Dishcloths

I love knitted dishcloths. But, I rarely use them as dishcloths because I have a dishwasher. And although I love the idea of gifting them with a fancy homemade bar of soap- I've never done it. Probably because I don't know how to make soap.... (and the idea of using lye kinda scares me.)

Anyway. Back on track.

They're super quick to knit up, usually only taking a few hours, and there are endless patterns. Now, I take absolutely no credit for these designs. These belong to the fabulous women who take the time to carefully map out these designs on graphing paper, translate them into written instructions, and then selflessly post them online- for free. Kudos. 

Here are a few of my favorites...

Little Garden Girl 

by Rachel van Schie

 I knitted this up as a block for my springtime/garden themed afghan that I making for my niece. It's adorable. This is the pattern that made me finally  give up garter stitch as borders for good. I am now officially a seed stitch border-er. Is that a word? Probably not. Here's a link to her page, and the pattern. Enjoy it. I know I sure did.

Mario

by Carolyn Lisle

All right, it's not the best photo. But blame that on my camera skills and not the pattern. Ms. Lisle actually created a whole Mario Bros series. They. Are. Awesome. And I knitted them all. This pattern (and all of her others) are available as free ravelry downloads. Check them out here.

Grandmother's Favorite

by Unknown

This is just your basic garter stitch dishcloth. It's a great first project, and it's great for experienced knitters who just want to let their fingers go while watching a movie or something. I still enjoy making them. I also am pretty sure I'm not gonna step on any toes by posting the pattern...


Cotton Worsted Weight Yarn. Sz 6 Needles.

C/O 4 sts
Row 1: K4. Turn.
Row 2: K2, YO, K to end of row, Turn.
Repeat Row 2 until you have 44 sts.
Row 3: K1, K2tog, YO, k2tog, K to end of row.
Repeat Row 3 until you have 4 stitches on the needle.
B/O.

Abbreviations 
C/O= cast on
K= knit
YO= yarn over
sts= stitche(s)
K2tog= knit 2 stitches together as if they were 1 stitch.
B/O= bind (cast) off.

Welcome!

I am many things. I was born a daughter, then I became a sister. Twice. Later in life I became an aunt, then a  wife. Now I am a mother. But through all those things, I was always a knitter. 

There is something almost magical about taking two sticks and some string and turning it into something beautiful, functional, warm. And so, this blog is dedicated to knitters everywhere; young and old, newbies or seasoned pros. 

Let's get this show on the road.....

This is my absolute favorite shawl. It's warm, it's soft, and because it's color neutral- it goes with everything. I adapted this pattern from one I found on ravelry. Here's a LINK to the original pattern. (By a fabulous designer named Bev.)

Here's my adapted pattern:

Best Shawl Ever

Gauge not important.
Sz. 13 29" circular needles.
Lionbrand Homespun, colorway "Pearls" (2 skeins)

Cast on 3 sts.
K1, YO, K to end, Turn work.
Repeat until you have 146 sts on your needles.
At row 147, K1, YO, (K1, YO, K2Tog.) all the way across, ending with a K1.
Go back to K1, YO, K to end for the last 3 rows. (150 sts total.)
BO Loosely. 

As you can see, there's not much going on here in this pattern. Not even a single purl. (Which makes me happy, I really don't like purling.) The YO's not only create the holes in the fabric, but they serve as your increase. Which is how this triangle shaped shawl grows. When it's finished, it should measure about 2.5 yards across the top, nice and snuggly. 

Abbreviations: 
st= stitch(s)
K= knit
YO= yarn over
K2Tog= knit 2 stitches together as if they were one.
BO= bind off. (or cast off, depending on your lingo.)