I love quickies!

Well who doesn't?

My last few projects have been nice, quick knits! But not just mindless either, I learned a new technique. Bobbles. They were surprisingly easy, but I was glad to practice them on a not so important project, if you know what I mean.
I have a boatload of this cotton that my neighbor gave me last summer. I was going to dye it, but that is another one of those someday projects. So when my mother in law started complaining about the price of Swiffer cloths, I did what every knitter does. I thought for about half a second and said, "I can knit those!". In her somewhat skeptical, non-knitter voice she said, "and they will work as good as the Swiffer ones?" I gave them to her this week, so we will have to wait a bit to see what the verdict is.

The first pattern is available here on Ravelry or from Birdysknits directly. I modified it only slightly by purling the first and last three rows to ease the curling edge.

The other one I made was just 65 stitches knit in garter until it fit. Even though there was only minor sewing involved, I think if I make more I would knit the other one just to avoid it :).

Ok, who isn't getting the biggest kick out of the fact that this yarn is the EXACT same color as the Swiffer???

Some progress...

I've been working on writing up that pattern we keep talking about. That's why I've been a little quiet lately. But I have made some progress on my knitting queue too. I ended up making two candy corn hats. They are for the kidsters though, not for Super Aunt. But I still have more yarn left so she might get one after all.

Donatello (aka the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle) is coming along. Right now he's a one-legged super hero crime fighter. Kidster #1 has informed me of various "enhancements" he should have so I'm sure he'll need more than his leg to be considered complete.

And my car knitting project is complete. Why did it take me the whole first cloth to get this easy pattern down? Maybe because I was doing it one or two rows at a time. Hmm. Anyway, it's not quite for me. I like the front, but the back makes me frown. Remember, I need things to balance. Symmetry. This doesn't have it.

Checkerboard Dishcloth

I'm one of those people who like things symmetrical. And linear is pretty good too. I wanted a dishcloth that was the same on both sides and I didn't like any of the checked cloth patterns I found so I made this one up. It is so easy you don't even need to print out the directions. Oh, and very textured so it does it's job quite nicely!

The border is done in garter but you could easily change it to seed stitch or another stitch of your preference.

Skill Level: Simple

Materials: US 7 needles (or appropriate for your yarn)

Yarn: Worsted Weight cotton (I used Lion Cotton)

CO 36 stitches

Knit three rows in garter stitch

Pattern:

Rows 4-10: Knit 3, *knit 5, purl 5*, repeat 2 more times, knit 3

Rows 11-17: Knit 3, *purl 5, knit 5*, repeat 2 more times, knit 3

Repeat pattern two more times.

Knit three rows in garter stitch.

Bind off.

Remember it's a dishcloth. Don't worry about gauge or blocking or any of that fussy stuff. And if you can make enough of these to earn a small fortune, then by all means have at it.

I'd love to see you add your project to Ravelry.

Something new

I don't think dishcloths will be my new thing. But I like that they are quick projects, and I can see the usefulness of them. Especially when finished it cost about $0.35 to make.I've started another already. I'm restocking my kitchen with matchy ones and throwing away all the fraying store bought washcloths. I was going to follow a pattern but then made up a checkerboard as I went along. I like that it is reversible. Soothes my symmetrical mind.