Potholders/Dishcloths and Baby Hats

A bit of a mix I must admit but sometimes you just want to make small easy things, quick finishes that give you a sense of achievement when you're feeling under the weather or your brain can't cope with anything else. 

I was inspired to make these last week

Mitered Dishcloth//Pot Holders

Astri from Apple Blossom Dreams had a 25% off sale and I just went for it, a nice easy pattern that I didn't even have to think about to satisfy my crochet cravings .  I have a rather large bag of cotton stash, most of the labels have gone but I actually know what I used for these, They both took 32 grams of yarn.  The pink one is made with Rico Aran creative cotton and the green one with Sirdar Simply Recycled cotton rich Aran. Both are great to crochet with and this is an addictive pattern I can see many more of these in my future so watch out all friends and family you are about to be in undated.😀
Thank you Astri for the inspiration and for a great pattern which you can buy here


Jeannie Hat



Marianna from Lazy Daisy Days published this free pattern last week, it's another lovely easy pattern this time to satisfy my knitting cravings, just the thing to make while watching TV. I have quite a large stash of baby knitting yarn and I haven't a clue what type this is, but this cute little hat only uses 13 grams so it's great for using up those little bits.  This pattern is also a very addictive and I will be making lots more, there is always a need for baby hats so I can make these to my hearts content.
Thank you Marianna for the inspiration and another great pattern.

Thank you for all your sweet comments last week, I'm pleased to say I'm feeling much better but it's took a while before I felt confident enough to go for a short walk just to post a letter, any illness really tales it out of you when you get older and I don't like being incapacitated one little bit I really don't have the time for it.😣😄

Lifestyle changes have got to happen whether I like it or not, when I had my Gall bladder removed in 2015 I was determined to eat healthily and carefully and I did for a lot of years but I've been slipping back and now I'm paying for it. It's a very boring bland diet you have to follow which is quite sad really.  Have you noticed that when you go out for a meal anywhere it's very hard to find something that is healthy, most things are covered in rich sauces or fried or both.  I'm so sorry for those of you who say you have this too, I hope that one day they will figure out an easy safe and effective way to fix it.

The spots on my face were diagnosed by my daughter she said they looked like cold sores and when she said that I realised yes of course that's what they are, I have had them on my mouth and nose before but never on my brow and at the side of my eye and on my scalp! They are still very much in evidence and quite sore, I have four of them and I'm hoping that I'll get no more.

I have yet to go see the damage inflicted on the Woodland as soon as I'm feeling a bit stronger I'll have a walk and see for myself just what has been done.

Right that's it I promise no more moaning at least for now.😀

leaving you with..

A beautiful Pom Pom Dahlia the star of the show in my garden this week.

I hope you all have a lovely safe weekend. 


Click here to see some of the great parties I will be linking to this week.

Crochet Kitchen Towel/Dishcloth Pattern.

I didn't enter the world of homemade dishcloths until last year, here in England most of us just buy them or as in my case use old towels,  the thought of making a dishcloth seemed like a waste of time to me but I was intrigued because so many of you make them and love them.. 

so I made some to try out and since then they have been on trial, I have been using them all the time and I have come to the conclusion that I love them and have been completely converted not only are they great to use but they are great to make too.  

Then I got to thinking why not towels too I know it's easy to buy a towel but by making my own I could make it the size I wanted and it would be super thick and absorbent too and in colours that matched my kitchen...

I like it a lot it's so soft and fits nicely over the handle of my cooker.

The inspiration for the stitch for the towel came while I was making one of the squares from the 200 crochet blocks book by Jan Eaton. I realised that the closed texture of this stitch was perfect for towels, dishcloths and potholders and has been probably used for this purpose by many of you but this is how I made mine.

Materials
I used 
170 grams Drops Love you 5 in shades forest green - red - orange - off white but any aran weight 100% cotton would do (My favourite is lily sugar n cream)
5.00 mm hook

Pattern is in US terms for Uk terms just substitute sc with dc.
work a 49 chain, 

1st Row - sc in 2nd chain from hook and and in each chain across = 48sc, 2ch turn.

2nd Row - miss 1st st, 2sc in second st, *miss next st, 2 sc in next st* repeat from * to* to the end of the row 2 chain turn.

(you are working 2sc in the second sc of each 2sc group on each row and ending each row with a 2 chain turn)

Repeat row two until you have the length you require, then work a sc edging all around the towel.

I worked 68 rows and my towel measures 31cms wide and 42cms long.

Here it is basking in the sunshine. :)

Of course I had to make some matching dishcloths.

To make these I began with a 31 chain and used the same method as above.

I'm now going to make a red towel with contrasting stripes yes beware towel/dishcloth making is addictive. :)  

© Linda Solaiman 2015

find a print friendly version here

A Birthday Gift

It's my friends 70th birthday today and so here is the first washcloth gift I have made so far, using some of the cotton I bought at the weekend.

My friend is a really girly lady if you know what I mean and loves things soft and feminine so I thought pink shells would be just the thing.  (Pattern here)

I love this colour and I'm sure she will too, I enjoyed making this the worst bit is the sc edging trying to get your hook in the tiny spaces but it's worth it in the end.

I also made a little basket in white cotton

and then filled it with sweet scented goodies 

I hope she'll like it.  

                  Happy Birthday Doreen xxx

DishCloth Advise Please! and a Doily

Making dishcloths is something I have never really thought about, there always seemed to be something more urgent that needed doing, but have you ever found yourself in a situation where you needed a mindless project, one  that could be done while you are company. Something that would allow you to engage in conversation but at the same time enable your hands to do their thing with the hook and yarn without having to think about it too much ? well that's where I was last week. I have lots of things on the go but all my current projects require quiet and no distractions.

I then remembered Merediths lovely dishcloths, you know we don't seem to make them here,  but I remembered a face cloth which I had made a while back but had never actually used and was languishing in the drawer so out it came and I put it to the dishcloth test and washed my dishes with it.


It worked a treat and so out came a ball of Lily Sugar n cream solids in a lovely shade of green and I spent a pleasant evening with my family chatting and mindlessly crocheting away at my dishcloth and at the end of the evening it was complete, everyone was suitably impressed and gave the appropriate comments but I think they think poor mother is losing it bit because dishcloths are usually bought here or we use a bit of old towel or something.

Pattern here

I was so pleased with the result I thought it would be a good idea to introduce my family and friends to the world of crocheted dishcloths this Christmas but first I wanted to give my new green dishcloth a trial run.

The Verdict

I found it too bulky, but maybe that's because it's new to me, maybe it would be better made in a finer yarn say Dk. 

The colour ran...does that mean if I make one in multiple colours the colours will run into each other and even worse into other things if I put it into the washing machine?

So please all you dishcloth experts please tell me

What is your favourite dishcloth yarn?

Does the colour just run when the dishcloth is new?

How do you wash them do you just throw them into the washing machine, I was thinking maybe wash just dish cloths together on their own but if the colours all run into each other I would hate to think what colour they will be when they came out.

Do you think I'm crazy ?
 ( you can ignore the last one because I know the answer anyway)

Moving on ... 
As you all know I have projects all over the place and I really didn't need this but that Pammy Sue can be so persuasive, she is making the most beautiful HUGE! doily and has invited us to make one along with her, well at first I declined but then I remembered my daughter moving into her new home and her large round coffee table and I thought this doily would look lovely on there.  She likes bright coloured accessories because her decor is bland, she was talking about buying a fuchsia rug and I thought a fuchsia doily would complement it, even better I had some fuchsia thread.

This is where I am so far, I'm onto round 13, then an awful thought struck me she hasn't even bought the rug yet! what if she buy's a different colour one that will clash with fuchsia? and so it's on hold.... I may just finish it anyway it would look good on my bedroom drawers but that means I would need to make two one for each set of drawers and then another for my daughter so that would mean making three,,,,still thinking..?? 


Still talking about fuschia...
Remember that rose bud last week?

well look at it now

It's so huge and beautiful with the most heavenly scent ever. Hope you all have a great week.!