I’ve been thinking about switching from a wash cloth to a loofah for some time now, but the only ones I’ve seen for sale are the plastic ones, and they aren’t very appealing. Then I came across a free pattern for a crochet loofah on Pinterest called The Perfect Loofah and, of course, I had to try it.
The Yarn
The pattern calls for Bernat Cool Crochet yarn, but it is no longer available. However, based on what I’ve seen at Ravelry, crocheters are using all sorts of yarn for this project.
Bridgit Burns, the pattern creator, recommends a sport-weight, 70%/30%, cotton/nylon blend because it creates an absorbent loofah that dries quickly and doesn’t form mold or mildew, thanks to the nylon. Worsted weight yarn, on the other hand, would be way too heavy for this project.
But based on a recommendation from my friend, Kim, I decided to try hemp. Hemp is one of those miracle plants that has over 50,000 uses, yarn being one of them. It’s definitely absorbent, and Kim said it should dry quickly.
I used one skein of Lanaknits AllHemp6, a DK weight yarn I found to be a little rough on my hands, and an I/9 (5.5 mm) crochet hook. But the yarn held up pretty well over a number of froggings. Hemp is a pretty strong fiber, so I figure this loofah should last a while.
The Pattern
If you’re familiar with hyperbolic crochet, then you’ll recognize this pattern as the ubiquitous brain coral you see in many hyperbolic crochet coral reef displays. The pattern consists of a total of four rounds, beginning with 40 double crochet stitches in the first round. In the second, third, and fourth rounds, you simply do three double crochets in each stitch, going from 40 to 1,080 stitches in the final round.
I had to start the first round on a magic ring instead of the chain-4 loop the pattern calls for because I couldn’t get 40 dc stitches into it using the hemp yarn, which isn’t very giving. I was able to make a wide magic ring and then pull the tail to close it after I got all of my stitches inside. I also used stitch markers every 15 or so stitches to make it easy to count the stitches.
But as I headed into the fourth round, it was clear that I wasn’t going to have enough yarn to finish the loofah (and I didn’t want to spend $11 on another skein of yarn), so I frogged it several times, trying to come up with the perfect number of stitches on the first round that would allow me to complete all four rounds. I think I went down to 30 stitches, but I still didn’t have enough yarn, so I skipped some of the increases on the last round.
The Result
The finished loofah, enjoying a sunny day in HawaiiDespite these issues, the loofah turned out pretty well. I will say that it gets really heavy when it’s soaked with water, but it creates a very nice lather, and the rough texture of the hemp has an exfoliating effect on the skin. Kim says the hemp should soften a bit over time.
I used it for the first time today, so I have it hung up in front of a window to dry. It will be interesting to see how long it takes, although the Lanaknits website says it can be tumble dried. So I may pop it into the dryer if it isn’t dry by the end of the day.
All in all, this is a great pattern – the loofah is easy to make, works up quickly, and would make a great gift when Christmas time rolls around. Just be careful in your yarn choice. Use DK, sport, or fingering weight yarn and, if you want to use cotton, make sure it’s a cotton/nylon blend. And if you use hemp yarn, you could probably get away with fewer stitches in the first round because it created a full loofah on only 30 stitches.
7 comments On Crochet a Hemp Loofah
I really like your work up of this loofah from Hemp. Your blog and pictures are great and your end product turned out wonderfully. 🙂 Hemp is such a wonderful fiber but it is a little pricey and hard to find. Recently I made some washcloths from a Lion Brand yarn with Martha Stewart label – Cotton and Hemp blend. It is a thicker yarn than DK but makes a wonderful fabric for a washcloth.
Hi Karen, yes, hemp is a bit pricey; that’s why I was trying so hard to make that one skein last :-). But the loofah really isn’t a good application for it because it takes forever to dry. I finally had to throw it in the dryer to get all the moisture out. But I air dried it because I wasn’t sure what heat would do to the fiber. I’ll have to try making wash cloths next time. I think that would work better because the flat surface would probably dry a lot quicker. Fortunately, my local yarn store, Yarnstory, carries all kinds of hemp, so I can always get more. Glad you like the blog! Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
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I was confused when first reading this pattern, but am I to understand you really ARE crocheting sort of a cup shape, that is just SO-oooo RUFFLY, that once it’s done, you can’t tell?.. It just forms into a ball shape?… I’m gonna have to try this one, but I’m sure I don’t have any “hemp” around. I’ll have to shop around, but 11.oo for one skein! YIKES! I may HAVE to try plain ol’ cotton. Thanks for sharing this how-to, though!… And have a great weekend!
Hi Tina, yes as you crochet it, it naturally turns into a ball shape because of all the ruffles. I would recommend a cotton/synthetic blend because the cotton holds so much water, it will take a long time to dry. Even the hemp got too waterlogged. I finally had to put it in the dryer to get all the moisture out. But it’s a fun and easy pattern. Good luck with it!
I bought a little crocheted loofah soap bag with a drawstring a few years ago. I slip soap slivers and those little ones from motels into it, and it does a great job. I think I will make some for gifts now that I know I can get the yarn.
That’s a great idea Babette! I knitted a soap cozy with the bar of soap sewn inside as a Christmas gift a couple of years back, but it makes sense to be able to replace the soap when it’s used up. I’ll consider a drawstring if I make another one. Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
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