Ever want to just make a little waffle stitch crochet project and searched for a quick and easy tutorial and got lost in a sea of irrelevant fluff instead?
It’s a simple repeat of 2 rows, a multiple of 3 plus 1 stitches (yes, plus 1, not 2, like you might see in other places) and you need to know how to make 2 stitches. Plus a variation.
I have a video for that variation that you can watch below. It helps you skip chains on the edge, making it much smoother and nicer.
And if you want to make a multicolored version, read below the main instructions.
Oh, you can use this pattern for more than just a potholder. Or a washcloth. You can make an entire blanket in it. It goes fast.
Contents
Yarn needed for a waffle stitch washcloth
For making a washcloth, you will need to use either 100% cotton, for a potholder you could use chunky 100% wool, non superwash, so you can felt it afterwards if you want.
For the washcloth in these photos, I used about 40 grams of 100% mercerized cotton yarn, which has 125 meters per 50 grams. That’s about 100 meters.
If you want a bigger piece, you’ll need more yarn. I don’t recommend that you make it smaller.
If you use thicker yarn, you’ll also need more yarn. Or you can make fewer stitches.
You’ll also need a suitable hook for your chosen yarn. For this project, I used a 3 mm hook. For a chunky wool for felting, I’d use a 6 mm hook.
Stitches used for making the waffle stitch (US terms)
- Ch – chain;
- Dc – double crochet;
- FDc – foundation double crochet (see video);
- FpDc – front post double crochet (see video);
- Rep – repeat;
- Sc – single crochet;
- SDc – standing double crochet (see video);
Written instructions
Waffle stitch in one color
Row 1. 40 FDc, turn
You can also choose another multiple of 3 plus 1.
Row 2. SDc, Rep [2 FpDc, 1 Dc] to end of row, turn
Row 3. SDc, Rep [2 Dc, 1 FpDc] to end or row, turn
The SDc in Row 3 can be worked as a front post SDc for symmetry (see video below).
Repeat rows 2-3 another 11 times.
Repeat Row 2 once more to finish off the pattern symmetrically.
Edging row 1. Sc around, placing {1 Sc, Ch 2, 1 Sc} in every corner
For smooth sides, when you work into the side of Dc stitches, make 3 Sc for every 2 rows.
For one of the corners, Ch 14 instead of Ch 2 to make a loop.
Edging row 2. 1 Sc in each St, placing {1 Sc, Ch 2, 1 Sc} in every corner Ch 2 space, and 20-25 Sc in the loop
Cut the yarn and thread the tail through a tapestry needle. Make an invisible join on the edge to hide the beginning of the row and weave in the ends.
Waffle stitch in two colors
If you want to work with two colors, like in my example, you can carry the colors along the edge.
You will start with color 1 in Row 1.
Switch to color 2 and make rows 2-3. Keep switching colors after 2 rows, twisting the yarns as you change color.
Switch color once more to make the last row. Continue with this color to make the first row of the edging.
Switch to the other color to make the second row, for a contrasting edge, or keep going with the same color.
Cut the yarn and thread the tail through a tapestry needle. Make an invisible join on the edge to hide the beginning of the row and weave in the ends.
This is what the back of the work will look like.
Video tutorials
Foundation double crochet (coming soon)
Front post double crochet (coming soon)
Standing double crochet (coming soon)
Front post standing double crochet (coming soon)
Blocking the washcloth
If you made a cotton version, you can wash and block it to have it keep a nice shape (until the first use, that is).
To block it, all you do is pat it into a square or rectangular shape on a flat surface and lay flat to dry, ideally over a rack.
If you made a blanket with acrylic yarn, you can gently steam block the blanket from the wrong side (the side that doesn’t look like a waffle) or put it in the dryer if you have one.
Felting the wool potholder
If you made a wool version in chunky yarn, you can felt it by hand or in the washing machine, when you wash something on hot.
You will lose a bit of the stitch definition, but the 3D texture should be still visible after the potholder is felted.
If needed, repeat the felting process until you are happy with how stiff and thick the potholder is. It will shrink at most by 40% if you worked very loosely.
Final remarks
If you enjoyed this pattern, you might enjoy the companion Tunisian crochet mosaic washcloth that I designed to use the same yarn, but a 5 mm hook (coming soon).
Or a set of washcloth patterns with cute and easy stitches that look great in hand-dyed yarn (or in your own experiments with hand dyed yarns).
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