Swiffer Cozy Pattern

Here is the long awaited pattern for my Swiffer Cozy, winner of an honorable mention in the Whiplash Competition Color theme.

The ballband pattern is a classic dishcloth pattern printed on the back of Peaches & Creme worsted weight cotton yarn. It's been popularized by the 2006 book Mason-Dixon Knitting by Kay Gardiner and Ann Shayne. This swiffer cover was directly inspired by Mason Dixon and their use of color and levity for ordinary household items like dishclothes.

For the swiffer cover, I recommend a superwash wool. You can use cotton, but I find that the cotton tends to get a little tacky on the floor, while the wool glides right over. My wool cozy has held up much better than the organic cotton version, and is my favorite for swiffering.

Materials:

• worsted weight machine washable wool or cotton yarn, assorted colors, this doesn't use a lot of yarn so it's a great way to use up leftovers or stash yarns.
• #7 16" circular needles
• 4 buttons
• needle for sewing in ends and sewing on buttons

Gauge: 18 sts and 32 rows = 4"

Pattern:

Cast on and follow the pattern for ballband dishcloth. You have a copy of Mason-Dixon Knitting, right? Or get the pattern off the label of a ball of Peaches & Creme. It also can be found here under Textured Slip Stitch.

Knit rows 1-12 a total of three times. You should have 6 bands of the pattern and that's just enough to cover the base of your swiffer.

Knit one row
Purl one row
knit one row

start tabs:
change color if you'd like. knit 15 stitches. bind off next 15 sts. knit 15.

work these 15 sts in garter stitch for 16 rows.

buttonhole row:
Knit 3 sts. K2tog, yo,k 5, K2tog, yo, knit 3 sts.

knit three rows and bind off those 15 sts.

there should still be 15 sts on your needle for the other tab. work 16 rows in garter stitch. repeat buttonhole row instructions. knit three rows and bind off.

For the other two tabs: pick up 15 sts from right side. work 19 rows of garter stitch and bind off.

pick up 15 sts from left side. work 19 rows of garter stitch and bind off.

try it on your swiffer and note where the buttons need to be sewn onto the tabs.
Sew on buttons and swiffer away!