Related pattern
Lacy dragon scale washcloths. For the softer, lacier side of any dragon.
Materials
Worsted weight cotton (samples were made with Lion Cotton, color 183, Periwinkle), about 60 yds per cloth
Needles that give you a gauge of 5 st/in. This is if you want to make a standard 9" cloth. If not, use needles that give you a fabric you like with the yarn you use. (The samples were made using US4/3.5mm.)
Yarn needle for weaving in ends
Please note:
- The photos are upside down relative to the charts. The knitting is top down, so the cast-on is at the top of the finished item, and the bind-off is at the bottom.
- These two cloths are similar, varying in the form of the double decrease, the starting row of the pattern, and the lacy ribs used on the sides. Full instructions for both are given, starting with the cloth on the left. However, if you decide that you prefer the layout of one and the decreases of the other, or if you have another five-stitch-or-less pattern you want to use in the sides, feel free to mix and match.
- In addition, the charts are for the center area only. They do not include the seed stitch border or wrong side rows.
- And yes, in case you were wondering, these were inspired by the Dragon Skin Pattern on page 136 of Barbara Walker's Second Treasury of Knitting Patterns. I wanted something that used yarn overs and that was done in the opposite direction. The lacy ribs on the sides are derived from patterns in the first Treasury: Star Rib Mesh (p. 196) and Vertical Lace Trellis (p. 191).
- If you're thinking that the in-scale decreases on the feathered cloth don't quite look like a sl1-k2tog-psso, good eye. For those, I used a true mirror of that increase: I worked ssk, slipped the resulting stitch back onto the left needle, passed the second stitch on the left needle over it, then slipped the stitch back onto the right needle. Try it, you might like it. Or you might just want to do k3tog. Knitter's choice!
Instructions
Ridged scales (strong vertical lines)
In pictures
In words
Cast on 45 stitches
Rows 1-6: *k, p, repeat from * to last stitch, k
Row 7 (and all odd-numbered rows up to and including row 55): k, p, k, p, k, p35, k, p, k, p, k
Row 8: k, p, k, p, k2, yo, sl2tog-k1-p2sso, yo, k3, yo, k, sl2tog-k1-p2sso, k, yo, k, yo, k3, sl2tog-k1-p2sso, k3, yo, k, yo, k, sl2tog-k1-p2sso, k, yo, k3, yo, sl2tog-k1-p2sso, yo, k2, p, k, p, k
Row 10: k, p, k, p, k, ssk, yo, k, yo, k2tog, k3, yo, sl2tog-k1-p2sso, yo, k3, yo, k2, sl2tog-k1-p2sso, k2, yo, k3, yo, sl2tog-k1-p2sso, yo, k3, ssk, yo, k, yo, k2tog, k, p, k, p, k
Row 12: k, p, k, p, k2, yo, sl2tog-k1-p2sso, yo, k, yo, k3, sl2tog-k1-p2sso, k3, yo, k, yo, k, sl2tog-k1-p2sso, k, yo, k, yo, k3, sl2tog-k1-p2sso, k3, yo, k, yo, sl2tog-k1-p2sso, yo, k2, p, k, p, k
Row 14: k, p, k, p, k, ssk, yo, k, yo, k2tog, k, yo, k2, sl2tog-k1-p2sso, k2, yo, k3, yo, sl2tog-k1-p2sso, yo, k3, yo, k2, sl2tog-k1-p2sso, k2, yo, k, ssk, yo, k, yo, k2tog, k, p, k, p, k
Repeat Rows 8 through 15 five more times
Rows 56-61: *k, p, repeat from * to last stitch, k
Bind off.
Feathered scales (diffused vertical lines)
In pictures
In words
Cast on 45 stitches
Rows 1-6: *k, p, repeat from * to last stitch, k
Row 7 (and all odd-numbered rows up to and including row 55): k, p, k, p, k, p35, k, p, k, p, k
Row 8: k, p, k, p, k, k2tog, yo, k2tog, yo, k, yo, k3, sl1-k2tog-psso, k3, yo, k, yo, k, sl1-k2tog-psso, k, yo, k, yo, k3, sl1-k2tog-psso, k3, yo, k, yo, ssk, yo, ssk, k, p, k, p, k
Row 10: k, p, k, p, k, yo, ssk, yo, ssk, k2, yo, k2, sl1-k2tog-psso, yo, k2, yo, k3, sl1-k2tog-psso, k3, yo, k2, yo, sl1-k2tog-psso, k2, yo, k2, k2tog, yo, k2tog, yo, k, p, k, p, k
Row 12: k, p, k, p, k, k2tog, yo, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, k, sl1-k2tog-psso, k, yo, k, yo, k3, sl1-k2tog-psso, k3, yo, k, yo, k, sl1-k2tog-psso, k, yo, k3, yo, ssk, yo, ssk, k, p, k, p, k
Row 14: k, p, k, p, k, yo, ssk, yo, ssk, k4, yo, sl1-k2tog-psso, yo, k3, yo, k2, sl1-k2tog-psso, k2, yo, k3, yo, sl1-k2tog-psso, yo, k4, yo, k2tog, yo, k2tog, k, p, k, p, k
Repeat Rows 8 through 15 five more times
Rows 56-61: *k, p, repeat from * to last stitch, k
Bind off.