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Wednesdays Are For Knitting: Dishcloths

One of the things I love about knitting is the ability to create something useful. Sure, a lace shawl is beautiful but it’s sort of a frivolity. Socks, though? Totally useful. Mittens, hats, scarves? Couldn’t live without ’em in New England in the winter time. But perhaps the most useful handknit item of all?

piled up dishcloths for carole knits

The dishcloth.

half folded dishcloths for carole knits

Now, I know that some of you would never stoop so low as to knit dishcloths. And some of you loathe knitting with cotton yarn. But when you look in your kitchen basket and the dishcloths there are ragged and unraveling, faded and shrunken, well, you break out the Sugar ‘n Cream and you get cranking.

two stacks of dishcloths for carole knits

The Ballband Dishcloth Pattern is my favorite one ever. It’s entertaining enough to keep me amused but mindless enough that I can knit it anywhere.

stack of dishcloths for carole knits

And it’s pretty, especially in bright solid colors like these.

pile of dishcloths for carole knits

I can’t decide which is my favorite!

This Post Has 29 Comments

  1. Love that pattern. I need to knit some new dishcloths myself, mine are in that ragged and torn state!

  2. Beautiful dishcloths! I spent my summer knitting this very pattern … perhaps I am easily amused, but I find it very satisfying.

  3. I love that pattern, too! And I LOVE hand knit dishcloths. (Lowly? Never!) I’m really lucky because my mom knits dishcloths constantly — and she shares! (Love those colors. They might even make me WANT to do dishes!)

  4. Your dishcloths are beautiful. While I haven’t yet made this pattern, your pretty cloths are pushing me in that direction. When I make dishcloths, I make them in 2 different colours – one for the kitchen, and another for the bath. They are great exfoliators.

  5. I don’t know why so many people look down their noses at dishcloths – they are the ultimate useful knitted item! Yours are truly lovely.

    I had in mind to knit some facecloths for people and give them with fancy soap. I don’t know if I’ll get to it, but it is a nice idea …

  6. Coincidence rules! I just drug out the cotton yarns and the Ball Band Dishcloth pattern last night and started a new one – for us. Somehow they all get given away, but my kitchen badly needs a new dishcloth for its own self. I should be paying bills, but knitting a dishcloth is more fun.

  7. What is this ‘doing dishes’ you speak of? ;^)

    I suppose a girl could be tempted with those candy colored pieces of usable art.

  8. My aunt knit me some dishcloths and I love them! I am planning on making some myself when they wear out.

  9. Those will make great gifts. Love the bright colors and love
    the pattern. I need to get that pattern and some cotton
    yarn!! Thanks for sharing and giving us another gift idea!

  10. I guess I stand alone among your commenters to having an aversion to knitting dishcloths. I hate the idea of knitting getting despoiled which is inevitable with them. At what point to you throw them out because they’ve become grotty looking? Also, I don’t see shawls as frivolous. I wear them to keep my neck and shoulders warm and publicly promote the wonders of knitting and because they make me happy. People also love them as gifts.

  11. They’re so pretty – I love the pile of dishcloths! I like knitting dishcloths. They’re a quick, mindless knit for me. They’re something I can take with me, to knit while I’m out.

  12. I love your dishcloths! They are so happy looking. I’ve just made a few for my mother’s church fair. I use the leftovers and make mine. I’m going to have to knit this pattern again as it’s been awhile.

  13. They are so pretty! I don’t knit them because I don’t know if I could ever actually use them as dish cloths. I know what mine end up looking like after a few months. 🙁

  14. I love your dishcloths! Such beautiful colors. I always have one on the needles. You never know when you could need a little gift. Right now I’m making Mitered square ones..but the Ballband is also my favorite! Thanks for a great post!

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