Rank and File Stitches - New Dishcloth Pattern

Been traveling for work again.  I always think I'm going to be able to get so much knitting done on

The Rank and File Dishcloth

these trips.  But I never seem to have a project in the right stages to grab and go when I'm in the throws of last minute packing.  I'm actually a bit dismayed by this, because I have no shortage of projects in the works, but many of them just aren't suitable for travel knitting.  They are either in some design phase that requires graph paper, notes, charting software and swatching, or need more yarn caked up,  or need sections frogged so I can fix the aforementioned design issue...anyway, my go to lately has been grabbing a few balls of kitchen cotton to work up dishcloths.  Not all that sophisticated, but these are small, quick, relatively brainless projects that are ready to go at the drop of the hat, and sooth my need to have needles and string when the travel gets rough (like flying through O'Hare between January and December).

Now there is no shortage of dishcloth patterns available on the internet.  I have worked up many of them - they make great housewarming gifts, or me gifts.  However, on my last trip, I decided to get a bigger bang for my buck by auditioning a couple of stitch patterns I have been considering for garment designs as dishcloths.  While the kitchen cotton isn't exactly interchangeable with the yarn I'll eventually be using, I do get a chance to try out the stitches, determine if it's a stitch I enjoy working, and get a feel for how the resulting fabric may behave - AND I get a dishcloth at the end.

Rank and File dishcloth is a modern variegated version of Crafters Secret Cotton

That's how Rank and File came to be.   I picked this stitch pattern out of Barbara Walkers' Second Treasury of Knitting Patterns (see below to purchase this fantastic resource) as this was a stitch pattern I had been eyeing for a particular garment design.    I modified the order of the rows, and added seed stitch borders.  I love the resulting fabric which has great texture and a slight ribbed effect.  The fabric does pull in some, so I ended up having to increase stitches after the initial border and the decrease those away before working the top border and binding off.  Hope you enjoy this complimentary pattern:  Rank and File Dishcloth Pattern.

Right side of stitch pattern



Wrong side of stitch pattern