Free Cross Dishcloth or Afghan Square Knitting Pattern – Daisy and Storm
There is something deeply satisfying about a knitting pattern that works on more than one scale. The Cross dishcloth and afghan square pattern known as Daisy and Storm is exactly that kind of versatile gem — a design that looks just as beautiful worked up in cotton for a kitchen cloth as it does knitted in wool or acrylic as part of a cozy sampler blanket. Whether you are a beginner looking for your first textured square or an experienced knitter searching for a quick, rewarding project, this pattern delivers in every way.
In this post, you will find the complete free knitting pattern for the Daisy and Storm Cross square, along with tips for yarn substitution, gauge, finishing, and how to incorporate this design into a larger afghan. Grab your needles and a cup of something warm, because this one is worth settling in for.
Why the Cross Design Works So Well
The cross motif has been a staple of knitting and needlework for centuries. It carries a quiet elegance — symmetrical, clean, and satisfying to the eye — while being simple enough that you can execute it without constantly consulting a chart. The Daisy and Storm colorway concept adds another layer of visual interest. Picture a soft, creamy daisy white paired against a moody, blue-grey storm shade. The contrast makes the cross pop from the background, giving even a simple garter or stockinette square the appearance of something carefully designed rather than casually knitted.
Beyond aesthetics, this pattern works because it is genuinely beginner-friendly. You need to know how to knit and purl, and everything else follows from there. There are no cable needles, no complicated stitch markers, and no yarn overs to wrestle with. The texture comes entirely from the interplay of knit and purl stitches, which means you can focus on rhythm and relaxation rather than technique anxiety.
Materials You Will Need
Before you cast on, gather the following:
For a Dishcloth:
Yarn: approximately 75 to 100 yards of worsted weight 100% cotton yarn in two colors — one light (your Daisy) and one medium-to-dark (your Storm). Good choices include Lion Brand 24/7 Cotton, Paintbox Cotton DK held double, or Cascade Ultra Pima. If you prefer a single color, the textured cross will still show up beautifully in a solid or semi-solid.
Needles: US size 6 (4.0mm) or US size 7 (4.5mm) straight or circular needles.
Gauge: approximately 18 stitches and 28 rows to 4 inches in stockinette stitch. Gauge is flexible for a dishcloth — a slightly looser fabric will be more absorbent, and a tighter fabric will be more durable.
Finished size: approximately 8 inches by 8 inches after blocking.
For an Afghan Square:
Yarn: approximately 150 to 200 yards of worsted weight yarn in your chosen fiber. Acrylic blends like Caron Simply Soft, Red Heart Soft, or Paintbox Simply Aran work wonderfully and are budget-friendly. For a more luxurious feel, try Lion Brand Wool-Ease or a merino blend.
Needles: US size 7 (4.5mm) to US size 8 (5.0mm) depending on your gauge preference.
Gauge: approximately 16 to 18 stitches to 4 inches in stockinette.
Finished size: approximately 10 to 12 inches by 10 to 12 inches after blocking.
For both versions:
Tapestry needle for weaving in ends, scissors, and blocking mat with pins if you plan to block.
Understanding the Stitch Pattern
The Daisy and Storm Cross square uses a combination of stockinette stitch and reverse stockinette (or garter, depending on your preference for the border) to create a raised cross design against a recessed background.
Here is the core concept: the background fabric is worked in reverse stockinette — meaning you will be purling on the right side of the work — which creates a slightly pebbly texture that sits lower visually. The cross itself is worked in stockinette — knitting on the right side — which creates a smooth, raised column and bar that form the two arms of the cross. The result is a tactile, three-dimensional design that looks intricate but is built entirely on the most fundamental stitches in knitting.
If you would like the cross to stand out even more, you can work the background in garter stitch (knitting every row) and the cross in stockinette, which creates a lovely ridged halo around the smooth arms of the cross. Both approaches are described in the pattern below.
Pattern Abbreviations
Before diving into the row-by-row instructions, here are the abbreviations used throughout:
K — knit
P — purl
RS — right side
WS — wrong side
St(s) — stitch(es)
CO — cast on
BO — bind off
Rep — repeat
The Free Pattern: Daisy and Storm Cross Dishcloth
Cast on: Using your preferred method, CO 37 stitches. A long-tail cast on gives a tidy, stretchy edge that works beautifully for this square.
Border rows (rows 1 through 4): Knit every stitch across every row. This creates a 4-row garter border at the bottom of your square and establishes the side border stitches for the rows that follow.
Setting up the cross: The cross itself is centered on the square and consists of a vertical column of 3 stitches running through the center and a horizontal bar of 3 stitches running across the middle row of the square. Everything outside the cross and inside the border is worked in reverse stockinette.
For this 37-stitch pattern, your center stitch is stitch 19. The vertical arm of the cross occupies stitches 18, 19, and 20. The horizontal arm runs across stitches 7 through 31 on the designated bar rows.
Row 5 (RS): K4 (border), P14, K3, P14, K4 (border). — 37 sts
Row 6 (WS): K4, K14, P3, K14, K4.
Rep rows 5 and 6 until your square measures approximately 3.5 inches from the cast-on edge, ending after a WS row.
Cross bar rows: Work the horizontal arm of the cross across the next 6 rows as follows:
Next row (RS) — Bar Row 1: K4, K29, K4. — Knit all stitches across.
Next row (WS) — Bar Row 2: K4, P29, K4.
Rep these two bar rows two more times (for a total of 6 rows / 3 RS rows of the bar).
Return to cross column only:
Next row (RS): K4, P14, K3, P14, K4.
Next row (WS): K4, K14, P3, K14, K4.
Rep these two rows until the square measures approximately 7.5 inches from the cast-on edge, ending after a WS row.
Closing border rows: Knit every stitch across every row for 4 rows.
Bind off: BO all stitches knitwise on the right side. Weave in your ends, block if desired, and your dishcloth is complete.
The Free Pattern: Daisy and Storm Cross Afghan Square
The afghan square follows the same logic but is worked over a larger stitch count and with slightly different proportions to create a 12-inch square that can be joined with others in a sampler blanket.
Cast on: CO 55 stitches.
Border rows (rows 1 through 6): Knit every row for a 6-row garter border.
For this version, your center stitch is stitch 28. The vertical column of the cross spans stitches 26, 27, 28, 29, and 30 — a 5-stitch column for better proportion at the larger scale. The horizontal bar runs across stitches 11 through 45 on bar rows.
Row 7 (RS): K5 (border), P20, K5, P20, K5 (border). — 55 sts
Row 8 (WS): K5, K20, P5, K20, K5.
Rep rows 7 and 8 until the square measures approximately 5 inches from cast-on edge, ending after a WS row.
Cross bar section:
Next row (RS): K5, K45, K5. — Knit all stitches.
Next row (WS): K5, P45, K5.
Rep these two rows three more times (8 bar rows total / 4 RS rows of the bar).
Continue cross column:
Next row (RS): K5, P20, K5, P20, K5.
Next row (WS): K5, K20, P5, K20, K5.
Rep these two rows until the square measures approximately 11.5 inches from cast-on edge, ending after a WS row.
Closing border:
Knit every row for 6 rows.
Bind off knitwise on the right side. Weave in ends and block to finished measurements.
Tips for Working the Two-Color Version
If you want to capture the true Daisy and Storm spirit with two contrasting colors, the simplest approach is intarsia. Work the background (all the reverse stockinette sections and the border) in your Storm color and the cross itself in your Daisy color.
To do this, you will need separate bobbins or small yarn butterflies for each color section. When you switch from Storm to Daisy at the beginning of the cross column, twist the two yarns around each other on the wrong side of the work to prevent a gap. Work the cross stitches in Daisy, then twist again before resuming in Storm. For the horizontal bar rows, you can carry the Daisy yarn up the side if it is only used for a few rows, or you can cut and rejoin as needed.
If intarsia feels like too much management for a simple dishcloth, another option is to work the entire square in Storm and then use Daisy to duplicate stitch the cross on top after the fact. Duplicate stitch creates the appearance of a knitted-in color but is worked with a tapestry needle after the piece is finished — no color management required while you knit.
Blocking Makes a Difference
Even a small dishcloth benefits enormously from blocking. Cotton yarn especially benefits from a good wet block: soak the finished piece in cool water for 10 to 15 minutes, squeeze out excess moisture gently without wringing, roll in a clean towel to remove more water, then pin flat on a blocking mat and allow to dry completely. You will be surprised how much more defined the cross motif becomes and how much more even and professional the edges look.
For wool afghan squares, you can steam block instead if you prefer to avoid getting the yarn fully wet. Hold a steam iron a few centimeters above the surface without pressing down, let the steam penetrate the fabric, then smooth and shape with your hands and allow to cool and set before removing from the blocking surface.
Joining Afghan Squares
If you are working the Daisy and Storm Cross square as part of a larger blanket, you have several options for joining individual squares into a finished afghan.
The mattress stitch is a popular choice for a nearly invisible seam on the right side of the work. It takes a bit of time but produces beautiful results, especially when your squares have been blocked to consistent measurements before joining.
For a more decorative join, try the single crochet join, worked with a contrasting color along the right side of the seam. This creates a raised ridge between squares that can become a design feature in its own right. If you choose a neutral shade that complements both Daisy and Storm, the joining lines can give your finished blanket the look of a cathedral window quilt.
The flat slip stitch crochet join (worked on the wrong side) gives a flat seam with minimal bulk — a good choice when you are making a blanket that will be used and washed frequently.
Whichever joining method you choose, work from the right side as much as possible so that you can monitor the alignment of your cross motifs as you go. There is great satisfaction in stepping back from a finished row of joined squares and seeing all those crosses line up perfectly.
Making a Full Sampler Afghan
The Daisy and Storm Cross square pairs beautifully with other simple textured squares to create a sampler afghan that tells a visual story across its surface. Consider combining it with a seed stitch square, a simple cable square, a moss stitch square, and a ribbed square. If you stick to the same Daisy and Storm color palette throughout — or choose a complementary palette of three or four coordinating colors — the finished blanket will feel cohesive even though each square has its own distinct personality.
A 5-by-7 grid of 12-inch afghan squares would give you a blanket approximately 60 inches by 84 inches, which is a generous throw size. That is 35 squares — a manageable long-term project if you work a square or two each week.
If you prefer a smaller project, a 3-by-4 grid of 10-inch squares produces a baby blanket at roughly 30 inches by 40 inches. The cross motif is particularly meaningful as a gift for a baby, carrying its own quiet symbolism of blessing and protection regardless of your tradition.
Caring for Your Finished Piece
Cotton dishcloths can be machine washed on a warm cycle and tumble dried on medium. They tend to get softer and more absorbent with every wash, so do not be afraid to use them hard — that is what they are made for.
Wool afghan squares should be hand washed in cool water with a gentle wool wash and laid flat to dry to preserve their shape and softness. Acrylic blends can typically handle a machine wash on a gentle or delicate cycle, but always check your specific yarn label for care instructions.
If you have worked the two-color version with cotton yarn, the colors may bleed slightly in the first wash, especially if you have chosen deeply saturated shades. To set the color and prevent bleed, add a splash of white vinegar to the first rinse water and allow the piece to soak for a few minutes before laying flat to dry.
A Few More Suggestions
This pattern is a wonderful candidate for knitting with leftover yarn. If you have cotton scraps in two compatible colors from previous projects, a small stack of these dishcloths is a practical and heartfelt gift — especially when tied together with a ribbon and perhaps a small bar of handmade soap. They make excellent teacher gifts, housewarming presents, and hostess tokens.
You can also experiment with the size of the cross itself. Making the column wider (say, 7 stitches instead of 3 or 5) and the bar taller (8 or 10 rows instead of 6) gives the cross a bolder, more graphic quality. Narrowing everything down produces a finer, more delicate look. The pattern is forgiving enough to accommodate quite a bit of experimentation.
If you are teaching someone to read a knitting pattern for the first time, the Daisy and Storm Cross square is an excellent choice. The stitch pattern is straightforward, the repetition is reassuring, and the visible progress of the cross taking shape row by row is enormously motivating for a new knitter who is still building confidence.
Final Thoughts
The Daisy and Storm Cross dishcloth and afghan square pattern is the kind of free knitting pattern that earns a permanent place in your project folder. It is quick enough to finish in an afternoon as a dishcloth, substantial enough to be a rewarding component of a long-term blanket project, and flexible enough to adapt to almost any yarn, color palette, or size adjustment you want to make.
Best of all, it is free — and it is yours. Cast on, enjoy the rhythm, and let the cross emerge row by row from the needles in your hands. Whether you are knitting for your own kitchen, for a gift, or as one square in a blanket that will warm someone for years to come, there is real joy in this simple, ancient craft and in patterns like this one that honor its best traditions.
Happy knitting.
