishcloth Pattern PDF by


The ad-free Dotted Dishcloth Pattern PDF is now available for download on Ravelry and Etsy

The Dotted Dishcloth Pattern PDF includes the following:

  • It is 4 pages with images
  • It has detailed knitting instructions to knit the Dotted Dishcloth with the textured woven transverse herringbone knit stitch pattern
  • It has the Abbreviations and Materials sections for this dishcloth
  • It also includes detailed instructions with an image on how to crochet the slip stitch border edge

Knitting Skills: knit, purl, slipping stitches purlwise, cast-on, and bind off
Crochet Skills: slip knot, crochet slip stitch, and chain one

Good for beginners who want to explore textured stitch patterns and techniques

Download and enjoy this ad-free pattern pdf. The Dotted Dishcloth pattern was originally posted in June 2024 on Coffee Tea Knits

Thank you to my subscribers and readers of this blog. As always your feedback is much appreciated.

~coffeeteaknits.com

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

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Tutorial Series: Slip Slip Knit (SSK)

Posted in 2025, Slip Slip Knit, Tutorial Series by

Another way to decrease a stitch in knitting is to do a “Slip Slip Knit (SSK)”. In SSK, a stitch is decreased when two stitches are slipped and then knit together through the back loop. Decreasing stitches like increasing stitches are techniques in knitting used to give shape to knitted items. Unlike K2tog (Tutorial Series: K2tog and P2tog) technique which forms a right-leaning decrease, SSK technique forms a left-leaning decrease. The written instructions and video below show how to decrease one stitch for right handed knitting.

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Slip Slip Knit (SSK):

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The Steps for Slip Slip Knit (SSK):

  1. Slip the first two stitches knitwise (one at a time) on the left knitting needle to the right knitting needle
  2. Transfer the two slipped stitches (one at a time) now on the right knitting needle back to the left knitting needle
  3. Insert the right knitting needle through the back loop of those two slipped stitches on the left knitting needle
  4. Knit (Tutorial Series: Knit and Tink) the two stitches together through the back loop (one stitch decreased)
  5. Repeat steps 1 to 4 as needed for a knitting pattern

~coffeeteaknits.com

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

Tutorial Series: The Knitted Cast-On Method

Posted in The Knitted Cast-On Method, Tutorial Series by

The Knitted Cast-On is one of many cast-on techniques in knitting. Other cast-on methods include the long tail cast-on, cable cast-on, provisional cast-on, the thumb method, picot cast-on, stretchy cast-on etc. The Knitted cast-on method is ideal for large projects. Use it when a large number of stitches are required for cast-on. This is typical for a blanket or shawl pattern. This method like the cable cast-on does not need a long yarn tail. The Knitted Cast-On is also a great beginner friendly cast-on method since it is basically the knit stitch. I usually use the knitted cast-on for knitting projects where all the edge stitches are later picked up for a more decorative border. The knitted cast-on begins with a slip knot and each additional stitch is then knitted on. The written instructions and video below on how to do the knitted cast-on is shown for right-handed knitting.

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The Knitted Cast-On:

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The Knitted Cast-on Steps:

  1. Make a slip knot (How To Slip Knot)
  2. Transfer the slip knot loop onto the left knitting needle
  3. Insert the right knitting needle into the slip knot and bring working yarn around and in between the two needles as if to knit (Knit and Tink)
  4. Catch and pull the working yarn loop onto the right knitting needle
  5. Transfer the new stitch loop from the right knitting needle onto the left knitting needle by inserting the left knitting needle under the front strand of the new stitch loop
  6. Tug the working yarn to tighten the new stitch loop on the left knitting needle
  7. Insert the right knitting needle into the first stitch on the left knitting needle
  8. Catch and pull the working yarn loop with the right knitting needle
  9. Move the new stitch loop from the right knitting needle to the left knitting needle by inserting the left knitting needle under the front strand of the new stitch loop
  10. Tug the working yarn to tighten the new stitch loop on the left knitting needle
  11. Repeat steps 7 – 10 till the desired number of stitch count is reached for a knitting project
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~coffeeteaknits.com

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

Tutorial Series: The Cable Cast-on Method

Posted in The Cable Cast-on Method, Tutorial Series by

One of the decorative cast-on methods I like to use is the Cable Cast-on method. I’ve used this cast-on method on several of my knits including The Cozy Season Shrug and The Cozy Mood Winter Hat. It gives a nice finished edge for any top down or bottom up knitted items. An advantage to this method is that you don’t need a long yarn tail to begin casting on the stitches. The cable cast-on begins with a slip knot and each additional stitch is added using an alternative to the knitted cast-on method. The written instructions and video below on how to do the cable cast-on is shown for right handed knitting.

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The Cable Cast-on Method

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The Cable Cast-on Steps:

  1. Make a slip knot
  2. Transfer the slip knot onto the left knitting needle
  3. Insert the right knitting needle into the slip knot and bring working yarn around and in between the two needles as if to knit
  4. Catch and pull the working yarn loop onto the right knitting needle
  5. Transfer the new stitch loop from the right knitting needle onto the left knitting needle
  6. Insert the right knitting needle into the space in between the bottom of first 2 stitches on the left knitting needle
  7. Catch and pull the working yarn loop with the right knitting needle
  8. Transfer the new stitch loop from the right knitting needle onto the left knitting needle
  9. Repeat steps 6 – 8 till the desired number of stitch count is reached for a knitting project
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~coffeeteaknits.com

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

Yarn and a loom

Posted in September 2021 by
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My interest in weaving started more as a way to reduce the amount of yarn I had but now it has grown into a genuine interest in this craft. Weaving dates back to the paleolithic era and is much older than knitting or other fiber related crafts. In 2019 when I got a rigid heddle loom, I found myself learning about warp and weft** and trying out various combinations of plain weaving first with whatever yarn I had on hand and then with yarn bought specifically for weaving. 

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Since weaving has been around for so long, there are many different types of weaving patterns other than plain weaving. Other weaving patterns with a rigid heddle loom include soumak, leno, tapestry, and many more. The loom with two heddles and pick up sticks makes double width weaving as well as various twill weave patterns possible. I’ve just begun to discover all these various weaving patterns and combinations.

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I find weaving to be much faster than knitting or crocheting. Large projects such as blankets or wraps can be woven in a matter of days rather than months. Weaving has also reduced my yarn stash. Although I still prefer knitting sweaters, hats etc., it is a relief to be able to weave the larger projects quickly. Since I have only one rigid heddle loom I can only weave one project at a time.

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Weaving, however, requires more finishing afterwards than knitting or crocheting. For someone who likes seamless knits with minimal finishing, finding the motivation to finish the woven pieces can be quite a task. Also, unlike knitting or crocheting where most of the leftover yarn is left intact, discarding some of the warp yarn still bothers me. Even with these minor drawbacks, I find the craft of weaving very interesting and look forward to learning more about it.

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** warp yarn runs lengthwise and is held under tension whereas the weft yarn runs side to side and is inserted by the weaver.

~coffeeteaknits.com

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

The Yarn Over Washcloth

Posted in May 2021 by

The Yarn Over Washcloth

The Yarn Over Washcloth is knit corner to corner with a two row slip stitch pattern. Two stitches are increased every other row and then two stitches are decreased every other row. The washcloth has yarn overs all around between the stitch pattern and the border edge stitches. One stitch is cast on and through a series of increases and decreases this washcloth is worked in one piece ending with a two stitch I-cord hanging loop.

Yarn: Lily Sugar’n Cream in Colorways: Soft Ecru and Butter Cream Ombre
Knitting Needles: US #7 circular needle
Gauge: Not needed for this project
Abbreviations:

  • K: Knit
  • P: Purl
  • RS: right side
  • WS: wrong side
  • Kfb: Knit front and back (knit one stitch first in the front and then knit the same stitch in the back before slipping it off the left needle) – 1 stitch increase 
  • K2tog: Knit two stitches together on the left needle – 1 stitch decrease
  • ssk (left-slanting decrease): slip slip knit (slip 2 stitches to right hand needle then insert the left needle in front of the two slipped stitches and knit them together) – 1 stitch increase
  • rsd (right-slanting decrease): knit 1 stitch, slip one stitch knitwise, return the slipped stitch and the knitted stitch back to the left needle, pass the slipped stitch over the knitted stitch and then return the knitted stitch back to the right needle – 1 stitch decrease
  • sk2p (left-slanting double decrease): slip the next stitch knitwise, k2tog the next two stitches, then pass the slipped stitch over the decreased stitch – 2 stitch decrease
  • rsdd (right-slanting double decrease): slip one stitch knitwise and knit the next stitch. Pass the slipped stitch over the knit stitch. Return this decreased knit stitch back to the left needle and pass the second stitch on the left needle over the decreased stitch. Transfer the decreased stitch back to the right needle – 2 stitch decrease
  • pm: place marker
  • rm: remove marker
  • sm: slip marker
  • wyif S1: with yarn in front slip one stitch purlwise, wrap the working yarn around the front of the slipped stitch and move the yarn to the back
  • yo: yarn over – knit one stitch and then bring the working yarn over the right needle before knitting the next stitch (1 stitch increase)

The Yarn Over Washcloth (text and images for personal use)

Cast on 1 stitch with US #7 circular needle

  • Row 1 (RS): Kfb
  • Row 2 (WS): K2
  • Row 3: Kfb, Kfb
  • Row 4: K4
  • Row 5: Kfb, K2, Kfb
  • Row 6: K6
  • Row 7: Kfb, K4, Kfb
  • Row 8: K8
  • Row 9: Kfb, K6, Kfb
  • Row 10: K4, pm, K2, pm, K4
  • Row 11: K4, sm, yo, K2, yo, sm, K4
  • Row 12: K4, sm, K1, p2, K1, sm, K4
  • Row 13: K4, sm, yo, K1, [K1, wyif S1 then move yarn to the back] to 1 stitch before marker, K1, yo, sm, K4
  • Row 14: K4, sm, K1, purl till 1 stitch before marker, K1, sm, K4

Repeat rows 13 and 14 [repeat section] till 48 stitches on the needle.

Double Decreases:

  • Row 1 (RS): K4, sm, yo, sk2p, [K1, wyif S1 then move yarn to the back] till 3 stitches before marker, rsdd, yo, sm, K4
  • Row 2 (WS): K4, sm, K1, purl till 1 stitch before marker, K1, sm, K4

Repeat these two rows till 14 stitches left on the needle.

  • Row (RS): K4, sm, yo, sk2p, rsdd, yo, sm, K4
  • Row (WS): K4, sm, K1, p2, K1, sm, K4          (12 stitches)

Single decreases:

  • Row 1 (RS):  ssk, knit to 2 stiches before end of the row removing markers, rsd
  • Row 2 (WS): K10

Repeat Rows 1 and 2 till 4 stitches left on the needle.

  • Row (RS): ssk, rsd     (2 stitches left on the needle)

Make an I-cord hanging loop (about 10 to 12 rows) with the 2 stitches on the needle (several tutorials on knitting I-cord are available on YouTube) and bind off.

Attach the I-cord bind off end to the wrong side of the washcloth and weave in ends.

Wash and block the washcloth

Enjoy!

~coffeeteaknits.com

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

A Corner to Corner Dishcloth

Posted in November 2020 by

Corner to Corner Dishcloth

Corner to Corner Dishcloth

Corner to corner knitting is another technique that can be used to knit square dishcloths, blankets etc. I like this technique because it’s worked flat and starts with a cast on of just 1 stitch. That 1 stitch through a series of increases and decreases ends in a square dishcloth or a blanket. The dishcloth pattern below is my version of the corner to corner knitting technique using the seed stitch pattern.

The Corner to Corner Dishcloth Pattern (text and images for personal use only):

Yarn: Lily Sugar’n Cream in Colorways: Potpourri Ombre and Country Red
Knitting Needles: US #7
Crochet hook: US size 7 or 4.5 mm crochet hook
Gauge: Not needed for this project
Abbreviations:

  • K: Knit
  • P: Purl
  • Kfb: Knit front and back (knit one stitch first in the front and then knit the same stitch in the back before slipping it off the left needle – 1 stitch increase) 
  • K2tog: Knit the first two stitches together on the left needle (1 stitch decrease)
  • ssk: slip slip knit (slip 2 stitches to right hand needle then insert the left needle in front of the two slipped stitches and knit them together)
  • pm: place marker
  • rm: remove marker
  • sm: slip marker
  • wyif: with yarn in front
  • RS: right side
  • WS: wrong side

The seed stitch pattern:
Row 1 (RS): *K1, P1*; repeat from *…* to end of the row
Row 2 (WS): *P1, K1*; repeat  from *…* to end of the row
*Knit in seed stitch pattern: Knit the purl stitches and purl the knit stitches

With a size US #7 knitting needle cast on 1 stitch with the Potpourri Ombre colorway.

Increase Rows:

  • Row 1 (RS): Kfb and turn to the WS row
  • Row 2 (WS): K2
  • Row 3 (RS): Kfb, Kfb
  • Row 4 (WS): K1, pm, K2, pm, wyif S1
  • Row 5 (RS): K1, sm, Kfb, Kfb, sm, wyif S1. Place a removable stitch marker for the RS row. 
  • Row 6 (WS): K1, sm, K1, P1, K2, sm, wyif S1
  • Row 7 (RS): K1, sm, Kfb, K1, P1, Kfb, sm, wyif S1
  • Row 8 (WS): K1, sm, K1, [K1, P1] 2x, K1, sm, wyif S1
  • Row 9 (RS): K1, sm, Kfb, [knit in seed stitch pattern*] till 1 stitch before marker, Kfb, sm, wyif S1
  • Row (WS): K1, sm, K1, [knit in seed stitch pattern] till 1 stitch before marker, K1, wyif S1

Repeat rows 9 and 10 till the number of stitches for the preferred dishcloth size is reached.

Transition Rows:

  • Row 1 (RS): K1, sm, K1, [knit in seed stitch pattern] till 1 stitch before marker, K1, sm, wyif S1
  • Row 2 (WS): K1, sm, K1, [knit in seed stitch pattern] till 1 stitch before marker, K1, sm, wyif S1

Decrease Rows:

  • Row 1 (RS): K1, sm, K2tog, [knit in seed stitch pattern] till 2 stitches before marker, ssk, sm, wyif S1
  • Row 2 (WS): K1, sm, K1, [knit in seed stitch pattern] till 1 stitch before marker, K1, sm, wyif  S1
  • Repeat Rows 1 and 2 till 6 stitches left on the needle on the WS row
  • RS row: K1, sm, K2tog, ssk, sm, wyif S1
  • WS row: K1, rm, K2, rm, wyif S1
  • RS row: K2tog, ssk
  • WS row: Bind off

Wash and block dishcloth.

Crochet a single crochet border edging around the dishcloth in the Country Red colorway with a Size 7 or 4.5 mm crochet hook.

Weave in the ends.

~coffeeteaknits.com

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

Knitting a seed stitch mitered dishcloth

Posted in July 2020 by
A Seed Stitch Mitered Dishcloth

In between large and lingering knitting projects (blankets, sweaters etc.), I find knitting dishcloths both appealing and interesting. I can explore and learn different stitch patterns using a particular knitting technique without spending too much time to finish the project. Dishcloths, of course, are useful to have around the kitchen and they also make great gifts. During one such in between period I knit this seed stitch mitered dishcloth (see a previous blog post “To knit a mitered square” for more information about this knitting technique). Below with photos and text (for personal use only), is the knitting progression of this mitered dishcloth in a seed stitch pattern.

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Materials Needed:
Yarn: PREMIER HOME® COTTON CONE YARN Colorway: Jelly Dots
Knitting Needles: US #10 and US #7
Crochet hook: US size 7 or 4.5 mm crochet hook
Gauge: Not needed for this project

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Abbreviations:

  • K: Knit
  • P: Purl
  • K2tog: Knit two stitches together
  • ssk: slip slip knit (slip 2 stitches to right hand needle then insert the left needle in front of the two slipped stitches and knit them together.
  • rm: remove marker
  • sm: slip marker
  • wyif: with yarn in front
  • RS: right side
  • WS: wrong side

The Seed Stitch Mitered Dishcloth Pattern (text and images for personal use only)

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The crochet moss stitch and bulky yarn

Posted in February 2020 by

Since my post “To crochet or knit center out” I’ve crocheted several dishcloths and a worsted weight baby blanket using the center out technique. A baby blanket with bulky yarn (yarn weight: 5) and the center out moss stitch pattern can be crocheted in a matter of days.

Crochet Moss Stitch Baby Blanket with bulky yarn

I also started knitting a center out garter stitch baby blanket. Knitting a center out baby blanket in one piece with worsted weight or bulky yarn is a bit more challenging in terms of hand fatigue. This is because the growing blanket with the increasing number of stitches gets heavier since the weight of the whole blanket rests on the circular needle and your hands. Needless to say that the center out knitted baby blanket is still a work in progress.

Not so with a crocheted center out baby blanket. There is only one stitch on the crochet hook and the weight of the growing blanket rests on your lap or sofa/chair etc. By using bulky yarn or holding two strands of lighter weight yarn together a blanket can be crocheted very quickly with varying combinations.

This makes center out crocheting more appealing and versatile to me than center out knitting – at least for large seamless projects made in one piece.

~coffeeteaknits.com

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