Dirty Dishes

I am one of those people who always has more that one project going on at once. I normally have one BIG project, but I tend to get bored...even if I love it. So, I always have some sort of itty-bitty-easy-peasy-super-quick project as well. Just to get me through the rough patches. For the longest time, it was baby hats. However, recently, I have discovered the crocheted dishcloth. It all started when I spotted this gorgeous skein of Peaches n' Cream that was calling my name.


Yarn: Sara...Sara...Sara...
Me: What?! Oh...you're a pretty little thing!
Yarn: Thank you! You should take me home.
Me: Sorry, I don't have any use for you.
Yarn: People often knit dishcloths with me.
Me: I don't knit dishcloths.
Yarn: But you LOVE to knit!
Me: I don't knit dishcloths.
Yarn: They are quick and easy!
Me: I don't knit dishcloths.
Yarn: You...could...um...crochet one. Yes! That's it! Crochet one! Didn't your Aunt DeeAnne give you a lovely crocheted dishcloth?
Me: Oh, yes. She is so sweet. And it is just the best dishcloth!
Yarn: There you go! You could make one just like it.
Me:I've already got dishcloths.
Yarn: Isn't your son always complaining that the current dishcloths are too small for his giant 16 yr. old man hands?
Me: Yes, but...
Yarn: And wouldn't I make your kitchen look just lovely?
Me: Certainly, but...
Yarn: Much better than that old thing you've got in there now!
Me: It is getting rather dingy.
Yarn: Can't you just see me? Draping over the faucet...LOvely. Cleaning the dishes...loVEly. Covered in soap bubbles...loveLY!
Me: You would look nice wiping off the table...
Yarn: And look! I only cost $1.47! That's like pocket change! You could make a whole bunch. Like one for each day of the week. That would be a clean dishcloth every day. You'd never have to have an old, dirty dishcloth hanging in your kitchen sink ever again.
Me: Hmm...The Mythbusters did say that the kitchen sponge is the dirtiest/germiest spot in the house.
Yarn: Dirtier than the toilet seat!
Me: You might be on to something here. By buying you, I would be protecting my family from evil bacteria just waiting to infect them with horrible diseases!
Yarn: Exactly!
Me: And dishcloths are very eco-friendly.
Yarn: Green is the new black!
Me: So I wouldn't only be saving my family from bacteria...I'd be saving the entire planet from certain doom!
Yarn: You'd be like Wonder Woman!




Sara's Aunt DeeAnne Dishcloth

Once I really looked at it, I realized my aunt's dishcloth was just a basic v-stitch pattern. My dishcloth (and, therefore, this pattern) is 15 v-stitches wide and about 23 v-stitches tall, or about 11"x11". Remember, I had those 16 yr. old man hands to consider. If a dainty dishcloth is more your style, simply chain less stitches to start with. It just needs to be a multiple of 3, plus 4.

Yarn: I used 1 skein of Peaches n' Cream. But really you could use whatever you felt like.
(I personally like cotton for dishcloths. I don't really have a reason why. And the little skeins of Peaches n' Cream are so cute!)

Hook: I used a US size G/6-4.25mm
(Experiment with different hooks until you get a result you like. My Aunt's dishcloth was crocheted with a smaller hook and has a tighter feel. I just wasn't having any fun crocheting that tightly, so I went up a few sizes!)

Gauge: Not important. It's a dishcloth.

• Chain 49 stitches.
  
• Row 1: In the 5th chain from the hook, *work 1 double crochet(dc), chain 1, and work another dc into the same stitch as the previous dc (one v-stitch made). Skip the next 2 stitches. Repeat from the * across the row making (14) more v-stitches until only 2 stitches remain. Skip 1, and work 1 dc in the last stitch. Chain 3 and turn your work over.
• Row 2: Skip the first space, and in the next space *work 1 dc, chain 1, and work another dc (v-stitch) into the same space. Skip the next space. Repeat from the * until the last space and work 1 dc. Chain 3 and turn your work over. (You want your v-stitches to be stacked on top of one another, so you are working your v-stitches between the "legs" of the v-stitches in the previous row.)
  
• Repeat Row 2 until you run out of yarn, or until your dishcloth has reached your desired length.
• Weave in the ends.

Great Hera! That is one gorgeous dishcloth! (Now if I could just get my son to actually use it!)



(This is the original that my aunt crocheted. Hers is a bit smaller than mine and she worked a cute single crochet border around the edge. )

Happy Halloween!

("Little Pumpkin" from Susan B. Anderson's Itty Bitty Hats. Size, newborn. Shown on Baby K at 7 months.)

  

The Baby Buttered-Toast Tank

My mom gave me "Chicks with Sticks (Knit two together)" for Christmas. (It's...cute.) There are a couple of patterns in the back, and this was one of them. I probably wouldn't have ever knit any of them, but I was about six months pregnant (which means I was trying to find things to knit for the baby like there was no tomorrow) and needed to keep my hands busy for a three-hour drive to Flagstaff (six hours of round-trip driving...hmm...the perfect amount of time to make a baby tank!)

The original calls for yellow yarn (the color of butter...thus, the "Buttered Toast" bit), but I don't really like yellow. I was also trying to not knit anything in little-baby-girl pink. Not because I don't like it as well, but because most (read: ALL) of her store-bought clothes were that color already. I guess I was trying to branch out. :) So, I guess this is more of a "Jam-on-my-buttered-toast Tank." The original is also for "big girls," not little baby ones, so I modified it quite a bit, although, the changes I made turned this already simple knit into a super-quick, easy peasy knit. (Ah, my favorite kind!)

I cast on 84 stitches and ignoring all shaping (because what little baby needs waist and bust shaping....of course this is before I knew my baby would have a Buddha-like silhouette, but even then....)worked for about 6 inches and then worked the froofy little scallop pattern for 2 2/3 inches. Then I figured out where I wanted the straps to go and picked up 3 stitches for i-cord tie-them-in-a-bow straps. (I am addicted to i-cord. I use it for everything. There is just something about the way it looks...I can't get over it!)

So, even though I knit this thing just out of curiosity (and too much time on my hands), it has ended up being one of my favorite little baby outfits. She wore it one of her first times out of the house (about a week old) as a little dress. She has worn it as a little vest over a onesie and pants to keep her warm. Now, at six months old, it is a cute little tank. I never could have guessed how practical and versatile it would be. I highly recommend all baby girls have one!

(Even if you don't have the pattern (which I doubt you do), you can probably figure it out from the pictures and my mods and add your own, much cuter trim.)

Bald No More...

My adorable baby girl takes after her grandpa...

and the little hair that she does have, makes her look like she is wearing a little toupee! (Strangely enough, I don't seem to have a picture of the back of her head, and she is sleeping, so you'll just have to take my word for it on this one.) So, when I saw the pattern for the "No-Hair-Day" Hairy Chemo Cap, I just had to make her a baby hat wig. (I realize my cause is much less altruistic...but what better way to use obnoxious bright blue Fun Fur than to bring out my little one's bright blue eyes?)

In order to make the "hat" fit Baby K, I used size US 8 needles (instead of size US 9s) and only knit until the hat measured about 5-5.5" from the cast on edge. Then I worked decreases on every row to finish it up (no "Rounds 2, 4, 6, and 8: Knit," business). I wanted it to be small enough to fit her head now, but big enough for her to play dress-up with as she gets older because what little girl wouldn't want a chance to have bright blue spiky hair?

Happy Birthday, Baby K!

My baby girl is three months old today! (Or 12 weeks...or a quarter of a year. They all sound so different, don't they?) To celebrate, here she is in the latest outfits her mother made her wear (and to wear).

This is her new yellow wrap dress (Blossom). I made it to go with her "gender neutral" yellow onesies...she is proud to be a little girl and wanted to eliminate all gender neutrality. (I know what you are thinking, "So put her in one of those girly headbands! She doesn't need a whole dress!" The problem with the headbands is that they never stay on-not her fault, mind you. Keep reading...) I created the matching headband just for fun. (Translation: her dad HATES matching headbands and is constantly "sneaking" them off her head and threatening to do them bodily harm, so of course I HAD to make one.) I really love how it ended up looking like a little crown (stupid tight bind-off!) Of course, her daddy immediately removes it from her head once he gets home, so she is only a princess from 8am-5pm (excluding lunch time and weekends, obviously).



This is her little blue skirt (Caiden's skirt). Once again, to remove all doubt that she is a little girl...in a completely haedband-friendly manner. Although, look at that smile on her face. One would be led to believe that she likes wearing headbands. (Hear that, Dad!?) (Note: The picture is a bit blurry due to the fact the she moves so amazingly fast and only paused for a second, and has nothing to due with her mom's lack of picture taking skills.)

Here we go...

My husband-being the wonderful computer nerd that he is, with his handful of websites and blogs devoted to his own nerdy hobbies-keeps telling me that I should create my own blog to catalog my nerdy adventures in knitting. Something about how since I read other knitter's blogs, I need to give something back...so, while this doesn't really say anything yet, (I just had to post something to get started!) hopefully I will be able to help/inspire/entertain just as others have for me.