Beginner Friendly Knit Bamboo Dishcloth: Free Pattern

Beginner Friendly Knit Bamboo Dishcloth  by Janice Jones |Updated November 19, 2025

If you're looking for a simple yet beautiful textured pattern, this bamboo stitch dishcloth makes a wonderful beginner-friendly project. It has a lovely woven appearance, knits up quickly, and works especially well with cotton or bamboo yarns that can handle plenty of kitchen use.

This pattern looks impressive, but don’t let that fool you—it’s mostly a combination of yarn overs, knit stitches, and a simple pass-over technique. Once you get the rhythm, your hands will move with ease. It's also the perfect practice piece if you're trying to build skill and confidence before moving on to larger projects.

Whether you’re knitting for your home, making handmade gifts, or building your stitch library, this bamboo dishcloth is a great place to begin.

Bamboo Knit Stitch Dishcloth Free beginner-friendly pattern

Beginner Friendly Knit Bamboo Dishcloth Free Pattern

To make this project, you will need to know how to make the knit and purl stitches.  It requires that you follow a two-row repeat, meaning that you only need to memorize two rows of instructions or refer to the pattern.  

A full tutorial of the Bamboo Knit Stitch is included along with how to do yarn overs and slip stitches if you need a refresher.

This is not a reversible pattern, meaning that the right side does not match the wrong side.  However, both sides look great so don't worry about the sides matching.

Knit Bamboo Dishcloth: Right and Wrong Sides

This is what the right and wrong side will look like once you have knit the project.

A swatch of the knit bamboo stitch showing the right or public side of the fabricRight Side
A swatch of the knit Bamboo stitch show the wrong side of the fabric done in beigeWrong Side

Quick Review of the Yarn Over

A yarn over is often used to knit lace. It is an increase in knitting and leaves a hole or eyelet.

To do a yarn over, you simply wrap the yarn around the right needle in a counter-clockwise manner and then knit the next stitch on the left needle.

Quick Review of the Pass One Stitch over 

When you see the terms, "Pass One Stitch Over" it means to pick up the the second stitch from the right needle using the tip of your left needle and then pass it over the first stitch and off of the needle.

In the case of this pattern, you will be picking up the Yarn Over stitch and passing it over the two knit stitches.

* YO, K2, Pass 1st St Over * The first stitch refers to the yarn over you made at the beginning.

Abbreviations Used

CO: Cast On Long Tail Method
K: Knit Stitch
P: Purl Stitch
YO: Yarn Over
RS: Right side of work
WS: Wrong side of work
st: stitch

Supplies Needed

  • 100% Cotton Yarn (Craft Yarn Council Number 4). For these dishcloths, I used Lily Sugar 'n Cream Worsted Weight Yarn 4 oz/113 g (190 yds./174 m)
  • US 7 or 8 (4.5  - 5.0 mm) straight needles. 
  • Scissors
  • Tapestry Needle

Notes

  • All directions are in US Terms.
  • I have not added a border to this dishcloth because it already lies flat.  You are welcome to add a border if you like.  A garter stitch border works up fast and looks great. Add four stitches to either side and a total of 4 garter stitch rows at the beginning and end of your dishcloth.

Gauge and Finished Size

A knitted bamboo stitch dishcloth done in beige colored cotton yarn

Without a border, the finished size using number US 7 (4.5 mm) needles is 7.5 by 7.5 inches (19 x 19 cm).

Directions

Cast on 40 stitches.

Row 1 (RS): * YO, K2, Pass 1st St Over * the K2 stitches.  Repeat * to the end of the row.

Row 2 (WS): Purl All

Repeat rows 1 and 2 until your work is the desired length, or until it is 7.5 inches long if you want the product to be square. 

Finishing

  • Bind off loosely.
  • Weave in ends.
  • Gently block if desired—this opens up the bamboo texture nicely, but it’s optional for a dishcloth.

Why This Pattern Is Beginner-Friendly

  • Only two rows to memorize
  • Teaches how yarn overs work in a textured stitch (not lace)
  • Great practice for controlling tension
  • Wonderful small project for learning how to “read your stitches”
  • Quick to knit—many people finish in one sitting

Optional Variations

  • Use a thicker yarn for a scrubby, chunky cloth, or hold two strands of yarn together.
  • Add a garter stitch border if you prefer a more defined edge
  • Change colors every few rows for a striped effect

Frequently Asked Questions About the Bamboo Stitch Dishcloth

Is the bamboo stitch good for beginners?

Yes! The bamboo stitch looks impressive, but once you get used to the “yarn-over, knit 2, pass 1st stitch over” motion, it becomes very rhythmic. After a few rows, most beginners settle right into it.

Why does the stitch look loose or uneven?

The bamboo stitch naturally creates long, elongated loops. If your stitches feel extra loose, try:

  • Tightening your tension just slightly
  • Switching to a smaller needle size
  • Making sure your yarn overs aren’t too big
  • Unevenness usually disappears after a few inches of knitting.

Can I make this dishcloth larger or smaller?

Yes. Cast on any even number of stitches. Your stitch pattern will work no matter how wide the project is.

What yarn works best for this pattern?

Cotton yarn is the classic choice for dishcloths because it absorbs water well and withstands washing. Bamboo-cotton blends also work beautifully and feel extra soft in the hand.  If you are using this stitch pattern for a scarf or something else, the best yarns to use are light colored and solid, either in wool, wool blends or acrylic.

Conclusion

This bamboo stitch dishcloth is a perfect way to build knitting skills while creating something practical and pretty.

The stitch pattern creates a lovely texture that looks much harder than it is—making it a great confidence booster for beginners. Once you master this version, you can use the bamboo stitch for scarves, blankets, washcloths, and other textured projects.

Enjoy your knitting, and feel free to explore more textured stitch tutorials as you expand your skills!

Beginner Friendly Knit Bamboo Dishcloth:  Pin for Future Reference

A pinterest image of the beginner friendly dishcloth done in a beige 100% cotton yarn

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