Dish Drying Mats or Dish Towels

Dish Drying Mats or Dish Towels

Dish Drying Mats or Dish Towels

Hey Everyone!

Please tell me that I am not the only person without a dish washer. Because that would be tragic. Okay, maybe it’s not that bad, but I do have dish washer envy. It seems that with three little boys and a husband, as soon as I finish washing the dishes by hand, walk to the fridge and back to the sink that the sink is full again.  It’s like magic, I tell you!  That or I live in a house full of stealthy ninjas and just don’t know it.  (My boys wish they were secret ninjas, but, in reality, they are more like a herd of elephants.)

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Usually when I wash dishes, the dish drying thingy (technical term 🙂 ) I have in my sink’s second basin fills up pretty fast and I can either leave the rest of the dishes sit or dry the first batch and put them away—which I usually don’t feel like doing—or I can stack the gazillions of cups on the counter. I prefer the latter. So these amazing dish drying mats come in handy when I need them for that extra bit of air drying space.

Before I started making these, I was using dish towels laid out on the counter.  And in all honesty, they just weren’t cutting the mustard.  I used standard sized dish towels that you can buy anywhere and either they weren’t thick enough or when you folded them over to make them thicker, they weren’t long enough.  I had a problem and I needed a solution.

Voila!  My solution!

Dish Drying Mat or Dish Towel

I love the Dark Taupe and Ecru combination I chose since they appeal more to my “country” side and the stitches I used made each one of them super thick to absorb all that water. That’s why I thought these could double as amazing dish towels—better than store bought in my honest opinion!  If you want larger dish drying mats or towels, you can add more chains to your foundation chain and add more rows until you are satisfied with your finished product.  Don’t be afraid to experiment!  That’s how I learned.

Dish Drying Mats or Dish Towels

None of these three dish drying mats or dish towels patterns are difficult. They all use basic stitches and I’ve included detailed written instructions for the bobble stitch that is needed for Dish Mat #1 in the Notes section. So be sure to read through everything before you begin. It will make your work a lot less confusing.

Dish Drying Mats or Dish Towels

So suds up, ladies (and gents), and trust that your dishes and hands will dry nicely and look awesome doing it. Hey, if we have to do the work, we might as well enjoy the tools we use to get the job done, right?

Dish Drying Mats or Dish Towels

Dish Drying Mats or Dish Towels

Materials Used:

* 3 balls of Peaches & Cream – Ecru 2.5 oz / 70.9 g – 120 yds / 109 m
* 3 balls of Peaches & Cream – Dark Taupe 2.5 oz / 70.9 g – 120 yds / 109 m
* Boye Aluminum 6-Inch Crochet Hook, H8/5mm
* Yarn needle

Finished Size Approximately:

16 ¼”L x 14”W

Gauge:

Not important

Dish Mat #1

Dish Drying Mats or Dish Towels

Special Stitches:

Cluster Stitch

YO, insert hook in st, YO, draw back through st, YO, draw through 2 loops on hook, (YO, insert hook back into same st, YO, draw back through st, YO, draw through 2 loops on hook) twice, YO, draw through all 4 loops on hook, ch 1.

Abbreviations:

ch – chain
sc – single crochet
st – stitch
sl st – slip stitch
sk – skip
dc – double crochet
YO – yarn over
FC – foundation chain

Notes:

  • When making the first cluster stitch of a round, the ch 2 counts as the first stage of the cluster. So, ch 2, (YO, insert hook back into same st, YO, draw back through st, YO, draw through 2 loops on hook) twice, YO, draw through all 3 loops on hook, ch 1. This will be indicated by “complete cluster” after instructions to ch 2.
  • Carry the yarn across while stitching over it rather than cutting.

*** American crochet terms used throughout.

Instructions:

With Ecru

FC: Ch 47

Row 1: Hdc in 3rd ch from hook and in ea ch across except the last ch; for the last ch, YO; insert hook into last ch, YO, draw back through the st. You now have 3 ecru loops on your hook. Drop the ecru yarn. Don’t cut. With the taupe yarn, YO your hook and pull taupe yarn through the 3 ecru loops; ch 2 with the taupe, turn. (45 hdc)

Row 2: (Ch 2 counts as first part of cluster st. See Notes) Finish cluster st (Don’t forget to ch 1 after every cluster st); *sk next hdc; cluster st* Repeat from * to * across except last st. For last st, YO; insert hook in st, YO, draw back through st, YO, draw through 2 loops on hook, (YO, insert hook back into same st, YO, draw back through st, YO, draw through 2 loops on hook) twice, now pick up ecru yarn and drop the taupe, YO with the ecru yarn, draw through all 4 loops on hook, ch 2, turn. (23 clusters)

Row 3: Hdc in ea st across for the last ch, YO; insert hook into last ch, YO, draw back through the st. You now have 3 ecru loops on your hook. Drop the ecru yarn. With the taupe yarn, YO your hook and pull taupe yarn through the 3 ecru loops; ch 2 with the taupe, turn. (45 hdc)

Row 4 – Row 29: Continue alternating Rows 2 & 3. At the end of Row 29 don’t change to taupe (finish last hdc in Ecru), ch 1 and sc evenly along the left side of mat. Sl st into the bottom of the hdc of Row 1. Finish off. Weave in end.

Attach ecru yarn on unworked edge of Row 1 and sc evenly along the right side of the mat. Sl st into the top of the hdc of Row 29; ch 1 and continue to sc another row around the entire mat, with 3 sc in ea corner. Sl st into the first sc. Finish off. Weave in end.

Dish Mat #2

Dish Drying Mats or Dish Towels

Special Stitches:

Suzette Stitch

*(Sc and dc) in same st, sk next st* Repeat from * to * as often as directed.

Abbreviations:

FC – foundation chain
ch – chain
sc – single crochet
dc – double crochet
sk – skip
st – stitch

Instructions:

With Ecru

FC: Ch 46

Row 1: In 2nd ch from hook, (sc, dc) in same space; *sk next ch; (sc, dc) in next ch* Repeat from * to * leaving the last 2 chs unworked. Sk 2nd to last ch and in last ch, sc, ch 1, turn.

Row 2: (Sc, dc) in same sp; *sk next st; (sc, dc) in next st* Repeat from * to * across. Sc in last st, ch 1, turn.

Row 3 – Row 45: Repeat Row 2.

Row 46: Repeat Row 2, but don’t ch 1or turn. Finish off.

Edging

With taupe

Round 1: Attach taupe, ch 1, sc evenly around entire mat, 3 sc in ea corner. Sl st into 1st sc; ch 1.

Round 2: Sc evenly around entire mat, 3 sc in ea corner. Finish off. Weave in end.

Dish Mat #3

Dish Drying Mats or Dish Towels

Special Stitches:

Back Loop Only

BLO Tutorial

Shell Stitch

5 double crochets in same space

Abbreviations:

FC – foundation chain
sc – single crochet
ch – chain
ea – each
st – stitch
sl st – slip stitch
BLO – back loop only
sp – space
dc – double crochet

Instructions:

With taupe

FC: Ch 46

Row 1: In 2nd ch from hook, sc in every ch across; ch 1, turn. (45 sc)

Row 2: Sc in the BLO of every st; ch 1, turn. (45 sc)

Row 3 – Row 52: Repeat Row 2.

Row 53: Repeat Row 2, but don’t ch 1 or turn. Finish off.

Edging

With Ecru

Round 1: Attach yarn in a corner; 3 sc in ea corner; sc evenly around.

Note: 1 sc per row on the long sides

Round 2: Starting in a corner, ch 3, (counts as 1st dc) 4 dc in same sp (shell made). Sk 1 sp; sc; sk 1 sp; *shell st; sk 1 sp; sc; sk 1 sp* Repeat from * to * around. Sl st in the top of the ch 3 at the beginning of Round 2.

Finish off. Weave in end.

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For more kitchen items, check out the Jumbo Dish Scrubbers pattern and the Ruffle Washcloth pattern.

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14 thoughts on “Dish Drying Mats or Dish Towels

  1. You, girlfriend are not alone, we still hand wash at our house too! These drying mats are a super excellent idea, thank you so much!!

  2. I’ve heard quite a few people use theirs for storage. I wonder what I would actually do with one if I had it… Maybe it would just sit there unused. Something to think about before we remodel our kitchen! These mats are wonderful for us hand washers! I hope you love them! Thanks for commenting!

  3. I don have a dishwasher. But prefer to hand wash my dishes. I use the dishwasher (portable to store large pans.)

  4. Hi Joyce! You’re so welcome! I agree, they are an excellent stash buster! Pots and pans are usually what end up on mine as well. I’m still using the same ones I made for this post and it’s been almost two years now. They are wonderfully useful! Thanks for commenting!

  5. What a great way to use leftover yarn too! Thank you for the great idea! I have a dishwasher but always seem to have those that I don’t put in (pots and pans).

  6. You are so welcome, Ruth! I still use mine every day because that darn dish washer doesn’t seem to be in my near future. LOL! I’ve heard so many stories about having to wash the dishes before you put them in the dish washer anyway and it makes me wonder if I really want one at all… It might be easier and cheaper to get my kids to start helping out. 😉 Thanks for commenting!

  7. I had a dish washer but by the time you pretty much wash the dishes anywaybefore purring them in the dishwasher why bother so I took it out and had neighbor take it to the dump. One might work for you since you have so many people in the family but for me and dh it takes so long too to get enough dishes to warrant running a dishwasher that it’s just easier to wash them right then and there. So I do use drying mats.So thank you for the great patterns

  8. Yay! I’m so glad you were able to find what you were looking for! Good luck with your kitchen re-do. Thanks for commenting!

  9. These patterns are just what I have been looking for. We are in the process of kitchen re-do and I wanted to have cloths like this. Cannot wait to make all three.

  10. Thank you so much, Marie! I’m ecstatic to know that you love the towels! What a great idea to make Christmas baskets for your granddaughters. These towels will make excellent gifts, if I do say so myself. 😀 Happy yarn shopping!

  11. Oh my goodness, you have done it again. I love these towels. Off to Hobby Lobby I go. I am going to make all of these and stuff them in the annual Christmas baskets for my grownup grand daughters. They will love them.

    Marie

  12. Hi Colette!

    I’m so glad that you like the pattern. I hear that all the time that some people crochet a little tighter or looser than others. I’m happy that you were able to make it work. If you have Instagram, you can always show off your photo and tag me @highlandhickorydesigns or if you have Facebook, I have it set up where you can post to my page and show off your work that’s been made with my designs. Just a thought! Thanks so much for your kind words!

    Erica

  13. I made dish mat #3 with Lily Sugar n Cream in Emerald Isle. Had to increase the starting chain (because I think I may crochet tightly) to make it large enough. Can’t figure out how to post a photo here, sorry. Really looks nice, though. Thank you for this easy and nice pattern. 🙂

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