Vine Cloth Pattern

I've been in the repetition of the Quaking Aspen Shawl and felt the need to deplete my stash, make something that could be finished quickly and would be easy enough to cut my design teeth without too much pain.

What took care of all three?

A very simple washcloth/dishcloth design.

Everyone knows that handmade dishcloths make great little hostess gifts or other little "I was thinking of you" goodies.  Not so true if you went out to Target or the local pharmacy and picked a stack of those scratchy cloths and gave them to the hostess -- right?

I'm thinking of making a stack of these for favors at my next wine and cheese gathering - I'll adapt the colors to a theme for the night and everyone will have a nice little gift to take home.

Right now  - I'm the only one who has knit this pattern up.  I'd certainly appreciate it if you'd let me know about any errors (or feel free to ask any questions).  And I'd be really tickled if you'd send me photos of your finished pretties.  (I'll also post this on Ravelry, so we can all gather there -- okay?)

 

Vine Cloth

By Peggie Arvidson based on Hanging vines stitch pattern found in the daily stitch a day calendar 2012

(perfect hostess gift for the wine lover on your list)

For the green/yellow: I used about 1/4 of a skein of Peaches and Cream multicolored cotton yarn.  For the Blue and brown, I used less than one quarter of each the brown and Blue.  Both Peaches and Cream cotton.

Size US 8 needles.

You can adjust your needles to get the "feel" that you want in your cloth.  If you're a tight knitter like me 8 or 9 probably would be excellent.  If you are a loose knitter?  try a smaller needle.

Additionally -- if you'd like this more in a towel size -- cast on more.  The pattern is in a multiple of 8 plus 6 for the 3 edging stitches on either side.

Cast on 34

Rows 1-4: Knit

Row 5: K3; (K2, K2Tog, YO, K3;) 4times;  K3

Row 6: K3; purl 28; k3

Row 7: K3; (K1, K2tog, YO, K4) 4 times; K3

Row 8: K3; P28; K3

Row 9: Knit across

Row 10: K3; P28: K3

Row 11: K3; (K3, YO, SSK, K2) 4 times; K3

Row 12: Knit across all 34

Row 13: K3; (K4, YO, SSK, K1) 4 times; K3

Row 14: K3; P28; K3

Row 15: Knit across

Row 16: K3; P28; K3

Repeat Rows 5-16 twice (or as many times as you want to get the length you prefer)

Repeat Rows 5-14 a final time

Knit 4 rows

Bind off

You can embellish by adding stripes and adding a little crochet “rope” at the corner to hang the cloth!

Lazy Knitter Get off your ...

I haven't written here in a while because I think you may be bored with simple, daily run downs of what's on the needles. 

There is also the fact that I apparently cannot count past three.  This is tough in K4, P4 ribs btw.

Recently I realized that I'm a lazy knitter.  Or that my desire to remain a slug in one place is the source of much of my creativity.

I'm inventing a new hat pattern (I'd show you a picture but the hat is downstairs and I'm not, so it will have to wait til I get off my arse and head downstairs to take a picture.  Hopefully I'll remember to bring my camera or it could be another few days....)

The pattern is being invented because I had written a pattern down and left the pattern upstairs (where I am now) and my yarn and needles were downstairs (where the TV is).  Once I was snuggled between my honey and my sweet dog with the blanket over my lap, my wine on the coffee table and the needles in my hands, I wasn't about to head upstairs for a pattern.

I figured I could make something up as I went.

At first I had stage fright, but then I figured if it really was sucky I could unravel the whole thing and follow a pattern.

I'm working it in EllaMae - in black and pink on US#8 circulars.  I cast on 80 stitches, worked a k2, p2 rib for about 2 inches and then sort of decided to wing it.  The first few rounds reflect that (but imperfections like that are my 'calling card')  Now I'm in a rhythm and run a solid round of K, then a round of k2, sl1, k1, then another round of k2, sl1, k1, and then switch the color and do the three rounds again.  simple.  and I'm actually kind of tickled by the way it looks.  If only the hat were here, I could show you.

But it's not.