# Dishcloth fad



## pickapeppa (Jan 1, 2005)

How long has this been going on? Just curious. I'm working on my first two, and having a ball. No.pun.intended..


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## tryskal (Jun 7, 2008)

I was introduced to dishcloths this year. I can't seem to make enough of them. Do you have a particular design that you like? Me - usually just single crochet (about 30 st to a row). I haven't tried any of the fancy ones.


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## FalconDance (Feb 4, 2007)

Well I for one am sick and tired of buying dishcloths at the store only to have them 1) shrink to munchkin size at the first wash and 2) be paper thin and virtually useless in about three washings (and I don't use bleach!). So, I"m back to making my own.

It's a very good way to try new patterns before launching into new projects with more expensive yarns, I find. Make a dishcloth or washcloth using the stitches/pattern considered in the appropriate size (for the cloth). I found a pattern last night that looks really nice on paper but couldn't figure out in kitten cotton, so that one's a no go.

If you're crocheting, using a half double saves time and looks really nice.


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## sewsilly (May 16, 2004)

25 years ago, for a wedding gift from a precious aunt, who was at the time 94, I was given a 'grandmother's favorite' washcloth that she'd made of kitchen string, literally. She also hand wrote the pattern on a 3 by 5 card for me and told me that as a young bride, all those many years ago, someone had given her a dishcloth and the handwritten pattern. As it had stood her in good stead for 75 years, she was 'sharing' with me. How precious is that?

So, I'd say the 'trend' is a repeat of a new one, from possibly the 1800's where you used what you had, for what you needed.

While I use beautiful colored kitchen cottons, that I purchase for that purpose (have a basket full, and I do far more than I need, in patterns far more interesting and varied than the 'favorite', I LOVE dishcloth knitting. I can knit it without thinking, finish one in short order, giving that feeling of accomplishment and end up with a useful item.

I am contemplating making them, and packaging them with small homemade soap, and a written up 'story' explaining the tradition from my aunt, and using them as favors for my daughter's wedding. I have a while yet, wedding most likely for spring 2010, so I'm making them and putting them in a giant tote... If we don't use them as favors, I'll have an 'endless' supply. ; )

I also like to make the little kitchen scrubbies out of the end bits.

dawn


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## weever (Oct 1, 2006)

Very neat story--and I love the idea for wedding favors...

--from another dishcloth addict


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## Ana Bluebird (Dec 8, 2002)

OH, I love dishcloths---always have one going, use them, give them, good idea of putting in a homemade soap for a present. They are quite popular in our area---selling for as much as $7 each in some areas, but more like $4-5 each. I love to use dishcloths to try out new patterns---easy yarn to work with, easy to see stitches, good to carry around and have to work on, and who cares if it doesn't turn out just quite right. There are whole books for cloth patterns, but the internet is full of them too.


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## Country Lady (Oct 2, 2003)

For a door prize for my high school reunion coming up, I'm fixing up a basket of knitted dishcloths, crocheted dishtowel toppers, crocheted lid grabbers, and a crocheted dish soap dress. I'd like to to stick a cutesy poem in with it, but haven't come up with one so far. Any suggestions?


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## pickapeppa (Jan 1, 2005)

Without launching into a long monologue, all I can say is I love them in the kitchen, the colors, the thickness, they actually have some substance to them. I have to dip and rinse far less with these than the cheap old dollar store variety.

My mom got me hooked on them. She uses her knitting loom to crank them out. I'm crocheting mine, after having gotten that 'big book of dishcloths'. So many patterns to choose from.

My favorites are the wavy patterns, or the ripples that alternate between two or three solid colors. They're gorgeous, and even caught my daughter's eye, who could care less about things like this.

Love the story about the aunt and kitchen string tradition, AND the wedding favor - what a great idea.

The only complaint I have is, our local craft stores seem to be short on color selections. Is there another string that works as well as the Sugar N Cream?


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## FalconDance (Feb 4, 2007)

Plain old kitchen twine works - and it's dyeable to customize (or play). Might shrink a little more, but it's inexpensive enough, that's for sure! AND you can use it to replace a driveband on your wheel!


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## pickapeppa (Jan 1, 2005)

FalconDance said:


> Plain old kitchen twine works - and it's dyeable to customize (or play). Might shrink a little more, but it's inexpensive enough, that's for sure! AND you can use it to replace a driveband on your wheel!


How frugal is that?! What a great idea. Is it the same as what you use to tie up a package for the mail?

I have some dye for candle making. Could it be used for this as well?


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## wottahuzzee (Jul 7, 2006)

Gosh, I remember my gramma telling me about folks saving up the cotton string from feedsacks to make dishcloths. 

This is the site for Peaches and Cream (about the same type of yarn as Sugar and Cream) and they have got a great color selection. This is the cotton yarn sold in Walmart. You can get balls or the big cones. The only problem is the shipping can get expensive. It seems like, or at least the last time I checked, it wasn't too much more expensive to ship a dozen cones than 3 or 4. 

http://www.elmore-pisgah.com/

But I do like them since it is an American-made product. 

Oh--they have some free patterns including the "infamous" ball-band dishcloth that got so popular from the Mason-Dixon knitting book.


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## Woodpecker (Mar 8, 2007)

ive been wanting to do this for awhile now. it seems now is the time to get going!


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## limey (Sep 1, 2004)

Ummm - this may be a strange question, but what do you use them for? Is it for washing dishes or for drying them? I always use a brush to wash dishes that are cruddy or just rinse in running water before putting in the dishwasher.

Limey


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## tryskal (Jun 7, 2008)

I am slowly replacing my store-bought washcloths with my homemade ones. I like to make the cloths a little bigger and use them in the shower. And I definitely use them in the kitchen. I'm working on making drying cloths for drying dishes.


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## Liese (Dec 12, 2005)

Here's another place to check out in TN http://rmyarns.com/

There's a cotton section and I'd think that the 3/2 cottons might be a similar grist to the peaches & cream cottons. Yards per pound and wraps per inch might need to be compared here. I've gotten one shipment (of other fibers) from her and it came fast. 

Limey, I think many of us wash dishes by hand but otherwise, a wash/dish cloth is also used for wiping down the counters, stove and in lieu of that brush you use. The older ones are used here for washing the floor - getting down on your knees to wash a floor is good exercise


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## FalconDance (Feb 4, 2007)

pickapeppa said:


> How frugal is that?! What a great idea. Is it the same as what you use to tie up a package for the mail?
> 
> I have some dye for candle making. Could it be used for this as well?


Yep. If it's marked "kitchen twine", then it's fair game. I have a ball I bought for 0.99 marked "Beef Twine" 24 ply, 370ft, used for tying roasts, packages, crafts and many other uses." It's roughly worsted weight, a little more 'solid' than Peaches & Cream. I'm going to try kool-aid dyeing it, but I don't know why it wouldn't take to dye easily since it's 100% cotton! (The other cotton yarn I have is destined for the same treatment since I am whole-heartedly sick of 'natural' off-white!)

Wick cotton, I don't know. I guess it would depend on whether it's impregnated with anything or how thick the ply.


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## sewsilly (May 16, 2004)

You can use them in place of paper towels, for a huge savings, to your pocketbook and to the environment. You can bathe with them, like you would a terry store bought towel.
You can do dishes, wipe down the appliances, wash the kid and the husband, scrub the counter, wipe of the cabinets.

Over 25 years of marraige, I like to think of all the savings from using them.

And you have the added satisfaction that you made it, from very little.

dawn


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## rkintn (Dec 12, 2002)

I got started making dishcloths a couple of years ago. I've got my mom and sister hooked on them too! LOL They are much nicer and last much longer than store bought. I just recently started making them again..this time of year seems more conducive to sitting around crocheting in the evenings. I make them all different sizes and usually just use a basic half double crochet stitch or maybe a double crochet stitch. I have tried fancier ones but I like to just sit and kinda zone out and crochet away so patterns usually fall by the wayside LOL


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## Island of Blueb (Sep 20, 2005)

sewsilly said:


> 25 years ago, for a wedding gift from a precious aunt, who was at the time 94, I was given a 'grandmother's favorite' washcloth that she'd made of kitchen string, literally. She also hand wrote the pattern on a 3 by 5 card for me and told me that as a young bride, all those many years ago, someone had given her a dishcloth and the handwritten pattern. As it had stood her in good stead for 75 years, she was 'sharing' with me. How precious is that?
> 
> So, I'd say the 'trend' is a repeat of a new one, from possibly the 1800's where you used what you had, for what you needed...dawn





wottahuzzee said:


> Gosh, I remember my gramma telling me about folks saving up the cotton string from feedsacks to make dishcloths.
> ...


Oh,such neat histories!

Years ago, I knew a sweet elderly pioneer lady who saved the onion bags and unraveled them to crochet dishcloths. Also saved the string from flour sacks and crocheted dishcloths from that.

Any more?


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