Honest question here

Hi everyone, I have been wondering about this for quite a while--I know many, many folks love to make dishcloths, washcloths, etc, and many say it's habit-forming. My question is really two-fold:

Why would anyone want to make something that will purposely be made dirty? And secondly, do they work? Don't they come out sort of thick and unwieldy? Are they for washing? or drying? I don't understand. It seems like it would be much easier to buy inexpensive cloths anywhere for cleaning with.

I know there must be great merit in it since so many people make them and enjoy making and using them, so please, kind friends, explain to me what it's all about? I know I must be missing something here, I just don't know what, but I'm willing to learn!

Wendy A Confused Knitting Fool in CT

Reply to
myswendy
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I love to make em......walmart and hobby lobby have great sales on the big skeins. I don't use them but my 3 sisters, MOM and several friends ask for them every year for christmas. They are fast and mindless. Sometimes I like to make a few inbetween bigger projects. They are also a great way to try out new pattern stitches.

Reply to
DAB

Are they for potholders? Or washcloths? Or dish towels? Do they hold water? I appreciate your answering and apologize for sounding dense here.

Wendy

Reply to
myswendy

I will admit that when I first received a knit dishcloth I was a bit leery about it. I wasn't sure how well it would work and how well it would hold up to the abuse I put dishcloths through. Well, I now swear by handknit dishcloths. They work great and hold up quite well. I always run mine through the washer before using them the first time 'cause I've noticed that the yarn is more absorbent after being washed and dried. They're only bulky and unwieldy if you make them that way.

Reminds me that I need to whip up some more...I'll get to that eventually, hopefully before I've completely trashed the ones I have now.

The Other Kim kimagreenfieldatyahoodotcom

Reply to
The Other Kim

Are they made of cotton? Is there a pattern that is better than others? What size needles?

Reply to
myswendy

Go to one of the large craft stores or "big box" stores and look for a yarn called Sugar and Cream, which comes wrapped around a cardboard tube. It's about sport weight and is cotton. The pattern is on the back of the wrapper. There are also pattern books for dish cloths. They work beautifully in washing dishes, and when I'm finished I rinse out the cloth, wring it, and wipe the stove, etc. before tossing it down the basement stairs to run through the laundry. I use one, two, or even three every day, and just keep tossing them in the laundry.

Reply to
Mary

Most people usually make them out of sugar/peaches and cream or Lion kitchen cotton also works. You can use about any st pattern from garter to fancy - see this site

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for a ton of patterns. I've heard that if you use size 7 or 8, they hold up better.sue

Reply to
suzee

I'm glad to know I'm not the only person who tosses stuff down the basement stairs for the laundry! HAHAHA!

Wendy

Reply to
myswendy

Cool! thanks! I'll go check it out now. :)

Reply to
myswendy

OH PHOOEY that link didn't work. :(

Reply to
myswendy

site

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a ton>> of patterns. I've heard that if you use size 7 or 8, they hold up better.>>>> sue- Hide quoted text ->>

It sorta ran together even though I left spaces before and after... try this

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Reply to
suzee

site

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a ton>>> of patterns. I've heard that if you use size 7 or 8, they hold up better.>>>>>> sue- Hide quoted text ->>>

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Reply to
suzee

OH PHOOEY that link didn't work. :(

Try this:

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Reply to
vanmier

Reply to
mirjam

I've wondered about it too.

Not only that but if the hand made one got a hole in it I think the stitches would run into a hole far bigger than the commercially knitted ones with very fine stitches. Yes, those do hole, but it's not important.

I've read all the replies and two things spring to mind. Three, really.

1) 'Mindless' and 'knitting' don't sit easily together in a sentence. I don't want knitting to be mindless, if I wanted something mindless to do I'd get out the vacuum cleaner :-) Knitting must be a challenge and enjoyable. 2) What's the point in BUYING yarn for dishcloths (that's what they're called in UK - 'clouts' in the north of England at least - no doubt other regions have their own vernacular)? I have quite a lot of cotton yarns lying around which are too small for garments and which I've thought of using for clouts. 3) They must be cotton. Man made fibres are rarely absorbent enough and don't wring dry as well as cotton. I can't bear those artificial and very thin 'cleaning cloths' , they just don't work and tend to sit around being sodden and festering. I've seen that in people's houses, even those people who are otherwise fastidious.

Recently a daughter gave me some organic linen dishcloths, they felt lovely, thick and white. But they weren't knitted or woven, I think the expression is 'non-woven fabric'. Spouse used the first and it developed into a large hole after one wash-up. Nothing to hold it together, I reckon.

Mary

Reply to
Mary Fisher

Mary your letter reminded of something ,, in the early 1970 we were in UK [Manchester] and still had a baby , and as our cotton diapers from home, weren`t enough thus we bought English diapers that looked like little white towels. i used them till my son didn`t need them anymore and took them home with us bunsled nicely ,, than years alter it occured to me that they might be nice hand towels, sewed nice loops on them and gave half to my daughter half to my son. I also read in a book called "I hate to Housekeep" By Peg Bracken, That she used to use Diapers for cleaning rags ,but when the babies grew, she didn`t have them anymore , than she `realized` she could buy diapers without having babies ,,,, mirjam

Reply to
mirjam

UK [Manchester] and still had a baby , and as our cotton diapers from home, weren`t enough thus we bought English diapers that looked like little white towels.

Yes, I used nothing else. The best were expensive but aas with most things you get what you pay for. We call them 'nappies' and some of the ones which were bought for my first baby were still being used (although thinner) for our fifth. The very last one was given to a daughter when she had her first (and only) child. Just for tradition!

and took them home with us bunsled nicely ,, than years alter it occured to me that they might be nice hand towels, sewed nice loops on them and gave half to my daughter half to my son.

I hope you didn't cut them in half :-)

That she used to use Diapers for cleaning rags ,but when the babies grew, she didn`t have them anymore , than she `realized` she could buy diapers without having babies ,,,,

LOL!

They're expensive though ...

I couldn't be bothered reading such a book, housework doesn't fill me with enough passion - either way!

Mary

Reply to
Mary Fisher

myswendy wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@s8g2000prg.googlegro ups.com:

yes, cotton (lily sugar & cream, i think it's called). you can pretty much use any knit & purl pattern, but you do want a non-curling border around it. personally i don't see the point of a cabled dishcloth, but it really is a good way to practice cables, or any other stitch pattern and end up with something at least useful :) they're also nice for teaching kids to knit. simple pattern & not nearly as mind numbingly boring as finishing a garter knit scarf, but a good gift for mom or grandma or a washcloth for themselves. lee

Reply to
enigma

I'm glad to know I'm not the only person who tosses stuff down the basement stairs for the laundry! HAHAHA!

Wendy

I live in a bi-level where basement is finished..and where laundry/craft room is (hardly anyone goes in there except me so it's mine!!) I'm always throwing stuff down and sometimes I've hit one of my DD or the DH who's coming up the stairs.. not so bad when the clothes are dry but when it's the wet dishcloth, I better run!! LOL

Donna in S. Indiana

Reply to
Gerald & Donna McIntosh

Donna in S. Indiana

Reply to
Gerald & Donna McIntosh

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