I am happy to share this free pattern for a simple to crochet baby bath towel and washcloth set. It would make a perfect shower gift because it is useful as well as adorable!

Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. Yarn provided by Yarnspirations.com. This pattern originally appeared in I Like Crochet.

Hooded Baby Bath Towel

Lily Sugar’n Cream comes in a million colors and is very inexpensive (even more so if you use the coupon code below!), but you mostly see its absorbent qualities used for washcloths and dishcloths. So go ahead and make that washcloth for your favorite small person, but why not add a hooded bath towel for a terrific shower or birthday gift?

Working on the bias in a simple double crochet stitch is not as hard as it looks – you only need to learn one increase and one decrease and you use the same techniques for all the parts of the set. To simplify things even more, feel free to change the hood edging from crab stitch to plain single crochet.

Skill level: Easy

Finished Size: Towel is 30” (76 cm) square, washcloth is 6” (15 cm) square, excluding edgings.

Materials:

Lily Sugar’n Cream (100% cotton; 150 yards [138 meters]/85 grams): #19605 Creamsicle 6 skeins

• Crochet Hook: size 7 (4.50 mm) or size needed to obtain gauge

• Tapestry needle

Gauge:

12 sts and 8 rows = 4” [10 cm] in dc. Gauge not critical for this pattern and blocking is not required.

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Pattern Notes:

Ch-3 counts as 1 dc throughout.

On the increase section ONLY, placing the first 2 dc in the very first dc (that you would normally skip if you were working even) creates an increase on that side. On the decrease section the turning ch replaces the very first dc, the decrease is in the 2nd and 3rd dc of the row.

Special Stitches:

Crab stitch – work sc in the opposite direction you would normally stitch without turning the work.

Bath Towel:

Main Piece

Increase Section:

Ch 4.

Row 1: 4 dc in 4th ch from hook. Ch 3, turn. 5 dc

Row 2: 2 dc in first dc (see note), dc in each dc across to last dc, 2 dc in last dc. Ch 3, turn. 8 dc

Row 3: Rep Row 2. 11 dc

Rep Row 2 for pattern until work measures approximately 30” (76 cm) along straight edge of work.

Decrease Section:

Row 1: Dc2tog, dc across until 3 dc remain, dc2tog, leave last dc (which is the t-ch) unworked. Ch 3, turn. 3 sts have been decreased.

Rep Row 1 for pattern until 5 dc remain.

Last Row: Dc3tog. End off.

Hood:

Rep instructions for Main Piece Increase Section until work measures approximately 12” (31 cm) along straight edge of work, ch 1, turn.

Work 1 row crab st for edging.

Weave in all ends.

Finishing:

Pin hood into place on one corner so that the stitching on the hood and the main towel are running in the same direction.

Work 1 round sc around towel, beginning anywhere, working through both layers to attach hood to towel when you come to it, and placing 3 sc in each corner. Join rnd with sl st in first sc, end off.

Weave in all ends.

Washcloth:

Rep instructions for Main Piece Increase section until work measures approximately 6” (15 cm) along straight edge.

Rep all instructions for Main Piece Decrease section. End off.

Finishing:

Work one round sc around washcloth, beginning anywhere, and placing 3 sc in each corner. Join rnd with sl st in first sc, end off.