It's been SO LONG....but here are 3 dishcloth patterns

Okay...so I been a far-from-dedicated blogger - even though I retired in early 2010.  Where has the time gone?  I often quote the father of a friend, who said of his happy retirement years, "I wake up with nothing to do, and by the time I go to bed, I've got it half done."  Well...at least I've been somewhat active on Facebook since I last blogged.

Anyway...I'm going to try to post more often, but no promises.  I do have three new dishcloth patterns to share.  A few of the many dishclothes I make for family and friends, for the holidays and throughout the year.

If you've never tried hand-knit or crocheted dishcloths made with 100% cotton yarn, I heartily recommend them.  They are both absorbent and great scrubbers - and cheap and fast to make. When I first started making them, some recipients would say, "Oh, it's too pretty; I don't want to get it dirty."  Then they used them and they quickly got over that objection.  They are meant to be used. After all, it's only in our modern, affluent world where we divide beauty and utility.  Our ancestors didn't distinguish between the two - they couldn't afford to.  Think of all those gorgeous old quilts - true works of art. But the women who created them would have scoffed at the sugggestion that they be hung up for decoration only.



Here are the patterns:


Knit ripple - no holes
Pattern (PDF format) - here.

Crochet - single crochet mesh made in rounds

Pattern (PDF format) here.  I call this a single crochet mesh because you make each single crochet in a chain 1 space from the previous round, thus creating a fabric that's a kind of mesh.  (Original, huh?)  As mentioned in the pattern, this is a terrific way to use up small bits of leftover yarn.

Crochet - circle becomes square

Pattern (PDF format) here.   You can make the initial circle in a variety of sizes - the pattern explains how.  You can then make a square as big as you like.  (I.e., you can have a little circle inside a big square.)

Knit garter stitch checkerboard - VERY EASY

I hadn't realized how long it'd been since I'd posted to the blog.  Oh well.  I have been busy knitting and crocheting, as well as moving to Akron, Ohio, to join my partner.  And retiring from law teaching (and perhaps from the paid labor force).

Anyway...I was putting this pattern together for some knitting friends and decided to go ahead and add it to the blog.  Hopefully, I'll be a most regular blog poster, but who knows?

This blanket is easy and uses just knits and purls.  Yet the texture creates a lot of interest.  I used Red Heart yarn, but you could use fancier yarn for even more impressive results.  Like nearly all my baby blankets, this one was sent to the obstetrical unit of the Indian Health Services serving the Pine Ridge reservation in South Dakota.  I do this as part of a wonderful charity crafting group - Crafting for a Cause.  Use this link to check them out on Yahoo! Groups. 

 

Closeup

Click here for the pattern (PDF format). Do not be intimidated by the length of the pattern. As always, I’m just trying to be thorough.