Finished Projects

Well, I'm back - sort of. It's been a crazy week as I've jumped straight into the thick of things again. I've launched into making my second set of curtains this summer, the veggie garden is blooming and I'm trying to complete several knitting projects without getting led astray by thoughts of potential new ones!


........................And that's not counting dealing with the children's social lives, maintaining the family budget, keeping on top of the laundry and making sure the animals are fed!


It's all go.


I have however, managed to finish some projects during my vacation. The weather was wonderful, so I managed to sit outside and knit several dishcloths for the kitchen. They are the ideal summer project. As you have to get them wet eventually, it doesn't really matter whether you get suntan lotion or pool water on them during the creative process. This is a major plus.


I think my favourite turned out to be the Chinese Waves dishcloth. It was simple yet effective.

I finished off my Yin Yang cloth too. The pattern needs some adjustment, but it's not bad for a first attempt.

Then I used up the rest of my Lion Brand Cotton Solid to make another Market Bag. I made it a little shorter than my first one and cast on 25sts for the handles instead of 20sts, so that I could fit it over my shoulder.

This is my most recent dishcloth and probably the last one I'll make this summer. I'm pretty well stocked up now. I am working on an improvised floor cloth in the same neutral yarn though. We'll see how that one turns out.

The curtains that I made for my son's bedroom turned out great though. Matching the fabric was the hardest part (he naturally chose a complicated motif). I managed it though.

Just got to paint the room now!!

Creativity

I've been busy.

Since I finished the Martini dishcloth I've hosted a pool party, broken the news of our cats terminal illness to the children, shopped for school supplies, done the monthly Costco run combined with my daughter's regular trip to get allergy shots and hulled 6lbs of strawberries.

I decided that all this work earned me time with my knitting friends yesterday, so I ran around searching for needles to cast on for a market bag before flying out of the door to meet them. Each child was given a chore to do while I was gone and then, praying they would all end their summertime squabbles during my absence, I took a couple of hours off.

My third dishcloth, made from Lion Brand Cotton Solid from my stash, is almost finished, but I'm not overly pleased with it. It's an attempt at a Yin and Yang design, but it's hard to knit a circular pattern on to a dishcloth. The design needs some adjustment.

The market bag got off to a flying start though. Again I'm using Lion Brand Cotton Solid, but I bought a neutral shade which is turning out to have a much softer texture than the coloured skeins. A market bag would actually have been fine in a tougher yarn, so it's been a bit of a surprise to find that the same brand has a different texture when it's not dyed. We'll see how it goes.

I've found it extremely satisfying making such useful items. Some people think knitting dishcloths is beneath them. They have gone beyond that stage and consider them projects for 'new' knitters. Frankly I've found that there's nothing quite as satisfying as creating something to use every day. I look at my dishcloth as I mop up my family's messes and am reminded of my gifts and talents. Hopefully the market bag will also not only save the environment from the perils of plastic every time I use it, but fill me with that warm fuzzy feeling of achievement that creativity always brings.

Meanwhile I'm hugely excited about what's happening in my vegetable garden. I have planted several containers with veggies this year and now I have corn that is taller than I am, tomato plants covered in yellow flowers, cucumber vines that grow visibly every day and carrot tops that look promising. Every night I water my Earth Boxes and study my 'crops.'

Now it's time to get creative in my kitchen. I have 6lbs of sugar-soaked, hulled organic strawberries waiting to be turned into jars of delicious red jam. My Darling Daughter (#2) is heading off to stay with a friend for a week, so I shall bake treats for her to take with her too. Then I have fresh spinach, tomatoes, potatoes and spices to turn into an Indian side dish called Sag Aloo which we will be eating with chicken curry for dinner tonight.

A day of delight in the kitchen awaits!

Martini Glass Dishcloth

It's hot! At last we have got a taste of summer in all its glory. I've discovered that knitting dishcloths is the perfect summer pastime. I've set aside the baby blanket again as I can't stand all that fabric sitting in my lap when I'm knitting outside. Instead, I'm making dishcloths. They are small and quick to make.

Cotton doesn't have as much give in it as wool which does make my hands ache a bit after a while, but I'm motivated by the fact that I need some dishcloths in the kitchen. Just waiting to see how long these bright coloured Lion Brand Cotton Solids bleed for. That seems to be the downside of this yarn. It bleeds forever. I've taken to throwing the dishcloth into the dishwasher at the end of the day along with all the crockery, to try to rinse it out a bit!

'Be My Dishcloth' turned out great so I then cast on for the Martini Glass Dishcloth by Bavgirl.

This was an even easier knit. I actually preferred it because all the pattern work was done on the right side so you could instantly see if you made a mistake!

Dishcloth

I am in need of a dishcloth, so I went rummaging through my stash yesterday for some Lion Brand Cotton that I was praying that I hadn't given away in a fit of pique. Thankfully it was still there, so I cast on for Kris Knits 'Be My Dishcloth'. It's a wonderful pattern; so effective and an easy knit as long as you don't accidently misread which row you're on! A ruler on the pattern certainly helps. There are lots of examples on Ravelry.