Tin Ceiling Washcloth + Hand Towel
Perhaps the walls can’t talk, but our home and how we fill it speaks volumes, and we love what Sandi Rosner’s Tin Ceiling Washcloth + Hand Towels have to say. Whispering secrets about handmade beauty, they bring their charm into every corner of our homes!
With just simple knits and purls cleverly arranged in a pattern of rippling diamonds, Sandi’s design perfectly evokes a pressed tin ceiling you might see in a turn-of-the-last-century kitchen.
Knit up in our gorgeous Tulip Cotton, these Tin Ceiling Washcloths + Hand Towels are soft, substantial, and beautiful, too.
Tulip Cotton is unmercerized, ensuring a petal-soft feel and absorbent quality, and its twenty-eight very fine plies create a durable, pill-free fabric.
This 100% organically grown Turkish cotton has a wonderful matte finish and a palpable beauty. Turkish cotton is made from long-staple fibers and is strong and smooth, becoming even softer with age and wear… fitting for these use-every-day beauties!
It only takes one skein of Tulip Cotton to make a washcloth and three for a hand towel, so pick the colors that leave you speechless, and let your knits do the talking!
Designed for Purl Soho by Sandi Rosner. Based in North Carolina, Sandi has been a knitter and crocheter for more than 45 years. She has owned a local yarn store, been the creative director of a large yarn company, and worked as a freelance technical editor, designer, teacher, and writer. She has four books of patterns, with a new one (focusing on crochet tank tops!) set to be released this November. Thank you for sharing your talent and expertise with us, Sandi!
Share your progress and connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho, #PurlSohoBusyHands, #PurlSohoTinCeilingWashclothAndHandTowel, and #PurlSohoTulipCotton. We can’t wait to see what you make!
Materials
To make one Washcloth (Hand Towel) you’ll need…
- 1 (3) skein(s) of Purl Soho’s Tulip Cotton, 100% organically grown cotton. Each skein is 131 yards/100 grams; approximately 120 (370) total yards required. We used Icy Pink and Yuzu Yellow for the Washcloths, and Fresh Honeydew and Pink Cliff for the Hand Towels.
- US 8 (5 mm) straight or 24-inch circular needles
- If using straight needles: Two US 8 double pointed needles for I-Cord
- Stitch markers
GAUGE
17 stitches and 26 rows = 4 inches in stitch pattern
SIZES
Washcloth (Hand Towel)
Finished Dimensions: Approximately 12¼ inches wide x 11¾ inches high (18 inches wide x 22½ inches long)
NOTES
STITCH MULTIPLE
This pattern works over a multiple of 24 + 4 stitches.
SLIPPED STITCHES
Slip all slipped stitches purlwise with yarn in front.
PATTERN
Using a basic Long Tail Cast On, cast on 52 (76) stitches.
Work from Written Instructions or Chart, both below.
TIN CEILING PATTERN: WRITTEN INSTRUCTIONS
Row 1 (right side): Slip 1 (see Notes), k1, place marker (pm), [k1, p2, (k2, p2) 5 times, k1, pm] 2 (3) times, k2.
Row 2 (wrong side): Slip 1, k1, slip marker (sm), [p1, (k2, p2) 5 times, k2, p1, sm] 2 (3) times, k2.
Row 3: Slip 1, k1, sm, [k2, (p2, k2) 2 times, p4, (k2, p2) 2 times, k2, sm] 2 (3) times,k2.
Row 4: Slip 1, k1, sm, [p2, (k2, p2) 2 times, k4, (p2, k2) 2 times, p2, sm] 2 (3) times, k2.
Row 5: Slip 1, k1, sm, [p1, k2, (p2, k2) 5 times, p1, sm] 2 (3) times, k2.
Row 6: Slip 1, k1, sm, [k1, (p2, k2) 5 times, p2, k1, sm] 2 (3) times, k2.
Row 7: Slip 1, k1, sm, [p2, (k2, p2) 2 times, k4, (p2, k2) 2 times, p2, sm] 2 (3) times, k2.
Row 8: Slip 1, k1, sm, [k2, (p2, k2) 2 times, p4, (k2, p2) 2 times, k2, sm] 2 (3) times, k2.
Rows 9–24: Repeat Rows 1–8 two more times.
Row 25 (right side): Slip 1, k1, sm, [k1, p2, (k2, p2) 5 times, k1, sm] 2 (3) times, k2.
Row 26 (wrong side): Slip 1, k1, sm, [p1, (k2, p2) 5 times, k2, p1, sm] 2 (3) times, k2.
Row 27: Slip 1, k1, sm, [p2, (k2, p2) 2 times, k4, (p2, k2) 2 times, p2, sm] 2 (3) times, k2.
Row 28: Slip 1, k1, sm, [k2, (p2, k2) 2 times, p4, (k2, p2) 2 times, k2, sm] 2 (3) times, k2.
Row 29: Slip 1, k1, sm, [p1, k2, (p2, k2) 5 times, p1, sm] 2 (3) times, k2.
Row 30: Slip 1, k1, sm, [k1, (p2, k2) 5 times, p2, k1, sm] 2 (3) times, k2.
Row 31: Slip 1, k1, sm, [k2, (p2, k2) 2 times, p4, (k2, p2) 2 times, k2, sm] 2 (3) times, k2.
Row 32: Slip 1, k1, sm, [p2, (k2, p2) 2 times, k4, (p2, k2) 2 times, p2, sm] ] 2 (3) times, k2.
Rows 33–48: Repeat Rows 25–32 two more times.
FOR WASHCLOTH ONLY
Repeat Rows 1–26 one more time, removing stitch markers on the last row.
Go on to Make I-Cord section, below.
FOR HAND TOWEL ONLY
Repeat Rows 1–48 two more times, then work Rows 1 and 2 one more time, removing stitch markers on the last row.
Go on to Make I-Cord section, below.
TIN CEILING PATTERN: CHART
NOTE: New to reading charts? Unravel the mysteries with our Reading A Chart Tutorial!
Starting in the bottom right corner of the Chart below, work right-side (odd number) rows from right to left and wrong-side (even number) rows from left to right.
Work Rows 1–48 one (3) time(s), then repeat Rows 1–26 one more time for Washcloth; or repeat Rows 1 and 2 one more time for Hand Towel. Remove all stitch markers on final row.
KEY
CHART
NOTE: Want to see it bigger? Download this chart (and key) as a PDF!
MAKE I-CORD
Bind off purlwise to last 2 stitches, leaving 3 stitches on right needle.
With remaining 3 stitches, work an I-Cord for 3 inches.
Bind-Off Row: K1, knit 2 together, pass first stitch over second stitch and off right needle.
Cut yarn, leaving an 8-inch tail. Pull it through remaining stitch.
Thread tail onto a tapestry needle. Make a loop with I-cord and weave tail into fabric at base of I-cord, then weave it through looped I-cord, and back into fabric.
Weave in all ends and gently wet block, or machine wash and dry as desired.
I’m making the washcloth size right now and it makes an extraordinary large washcloth! However, only two repeats would make it too narrow. I think they may make better pot holders than washcloths.
Hi Marcella,
Thanks for reaching out! The Tin Ceiling Washcloth should measure about 12 ¼” x 11 ¾” which is bigger than most of our other washcloth projects. You can absolutely use this project to make potholders, however, this pattern creates only a single layer of fabric that might not be thick enough to insulate the heat from a hot pan. I’d recommend knitting two washcloths and sewing them together to create a double-layer, or sewing a backing to your potholder using heat-proof insulated lining.
I hope this helps! Please let us know if you have any questions.
All the best,
Carly
do you offer your patterns in PDF format? The straight copy is way too cumbersome.
Hi Kathleen,
Thanks for reaching out! Each of our free patterns can be saved as a PDF and printed directly from the project page by following the instructions below.
If you’re on a desktop version of the site, you will find a “print” icon in the right column just below the “Save To Favorites” button. If you’re on a mobile version of the site, you will find a “print” icon below the pattern and above the comments.
Follow the easy on-screen instructions to delete whichever parts of the pattern you don’t want to print or save. For example, you may decide to shorten the pattern by omitting certain images or the list of materials. To remove images, click the drop down next to the image icon and change from 100% to 0%
I hope this helps! Please let us know if you have any questions.
All the best,
Carly
Can Field linen be used for the Tin Ceiling and Corner to Corner washcloths? If so, what size knitting needle would be needed? Thanks. 🙂
Hi Joyce,
Thank you for your question! Field Linen is a fingering weight yarn, so it can absolutely be used to make the Corner-to-Corner Washcloths without much of a gauge difference! The Tin Ceiling Washcloths are knit using a heavier yarn than Field Linen however, so I’d recommend using one of our worsted weight yarns like Tulip Cotton, Sunshower Cotton, or Campo for this pattern.
As with all yarn substitutions, we recommend knitting a gauge swatch to be sure you are using the correct needles to get the gauge listed in the pattern. Our All About Gauge tutorial might be helpful for this project!
I hope this helps, and please let me know if you have any questions!
All the best,
Carly
I was wondering the same about substituting Cotton Pure for the hand towel?
Hi Melinda,
Thanks for writing in. You can absolutely use Cotton Pure for the Tin Ceiling Hand Towel, but you will need to adjust the number of stitches you cast on at the beginning, so that it turns out to be the correct dimensions!
To figure out your cast-on number, you will want to first knit a gauge swatch in pattern. Once you know how many stitches you are getting per inch, you can multiply that number by the width that you would like and cast on the nearest multiple of 24 + 4. Then you can follow the pattern as written!
All the best,
Lili
Thank you, Lili!
Love this pattern! It is fun to knit. I’m using some very inexpensive cotton yarn and it is coming out lovely. I would like to use your beautiful yarn but it is not in my budget right now. Keep the wonderful patterns coming!!
Hi Diane,
Thank you very much! We are so glad to hear you are enjoying this pattern! We suggest our yarns with our patterns in the hopes that they will inspire knitters when it comes time to choose a yarn, though they are not required to use for our patterns. I am so happy to hear you are loving your washcloth with the yarn you chose, and please know we are always happy to suggest budget-friendly options for our projects in the future!
Happy knitting,
Margaret
This stitch pattern is absolutely lovely, as is the yarn. If I wanted to adjust to a blanket size would casting on 244 stitches make sense?
Thanks as always.
Hi Chermia,
Thanks for reaching out with your question! This pattern is worked over a multiple of 24 + 4 stitches, so if you’re getting the correct gauge, 244 stitches will make your blanket about 57″ wide.
I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any questions.
All the best,
Carly
I’d love to see a photo of your blanket, completed or WIP – I hope you post it on Ravelry!
Lisa: I’m starting it in a few weeks and will definitely post a WIP. I am ThreeLadies on Ravelry.
-C.
In directions just before the i-cord, it indicates there are three stitches on the right needle. What bind off is being used to give three stitches on the right, please?
Hi Anne,
Thanks for reaching out! You’ll do a purlwise bind-off, which will leave you with 2 stitches on your left needle (the last 2 stitches, indicated in the instruction) and 1 stitch on your right needle. Just slip those 2 stitches to the right needle, turn your work to the opposite side, and then you’ll be in position to begin the i-cord!
All the best,
Lili
I just found a stash of Blue Sky worsted weight organic cotton in my closet. Would this be an appropriate yarn for these beautiful washcloths? I generally use your Cotton Pure or Blue Sky skinny for all my washcloths, but I don’t saw in a comment above that worsted weight is better for this pattern.
Hi Jane,
These washcloths were designed for a worsted weight yarn originally, so you can definitely use Blue Sky Worsted Cotton! As always though, we recommend knitting a gauge swatch before casting on your project, especially when you are substituting yarns. You may need to size up or down your needles in order to get the correct gauge!
All the best,
Lili
Hi Lili,
I was thinking of making a scarf/wrap out of partridge in this pattern but I only have 9 skeins of partridge. I think you can just multiple the wash cloth or hand-towel out to get the right skeins, etc. It looks like the weight of partridge is close enough to worsted and same needle size suggested. Problem is that 4 hand towels (ideal wrap size — maybe a bit shorter) is 12 skeins and I only have 9 but 3 hand towels is only 67 or so inches and I like my wraps about 75. I bought my partridge a while ago so unlikely to get same die lot. Plus a further wrinkle is that the 24 stitch pattern seems like I have to go with the wash cloth width and then I could do it with 9 skeins. If I did 7 wash cloth lengths that would be around 83 inches. I don’t really like such a narrow scarf but it might make sense in the partridge which is a bit thick anyway. Do you think I should use a 9 needle with the wash cloth width and 7 wash cloth lengths (9 needle would make it all a bit wider (and longer) — that could get me to 13 or 13-1/2 inches wide. Does any of the above make sense?
Thanks!!!
Hi Jane,
Partridge is a lovely choice for this stitch pattern and for a wrap! Your thoughts on this are absolutely correct. The stitch multiple for this pattern is quote large (24 + 2), which makes it very difficult to modify to different widths. So your two options are either the washcloth width or the hand towel width. However, what is easily modified is the number of row repeats! So I would actually recommend casting on for the hand towel width (18 inches) and just keep on knitting until you run out of yarn. You’ll end up being able to knit for just under 75 inches, so it won’t be a full 4 repeats of the hand towel pattern, but the pattern will still look great!
All the best,
Lili
Hi Lili,
I couldn’t wait. I just had to start last night, even though your reply was sooo prompt. I ended up using a size 10 needle with the partridge but casting on for the washcloth — it ended up at 15 inches with the bigger needle so pretty good and a perfectly tight enough weave for the scarf.. I hadn’t done the length math properly as you did. Next time I will do it with the hand towel and just keep knitting as 75 inches would be fine:). I would recommend this pattern for a scarf/wrap to anyone reading this. I’ve knitted about 20 inches so far and it is GORGEOUS as a scarf. It also looks pretty good in partridge. Not quite as clean lines because of the variation in yarn thickness in partridge but really beautiful anyway. Thanks so much Lili!!
Best,
Jane
Hi Jane,
No worries, and that sounds like another great solution! I’m so glad to hear that it’s turning out so nicely as a scarf!
All the best,
Lili
This pattern would make a splendid (baby) blanket or throw!
It would be great to see other size adaptations instructions
Hi Kathleen,
Absolutely, this stitch pattern would make for a wonderful blanket! To adapt this for a crib or throw blanket, you would first decide on the dimensions of your project. Then, I recommend knitting a swatch with your preferred yarn and needles to find the number of stitches per inch you’re getting. After that, you would multiply that number by the width of your blanket and make sure that that number is a multiple of 24 + 4 stitches since that’s the number of stitches this stitch pattern is worked over (for example, 52 works since it’s 48 + 4 stitches). After you find your new number of cast-on stitches, you’re all set to follow the pattern as written!
I hope this helps!
All the best,
Cat
Thank you for a lovely pattern. I’m about 19 rows in and noticed the edge that has the slipped stitches is binding tight. What am I doing wrong ? Thanks !
Hi Elizabeth,
Thanks for reaching out! It sounds like your tension is a little bit too tight at the edges, so I’d recommend keeping your working yarn loose as you turn your work and slip the stitch. It may be tempting to pull tightly after slipping the stitch, but it’s best to resist this urge!
All the best,
Lili
It seem to me there is a mistake in the written pattern.
The written pattern leaves out one row of knitting – both rows 9 and 33.
The chart is correct.
I used the written pattern to start my project because I have a problem with charts that gives symbols opposite of what the stitch actually is. 😩
After four attempts, I am finally making it past row 33. I love the result. I am sure I will be making a lot of these.
Thank you.
Hi Elizabeth,
Thanks for reaching out and sharing your concern! I took a look over the pattern, and I can confirm that it is correct as written, and that it matches the chart. You can find rows 9 and 33 mentioned in the following instructions in the written pattern:
Rows 9–24: Repeat Rows 1–8 two more times.
and
Rows 33–48: Repeat Rows 25–32 two more times.
Row 9 is just a repeat of Row 1, and Row 33 is a repeat of Row 25! I hope this helps clarify things, and please let me know if you have any other questions.
All the best,
Lili
If following the chart with a crochet hook, would single and hdc stitches achieve a similar same aesthetic? Id welcome any suggestions and will happily experiment. Advanced intermediate crocheter dipping my toes in transposing knit to crochet if possible. Thank you!
Hi Eric,
While I am not entirely sure how to sub these stitches in crochet, I think some things you could try are the spike stitch on the purl stitches from the chart or maybe alternating front and back loops. I am sorry I couldn’t be of more help but maybe these options could get a similar effect as the knit version you see here!
All the best,
Gavriella