Friday, May 4, 2012

Trying to Be Square

I find that I have become quite addicted to crocheting dishcloths, and I have to restrain myself even now from starting another one when I have so many other projects that have been started and are waiting patiently to be finished.  I think it is the lack of pressure from the dishcloths and  how quickly they are completed.  Also I love learning new stitches.  And they are small and portable.  Such stress relief!  Ahh, dishcloths have much to recommend them!

However, they also have their issues -- at least where I'm concerned -- and keeping them square is at the top of that list.  I'm still working on that.  The problems for me intensify when adding the borders.  Crochet is a bit of a free-wheeling craft and can be somewhat subjective (add a stitch where it needs one), and where it needs one is sometimes up to you to figure out.

All of the following are made from the Big Book of Dishcloths.  You can see my earlier efforts here.

I don't normally associate dishcloths with purple, but I love it here.  I like this pattern and can think of other uses for it.
#29
This one gave me a chance to practice using two colors at once.  The pattern as written turned out HUGE and I made it narrower, which made it the proper size but somehow it doesn't look as good.  My borders are still a little wonky here.  I think this pattern would be really pretty on a blanket.
#77
On this dishcloth I used self-striping yarn.  For some reason I have a lot of this particular color way.  I like how the yarn showed the pattern off, but there was no instruction on how to even off the zigzaggy sides.  I scoured the internet but was unsuccessful in finding help there as well.  It seems that people just make it up as they go along.  Which is what I did, with passable but not stellar results.  If you know how to do this, let me know!

#54
There are 99 dishcloth patterns in this book, and I am NOT committing to making one of each (although the idea does cross my mind from time to time).  I am taking a less pressured approach and picking at random which one I want to try next.  I have to confess I already have a pattern chosen to crochet up with some red yarn.  BUT I am trying to save it for a summer road trip.  Right now I need to finish some WIPs, and for once my weekend looks fairly free of commitments.  Now to get off the computer and actually sew.....or quilt.......or crochet.......

6 comments:

  1. I have always wanted to make dishcloths,your are very pretty, thank you for sharing.
    Sue

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  2. Angela, I simply must start "following" you, because I have missed so much in a few days (life being a little crazy around our house these days)! Tonight I caught up on all the posts I have missed, and--WOW--you have had me all over the place! Drooling at the doughnuts. Admiring your garden and the beautiful dishcloths. Commiserating with your dread of the hot summer. (It isn't as hot here as it is in Texas, but I do soooo hate the heat and humidity.) Cringing at the snake story. (Oh my. A copperhead on the loose. I'll bet you're on alert anytime you go outside!) And laughing at your missing-item-in-the-vacuum-hose story. (That is a hoot!)

    Now...off to "follow"...

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  3. Oh, a red one. Can't wait to see it. I have a couple of crocheted dishcloths made by friends and love to use them. The pattern on the first one would make such a cute blankie for a new baby, I think. I think they all look stellar. Have fun on the next one. :) Good luck with your WIPs. I need to get to some of those too.

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  4. Okay...I will buy the coffee or tea...just stop and show me how! These are great!!!

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  5. There's something about small portable projects isn't there? These look lovely (as did your previous ones) and have added to my determination to the crocheted face cloth idea that's been hovering in my head for a while. I presume one could double up patterns for dishcloths for face cloths? I love your experimentation and it's so appealing trying things out when if it's tricky one hasn't got vast acres to cover before the finishing line! Happy Weekend with whatever needles come to hand! E x

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