Dishcloth Love!

I have a new favorite dishcloth pattern. It's quick and fun to work up, it lays flat, the edges are neatly finished, and it looks good on both sides. What's not to love?

Front:


Back:


Pattern: Double Bump Dishcloth
Yarn: Sugar and Cream, Summer Splash colorway
Needles: US size 7
Mods: none

It makes a lovely scarf too, so I'm using this pattern and my old stash of Red Heart Super Saver (left over from the kids' crocheted play food) for some charity scarves for the coming winter.

Happy 4th of July!

My latest dishcloth project. I love it! The pattern is available on the Monthly Dishcloths group. (It's the June KAL, if I remember correctly.)

Crocus

Here's a new dishcloth pattern for you. I've been sitting on this since spring. I meant to post about it as my Crocuses were in bloom, but . . . well, life happens, especially when you have small children. :-)

Materials

Worsted weight 100% cotton yarn, one 2 oz skein

US size 6 knitting needles

Finished size: approximately 8 ½ x 8 ½ inches

Stitches
K=knit
P=purl
YO=yarn over
P2tog=purl 2 stitches together
P3tog=purl 3 stitches together

Cast on 43.

Rows 1–6: Knit across.
Rows 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19: K3, P37, K3.
Row 8 (right side): K6, *YO, K2, P3tog, K2, YO, K1. Repeat from * to last 5 sts, K5.
Row 10: K6, *YO, K2, P3tog, K2, YO, K1. Repeat from * to last 5 sts, K5.
Row 12: K6, *YO, K2, P3tog, K2, YO, K1. Repeat from * to last 5 sts, K5.
Row 14: K5, P2tog, *K2, YO, K1, YO, K2, P3tog. Repeat from * to last 12 sts, K2, YO, K1, YO, K2, P2tog, K5.
Row 16: K5, P2tog, *K2, YO, K1, YO, K2, P3tog. Repeat from * to last 12 sts, K2, YO, K1, YO, K2, P2tog, K5.
Row 18: K5, P2tog, *K2, YO, K1, YO, K2, P3tog. Repeat from * to last 12 sts, K2, YO, K1, YO, K2, P2tog, K5.
Rows 20–55: Repeat rows 8–19 three more times
Rows 56–61: Knit across.

Bind off knitwise.

© 2009. This pattern is for noncommercial use only. Please do not sell the pattern or post the pattern on the Internet without prior written permission from the designer.

This has been test knit by me, but an error or two may linger. Please let me know if you run into any snags.

Enjoy!

Balsam

Here's a new knit dishcloth pattern I've been working on. I call it Balsam because it reminds me of evergreen cones. One of my testers knit it in turqouise, and it looks like peacock feathers! Enjoy!

Materials:
Worsted weight 100% cotton yarn, approximately 2 oz.
US size 7 knitting needles

Finished size: approximately 9” x 9”

Stitches:
K=knit
P=purl
YO=yarn over
K2tog=knit 2 stitches together
PSSO=pass slipped stitch over

Cast on 39.

Rows 1–6: Knit across.
Rows 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21: K4, P31, K4.
Row 8 (right side): K5, *YO, K3, slip 1, K2tog, PSSO, K3, YO, K1. Repeat from * to last 4 sts. K4.
Row 10: K5, *YO, K3, slip 1, K2tog, PSSO, K3, YO, K1. Repeat from * to last 4 sts. K4.
Row 12: K5, *YO, K3, slip 1, K2tog, PSSO, K3, YO, K1. Repeat from * to last 4 sts. K4.
Row 14: K5, *YO, K3, slip 1, K2tog, PSSO, K3, YO, K1. Repeat from * to last 4 sts. K4.
Row 16: K4, K2tog, *K3, YO, K1, YO, K3, slip 1, K2tog, PSSO. Repeat from * to last 13 sts. K3, YO, K1, YO, K3, slip 1, K1, PSSO, K4.
Row 18: K4, K2tog, *K3, YO, K1, YO, K3, slip 1, K2tog, PSSO. Repeat from * to last 13 sts. K3, YO, K1, YO, K3, slip 1, K1, PSSO, K4.
Row 20: K4, K2tog, *K3, YO, K1, YO, K3, slip 1, K2tog, PSSO. Repeat from * to last 13 sts. K3, YO, K1, YO, K3, slip 1, K1, PSSO, K4.
Row 22: K4, K2tog, *K3, YO, K1, YO, K3, slip 1, K2tog, PSSO. Repeat from * to last 13 sts. K3, YO, K1, YO, K3, slip 1, K1, PSSO, K4.
Rows 23–38: Repeat rows 7–22
Rows 39–46: Repeat rows 7–14
Rows 47–52: Knit across.

Bind off knitwise.

© 2008. This pattern is for noncommercial use only. Please do not sell the pattern or post the pattern on the Internet. (You may link to this blog post.)

Elvish Leaves Dishcloth

The lace pattern of this cloth makes me think of the leaves of Lorien from Lord of the Rings (I'll have to make some cloths in green!). I was tempted to call it the Leaves of Lorien Dishcloth, but the leaves of Lorien in the movies are a slightly different shape (they're lobed instead of ovate). I think this lace looks elvish nonetheless.



Materials
Worsted weight 100% cotton yarn, approximately 2 oz.
US size 7 knitting needles

Finished size: approximately 9" x 9"

Stitches
K=knit
P=purl
YO=yarn over
K2tog=knit 2 stitches together
PSSO=pass slipped stitch over

Cast on 39.

Rows 1–6: Knit across.
Rows 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27: K3, P33, K3.
Row 8: K5, YO, K1, slip 1, K1, PSSO, K3, K2tog, K1, * YO, K1, YO, K1, slip 1, K1, PSSO, K3, K2tog, K1. Repeat from * across to last 5 stitches. YO, K5.
Row 10: K6, * YO, K1, slip 1, K1, PSSO, K1, K2tog, K1, YO, K3. Repeat from * across to last 3 stitches. K3.
Row 12: K7, YO, K1, slip 1, K2tog, PSSO, K1, * YO K5, YO, K1, slip 1, K2tog, PSSO, K1. Repeat from * across to last 7 stitches. YO, K7.
Row 14: K5, K2tog, K1, YO, K3, YO, K1, slip 1, K1, PSSO, * K1, K2tog, K1, YO, K3, YO, K1, slip 1, K1, PSSO. Repeat from * across to last 5 stitches. K5.
Row 16: K4, slip 1, K1, PSSO, K2, YO, K3, YO, K2, * slip 1, K2tog, PSSO, K2, YO, K3, YO, K2. Repeat from * across to last 6 stitches. K2tog, K4.
Row 18: K6, * K2tog, K1, YO, K1, YO, K1, slip 1, K1, PSSO, K3. Repeat from * across to last 3 stitches. K3.
Row 20: K5, K2tog, K1, YO, K3, YO, K1, slip 1, K1, PSSO, * K1, K2tog, K1, YO, K3, YO, K1, slip 1, K1, PSSO. Repeat from * across to last 5 stitches. K5.
Row 22: K4, slip 1, K1, PSSO, K1, YO, K5, YO, K1 * slip 1, K2tog, PSSO, K1, YO, K5, YO, K1. Repeat from * across to last 6 stitches. K2tog, K4.
Row 24: K6, * YO, K1, slip 1, K1, PSSO, K1, K2tog, K1, YO, K3. Repeat from * across to last 3 stitches. K3.
Row 26: K6, *YO, K2, slip 1, K2tog, PSSO, K2, YO, K3. Repeat from * across to last 3 stitches. K3.
Rows 28–47: Repeat rows 8–27.
Rows 48–53: Repeat rows 8–13.
Rows 54–59: Knit across.

Bind off knitwise.

Admire your beautiful new dishcloth and get scrubbing!

© 2007. This pattern is for noncommercial use only. Please do not sell the pattern. Do not post the pattern on the Internet. (You may link to this blog post.)

This is my first attempt at creating a pattern. I hope you enjoy it! (And please let me know if you find any errors--I've knitted it three times as written, but you never know . . .)

EDITED 8/29/07 to correct typos in last 3 lines of pattern.

Dishcloths for Mom

Now that Mother's Day has come and gone, I can post the cloths I made for my mum and mum-in-law.


smariek's Vine Lace Cloth


Rhonda White's DW Cloth


Another DW Cloth


Rhonda White's Three Crosses Cloth

I think they liked them. But will they use them . . .? We'll find out!

A Little Instant Gratification

Long time no post! I've been knitting some little "this-n-thats." I knit some dishcloths for my sister at her request--a Grandmother's Favorite, a cloth of my own design using a basketweave stitch, and a Darrell Waltrip cloth:



I also knit some little coasters using a pared-down version of the Baby Genius Burp Cloth pattern from Mason Dixon Knitting. I love these! They're so simple and quick to make. Here are two of them (I actually made a couple in navy too, but they didn't photograph worth a darn--we've been having really crummy weather for shooting photos):



I have good news to report on the sweater front as well. T's birthday sweater is done! It's all washed and blocked and ready for him to wear to church this morning. It's a week late for his actual birthday, but it's still ready for Easter and for his one-year portrait. Yay! I'll post photos soon.

And Now for Something Completely Different

After the great sweater debacle, I needed to knit something mind-numblingly simple. Baby washcloths to the rescue! T is a super- messy eater, so we keep a little stack of cloths on the kitchen table. He needed a few more, so I whipped these up on Sunday.

Pattern: Grandmother's Favorite dishcloth (but increased to only 36 stitches before starting the decreases )
Needles: US size 9
Yarn: Bernat Cotton Tots
Finished dimensions: 7" x 7"; Cotton Tots is sort of finicky in the wash. It tends to shrink quite a bit if not handled delicately (per the manufacturer's washing instructions). However, I just throw these cloths in with a hot or warm load--whatever's convenient--and run them through the dryer with the rest of the laundry (they are only washcloths after all). After repeated laundering, they end up being more like 6" x 6", but they return to their original size after they get wet again. So it's all good!

Just a quick sweater update (I'm sure you're probably as sick of reading about this sweater as I am of writing about it): Yesterday morning I frogged the entire thing, sleeves and all, and started redoing it with ribbing instead of a rolled edge. I really wanted a rolled edge, but this yarn just won't behave itself. I haven't encountered such uncontrolled rolling with other yarns I've worked with--I wonder if it's the acrylic component of the TLC Cotton Plus that makes it roll so much. I hope to have good news and a lovely FO to post sometime in the next couple of weeks. (The "deadline" for this sweater is the end of March for T's first birthday.)

Four Corners Dishcloth

Here's my finished Four Corners Dishcloth. It's based on a pattern by knitting guru extraordinaire Elizabeth Zimmermann. Abigail adapted it to a dishcloth pattern. (She's having a little contest--you can read about it here.) As you can see in the second picture, I cheated and did a regular cast on and then sewed my seam rather than doing the provisional cast on and then grafting the edges. Pure laziness on my part. I haven't learned the provisional cast on yet and didn't feel like trying it the day I knit this. Next time for sure! I'll be making more--it's a fun little pattern, and I just love the gently curved corners.

Some Pics of FOs and WIPs

My Curly Purly scarf in action. Doesn't it look nice against my black wool pea coat? It's pretty, but the texture of the fuzzy acrylic doesn't feel that great against my skin. There may be another scarf in my immediate future, once I get through my current WIPs.


My current WIPs: socks for me and some Elizabeth Zimmermann longies for T


T's slippers. Yes, there are two of them again! Can you tell which one is new and which one has been worn constantly since October? I sure can!


Woozy Cloth. I love this cloth. It was really fun and quick to knit, and it turns out so fab and funky. Plus, it's on the small side, which I really like. I don't like huge dishcloths. They just take up too much yarn and are too bulky for me to handle.

Mid December KAL Dishcloth

Here's my completed dishcloth for the Monthly Dishcloths group. I think it turned out pretty. I used Bernat Handicrafter yarn and size 5 needles. The color in this picture is more accurate than in the December 18 photo. It's a pinkish peach/coral.

Christmas Tree Dishcloth

I finished my Christmas tree dishcloth for the KAL on my Two Projects group. One of the group members posted some suggestions for altering the original pattern, and I knit up this cloth using those alterations. I'm so glad I did--it came out great (personally, I like it better than the original). It was knit using size 7 needles and Sugar and Cream yarn in Dark Pine. (This cloth could use a little blocking to get the "branches" to sit nicely--I don't bother blocking dishcloths, since they're destined to get wet anyway--so it looks a little unsymmetrical in the pic, but it's really not.)

Dishcloth KAL Progress

I'm through Day 3 on my mid-December knitalong for the MonthyDishcloths group. Pretty, eh?

Swish with a Twist

I finished up a Swish with a Twist cloth last night for the current KAL with my Two Projects group. (I posted a picture in a separate post, since Blogger keeps doing weird things when I try to post pics and text all in one post . . . ) I think I like it. It was easy to work up once I figured out what I was doing. Personally, I thought the pattern was a bit confusing, but once I figured out what I needed to do (especially how to get the slipped stitches to sit on the right side instead of getting woven into my knitting), it was really simple. I like a slightly smaller dishcloth, so I altered the pattern just a bit, doing one less pattern repeat both horizontally and vertically.

Swish with a Twist Photo