MOD Arabic Cross Dish Towel

My store-bought dish towels are getting thread bare, and the fabric of the towels really never soaked up wetness of damp hands, so I decided to design my own cotton yarn towels. I am making my own designed towels with cotton yarn odds and ends since they are not for sale, but for personal use; this is a rather large towel that won't shrink much even when washed and dried in the dryer.

MOD Arabic Cross Kitchen Towel

The contrasting colors (CC) edging this towel are all the colors that make up the blended strands of the cotton yarn, ‘Candy Sprinkles’ used for the main body of my towel. This towel was designed with an old antique pattern on the towel ends. The pattern is called ‘Arabic Cross’.

Arabic Cross design …

To the best I can recall this is the pattern for my own designed towel:

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Cotton yarns in colors of your choice (I used scraps of Mod Blue (CC), Bright Pink, Bright yellow, White, & Candy Sprinkles)

Size #J/10 crochet hook

Size #10-1/2 Knitting Needles

This towel was started with a single chain crochet foundation for firmer edge.

With yellow and crochet hook make a loose chain of 73. With knitting needle, pick up a stich in the back of each crochet chain: 73 sts.

Row 1: Purl

Row 2: Knit

Row 3: P5; repeat following across row - *K 3 through back loop, P 9*: end row with P 5 instead of 9

Row 4: K 5; repeat following across row - *P 3, K 9*: end row with K 5 instead of 9

Row 5: Repeat R 3

Row 6: Repeat R 4

Row 7: P2; repeat following across row - *K 9 through back loop, P 3*: end row with P 2 instead of 3

Row 8: K 2; repeat following across row - *P 9, K 3*: end row with K 2 instead of 3

Row 9: Repeat R 7

Row 10: Repeat R 8

Row 11: Repeat R 3

Row 12: Repeat R 4

Row 13: Repeat R 3

Row 14: Repeat R 4

Row 15; Purl

Row 16: Knit

Repeat Rows 1 & 2. Drop yellow and attack CC.

Knit 2 rows CC; drop CC and attach White.

Knit 2 rows White.

Continue with White & knit 1 row through back loops of each stitch across row. 73 sts.

Purl each stitch across row. 73 sts.

Repeat last 2 rows of White pattern for a total of 6 White rows.

Knit 2 rows White; drop White & attach CC.

Knit 2 rows CC; drop CC and attach Candy Sprinkles.

Knit 54 rows stockinette stitch; drop Candy Sprinkles & attach CC.

Knit 2 rows CC; drop CC and attach White.

Knit 2 rows White.

Continue with White & knit 1 row through back loops of each stitch across row. 73 sts.

Purl each stitch across row. 73 sts.

Repeat last 2 rows of White pattern for a total of 6 White rows.

Knit 2 rows White; drop White & attach CC.

Knit 2 rows CC; drop CC and attach Bright Pink.

Knit 2 rows Bright Pink.

Continue with Bright Pink- 

Row 1: Purl

Row 2: Knit

Row 3: P5; repeat following across row - *K 3 through back loop, P 9*: end row with P 5 instead of 9

Row 4: K 5; repeat following across row - *P 3, K 9*: end row with K 5 instead of 9

Row 5: Repeat R 3

Row 6: Repeat R 4

Row 7: P2; repeat following across row - *K 9 through back loop, P 3*: end row with P 2 instead of 3

Row 8: K 2; repeat following across row - *P 9, K 3*: end row with K 2 instead of 3

Row 9: Repeat R 7

Row 10: Repeat R 8

Row 11: Repeat R 3

Row 12: Repeat R 4

Row 13: Repeat R 3

Row 14: Repeat R 4

Row 15; Purl

Row 16: Knit

Knit 1 row.

End off towel by slip stitching across each stitch. Weave in all loose ends along towel sides.