Free Loom Knit Kitchen Set Pattern: Dishcloths, Towels, and More

If you’ve been looking for a practical, beginner-friendly project that produces something genuinely useful, a loom knit kitchen set might be exactly what you need. This free pattern walks you through creating a coordinated set of kitchen accessories — including dishcloths, a hand towel, and a scrubby pad — all made on a loom. No circular needles, no complex stitch counts, and no frustration. Just satisfying, rhythmic loom knitting that results in beautiful, functional pieces you’ll be proud to display in your kitchen or give as a heartfelt handmade gift.

Whether you’re completely new to loom knitting or you’ve completed a few projects and want something with a little more purpose, this kitchen set is a wonderful choice. Cotton yarn works up beautifully on a loom, the stitches are simple enough for beginners but textured enough to keep experienced makers engaged, and the finished pieces are soft, absorbent, and durable enough to hold up to regular kitchen use.

Let’s dive in.

Why Loom Knit a Kitchen Set?

Before we get into the pattern itself, it’s worth talking about why loom knitting is such a great method for kitchen accessories specifically.

First, cotton yarn — which is the ideal fiber for anything that touches food, dishes, or wet surfaces — can be a little stiff and less forgiving than wool or acrylic. When you’re working with needles, that tension can make your hands tired quickly. On a loom, the pegs do most of the holding work for you, so your hands stay relaxed and the stitches come out more even with much less effort.

Second, loom knitting produces a very consistent fabric. Dishcloths need to be uniformly dense to do their job well, and the structure of loom knitting naturally creates an even, slightly textured surface that’s ideal for scrubbing and wiping.

Third, this is a fantastic stash-busting project. Kitchen sets don’t require a lot of yarn, and you can mix and match cotton colors to create a set that matches your kitchen decor. A few skeins of worsted-weight cotton and an afternoon or two is all it takes.

Materials You’ll Need

For the complete kitchen set (two dishcloths, one hand towel, and one scrubby pad), gather the following:

Yarn: 100% cotton worsted weight yarn, approximately 400–500 yards total. Lily Sugar’n Cream, Paintbox Simply DK Cotton, and Lion Brand 24/7 Cotton are all excellent choices. You can use one color for a simple, clean look or two to three colors for a striped or color-blocked set.

Loom: You’ll need a small rectangular or square loom for the dishcloths and scrubby pad, and a slightly larger rectangular loom (or the same loom worked in sections) for the hand towel. A 24-peg small rectangular loom works well for the dishcloths. If you have an adjustable loom, even better.

Tools: A loom hook (also called a knitting tool), a tapestry needle for weaving in ends, scissors, and a ruler or measuring tape.

Optional: For the scrubby pad, you’ll also need a skein of nylon scrubby yarn (such as Red Heart Scrubby or Lion Brand Re-Up) to hold alongside your cotton yarn. This gives the pad its exfoliating texture.

Understanding the Stitches

This pattern uses three basic loom knitting stitches. If you already know these, feel free to skip ahead to the pattern. If you’re newer to loom knitting, this quick overview will make everything much easier.

The E-Wrap Knit Stitch: This is the most basic loom knitting stitch. You wrap the yarn around each peg in a figure-eight or e-wrap motion, then use your hook to lift the bottom loop over the top loop and off the peg. It creates a smooth, slightly stretchy fabric.

The Flat Knit (U-Wrap) Stitch: Instead of wrapping the yarn all the way around the peg, you lay the yarn across the front of each peg (forming a U shape), then lift the old loop over and off. This creates a tighter, denser fabric that’s perfect for dishcloths and towels because it’s less stretchy and more structured.

The Purl Stitch: To purl on a loom, you bring your working yarn to the front of the peg, hook the existing loop up and forward, lay the yarn across the peg from front to back, then pull the old loop over. Alternating knit and purl rows creates a rib or seed stitch texture.

For this kitchen set, the dishcloths use a combination of flat knit and purl stitches to create a simple waffle or seed stitch texture. The hand towel uses flat knit rows for a smooth stockinette-style fabric. The scrubby uses e-wrap stitches for a looser, more open texture that works well with the scrubby yarn.

Pattern One: The Loom Knit Dishcloth

Finished size: Approximately 8 x 8 inches

Loom: 24-peg small rectangular loom (using both long sides, so 12 pegs per side)

Yarn: Approximately 75–80 yards of worsted weight cotton

Gauge: Roughly 3.5 stitches per inch on a standard small rectangular loom with cotton worsted

Instructions

Cast On: Using a long-tail cast on or a simple e-wrap cast on, cast on all 24 pegs. Pull your working yarn snugly but not too tight — cotton doesn’t have much give, so an overly tight cast on can make it hard to work the first row.

Border Setup (Rows 1–3): Work 3 rows of flat knit stitch across all 24 pegs. This creates a clean edge at the bottom of your cloth.

Body Pattern: The body of this dishcloth uses a simple 2×2 seed stitch variation that creates a lovely textured surface.

Row 1: Flat knit 2 pegs, purl 2 pegs. Repeat to the end of the row.
Row 2: Purl 2 pegs, flat knit 2 pegs. Repeat to the end of the row.
Row 3: Flat knit 2, purl 2. Repeat.
Row 4: Purl 2, flat knit 2. Repeat.

Repeat these 4 rows until your piece measures approximately 7.5 inches from the cast-on edge, ending on Row 2 or Row 4.

Top Border (Last 3 Rows): Work 3 rows of flat knit stitch across all pegs to match the bottom border.

Bind Off: Use a basic chain bind-off or a gather bind-off. For a neater edge, the chain bind-off works best: knit the first two pegs, then use your hook to pull the first stitch over the second and off the loom. Continue adding one stitch and pulling the previous one over until all stitches are bound off.

Finishing: Cut your yarn, leaving a 6-inch tail. Thread through the last loop to secure it. Weave in all ends with your tapestry needle. Give the cloth a gentle wash and block it flat to set the shape — cotton tends to relax beautifully after its first wash.

Make two of these for a matched set.

Pattern Two: The Loom Knit Hand Towel

Finished size: Approximately 11 x 18 inches

Loom: A medium rectangular loom with at least 36–40 pegs, or work this in two sections on a smaller loom and seam together.

Yarn: Approximately 180–200 yards of worsted weight cotton

Instructions

Cast On: Cast on 36 pegs using a long-tail cast on.

Bottom Border (Rows 1–4): Work 4 rows of flat knit stitch.

Side Borders and Body: To keep the edges from curling (which stockinette fabric on a loom is prone to doing), work the first and last 3 pegs of every row in flat knit stitch, and fill in the middle section with your body pattern.

For the body of the hand towel, work simple stockinette by doing flat knit stitches on all middle pegs for every row. This gives you a smooth, dense, absorbent fabric that works well for drying hands. If you prefer a bit more texture, you can work the body in the same 2×2 pattern from the dishcloth, which also helps prevent curling.

Continue until the piece measures approximately 17.5 inches from the cast-on edge.

Top Border (Last 4 Rows): Work 4 rows of flat knit stitch.

Bind Off and Finish: Same as the dishcloth. Weave in your ends and block flat after the first wash.

Optional Loop: To hang your towel, cut a 12-inch length of cotton yarn, fold it in half, and use your tapestry needle to attach it securely to one corner of the towel. Knot the ends together and weave in the tails. This makes it easy to hang the towel on an oven handle or hook.

Pattern Three: The Loom Knit Scrubby Pad

Finished size: Approximately 4 x 4 inches

Loom: 16-peg small rectangular loom (or 16 consecutive pegs on a larger loom)

Yarn: Approximately 25 yards of cotton worsted held together with approximately 25 yards of nylon scrubby yarn

Holding the two yarns together as one is the key to this scrubby. The cotton gives it structure and softness on one side, while the nylon scrubby yarn creates a slightly rough, exfoliating texture on the other. The result is a reversible scrubby that’s gentle enough for non-stick pans but effective on stuck-on food.

Instructions

Cast On: Holding both yarns together, cast on 16 pegs using the e-wrap method.

Body: Work in e-wrap knit stitch for all rows. The looser structure of e-wrap works well here because it lets the scrubby fibers bloom a little, creating more surface texture. Continue until the piece measures 4 inches.

Bind Off and Finish: Bind off using the gather method (cut yarn, thread through all loops, pull tight, and knot securely). Weave in ends.

The scrubby is intentionally small and dense, making it easy to grip and maneuver around dishes. If you want a slightly larger scrubby for bigger pots, work the same pattern on a 20-peg section for a roughly 5-inch pad.

Color Ideas and Variations

One of the most enjoyable parts of making a kitchen set is choosing your colors. A few combinations that work beautifully:

A classic white or ecru set looks clean and simple in any kitchen, and cotton in neutral tones tends to show off the stitch texture especially well. For a modern farmhouse feel, try pairing cream with deep sage green or muted terracotta. For a brighter, more cheerful kitchen, a set in lemon yellow, coral, and aqua makes a lovely gift.

You can also work stripes into the hand towel by changing colors every 8–10 rows. Just carry the unused color up the side (wrap it around the edge peg as you turn) to avoid cutting and weaving in too many ends.

If you want to make the set feel truly coordinated, consider using the same main color for all three pieces with a contrasting color for the borders. Even a few rows of contrast at the cast-on and bind-off edges can tie the whole set together beautifully.

Tips for Working with Cotton Yarn on a Loom

Cotton yarn behaves quite differently from wool or acrylic, and knowing a few things ahead of time will make your project much more enjoyable.

Cotton has very little stretch, which means your stitches will sit tightly on the pegs. Work loosely on purpose — when you wrap the pegs, don’t pull the yarn too snug. You want enough slack to easily slide your hook under the bottom loop without a struggle.

Cotton also tends to split more easily than wool. Use a smooth, round-tipped loom hook and slow down when you’re lifting loops. A sharp or rough hook can catch individual plies of the yarn and make the stitch uneven.

After you wash your finished pieces for the first time, they’ll soften considerably. Don’t be alarmed if fresh-off-the-loom cotton feels a little stiff — that’s normal. Washing and drying (or air drying flat for the towel) transforms the texture significantly.

Finally, don’t skip the blocking step. Blocking cotton kitchen items is as simple as washing them, gently squeezing out the water, and laying them flat to dry in the shape you want. This makes a noticeable difference in the finished look and ensures your dishcloths come out square rather than slightly warped.

Gifting Your Loom Knit Kitchen Set

A completed kitchen set makes a wonderful, thoughtful handmade gift. It’s practical, it shows care and effort, and it’s something people actually use rather than tuck away in a drawer. To present the set as a gift, stack the two dishcloths with the scrubby pad between them, roll the stack up inside the hand towel, and tie it with a length of kitchen twine or a ribbon. Tuck a small handwritten note inside mentioning the yarn you used and care instructions (most cotton kitchen items are machine washable on a gentle cycle and can be tumble dried on low).

Homemade kitchen sets are ideal for housewarming gifts, hostess gifts, bridal showers, Mother’s Day, and teacher appreciation. Because the individual pieces work up relatively quickly, you can batch several sets at once if you’re making gifts for multiple people.

Final Thoughts

This free loom knit kitchen set pattern is designed to be accessible, practical, and genuinely satisfying to make. Whether you’re knitting for your own kitchen or for someone you care about, there’s something especially rewarding about creating useful objects with your hands. The rhythmic motion of working row after row on a loom is calming in its own right, and seeing a soft, textured dishcloth or hand towel emerge from that process feels like a small but genuine accomplishment.

If you make this set, consider sharing your finished photos in loom knitting communities online — there are wonderful, supportive groups on Facebook, Ravelry, and Instagram where makers love to celebrate each other’s work. And if you have questions about any step in the pattern, feel free to leave a comment. Happy knitting!