Mesmerizing ZigZag Mosaic Crochet Washcloth Pattern – Free

Want a quick and interesting project to get your creative juices flowing? Then look no further! This mosaic crochet washcloth pattern is free on the blog. Its bold zigzags are deceptively easy to create and it will brighten up your kitchen, making chore time more fun.

Practically no one loves washing dishes. But you can make that tedious job a little more pleasant when you use colorful crochet kitchen items like this mosaic crochet dishcloth. You’ll quickly get your chores out of the way so you can have some crochet time!

This two-color crochet dishcloth pattern makes a fun challenge for advanced beginners. It’s the perfect intro to overlay mosaic crochet, allowing you to try out the technique without committing to whole blanket. For more experienced crocheters, it offers a simple 8-stitch, 3-row repeat, which makes it a quick and relaxing project.

Don’t have time to make this now? Pin the image below for later.

The Perfect Project for Stash Busting

This dishcloth is an excellent stash buster crochet project. It uses small amounts of two colors of worsted weight cotton yarn. So check out your stash, pick a fun color combo, and let’s get crocheting!

The Yarn

I used Premier Home Cotton for this overlay mosaic crochet dishcloth. This yarn is soft, durable, and colorfast, which makes it a perfect choice for kitchen items. You need two contrasting colors of yarn for this project.

You can choose any brand of worsted weight cotton you want/have. BUT you will definitely want to use a cotton yarn (or at least a blend with a high percentage of cotton) so that your dishcloth is absorbent and cleans your dishes well. Other fibers do not have these properties.

what size crochet hook for a washcloth?

I used a size H/8/5mm crochet hook to make this dishcloth. However, everyone crochets a little differently, so use whatever size hook you need to achieve the size and tension that you want (you may need to go up or down a size).

If you don’t have a favorite hook or want to treat yourself to something new, one of my favorites is Furls crochet hooks, like these Streamline Wood Hooks. They have an ergonomic shape that feels so good in my hand. I recommend you try one for sure!

Purchase A Furls Wooden Hook Here

What is Overlay mosaic crochet?

To successfully complete this dishcloth, you’ll need to be familiar with mosaic crochet. If you’ve never heard of the technique before, that’s okay! Let me break it down for you.

Overlay Mosaic Crochet is a technique that requires you to work in the BLO (back loop only) and then drop down to pick up the front loop of stitches from lower rows which creates textured stitches that lay over the stitches from previous rows and can be used to create wonderfully intricate patterns.

These patterns are worked in one direction only, fastening off the working yarn at the end of each row, and beginning again at the beginning of the piece — no turning involved. Each new row consists of only ONE color, but with the use of the sc and drop down dc stitches, you get the mosaic design. Most overlay mosaic patterns come with a chart. The symbols on the chart tell you when to use a dc and when to use the special drop down dc.

It seems complicated, but I promise, it’s super easy (and addictive) as you go. Not only that, but once you master overlay mosaic crochet, you’ll be able to create many of the most popular designs on this blog.

Visit this blog post for a basic Overview of the technique

Feel free to watch the video below to familiarize yourself a bit with the technique.

Please SUBSCRIBE to my channel, comment that you joined in from the Mosaic in a Month CAL, and like the videos. Thank you so much!

Mosaic YouTube Playlist

I have created a playlist on YouTube with the videos about this CAL; more will be added as they are released. Click here to access.

Interested in Crochet dishcloths and Other Small Projects?

• Simple Moss Stitch Washcloth
• 19 Quick and Easy Mosaic Crochet Patterns
• 17 Quick Crochet Gift Ideas to Make at the Last Minute
• Crochet (& Knit) Patterns to Use Up All Your Yarn Scraps

Where to get the pattern for the ZigZag Mosaic Crochet Washcloth Pattern

The ZigZag Mosaic Crochet Washcloth pattern has been provided to you for free on this blog. However, it may be easier and more enjoyable to purchase a beautifully-designed, ad-free pattern. You may print it or save it in your digital files for later use. You can purchase this pattern for just a few dollars from my Ravelry or Etsy shop, using the buttons below.

OR

Scroll down to view the pattern for free on the blog!

Free Pattern for the ZigZag Mosaic Crochet Washcloth

Skill Level: Easy

Materials

• Premier Home Cotton, worsted #4 yarn, (85% Recycled Cotton, 15% Polyester: 2.65 oz/75 g, 131 yds/120m)
  • approximately 100 yards of each.
  • or equivalent worsted weight cotton yarn in 2 different contrasting colors
• Size H/5mm crochet hook
• Yarn needle
• Scissors

Gauge

16 sts by 9 rows = 4” square
Using Mesh Stitch as described above

Finished Measurements

9 sts = 2 inches; 9 rows = 2 inches
(Measured on WS of cloth)

Stitch Abbreviations (US Terminology)

• BBS – Beginning Border Stitch
• BLOsc – Back Loop Only Single Crochet
• ch – Chain
• EBS – Ending Border Stitch
• FLOdc – Front Loop Only Double Crochet
• Fsc – Foundation single crochet
• lp – Loop
• RS – Right Side
• You’ll find a video tutorial for this pattern here.

Special Stitches

Beginning Border Stitch (BBS): A standing sc through the post (or the ‘v’) of the stitch below, ensuring that both legs of the stitch on the WS are to the outside of the washcloth. (For right-handed crocheters the legs would be secured to the right of the stitch and vice versa for left-handed crocheters.)

Back Loop Only Single Crochet (BLOsc): Insert hook in back loop of indicated st, yo and pull up a lp, yo and draw through both lps on hook. 

Front Loop Only Double Crochet (FLOdc): Yo, insert hook in front loop of st below the indicated st, yo and pull up a lp, yo and draw through two lps on hook, yo and draw through remaining two lops on hook.

Ending Border Stitch (EBS): A sc through the post (or the ‘v’) of the stitch below, ensuring that both legs of the stitch on the WS are to the outside of the washcloth. (Similar to BBS, but the back legs of the stitch are secured to the opposite side.)

Pattern Notes

• Pattern is worked from right to left on Right Side only. (If you are left handed, feel free to work from left to right).
• Every row is worked in a different color.
• Fasten off at the end of each row, leaving 3-inch tails.
• Every row begins with a beginning border stitch.
• Every row ends with an ending border stitch.
• Single crochet stitches are worked in the back loop only of the previous row.
• Double crochet stitches are worked in the front loop only of the stitch two rows below. 
• The colorwork technique used in this pattern is overlay mosaic crochet. No bobbins are needed. Color changes are made at the beginning of each row.  
• The video for this pattern can be found here.

Mosaic Crochet Chart for the ZigZag Washcloth

Pattern Instructions

Row 1: With Color A, FSC x29.

Row 2: With Color B, BBS in 1st, BLOsc across, EBS in last.

Row 3: With Color A, BBS in 1st, *BLOsc X1, FLOdc X1, BLOsc X1, FLOdc X1, BLOsc x2, FLOdc X1, BLOsc*, repeat across, BLOsc x1, EBS in last.

Row 4: With Color B, BBS in 1st, *BLOsc x2, FLOdc X1, BLOsc x2, FLOdc X1, BLOsc X1, FLOdc*, repeat across, BLOsc x1, EBS in last.

Row 5: With Color A, BBS in 1st, *FLOdc X1, BLOsc x3, FLOdc X1, BLOsc x3*, repeat across, FLOdc x1, EBS in last.

Row 6: With Color B, BBS in 1st, *BLOsc X1, FLOdc X1, BLOsc X1, FLOdc X1, BLOsc x2, FLOdc X1, BLOsc*, repeat across, BLOsc x1, EBS in last.

Row 7: With Color A, BBS in 1st, *BLOsc x2, FLOdc X1, BLOsc x2, FLOdc X1, BLOsc X1, FLOdc*, repeat across, BLOsc x1, EBS in last.

Row 8: With Color B, BBS in 1st, *FLOdc X1, BLOsc x3, FLOdc X1, BLOsc x3*, repeat across, FLOdc x1, EBS in last.

Rows 9-41: Repeat Rows 3-8

Envelope Border

The video for the border can be found here.

Back Border 

Round 1: With WS of cloth facing up, using Color B, sc in the FLO of any stitch along the bottom of washcloth, sc in FLO in each stitch. In each corner, *sc in FLO, ch 1, sc in FLO*. Along the side, sc through both legs of the border stitches. Sl st join to first st. 

Round 2: Ch 1, BLOsc in each stitch around. In each corner, *BLOsc, ch-1, BLOsc* in each corner. Invisible join to first stitch.

Round 3: Repeat Round 2. Fasten off.

Front Border:

Rounds 1-3: With RS of tile facing up, repeat Round 1 of Back Border. Do not fasten off.

Finishing:

Secure ends by tying two together along each side.

Trim ends to about 1 inch in length.

With Color B, BLOsc through BOTH borders. (The loops that are closest together on the dishcloth), ensuring that the ends are enclosed in the envelope border.

Fasten off.

Weave in (or hide) all ends.

Ready, Set… CROCHET!

Action Items:

• Work up the ZigZag Mosaic Crochet Washcloth Pattern
• Post a picture of your finished dishcloth in The Stitchin’ Mommy Crochet Community.
• Head over to Oombawka Design Crochet on the second Sunday of each month in 2025 to discover three new dishcloth (or washcloth) patterns!

Definitely post pictures and share about the blog hop on any social media you have. When you make this dishcloth, be sure to tag me @juniperandoakes and use #juniperandoakes so we can see your progress!

The Fine Print

This pattern and its images are the property of Juniper and Oakes ©2024. The pattern is for your personal use only. Please do not copy/paste, distribute, or alter and claim as your own. You may sell products made by this pattern, but please credit @juniperandoakes and remember to link back to juniperandoakes.com or credit Juniper & Oakes on the craft fair tag.

You may post pictures on social media and tag @juniperandoakes and use the hashtags #juniperandoakes. If you make this pattern, please email a picture to [email protected] and I will include it in a gallery on my website. You can also post pictures on my Facebook Page, or in the Juniper + Oakes Crochet Community Facebook Group.

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Let me know if you run into a problem. I respond quickly and will help any way I can to clarify any confusion or challenging stitches.