Little Fishing Boat Crochet Towel Free Pattern: A Mediterranean Summer Kitchen Towel

A Little Boat for Your Kitchen

If you have never held a crochet hook before, this is the perfect first project to fall in love with. The Little Fishing Boat Towel is a flat, rectangular kitchen towel in soft baby blue cotton, finished with a candy pink striped hem and a sweet little sailboat applique sewn near the bottom. It is worked in simple back-and-forth rows of one easy stitch, so there is no shaping, no working in the round, and no complicated counting. The finished towel measures about 12 by 18 inches, feels soft and absorbent in your hands, and brings a little Mediterranean summer sunshine to any kitchen. Best of all, you will finish it in a weekend and have something genuinely useful to show for it.

Materials Needed

• Yarn: Worsted weight (category 4) cotton yarn. You will need approximately 320 yards baby blue, 60 yards cotton candy pink, and 25 yards white. Cotton is important here because it absorbs water and does not melt near a hot stove the way acrylic can.
• Crochet hook for the towel: Size H/8 (5.0 mm).
• Crochet hook for the boat applique: Size G/6 (4.0 mm).
• Stitch markers: At least 2. These are small plastic clips or safety pins you attach to a stitch so you do not lose your place.
• Tapestry needle: A large, blunt-tipped sewing needle with an eye big enough for yarn. Used for sewing the boat onto the towel and hiding yarn tails.
• Scissors: Any sharp pair for cutting yarn.
• Pins (optional but helpful): For holding the applique in place while you sew.
• Finished size: Towel approximately 12 inches wide x 18 inches long (30 x 46 cm). Boat applique approximately 5 inches wide x 5.5 inches tall.

Abbreviations and Beginner Glossary

• ch – chain. Make a loop of yarn on your hook, wrap yarn over the hook, and pull it through the loop. That is one chain. Chains form your foundation, like the first row of bricks.
• sc – single crochet. Insert your hook into the stitch, wrap yarn over the hook, pull up a loop (you now have 2 loops on the hook), wrap yarn over again, and pull through both loops. One loop remains. This is the shortest, tightest basic stitch.
• hdc – half double crochet. Wrap yarn over the hook first, insert the hook into the stitch, wrap yarn over and pull up a loop (3 loops on hook), wrap yarn over again, and pull through all 3 loops at once. Slightly taller and softer than single crochet.
• sl st – slip stitch. Insert hook into the stitch, wrap yarn over, and pull through both the stitch and the loop on your hook at the same time. It makes an almost invisible joining stitch.
• sc2tog – single crochet 2 together. This is a decrease: it turns two stitches into one. Insert hook into the first stitch, pull up a loop, insert hook into the next stitch, pull up a loop (3 loops on hook), wrap yarn over, pull through all 3 loops. Used to taper the boat's hull and sail.
• 2 sc in first st – an increase. Work two single crochet stitches into the same stitch, which makes the piece wider by one stitch.
• st / sts – stitch / stitches.
• turn – flip your work over so you can work back along the row you just made.
• fasten off – cut the yarn a few inches from your work, pull the tail all the way through the last loop, and tug gently to lock it.
• whipstitch – a simple sewing stitch: bring the needle up through both layers, wrap over the edge, and go back down, repeating along the edge like tiny slanted stitches.
• block – dampen the finished piece and pin it to the correct measurements so it dries flat and even.

Gauge

Towel gauge: 14 hdc x 11 rows = 4 inches (10 cm) with the H/8 (5.0 mm) hook.

Applique gauge: 16 sc x 18 rows = 4 inches (10 cm) with the G/6 (4.0 mm) hook.

Gauge simply means how big your stitches come out. If your stitches are bigger than the pattern expects, your towel will be too large; if smaller, it will be too small. To check, crochet a small square about 5 inches wide in half double crochet, lay it flat, and measure 4 inches across the middle. Count how many stitches fit in those 4 inches. If you get more than 14, switch to a larger hook; if fewer, switch to a smaller hook. It is worth the ten minutes — a towel that matches the gauge will match the finished size listed above.

Beginner Tips Before You Start

• Count your first row twice. Row 1 sets the width for the whole towel. If you accidentally make 41 or 43 stitches instead of 42, the sides will slant. Count the chains before you begin.
• Do not pull the yarn tight. Tension is the number one beginner struggle. Hold the yarn loosely enough that your hook slides easily. Tight stitches make a stiff, small towel and sore hands.
• Use a stitch marker on the first stitch of every row. The turning chain at the start of a row can look like a stitch and trick you into adding extras. Clip a marker into the true first stitch so you always know where the row ends.
• Keep your turning chain short. For half double crochet, chain 1 and turn. That single chain does not count as a stitch, so your first hdc goes into the very first stitch.
• Work the applique with a smaller hook. The G/6 hook makes the boat's stitches tighter and firmer so it holds its shape when sewn onto the towel.
• Relax and enjoy it. This is a flat rectangle of one repeated stitch. If a row looks slightly wobbly, blocking at the end will smooth it out beautifully.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Part 1: Towel Body (baby blue, H/8 hook)

Row 1: With baby blue, ch 43. Hdc in the 2nd ch from your hook and in each ch across. (42 hdc)

Row 2: Ch 1, turn. Hdc in each st across. (42 hdc)

Rows 3–40: Repeat Row 2. (42 hdc; 40 rows total) Do not fasten off. The piece now measures approximately 14.5 inches long.

Part 2: Striped Pink Hem (cotton candy pink, H/8 hook)

Work the hem along the starting edge (the Row 1 edge) so it forms a clean striped border at the bottom of the towel.

Row 1: Join cotton candy pink with a sl st to the first stitch of the Row 1 edge. Ch 1, then work 42 sc evenly across that edge. (42 sc)

Row 2: Ch 1, turn. Sc in each st across. (42 sc)

Row 3: Ch 1, turn. Sc in each st across. Fasten off pink. (42 sc) Weave in the ends.

Part 3: Boat Applique (G/6 hook)

Hull (white):

Row 1: With white, ch 16. Sc in the 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across. (15 sc)

Row 2: Ch 1, turn. Sc in each st across. (15 sc)

Row 3: Ch 1, turn. Sc2tog, sc in next 11 sts, sc2tog. (13 sc)

Row 4: Ch 1, turn. Sc2tog, sc in next 9 sts, sc2tog. (11 sc)

Row 5: Ch 1, turn. Sc2tog, sc in next 7 sts, sc2tog. (9 sc)

Row 6: Ch 1, turn. Sc2tog, sc in next 5 sts, sc2tog. (7 sc)

Row 7: Ch 1, turn. Sc2tog, sc in next 3 sts, sc2tog. (5 sc)

Row 8: Ch 1, turn. Sc2tog, sc in next 1 st, sc2tog. (3 sc)

Row 9: Ch 1, turn. Sc2tog, sc in last st. (2 sc) Fasten off white, leaving a 12-inch tail for sewing.

Sail (cotton candy pink):

Row 1: With pink, ch 2. Sc 3 in the 2nd ch from hook. (3 sc)

Row 2: Ch 1, turn. 2 sc in first st, sc in next st, 2 sc in last st. (5 sc)

Row 3: Ch 1, turn. 2 sc in first st, sc in next 3 sts, 2 sc in last st. (7 sc)

Row 4: Ch 1, turn. 2 sc in first st, sc in next 5 sts, 2 sc in last st. (9 sc)

Row 5: Ch 1, turn. 2 sc in first st, sc in next 7 sts, 2 sc in last st. (11 sc)

Row 6: Ch 1, turn. 2 sc in first st, sc in next 9 sts, 2 sc in last st. (13 sc)

Row 7: Ch 1, turn. 2 sc in first st, sc in next 11 sts, 2 sc in last st. (15 sc)

Row 8: Ch 1, turn. Sc in each st across. (15 sc)

Row 9: Ch 1, turn. Sc2tog, sc in next 11 sts, sc2tog. (13 sc)

Row 10: Ch 1, turn. Sc2tog, sc in next 9 sts, sc2tog. (11 sc)

Row 11: Ch 1, turn. Sc2tog, sc in next 7 sts, sc2tog. (9 sc)

Row 12: Ch 1, turn. Sc2tog, sc in next 5 sts, sc2tog. (7 sc)

Row 13: Ch 1, turn. Sc2tog, sc in next 3 sts, sc2tog. (5 sc)

Row 14: Ch 1, turn. Sc2tog, sc in next st, sc2tog. (3 sc)

Row 15: Ch 1, turn. Sc2tog, sc in last st. (2 sc) Fasten off pink, leaving a 12-inch tail for sewing.

Part 4: Assembly

Step 1: Block the towel lightly to measurements (12 x 18 inches) — see the finishing section below.

Step 2: Place the white hull centered horizontally on the towel, approximately 3 inches up from the pink hem. Pin it in place.

Step 3: Thread the white tail onto your tapestry needle and whipstitch the hull to the towel along all edges. Secure and weave in the end.

Step 4: Center the pink sail above the hull, overlapping the top edge of the hull by 1/4 inch. Pin it in place.

Step 5: Thread the pink tail onto your tapestry needle and whipstitch the sail to the towel along all edges, catching the hull overlap as you go. Secure and weave in the end.

Step 6: Weave in all remaining ends.

Assembly and Finishing

Seaming: To whipstitch, bring your needle up through the applique and the towel together, then over the edge and back down, repeating every quarter inch. Keep your stitches small and even so the boat sits flat and does not pucker. Sew all the way around each piece, and take an extra stitch or two at the corners for strength.

Weaving in ends: Thread each yarn tail onto the tapestry needle and run it through the back of several stitches, changing direction once so it cannot work loose. Trim the tail close to the fabric. Never knot your ends — knots work their way out in the wash.

Blocking: Lay the towel flat on a towel or blocking mat. Lightly mist it with water (or press a damp cloth over it with a warm iron — do not let the iron touch the cotton directly). Smooth it to 12 x 18 inches and let it dry completely. Gently steam the applique to settle the stitches. This step is what makes the edges straight and the fabric drape softly.

Optional hanging loop: With pink yarn, ch 12, sl st into the first chain to form a loop, and sew it securely to one top corner of the towel.

Care: Hand wash cold, lay flat to dry. Do not bleach.

Pro Tips and Variations

• Change the colors: Swap baby blue for sage green or sandy beige, and the pink hem for navy or mustard. The boat looks charming in any palette — try a red sail for a classic nautical feel.
• Make it wider or longer: To change the width, add or remove chains in multiples of 2 (for example, ch 51 for a wider towel) and keep the same 40 rows. To change the length, simply repeat Row 2 more or fewer times — each extra row adds about 3/8 inch.
• Substitute the yarn: Any worsted weight (category 4) cotton works beautifully. Avoid acrylic for a kitchen towel, as it does not absorb water well and can be unsafe near heat.
• Add a second boat or a little sun: Work a small yellow circle in single crochet and sew it above the sail for a sunny Mediterranean sky, or repeat the boat applique in a second colorway for a matching pair of towels.