MY E-BOOK IS LIVE!!!!!

From the description: Don't even lie. You love knitting dishcloths! They're inexpensive, practical and forever a quick gift go-to. In Sixteen Delicious Dishcloth Designs, double the joy with patterns created specifically for use with our divine Dishie yarn line. No matter your mood or current attention span, you'll find something you can't wait to knit in this rainbow array of solid, variegated, square, circular, colorwork and cabled cloth patterns—a perfect avenue for trying out new techniques.

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(Notice how I made the link REALLY BIG!)

ALMOST DONE!

Sixteen Delicious Dishcloth Designs is in its final stages! Some of the patterns have been posted on this blog, some have not. It will be published as an e-book with Knitpicks.

I am already working on Volume 2!!

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HELP! I CAN'T STOP MAKING DISHCLOTHS!

Yes, they are still flying off the knitting needles, and my mind is full of great ideas for the next one, and the next, and the next, etc. Pictured above are some of the newer ones. I have decided to quit posting the patterns on the blog, however-- sorry, folks! The patterns will be published, but probably as an e-book with Knitpicks, since I am using their yarn anyway. It's going to be "Ten Terrific Dishcloths", or possibly "Fifteen Fabulous Dishcloth Designs". I'll keep you posted.

Meanwhile, Knitting Camp is in full swing. This year I made a bad decision about what yarn to start the girls knitting with. Usually I buy them cheap acrylic yarn in neon colors, but this year I opted for a wool blend in much softer and prettier colors. Easier on the hands and the eyes too. Unfortunately the new yarn is not working out well because it splits too easily. Some girls have such hot sweaty hands that the yarn actually felts while they are knitting it- I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it happen!

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MAIDENHAIR FERN DISHCLOTH

I wish I knew the source for this charming little leafy pattern, but all I can tell you is that a friend of mine wore a commercially made sweater with this stitch, which fascinated me. I tossed it on the xerox machine so that I could figure it out. I was at a loss for names, but my husband suggested that the little columns resembled the fronds of maidenhair fern. And so they do.

I used Knitpicks Dishie. My cloth is about 9 inches wide. If you prefer a thicker yarn such as Peaches & Creme, I would go up two needle sizes and make three columns of fronds rather than four. 

With #4 needles cast on 46 stitches (33 for P&C).  Knit four rows in garter stitch for the bottom border. Then keeping the side 3 stitches in garter stitch, follow the chart below until the cloth is square. Make a garter stitch border at the top too.

Parenthetical comment: I have been teaching myself to make knitting charts with Excel. I'm slow, but getting better. Today I figured out how to label things with text boxes.

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TRAIN WHEELS DISHCLOTH

This one is really called "Round Link Cables" in Barbara Walker's Third Treasury of Knitting Patterns, but mine came out more like the wheels on an old steam locomotive (OK-  if you hold it sideways). The cloth is large, thick, and deeply textured. A bit of a handful for dishes, in my opinion, but it would make a capital washcloth.

I used Knitpicks Dishie. If you prefer to use a thicker yarn such as Peaches & Creme, I would go up to knitting needles #6, and make the cloth with four cables rather than five. Otherwise it might turn into a bath towel!

With Dishie cotton and #4 needles, cast on 50 stitches (42 for P&C).

Row 1: (K1, P1) twice for side border, (P2, K2) across to the last 6 stitches, then P2, (K1, P1) twice.
Row 2:  (K1, P1) twice for side border, (K2, P2) across to the last 6 stitches, then K2, (K1, P1) twice.
Rows 3 and 5: Repeat Row 1.
Rows 4 and 6: Repeat Row 2. 
Row 7: (K1, P1) twice for side border, P2, *(K1, M1, K1, P1, M1, P1, K1, M1, K1, P2) repeat from * across to last 4 stitches, then (K1, P1) twice. Now you should have 65 stitches (54 for P&C).
Row 8 and all subsequent even numbered rows: (K1, P1) twice, *(K2, P9) repeat from * until there are 6 stitches remaining, then K2, (K1, P1) twice.
Rows 9 and 11: (K1, P1) twice, *(P2, K9) repeat from * until there are 6 st remaining, P2, (K1, P1) twice.


Row 13: (K1, P1) twice, P2, Make a 9-stitch cable cross as follows: slip 6 stitches to cable needle and hold in front, k3, then slip the center 3 sts from the cable needle back to left-hand needle; pass the cable needle with the reemaining 3 stitches to the back of work; k3 from left-hand needle, then k3 from the cable needle. *(P2, K9, P2, 9-st cable as before), repeat from * until there are 6 stitiches remaining, P2, (K1, P1) twice.
Row 15 and 17: Same as Rows 9 and 11.
Row 19: (K1, P1) twice, *(P2, K9, P2, 9-st cable), repeat from * until there are 6 stitiches remaining, P2, (K1, P1) twice.
Rows 21 and 23: Same as Rows 9 and 11.
Repeat Rows 13-24 for pattern until cloth is square, and you have just finished a cable row. Repeat Rows 8-12 one more time.

Decrease row: (K1, P1) twice for side border, P2, *(K1, K2tog, P1, P2tog, K1, k2tog, P2) repeat from * across to last 4 stitches, then (K1, P1) twice. Now you should have 50 stitches (42 for P&C).
Repeat Rows 1-6 for top border, then bind off in pattern.

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FLOATING BERRIES DISHCLOTH

This one is based on "Rasberries and Cream" from Barbara Walker's A Third Treasury of Knitting Patterns.  My berries are floating in juice, not cream! The fabric tends to pull together, making a nice thick sturdy cloth. I have modified the original pattern to make a neater side edge. To prevent the top and bottom edges from flaring out I have used smaller-sized knitting needles and fewer stitches, but the berry stitch pattern can be worked on any multiple of 4 plus 1 stitches.

I used Knitpicks "Dishie" cotton yarn, but if you use a thicker yarn such as Peaches & Creme, go up in needle size to #6 and #8.


Cast 42 stitches on knitting needles #4.
Rows 1-4 with A: Slip 1 with yarn in front, yarn back, knit across.
Row 2 with A: Slip 1 with yarn in front, yarn back, knit 5, M1, *K6, M1. Repeat from *. Now you should have 49 stitches. 
Row 3 with A: Slip 1, purl to last stitch, slip 1.
Change to #6 knitting needles. 
Row 4 with B: K1, *slip 3 wyib, (k1, yo, k1) in next st; repeat from *, end slip 3 wyib, k1.
Row 5 with B: Slip1 wyif, *slip 3 wyif, k3, repeat from *, end slip 4. 
Row 6 with A: K1, *slip1-k2tog-psso, slip 3 wyib; repeat from *, end slip 1-k2tog-psso, k1. 
Row 7 with A: Slip 1 wyif, *(p1, yo, p1) in next st, slip 3 wyif; repeat from *, end (p1, yo, p1) in next st, slip1. 
Row 8 with B: K 1, *slip 3 wyib, p3; repeat from *, end slip 3 wyib, k1.
Row 9 with B: Slip 1 wyif, *slip 3 wyif, p3 tog; repeat from *, end slip 4 wyif.
Row 10 with A: Knit across.
Row 11 with A: Same as Row 3.
Row 12 with B:  K1, slip 1 wyib, k1, *slip 3 wyib, (k1, yo, k1) in next st; repeat from *, end slip 3 wyib, k1, slip 1 wyib, k1.
Row 13 with B: Slip 2 wyif, k1, *slip 3 wyif, k3, repeat from *, end k1, slip 2 wyif.
Row 14 with A:  K3, *slip1-k2tog-psso, slip 3 wyib; repeat from *, end slip 1-k2tog-psso, k3.
Row 15 with A: Slip 1 wyif, p2, *(p1, yo, p1) in next st, slip 3 wyif; repeat from *, end (p1, yo, p1) in next st, p2, slip1. 
Row 16 with B: K 1, slip 1 wyib, k1, *slip 3 wyib, p3; repeat from *, end slip 3 wyib, k1, slip 1 wyib, k1.
Row 17 with B: Slip 2 wyif, k1, *slip 3 wyif, p3 tog; repeat from *, end k1, slip 2 wyif.
Row 18 with A: Knit across.
Row 19 with A: Same as Row 3.
Repeat Rows 4-19 for pattern until cloth is square, and you have just finished Row 10. Change to #4 needles. Decrease row: Slip 1 wyif,* k5, k2tog, repeat from * (42 stitches). Repeat Rows 1-4 for border, bind off.


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REVERSIBLY CABLED DISHCLOTH

Here is a very clever pattern for a dishcloth with cables of 1 by 1 rib and seed stitch. It is completely reversible! Thanks to Lily Chin for this amazing stitch pattern!

The chart below (click to enlarge) has shaded areas to make the seed stitch cables stand out. The unmarked squares are to knit on the right side, purl on the wrong side. The squares with the "O" are to purl on the right side, knit on the wrong side. Of course you have to be able to TELL which is the right or wrong side, not a straightforward task with a reversible pattern! I strongly suggest that you mark the side facing you on even numbered rows with a pin or paperclip. This is the RIGHT side.

 Cast on 52 stitches with #4 needles, and knit the first four rows of the chart (two repeats). Note that there are two edge stitches which are kept in rib. The smaller needles are to help keep the ends of the cloth from flaring out. Slip the cloth to #6 needles and complete the 36-row chart, repeating back to Row #1, until your work is square, and you have just finished a cable row. Return the cloth to the smaller needles and knit until the row just before the next cable, then bind off.

I used Knitpicks Dishie for this cloth (7 inches square), but if you prefer a thicker yarn such as Peaches & Creme, I would go up to knitting needles #6 and 8.

Note: If this chart looks different than the one you might have seen or printed before, it's because I updated it to make it prettier. It is the same chart!

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