Free filet crochet dishcloth · about 7 3/4 x 8 in · DK cotton, US E-4 (3.5 mm) hook · about 2 hours 30 minutes (estimate).
A cotton dishcloth you wash and use again, instead of sponges and paper towels. Filet crochet draws the picture with blocks (3 dc) and spaces (ch 2 and a dc): here a solid middle with a heart of spaces, a frame of spaces and a solid border.
Make one, or a few in different colors for a kitchen gift. Every row is written out, the chart is drawn from the same grid, and every row was checked by our stitch simulator.
- Finished size
- About 7 3/4 x 8 in (19.8 x 20.3 cm), estimated from the gauge below
- Chart
- 13 squares x 16 rows: 141 blocks, 67 spaces (32% open)
- Yarn
- DK weight (#3) 100% cotton in cream: about 60 yd (estimated, with a 20 % margin)
- Hook
- US E-4 (3.5 mm), or the size you need for the gauge; yarn needle
- Gauge
- 20 dc and 8 rows = 4 in (10 cm) (suggested: measure your own)
- Time
- About 2 hours 30 minutes (estimated, not timed)
- Skills
- ch, dc, reading a filet chart
✓ CookZya original design · Stitch counts checked row by row — Stitch counts checked row by row by our simulator. This pattern has not been crocheted and swatched by a person: size, yarn and time are estimates, and your piece will differ a little.
Materials
- Color A — cream, about 60 yd
- Choose a 100% cotton yarn that can be machine washed: cotton soaks up water, acrylic does not. Check the yarn label.
- Yarn needle and scissors.
Notes
- US crochet terms. ch = chain, dc = double crochet, st(s) = stitch(es), bl = block, sp = space.
- bl (block) = dc in the next 2 sts (or 2 dc in the ch-2 space) and in the next dc. sp (space) = ch 2, skip 2 sts (or the space), dc in the next dc.
- Every row has 13 squares = 40 sts: the first dc, then 3 sts for every square.
- Ch 3 at the start of a row counts as the first dc: skip the dc at the base of the ch-3, and work the last dc of each row in the top of the turning ch-3 (on Row 2: in the top of the 3 skipped ch of the foundation chain).
- Odd rows are worked right to left (←), even rows left to right (→). Row 1 is the bottom row of the chart.
- Photos are previews of the finished look, not a crocheted sample.
Filet crochet dishcloth chart
Dishcloth
In cream, one piece, worked in rows.
- (←): ch 42, dc in the 4th ch from the hook; 13 bl = 13 squares (13 bl, 0 sp), 40 sts. In other words: dc in the 4th ch from the hook and in each ch across = 39 dc; the 3 skipped ch count as the first dc: 40 sts = 13 bl.
- (→): ch 3, turn; 1 bl, 5 sp, 1 bl, 5 sp, 1 bl = 13 squares (3 bl, 10 sp), 40 sts.
- (←): ch 3, turn; 1 bl, 1 sp, 9 bl, 1 sp, 1 bl = 13 squares (11 bl, 2 sp), 40 sts.
- (→): ch 3, turn; 1 bl, 1 sp, 9 bl, 1 sp, 1 bl = 13 squares (11 bl, 2 sp), 40 sts.
- (←): ch 3, turn; 1 bl, 1 sp, 9 bl, 1 sp, 1 bl = 13 squares (11 bl, 2 sp), 40 sts.
- (→): ch 3, turn; 1 bl, 1 sp, 4 bl, 1 sp, 4 bl, 1 sp, 1 bl = 13 squares (10 bl, 3 sp), 40 sts.
- (←): ch 3, turn; 1 bl, 1 sp, 3 bl, 3 sp, 3 bl, 1 sp, 1 bl = 13 squares (8 bl, 5 sp), 40 sts.
- (→): ch 3, turn; 4 bl, 5 sp, 4 bl = 13 squares (8 bl, 5 sp), 40 sts.
- (←): ch 3, turn; 3 bl, 7 sp, 3 bl = 13 squares (6 bl, 7 sp), 40 sts.
- (→): ch 3, turn; 1 bl, 1 sp, 1 bl, 7 sp, 1 bl, 1 sp, 1 bl = 13 squares (4 bl, 9 sp), 40 sts.
- (←): ch 3, turn; 1 bl, 1 sp, 2 bl, 2 sp, 1 bl, 2 sp, 2 bl, 1 sp, 1 bl = 13 squares (7 bl, 6 sp), 40 sts.
- (→): ch 3, turn; 1 bl, 1 sp, 9 bl, 1 sp, 1 bl = 13 squares (11 bl, 2 sp), 40 sts.
- (←): ch 3, turn; 1 bl, 1 sp, 9 bl, 1 sp, 1 bl = 13 squares (11 bl, 2 sp), 40 sts.
- (→): ch 3, turn; 1 bl, 1 sp, 9 bl, 1 sp, 1 bl = 13 squares (11 bl, 2 sp), 40 sts.
- (←): ch 3, turn; 1 bl, 5 sp, 1 bl, 5 sp, 1 bl = 13 squares (3 bl, 10 sp), 40 sts.
- (→): ch 3, turn; 13 bl = 13 squares (13 bl, 0 sp), 40 sts. Fasten off.
Finish and block
1 Weave in the ends
2 Block it
Finishing
Once it is dry, it is ready for the sink.
Design notes
- 141 blocks and 67 spaces: mostly solid, so the dishcloth has plenty of stitches to scrub with.
- The chart is the same from left to right, so you cannot work the heart the wrong way round.
- Sizes come from the suggested gauge: an estimate.
Tips
- Count 40 sts at the end of every row: the edges stay straight.
- Follow the chart with a ruler or a sticky note under the row you are working.
- Each row text gives the squares in the order you work them.
Common mistakes
- Forgetting that the ch 3 counts as the first dc: the row gets 1 st too many.
- Working a space with ch 1: the hole is too small and the picture blurs. Use ch 2.
Make it your own
- Make 3 in cream, sage and terracotta and tie them with twine for a kitchen gift.
- Work it in a darker cotton for heavy kitchen use: it hides stains better.
Care
- Wash as your yarn label says (most cotton yarns: machine wash); dry flat or tumble low if the label allows it.
More filet crochet patterns
- Washable Crochet Placemat Set — the same blocks and spaces, in a set of 4 for the table
- Filet Crochet Heart Bookmark — another little filet heart, in fine thread
FAQ
Is filet crochet good for a dishcloth?
This one is mostly solid blocks of double crochet, which give a firm surface to wipe with; the heart and the frame are the only spaces.
How big is this crochet dishcloth?
About 7 3/4 x 8 in in DK cotton with a US E-4 (3.5 mm) hook (an estimate).
How much yarn do I need?
About 60 yd of DK cotton per dishcloth (an estimate with a margin).
How do I read a filet chart?
Start at the bottom right with Row 1. A filled square is a block, an empty one is a space. Odd rows go right to left, even rows left to right.
Can I sell what I make?
Yes, you may sell what you crochet. Please don't sell or repost the pattern; link to this page.
Copyright
© 2026 CookZya. Free for personal use: you may make and sell what you crochet. Please don't sell, copy or repost this pattern; link to it instead.