I’ve been knitting washcloths for that Cloths for Katrina Yahoo Group I mentioned earlier and came up with a fun pattern especially for New Orleans.

In case you can’t tell, it’s a Fleur de Lis which is an image often associated with the French Quarter and also happens to be the symbol for the NO Football team, The Saints. It took a few tries to get it the right proportions but I think this version worked out pretty well. The image was kind of hard to capture since I finished this one after dark and the lighting in our house is fairly dark. I’ll try to get some daylight shots in the magical NM sun in the morning before knitting group.

This is a pretty easy pattern (despite how complex it might look at first) and a really quick knit (it takes me a little under two hours per cloth) if you’re in the mood to feel a quick sense of accomplishment - some days that just needs to be done.

So here’s the pattern all written out:

Reversible Fleur de Lis washcloth (doc) (pdf)

Yarn: I used Lion Cotton, a worsted weight cotton from Lion Brand but any kitchen cotton type yarn like Lily’s Sugar n Cream or that WalMart brand Peaches n Cream should work fine. I’ve found it’s a lot easier to see the pattern using a solid color.

Needles: I used Crystal Palace bamboos US size 6 but use whatever you’re comfortable with. I recommend a 6, 7, or 8.

Gauge: Doesn’t really matter. The number of stitches for the finished object will be 30 stitches wide and 36 rows tall. The size of the finished cloth depends on the yarn, needle size, and your tension.

CO 30 stitches (the garter border is written into the pattern)

Knit every stitch first three rows (garter stitch border)
4: K3 P11 K2 P 11 K3
5: K14 P2 K14
6: K3 P10 K4 P10 K3
7: K9 P3 K1 P4 K1 P3 K9
8: K3 P5 K14 P5 K3
9: K7 P6 K1 P2 K1 P6 K7
10: K3 P4 K3 P2 K1 P1 K2 P1 K1 P2 K3 P4 K3
11: K7 P2 K4 P4 K4 P2 K7
12: K3 P9 K6 P9 K3
13: K12 P6 K12
14: K3 P2 K2 P6 K4 P6 K2 P2 K3
15: K5 P2 K6 P4 K6 P2 K5
16: K3 P1 K3 P5 K6 P5 K3 P1 K3
17: K3 P4 K4 P8 K4 P4 K3
18: K8 P2 K10 P2 K8
19: K3 P24 K3
20: K30
21: K4 P22 K4
22: K3 P2 K6 P1 K6 P1 K6 P2 K3
23: K6 P4 K2 P6 K2 P4 K6
24: K3 P8 K8 P8 K3
25: K10 P10 K10
26: K3 P7 K10 P7 K3
27: K10 P10 K10
28: K3 P8 K8 P8 K3
29: K12 P6 K12
30: K3 P10 K4 P10 K3
31: K13 P4 K13
32: K3 P11 K2 P11 K3
33: K14 P2 K14
Knit every stitch the last three rows (garter border)

Bind off!

Buy some bars of soap and send an email to the yahoo group leaders that you have a set ready to mail!

If you prefer knitting from a chart here’s the charted image:

Yes it’s a little taller than wide but trust me it looks better that way.

The 3 stitch/row garter border is written into the chart. Knit every stitch of the first and last three rows. Then knit the first and last three stitches of each row, otherwise work in stockinette and knit or purl the dark area depending on what side you’re on. The neat part is its reversible.

See?

Let me know if you catch a mistake!

Copyright info:

Feel free to share the pattern just please include this post’s address in the post or printout in case I need to update with a correction!

You are ABSOLUTELY given permission to knit and sell washcloths made from this pattern pattern as long as the money is going to benefit a charity. I’d really prefer one for Katrina survivors right now. Please let me know if you do because I might like to knit a few for it!