Crochet facecloths

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HOW TO MAKE CROCHET FACECLOTHS

MATERIALS Q Nurturing Fibres Eco-Cotton DK, 100% cotton, 124m/136yd per 50g, one ball each in Vanilla (Yarn A), Bessie (Yarn B), Ruby (Yarn C), Lime (Yarn D) and Charcoal (Yarn E) Q 3.5mm (UK 9, US E/4) crochet hook Q Yarn needle

TENSION Tension isn’t important for this project, just aim for a finish that’s not too tight

ABBREVIATIONS (UK) st(s) stitch(es) sp(s) space(s) ch chain ch-sp(s) chain space(s) ss slip stitch dc double crochet htr half treble tr treble

magic ring make a magic ring, hold thread in your hand and wrap working yarn around forefinger twice to create ring, slip ring off your finger and insert hook to pick up first st, ch2, then work the necessary sts for Round 1 and close the ring tightly by pulling the loose end

FINISHED SIZE Approx. 17cm (6 ") diameter

It’s time to ditch the single-use wipes and bring back the facecloth. The planet’s worth it and so is your skin. This fruity set will brighten up your bathroom too, and you could switch up the colours to make all kinds of different juicy slices. Use an eco-friendly yarn or something from your stash to crochet yours with extra green goodness.

Instructions Each fruit cloth is made in two pieces –a front and a back –using the same pattern and then joined at the end using dc sts. Differences for each fruit are achieved by changing yarn colours and sewing embellishments. The ch1 or ch2 at the beginning of a round does not count as a st. When making the cloths, it’s normal for them to cup quite a bit; this will be resolved once the parts are joined. Blocking afterwards will also help the facecloths to lie flat.

Front Using Yarn A for apple and lemon and Yarn C for watermelon, begin with a magic ring Round 1 ch2, 10tr into ring, pull ring tight, ss to first tr to join [10 tr] Round 2 ch1, *(1dc, 1htr, 1tr) in next st, ch1, (1tr, 1htr, 1dc) in the next st; repeat from * 4 more times, ss to first dc to join [10dc, 10htr, 10tr, 5ch] Lemon only: change to Yarn B and attach in 1ch-sp Round 3 ss along and into 1ch-sp, *ch6, ss in next 1ch-sp; repeat from * 4 more times [5 6ch-sps] Round 4 ss in 6ch-sp, ch1 (does not count as a st), 7dc in each 6ch-sp [35 dc] Round 5 ch2, *4tr, 2tr in next st; repeat from * around, ss to first tr to join [42 tr] Round 6 ch2, *5tr, 2tr in next st; repeat from * around, ss to first tr to join [49 tr] Round 7 ch2, *6tr, 2tr in next st; repeat from * around, ss to first tr

to join [56 tr] Round 8 ch2, *7tr, 2tr in next st; repeat from * around, ss to first tr to join [63 tr] Round 9 ch2, *8tr, 2tr in next st; repeat from * around, ss to first tr to join [70 tr] For lemon and watermelon, change to Yarn A for next round Round 10 ch2, *4htr, 2htr in next st; repeat from * around, ss to first tr to join [84 htr] Break yarn and fasten off Embroider the details using a yarn needle and the main image as a guide. For the apple, stitch two lines in the centre with Yarn E. For the watermelon, stitch seeds along Rounds 5 and 8 with Yarn E. For the lemon, make 10 long lines along the circumference with Yarn A, equidistant from each other, from Round 4 to Round 9.

Back Using Yarn D for apple and watermelon, and Yarn B for lemon, begin with a magic ring Round 1 ch2, 10tr in magic ring, ss to first tr to join [10 tr] Round 2 ch2, 2tr in each st around, ss to first tr to join [20 tr] Round 3 ch2, 2dc in each st around, ss to first dc to join [40 dc] Round 4 *19tr, 2tr in next st; repeat from * once, ss to first tr to join [42 dc] Rounds 5-9 repeat Rounds 6 to 10 of front section without any colour changes, do not break yarn Place the front and back sides with wrong sides (WS) together, work next round through the sts of both the back and the front piece Round 10 ch1, *5dc, 2dc in next st; repeat from * around, place 1 more dc for ss space, ss to first dc to join [99 dc]

MEET THE MAKER OLA OGUNLOLU

Ola is a student in his final year of studying for a degree in psychology and management at a South African university. He spends his free time knitting and crocheting and enjoys creating colourful projects. www. ravelry.com/designers/ ola-ogunlolu