Here is the finished Tea Towel! It is so soft and has such lovely colors. I am now making more Tea Towels, in brighter colors, to go with Christmas Baskets. I think that a set of hand towels, pot holders, dish cloths and the like can be made using the Rose Square motif.

The tea towel shown in the photo (if I manage to upload it with such lousy Internet connection) is the first prototype and is slightly different from the written pattern. I had to make some adjustments to the pattern to improve the strap of the tea towel.

I’m making another new design for tea towel, this time using three granny squares and brighter colors. The towels I made in Baclayon used two strands of no. 8 cotton thread held together. If you would like a tougher towel, you can use this pattern with two strands of thread.

I’ll have more photos up as soon as they’re available.

Crocheted Tea Towel in Rose Square Motif
by Fatima Lasay (fats@crochetology.net)

Lovely rose square motifs liven up this crocheted Tea Towel - a practical and all-season gift for family and friends.

Skill Level: Easy
Finished Measurements: 25″ long x 11″ wide (including strap)
Yarn: Crochet Cotton Thread size 8 in at least 3 colors: pale yellow, lavender and mauve
Hook: Aluminum crochet hook size 5 (3mm)
Gauge: Rose Square Motif = 4″ (10cm)
28 sts and 13 rows = 4″ (10cm) in [2 dc, ch 1] pattern
Notions: Button (0.6″ diameter), yarn needle
Terminology: Pattern is written using US crochet terminology (see chart on last page for conversion)

Design notes: The Tea Towel is crocheted starting with the Rose Square Motifs made in the round, which are join-as-you-go motifs. Alternatively, you can crochet the two motifs separately and then sew them together by hand. Two extra flowers are made and sewn on the back side of the motifs (also optional). The strap is made in rows, and finally, the towel, also in rows. The button is sewn by hand. Space in the treble stitch of the strap should be of sufficient size to serve as buttonhole.

Instructions:

Rose Square Motif
First Motif

Using pale yellow thread, ch 12. Sl st in first ch to join into a ring.

Rnd 1: Ch 1, 18 sc in ring, sl st to first sc to join.
Rnd 2: Ch 1, sc in same sc, *ch 3, sk 2 sc, sc in next sc, rep from * ending with sl st in first sc. (6 ch-3 loops made)
Rnd 3: Ch 1, [sc in ch-3 loop, ch 3, 5 dc in ch-3 loop, ch 3, sc in ch-3 loop] in all 6 ch-3 loops, end with sl st in first sc. (6 petals made).
Rnd 4: Ch 1, working behind each petal, *sc around base under 2 sc between two petals, ch 5, rep from * all around ending with sl st in first sc. (6 ch-5 loops made).
Rnd 5: Ch 1, [sc in ch-5 loop, ch 3, 7 dc in ch-5 loop, ch 3, sc in ch-5 loop] in all 6 ch-5 loops, end with sl st in first sc. Fasten off.

Rnd 6: Using lavender thread, join with sl st around base under 2 sc between two petals, *ch 6, sc around base under 2 sc between next two petals, rep from * ending with sl st in first sc.
Rnd 7: Sl st into ch-6 loop, [ch 3 (count as 1 dc), 4 dc, ch 2, 1 dc] in same ch-6 loop, 6 dc in next ch-6 loop, [2 dc, ch 2, 4 dc] in next ch-6 loop, [5 dc, ch 2, 1 dc] in next ch-6 loop, 6 dc in next ch-6 loop, [2 dc, ch 2, 4 dc] in last ch-6 loop, join with sl st to top of ch-3.
Rnd 8: Ch 3 (count as 1 dc), dc in each of next 4 dc, *[3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc] in ch-2 sp, dc in each of next 9 dc, rep from * 2 times, [3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc] in ch-2 sp, dc in each of next 4 dc, join with sl st to top of ch-3. Fasten off.
Rnd 9: With mauve color thread join with sl st in same place, ch 1, sc in same ch-1 st, sc in next dc, *(ch 3, sl st in last sc made (picot made)), sc in next dc, picot, sc in next 3 dc, picot, sc in next dc, picot, sc in next dc, sc in ch-2 sp, ch 7, sc in same ch-2 sp, sc in next dc, picot, sc in next dc, picot, sc in next 3 dc, picot, sc in next dc, picot, sc in next 3 dc, rep from * 3 times, ending with sc in last dc and sl st in first sc.
Rnd 10: Sl st to tip of first picot, ch 1, sc in same picot, *ch 5, sk next picot, sc in next picot, ch 5, sc in ch-7 loop, ch 7, sc in same loop, ch 5, sk next picot, sc in next picot, ch 5, sk next picot, sc in next picot, ch 5, sc in next picot, rep from * 3 times, ending with ch 5 and sl st in first sc. Fasten off.

Second Motif

Follow instruction for rnds 1-9. Rnd 10 joins the second motif to the first motif. If you have difficulty in this section, you can crochet the two motifs separately and then sew them together by hand.

Rnd 10: Sl st to tip of first picot, ch 1, sc in same picot, ch 5, sk next picot, sc in next picot, ch 5, sc in ch-7 loop, ch 3, sc in ch-7 loop of first motif, ch 3, sc in ch-7 loop of second motif, ch 2, sc in ch-5 loop of first motif, ch 2, sk next picot, sc in next picot, ch 2, sc in second ch-5 loop of first motif, ch 2, sk next picot, sc in next picot, ch 2, sc in third ch-5 loop of first motif, ch 2, sc in next picot, ch 2, sc in fourth ch-5 loop of first motif, ch 2, sk next picot, sc in next picot, ch 2, sc in fifth ch-5 loop of first motif, ch 2, sc in ch-7 loop, ch 3, sc in ch-7 loop of first motif, ch 3, sc in ch-7 loop of second motif, *ch 5, sk next picot, sc in next picot, ch 5, sk next picot, sc in next picot, ch 5, sc in next picot, ch 5, sk next picot, sc in next picot, ch 5, sk next picot, sc in ch-7 loop, ch 7, sc in same loop, rep from *, ch 5, sk next picot, sc in next picot, ch 5, sk next picot, sc in next picot, ch 5, sl st in first sc. Fasten off.

Optional:

Using pale yellow thread, make two more flowers following rnds 1-5.

Sew the two flowers to opposite side of the motifs.

Strap

Using mauve color thread, attach with sl st to corner ch-7 loop.

Row 1: Ch 4 (count as 1 tr here and throughout), 3 tr in same loop, 4 tr in each of the remaining 13 loops across. Ch 4, turn.
Row 2: 1 tr in next tr, 2 tr in gap after next 2 tr, *2 tr in gap after next 4 tr, rep fr * until you have 4 tr left; sk 2 tr, 1 tr in each of last 2 tr. Ch 4, turn.
Row 3-6: Sk 3 tr, 2 tr in gap after every 2 tr until you have 3 tr left, end with 1 tr in top of last ch-4. Ch 4, turn.
Row 7-8: Sk 3 tr, 2 tr in gap, 1 tr in gap after every 2 tr until you have 5 tr left, sk 2 tr, 2 tr in gap, sk 2 tr, 1 tr in top of last ch-4. Ch 4, turn.
Row 9: Sk 3 tr, 2 tr in gap, [sk 1 tr, 1 tr in gap] twice, sk 1 tr, 2 tr in gap, 1 tr in top of last ch-4 (8 tr made). Ch 4, turn.
Row 10-21: 1 tr in each tr. Ch 4, turn. In last rep, omit ch 4; ch 1, turn.
Row 22: Sc in each tr across.

Fasten off.

Towel Body

With lavender thread, join with sl st to corner ch-7 loop.

Row 1: Ch 3 (count as 1 dc here and throughout), 4 dc in same loop, 5 dc in each of the remaining 13 loops across. Ch 3, turn.
Row 2: Dc in next dc, *ch 1, sk 1 dc, dc in next 2 dc, ch 1, dc in next 2 dc, rep from * to end; ch 3 turn.
Row 3-34: Same as in row 2, but in row 34 omit last ch 3. Ch 1, turn. (If you would like to make a longer strap, simply add more rows.)
Row 35: Sc in each st across. Fasten off.

With matching thread and yarn needle, sew button to row 4 of the strap. The gaps in tr st of strap should easily serve as buttonhole.

Weave in all ends.

Crochet Terminology
Conversion Chart