Crafts and DIY Stuff!

Hi folks!

Well, I have to let you know about my current projects. Washcloths! I found the absolutely best pattern for these and love doing them. They are completely easy if you are familiar with crocheting. It is simply a half-couble crochet and double crochet. That easy.

I found this pattern on Youtube. So, let me pass it on to you.  Beginner's Washcloth (Crochet Tutorial) by Katie Cooks and Crafts. I LOVE this pattern. I could do it in my sleep. See, I practically have!


So here are some in neutral colors, which are lovely because you don't have to colorfast them. More on this later.



Here are some colorful ones. I won't lie. This requires a little extra time tying knots and interweaving the cut ends.

Here are some variegated ones.

Some Christmasy ones.


So about the yarn. My choice is Sugar 'n Cream made by Lily. I like the way it feels, it's not too thick, and not too thin. It is a cotton yarn, made from 100% natural grown cotton from right here in the U.S.A. (Patriotic shiver of joy!)



I've also used Peaches & Cream from Walmart, which appears to me to be a knock-off of Sugar 'n Cream, perhaps not. But it is thicker and maybe a little cheaper over all. I bought a cone of white because I use it so much. It was more economical. So, if you prefer to handle thicker yarn, this may be for you. Or you could use a larger crochet hook.




I also have recently purchased a white in a different brand. I have not used this yet, but it was very economical, as I purchased it on sale. (Yay, me!) The thread appears much thinner than the Sugar 'n Cream. But as I mentioned before, you might just use a smaller crochet hook, although this will change the finished dimensions a bit.


I use a G hook (or 6, or 41/2 MM) by Susan Bates. LOVE this hook! So smooth and cool to use.



And look what Santa left for me in my Christmas stocking! He knows me so well. J


So let's talk about color fasting your finished product. If you use a color, you will need to color-fast it becaue it WILL bleed. I know this from washing several tubs of dishes in blue water. LOL So, YouTube came in handy once again. This site is conveniently called, How to Set the Color in Hand Made Cotton Dish Cloths and Scrubbies from Judi in the Kitchen. Basically you get a bowlful of cool water, pour in a cup of white vinegar and let the dishcloths soak for 20 minutes. I personally reused the water about 3 times.

 Make sure you weight your cloth down so it is completely immersed in the water. I used cups on the corners to keep it down under the liquid. I set the timer on the stove and then rinsed them out and hand washed them. I squeezed them out in a rolled up towel, like Judi recommends, and then I laid them out on a dry towel to "block" them. So blocking. Yeah. I don't usually do that, but you can. I figure they are dishcloths so they will shrink. But if you are interested in that, you can search several great helps on YouTube.


Happy Crafting!!!

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