Charcoal Bandana Hand Towel Free Crochet Pattern
Charcoal Bandana Hand Towel Free Crochet Pattern
Introduction
This charcoal bandana hand towel is a warm, rustic little workhorse for your kitchen or bathroom, and it's a wonderful project for advanced beginners who want something useful and satisfying to make. The design is simple and striking: a soft oatmeal rectangle with wide charcoal stripes near each end and a delicate picot edging in charcoal all the way around. It looks a bit like a classic western bandana towel, with clean color blocks and a crisp border. Worked in worsted weight cotton, it feels sturdy but soft in the hand, absorbs well, and only gets better with every wash.
Materials Needed
- Yarn: Worsted weight (4) cotton yarn — approximately 200 yards oatmeal (Color A) and 100 yards charcoal (Color B)
- Hook: 5.5 mm (I-9) crochet hook
- Notions: Tapestry needle for weaving in ends, scissors, measuring tape
- Finished size: Approximately 16 inches wide by 24 inches long
Abbreviations
- ch — chain: make a loop of yarn and pull it through the loop on your hook.
- dc — double crochet: yarn over, insert hook in stitch, pull up a loop, yarn over and pull through two loops, yarn over and pull through the last two loops.
- sc — single crochet: insert hook in stitch, pull up a loop, yarn over and pull through both loops.
- sl st — slip stitch: insert hook in stitch, yarn over and pull through both the stitch and the loop on your hook at once.
- st(s) — stitch(es)
- Rnd — round
Gauge
14 stitches and 8 rows = 4 inches in double crochet. To check it, crochet a small swatch in double crochet and measure a 4-inch section in both directions; adjust your hook size if you have more or fewer stitches than 14 per 4 inches.
Tips Before You Start
- Cotton has little stretch, so keep your double crochet stitches relaxed and even — tight stitches make a stiff towel that won't drape.
- Change colors on the last yarn-over of the final stitch of a row so the new color starts cleanly at the beginning of the next row.
- Count your stitches at the end of every color band; the towel should stay at 55 dc throughout, and a missed stitch will show in the stripes.
- When working the edging, keep the single crochet rounds flat — if the border ruffles, space your stitches slightly further apart along the sides.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Towel (worked in Color A and Color B)
Row 1: With A, ch 57, dc in 3rd ch from hook and each ch across (55 dc).
Rows 2-4: Ch 2, turn, dc in each st across (55 dc).
Change to B.
Rows 5-12: Ch 2, turn, dc in each st across (55 dc).
Change to A.
Rows 13-36: Ch 2, turn, dc in each st across (55 dc).
Change to B.
Rows 37-44: Ch 2, turn, dc in each st across (55 dc).
Change to A.
Rows 45-48: Ch 2, turn, dc in each st across (55 dc). Fasten off.
Edging (Color B)
Join B with a sl st in any corner.
Rnd 1: Ch 1, sc evenly around the entire towel, working 3 sc in each corner; join with sl st to first sc.
Rnd 2: Ch 1, sc in each sc around, working 3 sc in each corner; join with sl st to first sc.
Rnd 3 (picot): Ch 1, *sc in next 3 sc, ch 3, sl st in 3rd ch from hook (picot); repeat from * around, adjusting to end with sc in last sc; join with sl st to first sc. Fasten off.
Assembly and Finishing
This towel is worked in one piece, so there is no seaming. Weave in all ends on the wrong side, threading each tail through several stitches in its own color so it stays hidden. Block the towel by misting it lightly with water and pinning it to the finished 16 by 24 inch measurements on a towel or blocking mat; let it dry completely so the picot edging lies flat and the corners sit square.
Pro Tips and Variations
- Swap the charcoal for a deep rust or forest green for a different seasonal look while keeping the same stripe layout.
- Add a hanging loop by chaining 12 at one corner during Rnd 2 of the edging and joining it back with a sl st before continuing.
- Work the central oatmeal section in half double crochet for a slightly denser, quicker towel — just check that your row count still reaches about 24 inches.
