Crochet Scrubbie Pattern: An Exfoliating Bath Mitt (Free!)

I’ve got a fun pattern for you today! If you have been searching for a crochet scrubbie pattern that offers a deep clean and dries quickly, you have found it, friend!

While we usually think of scrubbies for the kitchen, this pattern takes that same concept to the shower…for you! This free crochet scrubbies pattern uses a special scrubbing yarn to create a spa inspired bath mitt that exfoliates dead skin and leaves you feeling amazing.

Whether you want to crochet a scrubbie for a quick gift basket or just want to treat yourself, this mitt is the ultimate project.

Why Make An Exfoliating Body Mitt When You Can Just Buy One?

I used to rely on plastic store bought poufs, but they unravel quickly and are never really very durable. 

Making your own exfoliating mitt for body care at home is a game changer:

• Reusable & Long Lasting: Unlike cheap drugstore sponges, this bath mitt is machine washable and tough enough to last.
• The Scrub texture: Because of the nylon fiber, this mitt offers a much deeper exfoliation than standard cotton washcloths.
• Quick Drying: It doesn’t stay soggy! It dries out incredibly fast between uses, keeping it fresh.
• Their Fun: They are really fun to crochet. There’s something special about making something by hand that will make you feel your best when you use it!

Save this Pattern For Later!

Love this pattern, but no time to make it now! Pin this to your favorite crochet board on Pinterest and make it later!

The Best Yarn for a Crochet Scrubbie

Theres a lot of scrubby yarns on the market but to get that true spa scrub feel, I used Lion Brand Stitch Soak Scrub. I actually stubbled upon a few weeks ago in Michaels. I was perusing the aisles…as you do… and this one was on an end cap. I think it was the colors that stopped me first, then i noticed the texture.

This yarn is 100% Nylon, which is the secret ingredient for a great crochet scrubbie pattern. Unlike cotton yarn, nylon stays light, and drys really fast. And the yarn itself is a chainette texture. It’s something you have to see in person, its really cool. It’s almost like a tulle. 

Working With Soak Stitch Scrub

Working with this yarn is really different from any other yarns I’ve ever worked with. Its not hard, but I did notice it has a bit of a learning curve. It has a decent amount of stretch to it, due to the nylon itself but also due to the tiny chainettes that makes it up. 

With those little chainettes, there’s lots of room for stretching. The finished mitt itself isn’t super stretchy, I mean it is a little bit of give (which is what you want), but its the actual yarn that’s stretchy when you work with it.

So keeping that in mind, when you work your stitches, its so easy to really yank on the yarn as you complete each stitch, but don’t do that! Don’t pull on the stitches. Let the yarn grab where it grabs and leave it be. Don’t do that extra yarn tug. If this sounds confusing, just work with it for a little bit and I think you’ll get what I mean.

The main take away:

Don’t pull too tight on the yarn, let it puff out and do its thing with each stitch. Not only will it look better, but it will be more pleasant to work with.

I can’t wait to make more scrubby crochet patterns with this yarn! So stay tuned!

Video Help

I made a video tutorial walking you through this entire scrubby pattern project. Click the play button below to follow along with me!

Disclosure

*This post may contain affiliate links. I may earn a small commission when purchases are made through these links (at no additional cost to you!). Please see my disclosures page for more information. 

All patterns on this blog are for personal use only and may not be redistributed, copied, blogged, or sold as your own.  You may sell items made by my patterns as long as the item is made by you personally (not mass produced) and that proper credit is given back to me and my site, Just Be Crafty. You may not use my photos for your online sales listings. 

Sizes

This pattern is written in two adult sizes. The mitts are not meant to be fitted and are designed to fit a wide range of hand sizes.

Sizes are listed as follows:

• S/M (L/XL)

See “Sizing & Finished Measurements” for details.

Materials

Here’s everything you need:

Yarn: 

#4-medium weight, 100% nylon (scrubbie texture) yarn

• 138 (184) yds
• 60 (80) g
• 126 (168) m

Suggested Yarn:

• 2 balls Lion Brand Stitch Soak Scrub (pictured in colors Cabbage, Chartreuse, and Cabaret) #4-medium weight, 100% nylon
  • Each ball is 92 yds / 40 g / 84 m

NOTE: 2 balls of this yarn makes 1 mitt – for both sizes. Grab an extra ball to make a set of 2 mitts.

Suggested Hook:

• Main Hook: 5 mm (from this set)
  • Or size needed to obtain gauge.
• Larger Hook: 5.5 mm (from same set above)
  • Or a half size larger than your main hook.

Notions:

• Scissors 
• Yarn needle 
• 2 stitch markers

Abbreviations:

• BOR beginning of round
• bpdc back post double crochet
• ch chain
• hdc half double crochet
• fpdc front post double crochet
• inc increase (2 stitches into the same stitch)
• inv hdc dec invisible half double crochet decrease
• PM place marker
• rep repeat
• RM replace marker
• sl st slip stitch
• st(s) stitch(es)

Gauge:

• 8.5 stitches over 7 rows = about 2″ (5 cm) measured over hdc in the round.
• Be sure to check your gauge!

Finished Measurements & Sizing:

This pattern is written in two adult sizes and they are meant to fit a wide range of sizes.

The mitts are designed with 0-1.5″ (0-4 cm) of positive ease. This means that the finished mitt circumference should be about equal to, or up to 1.5″ ( 4 cm) larger than your actual hand circumference. They are meant to be slightly oversized (to accommodate for different hand sizes).

How to pick your size:

Measure the circumference of the recipient’s hand (either you or the person you’re making it for), and pick the Finished Circumference size that is the same or up to 1.5″ ( 4 cm) inches larger than that measurement.

Example: The model has a 7.5″ hand circumference and is wearing a Size S/M (8.5″ /  22 cm assembled circumference).

How to Measure Your Hand:

Take a flexible measuring tape and measure all the way around your hand at your knuckles (with fingers spread apart). This measurement is your hand circumference.

Note: If the mitt is for a gift or you simply do not have the hand measurement of the recipient, use the common measurements on the following page to help select the best size.

Common Adult hand measurements:

1. Woman: 7-8″ (18-20 cm)
2. Man: 8-9″ (20-23 cm)

To Fit Hand Circumference:

• 7-8 (8.5-9)”
•  18-20.5 (21.5-23) cm

Finished Mitt Measurement:

Circumference: 

• 8.5 (9.5)”
• 21.5 (24) cm

Length: 

• 8.25 (9.5)”
• 21 (24) cm

Notes:

Construction:

• This mitt is worked from the top down in the round. You will start with a magic ring and work from the fingertips down to the thumb. You will create a thumb opening, work the thumb gusset decreases, and finish with a ribbed wrist cuff. Finally, stitches are picked up around the remaining opening to create the thumb.

Working with this yarn:

• It is very easy to crochet too tightly with this yarn because of its elasticity. Make a conscious effort to keep your tension relaxed and let the stitches puff out as you work.

Working the pattern:

• Use a stitch marker to keep track of the BOR, unless otherwise noted. Move the marker up each round.
• Once the thumb hole is created, the BOR will shift. (The pattern will let you know when this happens.)

Exfoliating Bath Mitt – Free Written Pattern Instructions

Read complete pattern and NOTES before beginning. (Be sure to check your gauge!)

The Hand (Increase Rounds)

Use Main Hook.

Round 1: Begin with a magic ring. Work 8 hdc into the ring. (8)

Round 2: Inc in every st around. (16)

Round 3: *Hdc in next st, inc in next st; rep from * to end of round. (24)

Round 4: *Hdc in next 2 sts, inc in next st; rep from * to end of round. (32)

Round 5: Inc in first st, hdc in next 14 sts, inc in next st, inc in next st, hdc around to end, inc in last st. (36)

Size L/XL Only:

Round 6: Inc in first st, hdc in next 14 sts, inc in next st, inc in next st, hdc around to end, inc in last st. (40)

The Hand (Body Rounds)

Size S/M Only:

Rounds 6-17: Hdc in each st around.

Try mitt on, bottom should be resting at or just above where your hand meets your thumb. Adjust if needed by adding or removing rounds to accommodate to your unique fit.

Size L/XL Only:

Rounds 7- 20: Hdc in each st around.

Try mitt on, bottom should be resting at or just above where your hand meets your thumb. Adjust if needed by adding or removing rounds to accommodate to your unique fit.

Creating the Thumb Hole 

All Sizes:

Press mitt flat. Because we are working in the round without joining, the BOR has shifted. We want to center our thumb hole over the 4(6) centermost stitches of the nearest side edge.

With your mitt pressed flat (as it naturally wants to sit), remove your stitch marker and hdc 3-5 stitches or until you get up to 4(6 ) unworked stitches centered over your side edge. (This doesn’t need to be perfect. See video for help.)

Size S/M Only:

Round 18: Switch to larger hook. Ch 10. Switch back to main hook. Skip next 4 sts, hdc in next st. Hdc in each st around until you reach back to the chain.

Round 19: Working into the back bar of the thumb chain (if you can) hdc in each ch across (10 sts). Place a marker in the first and last stitch of these chain stitches to mark the thumb gap. Marker 1 will be in the first thumb stitch, and will mark the new BOR. Marker 2 will be in the last thumb st. Hdc in each remaining st around. (42)

Size L/XL Only

Round 21: Switch to larger hook. Ch 12. Switch back to main hook. Skip next 6 sts, hdc in next st. Hdc in each st around until you reach back to the chain.

Round 22: Working into the back bar of the thumb chain (if you can) hdc in each ch across (12 sts). Place a marker in the first and last stitch of these chain stitches to mark the thumb gap. Marker 1 will be in the first thumb stitch, and will mark the new BOR. Marker 2 will be in the last thumb st. Hdc in each remaining st around. (46)

Thumb Gusset

Note: You will decrease at the beginning and end of the thumb section marked by stitch Markers 1 & 2.

Size S/M Only

Round 20 (Dec Round): Inv hdc dec, RM. Hdc to one st before Marker 2, inv hdc dec. RM. Hdc to end of round. (40)

Rounds 21-22 (Dec Rounds): Repeat Round 20. 

Each round will decrease 2 stitches. (36 sts remain after Round 22.)

Size L/XL Only

Round 23 (Dec Round): Inv dc dec, RM. Hdc to one stitch before Marker 2, inv hdc dec. RM. Hdc to end of round. (44)

Rounds 24-25 (Dec Rounds): Repeat Round 23. 

Each round will decrease 2 stitches. (40 sts remain after Round 26.)

The Wrist 

Remove stitch markers. BOR will be eyeballed centered over thumb hole.

Size S/M Only:

Rounds 23-27: Hdc to end of round. (36)

Try on mitt. It should hit right at your wrist (about .75″) below your palm. Add or remove rounds for your unique fit.

Size L/XL Only:

Rounds 26-32: Hdc to end of round. (40)

Try on mitt. It should hit right at your wrist (about .75″) below your palm. Add or remove rounds for your unique fit.

The Cuff (All Sizes)

Round 1: *Fpdc in first st, bpdc in next st, rep from * to end of round. At the end of the round, loosely ch 14, and sl st into same stitch (your last st of this round) to create a loop.

Round 2: *Fpdc in first st, bpdc in next st, rep from * to end of round. Make 14 sc around loop. Sl st into first st of round to join. 

Cut yarn and fasten off.

The Thumb – All sizes

You will now pick up stitches around the thumb opening. There should be 14 (18) stitches total: 10 (12) from the chain (bottom), and 4 (6) from the skipped stitches (top). We will decrease over the corners to close gaps.

Arrange mitt face up so that the thumb is positioned towards the left. Attach yarn to first bottom thumb stitch.

Round 1: 

Ch 2 (doesn’t count as a st) and hdc across thumb bottom 10 (12) stitches.

To close up any potential gaps around our thumb, we are going decrease over the space between our thumb’s top and bottom outline. 

See tutorial for visual help with next section.

Closing the gap (Thumb side 1)

Closing the gap (Thumb side 2)

You should have 14 (16) sts. (You can fudge this a little if you need to!)

Rounds 2-7: Hdc in each st around. 14 (16) sts

Size L/XL Only:

Round 8: Hdc in each st around.

All sizes

Final thumb round (dec round): Hdc in next st, *inv hdc dec in next, hdc in next st; rep from * to end of round. 10 (12) sts

Try on mitt for thumb length. The length should be about level with the tip of your thumb. Adjust as necessary for your perfect fit.

Fasten off. Cut yarn leaving a 8″ ( cm) tail to cinch closed.

Finishing

With mitt right side out, thread yarn needle with the thumb tail. Insert yarn needle and whip stitch into each stitch around from inside out. Pull tail to tighten and cinch closed. Secure with a knot. Pull tail to inside of work. Do not trim yet.

Turn mitt wrong side out. With tails, close any remaining gaps at the mitts top and thumb. Secure and weave in all remaining ends.

Turn mitt right side out. 

Enjoy!