Japandi Linen Stitch Back Scrubber Free Crochet Pattern

Japandi Linen Stitch Back Scrubber – Free Crochet Pattern

Introduction

This back scrubber is made for anyone who wants a calm, spa-like bathroom routine without a complicated pattern. Worked in simple linen stitch, it creates a dense, slightly nubby fabric that gently exfoliates while looking quietly elegant in muted linen and charcoal stripes. The wide linen bands separated by narrow charcoal stripes give it that soft Japandi feel, and the sturdy crochet loop handles make it easy to grip and hang to dry. It is a quick, beginner-friendly project that uses only single crochet and chains, so even your very first striped accessory can look polished.

Materials Needed

• Yarn: Worsted weight (4) cotton yarn, approximately 150 yards (137 m) total: 100 yards (91 m) in color A (muted linen) and 50 yards (46 m) in color B (charcoal). Cotton is recommended because it holds up well to water and scrubbing.
• Hook: 5 mm (H/8) crochet hook.
• Notions: Tapestry needle for seaming and weaving in ends, scissors, and a measuring tape.
• Finished size: 5 x 22 inches (14 x 56 cm) excluding handles; each handle adds approximately 6 inches (15 cm).

Abbreviations

• ch – chain: make a loop of yarn and pull it through the loop on your hook.
• sc – single crochet: insert hook into stitch, yarn over, pull up a loop, yarn over, pull through both loops.
• sl st – slip stitch: insert hook into stitch, yarn over, pull through both the stitch and the loop on your hook.
• sp / sps – space / spaces: the small gap made by a chain, where you work your next stitch.
• st / sts – stitch / stitches.
• R / Rnd – row / round.

Gauge

14 sts = 4 inches (10 cm) and 9 rows = 4 inches (10 cm) in linen stitch pattern (sc and ch-1). To check it, crochet a small swatch in pattern, lay it flat, and measure a 4-inch section; adjust your hook size if your stitch count is off.

Tips Before You Start

• Keep your ch-1 spaces loose and even. Tight chains make the linen stitch fabric stiff and hard to work into on the next row.
• Always work your single crochet into the single crochet of the row below, and skip over the ch-1 spaces. This is what creates the woven linen texture.
• Change colors at the end of the last row of a stripe by pulling the new color through the final loop of the last sc, so the color change sits neatly at the edge.
• Cotton can shrink slightly, so make your gauge swatch and wash it before committing to the full piece.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Body (Color A and Color B)

Setup: With color A, ch 19.

R1: sc in 2nd ch from hook, [ch 1, skip 1 ch, sc in next ch] across, turn (10 sc, 9 ch-1 sps).

R2: ch 1, sc in first sc, [ch 1, skip ch-1 sp, sc in next sc] across, turn (10 sc, 9 ch-1 sps).

R3–10: repeat R2 (10 sc, 9 ch-1 sps). Change to color B.

R11–14: repeat R2 (10 sc, 9 ch-1 sps). Change to color A.

R15–24: repeat R2 (10 sc, 9 ch-1 sps). Change to color B.

R25–28: repeat R2 (10 sc, 9 ch-1 sps). Change to color A.

R29–38: repeat R2 (10 sc, 9 ch-1 sps). Change to color B.

R39–42: repeat R2 (10 sc, 9 ch-1 sps). Change to color A.

R43–52: repeat R2 (10 sc, 9 ch-1 sps). Do not fasten off.

Edging (Color A)

Rnd 1: ch 1, sc evenly around the entire piece, working 1 sc in each st and 1 sc in each row-end, and 3 sc in each corner. Join with sl st to first sc. Fasten off.

Handles (make 2, Color A)

Row 1: Ch 21, sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across (20 sc).

Row 2: ch 1, sc in each sc across (20 sc). Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing.

Assembly and Finishing

Fold each handle in half lengthwise to form a loop. Sew one handle to each short end of the body, centered, using the yarn tail and a whipstitch. Weave in all ends securely on the wrong side. Block the finished scrubber by misting it lightly with water, shaping it flat to 5 x 22 inches (14 x 56 cm), and letting it dry completely before use.

Pro Tips and Variations

• Swap the charcoal stripe for a soft sage or clay tone to shift the look while keeping the Japandi palette.
• Add a second edging round in color B for a subtle contrast frame around the perimeter.
• Make a matching smaller version (ch 13 for the body) as a face cloth or hand scrubber using the same stripe sequence.