I’m new to knitting, I just bought some Peaches and Cream Fiesta Ombre variegated cotton yarn. It’s very bright, and I don’t think it would show off a textured pattern very well. I don’t want to just knit stockinette or garter though.
I’m just looking for something quick and durable. Anyone have a favorite basic washcloth pattern?
Knitting Pattern Central lists several dish cloths. http://www.knittingpatterncentral.com/directory/dishcloths.php
Also On the free patterns page of this site under house hold items are some dish cloths. The one pictured called simple summer dish cloth is nice I’ve made it a few times and shows off ombre quite well. It has a gart edge- to prevent curling and stockingnet stitch with a slip stich design. Also if you want to go shopping the Mason Dixon Knitting book has a lovely ball band dish cloth pattern. This is evidently a free pattern from the Peaches and Cream ball band- but I can’t by Peaches here. Anyway Sugar and Cream works just as well.
Good luck, I love dish cloths and have done many in all different patterns.
This looks great in varigated.
http://www.knittingknonsense.com/DW_cloth.html
Actually I think she used that exact yarn for one of the samples!
Here’s one I did in ButterCream colorway.
How neat - that’s the same pattern as the summer dish cloth listed in the free patterns on this site - I just started that one. Thanks for that link, it is the same thread! Now I know what it will look like. 
I just finished one of these and it’s really kinda cool http://www.jimsyldesign.com/~dishbout/kpatterns/bubblewrap.html
That site has about five index pages of dishcloth patterns. If you can’t find something there you like…
sue