Pepper Kitchen Towel, Free Knitting Pattern
There's something about a handknit kitchen towel that makes even the most ordinary Tuesday feel a little more considered. The Pepper Kitchen Towel is one of those projects that looks more complicated than it is — the seed stitch panels give it that satisfying textured border, while the garter stitch body knits up quickly and almost on autopilot. It's the kind of project you can work on while half-watching something in the evening and still feel genuinely proud of at the end. One skein, beginner-friendly, done in a weekend — and it makes a really lovely gift if you can bear to give it away.
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GET THE PEPPER KITCHEN TOWEL:
Why Garter Stitch and Seed Stitch for a Kitchen Towel?
These two stitches are genuinely a great pairing for anything you're going to use in the kitchen, and it's not just about looks.
Garter stitch lies flat naturally. No curling edges, no need to force it into shape. For a towel that's going to be picked up, hung, folded, and used constantly, that matters. It also creates a slightly springy, loopy fabric that's surprisingly absorbent — more so than stockinette, which tends to be flatter and denser.
Seed stitch works the opposite way - it's firm, structured, and holds its shape beautifully. Used as a border panel here, it gives the towel those clean, defined edges and a bit of visual interest without adding any real difficulty. You're still just knitting and purling; you're just alternating them.
Together, they make a towel that's both practical and pretty. Which is exactly what you want hanging in your kitchen.
Pepper Kitchen Towel Free Knitting Pattern
If you haven’t knit from a knitting pattern yet - I highly recommend you check out my post on reading knitting patterns here - it will help you follow the instructions smoothly!
© Whileberry 2026. Please keep in mind that this pattern is for personal use only, and both the pattern and photos can’t be copied or reproduced on another website.
sizes
One size: width 30 cm (12”), length 42.5 cm (17”).
supplies
yarn
For this tea towel I used Drops Paris in color Almond, which is really affordable, available in lots of colors and easy to care for!
If you'd like to knit the towel in a different yarn - you can choose any similar worsted weight (category 4 - medium) cotton yarn. A few options that should work fine for a tea towel:
Yardage: approx. 150 m (164 yds).
needles
5 mm (US 8) straight or circular needles, or to fit gauge
other notions
Tapestry needle and scissors. Row counter recommended, but not required.
gauge
18 stitches x 28 rows in 10x10 cm (4x4”) in garter stitch, blocked
Garter stitch - worked over any number of sts.
All rows: k all sts.
pattern notes
Video tutorials for specific techniques are linked and showing as yellow.
As the towel is not a wearable item, gauge is not critical in this project - however if you can’t match the gauge listed, the tea towel will differ in dimensions and it may affect the yardage needed.
When slipping the stitches (sl2wyif, sl2wyib) for the i-cord border, pay attention not to make an accidental yarnover when moving the yarn front/back.
hanging loop
If you'd like to add a hanging loop to your tea towel, you can modify the pattern in finishing section as follows: bind off sts until there are only 2 left on the needles (1 on left needle and 1 on right needle), k1, slip both sts to the left needle. The loop cord will be worked over these last 2 sts. Work Row 1 until the cord measures approx. 10 cm (4”) or desired length.
Row 1 (RS): k2, slip the sts back to the left needle.
Bind off both sts and sew the end of the cord to the back of the tea towel corner to create the hanging loop.
Note that adding the loop will increase the yardage by approx. 5 m (5 yds).
abbreviations
k - knit
p - purl
RS / WS - right side / wrong side
sl2wyib - slip 2 sts purlwise with yarn in back
sl2wyif- slip 2 sts purlwise with yarn in front
st(s) - stitch(es)
** - work instruction between asterisks given number of times or until given moment
instructions
Lower Border
Cast on 53 sts using Long Tail Cast On, or another cast on technique of your choice.
Work Rows 1-2 a total of two times. (4 rows worked in total).
Row 1 (WS): sl2wyif, k until 2 sts left, p2.
Row 2 (RS): sl2wyib, k until end of row.
Lower Panel
Next, work Rows 1-2 a total of thirteen times (26 rows worked in total).
Row 1 (WS): sl2wyif, k1, p1 until 3 sts left, k1, p2.
Row 2 (RS): sl2wyib, k1, p1 until 3 sts left, k3.
Center Band
Work Rows 1-2 a total of 31 times, then work Row 1 once more. (63 rows worked in total).
Row 1 (WS): sl2wyif, k until 2 sts left, p2.
Row 2 (RS): sl2wyib, k until end of row.
Upper Panel
Next, work Rows 1-2 a total of thirteen times. (26 rows worked in total).
Row 1 (RS): sl2wyib, p1, k1 until 3 sts left, p1, k2.
Row 2 (WS): sl2wyif, p1, k1 until 3 sts left, p3.
Upper Border
Work Rows 1-2 a total of two times. (4 rows worked in total).
Row 1 (RS): sl2wyib, k until end of row.
Row 2 (WS): sl2wyif, k until 2 sts left, p2.
Finishing
Bind off all sts using a standard bind off, cut yarn and weave in ends. Block to dimensions.
I hope you enjoy knitting your Pepper Kitchen Towel! It's one of those projects that's just the right size — enough to feel satisfying, small enough to actually finish.
And if you'd like a clean, ad-free PDF version to save or print, you can find it in the Whileberry shop on Etsy. Happy knitting!
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