DIY Knitted Soap Sweater: Easy Felted Soap Cozy Pattern + Step-by-Step Guide

The Knitted Soap Sweater is a charming, practical accessory that keeps a bar of soap from slipping out of your hands while adding a cozy, decorative touch to your sink or shower. This simple project uses worsted-weight wool that felts well, creating a durable, textured scrubby once finished. Below you'll find materials, the full knitting pattern, and finishing notes to help you make your own soap sweater.

MATERIALS:

• Cascade 220 (or another 100% wool, worsted weight yarn that felts well — Lamb's Pride, Noro, Manos, etc.). Avoid superwash or blends with cotton/acrylic as these will not felt. The addition of mohair can help the felting process.
• Size 8 double-pointed needles (DPNs).
• Bar of soap (any soap you choose; glycerin soap such as Bath & Body Works works fine).

PATTERN:

Cast on 6 stitches on one DPN.

Row 1 – Kfb, pick up new needle, Kfb 2, pick up new needle, Kfb, pick up new needle, Kfb2.

Round 2 – Join, being careful not to twist. Knit round.

Round 3 – Needle 1: Kfb 2 (4 on needle) Needle 2: Kfb, knit to last stitch, Kfb (6 on needle) Needle 3: Kfb 2 (4 on needle) Needle 4: Kfb, knit to last stitch, Kfb (6 on needle)

Round 4 – Knit around

Round 5 - Needle 1: Kfb, knit to last stitch, Kfb (6 on needle) Needle 2: Kfb, knit to last stitch, Kfb (8 on needle) Needle 3: Kfb, knit to last stitch, Kfb (6 on needle) Needle 4: Kfb, knit to last stitch, Kfb (8 on needle)

Round 6 – Knit around

Round 7 - Needle 1: Knit (6 on needle) Needle 2: Kfb, knit to last stitch, Kfb (10 on needle) Needle 3: Knit (6 on needle) Needle 4: Kfb, knit to last stitch, Kfb (10 on needle)

Round 8 - Needle 1: Knit (6 on needle) Needle 2: Kfb, knit to last stitch, Kfb (12 on needle) Needle 3: Knit (6 on needle) Needle 4: Knit (10 on needle)

Knit around until the soap begins to narrow (approximately 8 rows in this example).

Work decreases as follows:

Round 1 - Needle 1: Knit (6 on needle) Needle 2: SSK, knit to last stitch, K2tog (10 on needle) Needle 3: Knit (6 on needle) Needle 4: Knit (10 on needle)

Round 2 - Knit around (put soap into sweater and work final rows around the soap).

Round 3 - Needle 1: Knit (6 on needle) Needle 2: SSK, knit to last stitch, K2tog (8 on needle) Needle 3: Knit (6 on needle) Needle 4: SSK, knit to last stitch, K2tog (8 on needle)

Round 4 – Knit around

Round 5 - Needle 1: SSK, K2tog (4 on needle) Needle 2: SSK, knit to last stitch, K2tog (6 on needle) Needle 3: SSK, K2tog (4 on needle) Needle 4: SSK, knit to last stitch, K2tog (6 on needle)

Round 6 – Knit around

Round 7 - K2tog all the way around.

FINISHING:

Break the yarn and use a darning needle to draw the remaining yarn through the stitches. Pull tight and weave in ends securely.

OPTIONAL FELTING & CARE:

If you used 100% wool, you can felt the sweater according to your yarn manufacturer's recommendations to make it more durable and give it a scrubby texture. Avoid felting if your yarn is superwash or contains non-felting fibers. To clean the sweater, rinse and air-dry between uses; when it becomes worn, replace or re-felt as desired.

USE:

Slip the finished sweater over a bar of soap. It provides extra grip, gentle exfoliation, and keeps the soap from slipping out of your hands during use.