The Fairport Towel — Free Knitting Pattern

This is a great summer knit—small enough to toss in your bag, simple enough to work on anywhere, and just engaging enough to keep your hands busy. It’s worked in seed stitch with a cotton-blend yarn for absorbency and durability—made to be used, not just admired.

I’ve been into seasonal hand towels lately—I have ones for Christmas, Valentine’s Day, spring, and the 4th of July—but as July started winding down, I realized I didn’t have anything that felt summery. I picked up some Ella Rae Marmel yarn on a day out in Fairport, and the colors just felt right, like a late night sunset. The marled quality paired with seed stitch gave it a sort of artisanal look, like something you’d find at a little boutique that sells handmade candles and fancy soap.

I loved the way it looked, and I love knitting seed stitch, so that led to a second version using Lazy Hazy Summer Cotton. This one has more of a daytime summer vibe, like tie-dye at the beach.

Now, onto what you came for.

Finished Size

Approx. 12.5” x 24” (after washing/blocking)

Gauge

24 stitches x 32 rows in seed stitch

Needles 

3.75mm (US 5) or size needed to achieve gauge. 

*A slightly tighter gauge is recommended for a dense, durable fabric that holds up well to use and washing.

Yarn

This pattern is written for DK weight yarn. A cotton blend—like cotton/acrylic or cotton/polyester works best, offering a good balance of absorbency, softness, and durability. Approximately 100g of yarn is needed.

I used:

 

• Ella Rae Marmel (58% cotton / 42% acrylic) in Rainbow Pyrite (40)

• Rico Design Creative Lazy Hazy Summer Cotton (49% cotton / 46% acrylic / 5% polyester) in Buttercream (9)

Both yarns have a marled, color-shifting quality that contributes to the overall vibe of the towel. For a truly similar look, choose a yarn with similar characteristics—or opt for a solid color for a more minimalist style.

Other Notions

• Scissors

• Darning needle

• Optional: 3.25mm crochet hook (for crab stitch edge) or 4mm needles (for ruffle edge)

—Pattern Instructions—

Cast on 75 stitches using the long tail cast on (or your preferred method).

Work in seed stitch as follows:

Row: (K1, P1) repeat to last stitch, K1.

Repeat this row until the towel measures approximately 22” in length (before blocking), or around 20” if you plan to add a ruffle edge. 

Bind off using your preferred method — if you’re not adding an edge, choose a bind-off that matches the look and tension of your cast-on.

To match the long tail cast-on, I like using the double-pass bind-off. I explain it more in this post, but the repeat is:

Knit 1, slip next stitch purlwise with yarn in back, pass previous knit stitch over slipped stitch, slip remaining stitch back to left needle.

You can leave the towel plain, add a crochet crab stitch for a structured, finished edge, or knit a ruffle for extra flair.

Crab Stitch (Reverse Single Crochet):

Using a 3.25 mm crochet hook, work single crochet stitches from left to right along one short edge (cast-on or bind-off), then repeat on the other. This creates a twisted rope-like detail that gives the towel’s edge a polished look.

Ruffle Edge:

Using 3.75 mm needles (or size used for gauge), pick up and knit 1 stitch in the back loop only along one short edge — 75 stitches.

Knit 1 row.

Switch to the next larger needle size (e.g., 4 mm).

Knit front and back (kfb) in every stitch across — 150 stitches.

Knit 6-8 rows and bind off loosely with a standard bind-off.

Repeat on the opposite short edge.

Finishing Notes

Weave in all ends.

Blocking is optional—I wet blocked mine and gave it a light steam to help the fabric relax, but not really necessary.

From here on out, I’m just going to machine wash and dry them like any other towel.

(If they fall apart, I’ll let you know.)