Knitting and so on: Wölkchen Washcloth

Currently, I seem to be obsessed with intarsia knitting ... but since I do not like to weave in ends (AT ALL), I try to do everything with a maximum of two skeins (or bobbins) of yarn. In the instance of this piece, I wanted to achieve a white cloud shape on blue background. And since the background is above and below as well as left and right of the white cloud, I needed to knit around the center to only have two active skeins.

Yes, I know that it would have been perfectly easy to just knit it in plain intarsia style with three bobbins of yarn (two blue, one white) in a rectangle from bottom to top. But I really (really, really) wanted to achieve this with only two of them (one blue, one white).

Since it is knitted with intarsia technique the WS of the piece looks OK. It is knitted all in garter stitch, which gives it a squishy texture. Of course, this piece can not only be used as a washcloth, but also as a potholder or coaster.

As to the name, Wölkchen is the german word for a small cloud or a puff of a cloud.

This work by Knitting and so on is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Materials

a total of 30 grams of Sports or DK weight yarn in two colors (however, you can use other yarn weights as well)
3.5mm needles (or the needles that the yarn calls for)
scrap yarn and crochet hook for provisional CO
a tapestry needle to weave in ends

Techniques & Notation

Intarsia: Changing colors with the intarsia technique - as shown in this YouTube video by knitwithpat; or this YouTube video by Francoise Danoy. That way you don't have to carry long strands on the WS. The picture below shows the RS and WS of the piece.

Throughout the pattern, the following notation is used: C1 (k4); C2 (k10, w+t, k10); C1 (k to end) means, knit 4 stitches in C1, change to C2 and knit 10 sts, do a wrap and turn, knit 10 stitches and then change back to C1 and k to end. I.e. color is indicated before the knitting instructions for that yarn. the knitting instructions for that yarn are given in brackets after the color and color changes are indicated by a semicolon.
Short rows with wrap and turn (w+t) - as shown in this YouTube video by Very Pink Knits.
Since this washcloth is knit in garter stitch, you don't have to pick up your wraps - except in two rows, i.e. the rows where the wrapping color is different from the color of the wrapped stitch. These rows are indicated in the pattern. Here's a YouTube video that shows how to pick up your wraps (also by Very Pink Knits).
Note: in some rows the wrap has to be made just at the color change in the row below, e.g. Ridge B11 where you knit 11 sts in C1 and the 12 stitch that is to be wrapped was knitted in C2. In this case, it's advisable to change the color (as if to knit the next stitch in the new color), wrap and turn in the new color, and then to change back. This gives nicer color edges.
Provisional CO: My favorite method for a provisional CO is the crochet provisional CO - it is shown in this Youtube video by New Stitch a Day.
Grafting in Garter Stitch: A technique to get an invisible (knitted) seam - this technique is shown in this YouTube Video by knittinghelp.com.

Construction

The washcloth is knitted in 5 parts. It starts with a provisional CO. Then each row is a stitch shorter than the last one, One part ends, when the row is only 1 stitch long - then the next part begins and each row is one stitch longer than the last one until all stitches are knitted and we've sucessfully knitted around a corner. Then the row length is getting shorter again for the next corner.

After knitting around four corners and the two sides (CO and last row) are grafted in garter stitch.

Instructions

Part A

With scrap yarn provisionally CO 18 sts

Row 0: C2 (k4), C1 (k14)
Ridge A1: C1 (k13); C2 (k4, w+t, k4); C1 (k13)
Ridge A2: C1 (k12); C2 (k4, w+t, k4); C1 (k12)

Ridge A3: C1 (k11); C2 (k4, w+t, k4); C1 (k11)

Ridge A4: C1 (k11); C2 (k3, w+t, k3); C1 (k11)

Ridge A5: C1 (k11); C2 (k2, w+t, k2); C1 (k11)

Ridge A6: C1 (k11); C2 (k1, w+t, k1); C1 (k11)

Ridge A7: C1 (k11, w+t, k11)

Ridge A8: C1 (k10, w+t, k10)

Ridge A9: C1 (k9, w+t, k9)
Ridge A10: C1 (k8, w+t, k8)
Ridge A11: C1 (k7, w+t, k7)
Ridge A12: C1 (k6, w+t, k6)
Ridge A13: C1 (k5, w+t, k5)
Ridge A14: C1 (k4, w+t, k4)
Ridge A15: C1 (k3, w+t, k3)
Ridge A16: C1 (k2, w+t, k2)
Ridge A17: C1 (k1, w+t, k1)

Part B
Ridge B1: C1 (k1, w+t, k1)
Ridge B2: C1 (k2, w+t, k2)
Ridge B3: C1 (k3, w+t, k3)
Ridge B4: C1 (k4, w+t, k4)

Ridge B5: C1 (k5, w+t, k5)
Ridge B6: C1 (k6, w+t, k6)
Ridge B7: C1 (k7, w+t, k7)
Ridge B8: C1 (k8, w+t, k8)
Ridge B9: C1 (k9, w+t, k9)
Ridge B10: C1 (k10, w+t, k10)
Ridge B11: C1 (k11, w+t, k11)
Rigde B12: C1 (k11); C2 (k1, w+t, k1); C1 (k11)
Rigde B13: C1 (k10); C2 (k3, w+t, k3); C1 (k10)
Rigde B14: C1 (k10); C2 (k4, w+t, k4); C1 (k10)
Rigde B15: C1 (k9); C2 (k6, w+t, k6); C1 (k9)
Rigde B16: C1 (k9); C2 (k7, w+t, k7); C1 (k9)
Rigde B17: C1 (k8); C2 (k9, w+t, k9); C1 (k8)

Rigde B18: C1 (k7); C2 (k11, turn, k11); C1 (k7)

Rigde B19: C1 (k5); C2 (k12, w+t, k12); C1 (k5)
Rigde B20: C1 (k4); C2 (k12, w+t, k12); C1 (k4)
Rigde B21: C1 (k4); C2 (k11, w+t, k11); C1 (k4)

Rigde B22: C1 (k4); C2 (k10, w+t, k10); C1 (k4)

Rigde B23: C1 (k5); C2 (k8, w+t, k8); C1 (k5)
Rigde B24: C1 (k5); C2 (k7, w+t, k7); C1 (k5)
Rigde B25: C1 (k6); C2 (k5, w+t, k5); C1 (k6)
Rigde B26: C1 (k7); C2 (k3, w+t, k3); C1 (k7)

Rigde B27: C1 (k8); C2 (k1, w+t, k1); C1 (k8)

Ridge B28: C1 (k8, w+t, k8)
Ridge B29: C1 (k7, w+t, k7)
Ridge B30: C1 (k6, w+t, k6)
Ridge B31: C1 (k5, w+t, k5)
Ridge B32: C1 (k4, w+t, k4)
Ridge B33: C1 (k3, w+t, k3)
Ridge B34: C1 (k2, w+t, k2)
Ridge B35: C1 (k1, w+t, k1)

Part C

Ridge C1: C1 (k1, w+t, k1)
Ridge C2: C1 (k2, w+t, k2)
Ridge C3: C1 (k3, w+t, k3)
Ridge C4: C1 (k4, w+t, k4)

Ridge C5: C1 (k5, w+t, k5)
Ridge C6: C1 (k6, w+t, k6)
Ridge C7: C1 (k7, w+t, k7)
Ridge C8: C1 (k8, w+t, k8)

Rigde C9: C1 (k8); C2 (k1, w+t, k1); C1 (k8)
Rigde C10: C1 (k8); C2 (k2, w+t, k2); C1 (k8)

Rigde C11: C1 (k8); C2 (k3, w+t, k3); C1 (k8)

Rigde C12: C1 (k9); C2 (k3, w+t, k3); C1 (k9)
Rigde C13: C1 (k10); C2 (k3, w+t, k3); C1 (k10)
Rigde C14: C1 (k11); C2 (k3, w+t, k3); C1 (k11)
Rigde C15: C1 (k10); C2 (k5, w+t, k5); C1 (k10)
Rigde C16: C1 (k9); C2 (k7, w+t, k7); C1 (k9)
Rigde C17: C1 (k9); C2 (k8, w+t, k8); C1 (k9)
Rigde C18: C1 (k9); C2 (k9, turn, k9); C1 (k9)

Rigde C19: C1 (k8); C2 (k9, w+t, k9); C1 (k8)

Rigde C20: C1 (k8); C2 (k8, w+t, k8); C1 (k8)

Rigde C21: C1 (k7); C2 (k8, w+t, k8); C1 (k7)
Rigde C22: C1 (k7); C2 (k7, w+t, k7); C1 (k7)

Rigde C23: C1 (k7); C2 (k6, w+t, k6); C1 (k7)

Rigde C24: C1 (k7); C2 (k5, w+t, k5); C1 (k7)
Rigde C25: C1 (k7); C2 (k4, w+t, k4); C1 (k7)
Rigde C26: C1 (k8); C2 (k2, w+t, k2); C1 (k8)

Rigde C27: C1 (k8); C2 (k1, w+t, k1); C1 (k8)

Ridge C28: C1 (k8, w+t, k8)
Ridge C29: C1 (k7, w+t, k7)
Ridge C30: C1 (k6, w+t, k6)
Ridge C31: C1 (k5, w+t, k5)
Ridge C32: C1 (k4, w+t, k4)
Ridge C33: C1 (k3, w+t, k3)
Ridge C34: C1 (k2, w+t, k2)
Ridge C35: C1 (k1, w+t, k1)

Part D

Ridge D1: C1 (k1, w+t, k1)
Ridge D2: C1 (k2, w+t, k2)
Ridge D3: C1 (k3, w+t, k3)
Ridge D4: C1 (k4, w+t, k4)

Ridge D5: C1 (k5, w+t, k5)
Ridge D6: C1 (k6, w+t, k6)
Ridge D7: C1 (k7, w+t, k7)
Ridge D8: C1 (k8, w+t, k8)

Rigde D9: C1 (k7); C2 (k2, w+t, k2); C1 (k7)
Rigde D10: C1 (k6); C2 (k4, w+t, k4); C1 (k6)
Rigde D11: C1 (k5); C2 (k6, w+t, k6); C1 (k5)

Rigde D12: C1 (k5); C2 (k7, w+t, k7); C1 (k5)

Rigde D13: C1 (k4); C2 (k9, w+t, k9); C1 (k4)

Rigde D14: C1 (k4); C2 (k10, w+t, k10); C1 (k4)

Rigde D15: C1 (k3); C2 (k12, w+t, k12); C1 (k3)

Rigde D16: C1 (k3); C2 (k13, w+t, k13); C1 (k3)

Rigde D17: C1 (k3); C2 (k14, w+t, k14); C1 (k3)

Rigde D18: C1 (k4); C2 (k14, turn, k14); C1 (k4)

Rigde D19: C1 (k5); C2 (k12, w+t, k12); C1 (k5)

Rigde D20: C1 (k7); C2 (k9, w+t, k9); C1 (k7)

Rigde D21: C1 (k8); C2 (k7, w+t, k7); C1 (k8)
Rigde D22: C1 (k8); C2 (k6, w+t, k6); C1 (k8)

Rigde D23: C1 (k9); C2 (k4, w+t, k4); C1 (k9)

Rigde D24: C1 (k9); C2 (k3, w+t, k3); C1 (k9)

Rigde D25: C1 (k10); C2 (k1, w+t, k1); C1 (k10)

Ridge D26: C1 (k10, w+t, k10)
Ridge D27: C1 (k9, w+t, k9)
Ridge D28: C1 (k8, w+t, k8)
Ridge D29: C1 (k7, w+t, k7)
Ridge D30: C1 (k6, w+t, k6)
Ridge D31: C1 (k5, w+t, k5)
Ridge D32: C1 (k4, w+t, k4)
Ridge D33: C1 (k3, w+t, k3)
Ridge D34: C1 (k2, w+t, k2)
Ridge D35: C1 (k1, w+t, k1)

Part E

Ridge E1: C1 (k1, w+t, k1)
Ridge E2: C1 (k2, w+t, k2)
Ridge E3: C1 (k3, w+t, k3)
Ridge E4: C1 (k4, w+t, k4)

Ridge E5: C1 (k5, w+t, k5)
Ridge E6: C1 (k6, w+t, k6)
Ridge E7: C1 (k7, w+t, k7)
Ridge E8: C1 (k8, w+t, k8)
Ridge E9: C1 (k9, w+t, k9)
Ridge E10: C1 (k10, w+t, k10)

Rigde E11: C1 (k9); C2 (k2, w+t, k2); C1 (k9)
Rigde E12: C1 (k7); C2 (k5, w+t, k5); C1 (k7)
Rigde E13: C1 (k6); C2 (k7, w+t, k7); C1 (k6)

Rigde E14: C1 (k6); C2 (k8, w+t, k8); C1 (k6)

Rigde E15: C1 (k6); C2 (k9, w+t, k9); C1 (k6)

Rigde E16: C1 (k8); C2 (k8, w+t, k8); C1 (k8)
Rigde E17: C1 (k11); C2 (k6, w+t, k6); C1 (k11)

Graft in garter stitch: 14 sts in C1 (blue) and 4 sts in C2 (white)

Finishing

After grafting there is still a small hole in the middle of the piece - you can sew this closed with your yarn tail. Sew in ends afterwards.

Chart
When I designed this piece I worked from a piece of squared paper with the cloud drawn on. So, if you too, prefer to work from a chart, here's one. The numbers in front of the ridge indicate the number of stitches per color - the blue number for the C1 stitches and the black number for the C2 stitches. To make the counting a bit easier, there are dotted pink lines after every 5 stitches.