I’ve never understood the concept of loofahs. I’ve often wondered how long people keep them and worried about the drying time and mildew. So I’ve never bought them. But this Crochet Loofah pattern explains how to address the issues I was worried about, and it actually has me interested in trying out a loofah for myself.
Unfortunately, the “perfect yarn” for loofahs, the Bernat Cool Crochet, no longer exists. But there does seem to be a formula to match and there are plenty of sport weight yarns to try out. The type of yarn to look for is a 70/30 mixture of cotton to nylon, in a sport weight. The mixture allows some absorption and prevents mildew, and it creates a lightweight, quick dry loofah. It also (bonus) can be washed, though of course you should probably let it air dry or put it on low heat tumble.
If you happen to have Bernat Cool Crochet yarn to use, then good for you. But if you don’t, another cotton/nylon blend or even a cotton/acrylic blend will do well. You’ll also need an “I” size crochet hook, scissors, and a tapestry needle. You won’t need to know any special stitches, just the regular stitch, chain, slip stitch, and double crochet.
The instructions are very simple and short. You won’t need much yarn either, which means this project is a breeze to complete, and if you find the right yarn, you might be tempted to make a half dozen of these to hand out to the family and friends. Of course, you might want to experiment a little and see what works best for you in terms of texture, size, and weight. (You can also experiment with color and create designs like stripes or variegation in the loofah)
If you’d like to try this pattern out for yourself, it’s available for free from BeFriendMantic’s Blog O’ Crafts.
