Twenty Five Treats for the Holidays - Day 4

Today's treat is some quiet time for yourself to just do a little knitting.  Here's a project to keep or to give - a handknit dishcloth. 

Now, let me tell you, it doesn't sound all that exciting, but these dishcloths are amazing multi-taskers! First, they are rugged and tough, and don't wimp out on tough jobs like scrubbing goopy messes from a stovetop. They are gentle enough to be used for a child's washcloth. When dry, they make great dusting cloths.  They are also THE PERFECT SIZE for a woman's hand - not too big, not too small.

Make one or a bunch to give away, and use fun colors to brighten up those dreary jobs!
If you knitted along on the scarf for Special Olympics during our Nine Days of Knitting, this pattern will sound EXREMELY familiar.  Actually, it's been the basis for many patterns of items I've made, including baby afghans.  It's all over the internet under various names, but I learned it as...

Granny's Favorite Dishcloth
1 ball cotton worsted weight yarn, your choice of color and brand (Peaches and Creme, for example)
Size 7 or 8 knitting needles - use whichever you feel most comfortable with - I've used both

Cast on 4 stitches.  Knit across
K2, yo, k across.
Repeat until you have 44 stitches.
K1, k2tog, yo, k2tog, k across.
Repeat until you have 4 stitches.
Knit across.
Bind off.

So the dishcloth is basically the points of our scarves, but with more stitches, and no straight sides in between.  Your finished cloth should be about 7" across each side.  A little bigger, a little smaller, no big deal.  It's a dishcloth, not a prom dress.

There are several brands of 100% cotton yarn on the market - I've used Sugar-n-Cream and Peaches-n-Creme, whichever is available at whatever store I'm at and is on sale.  Usually, a ball runs about $2, and you can make 2 dishcloths from it.

So take some time for you today - curl up in a comfy chair, put your feet up, and make yourself a dishcloth or a dozen!