Knitted dishcloths

It's minus 2 here this morning! That's the coldest I've know it to be in this subtropical area. The photo above is my dishcloth knitting yesterday afternoon as I sat in the sun.

A couple of ladies asked me to write more about knitted dishcloths, so here goes.

These little numbers will replace your purchased disposable cloths, like Chux. The idea is that you make about 15 or 20 of them so you have enough for all your cleaning needs.

COLOUR
Decide what colours you'll use for where - you'll need to do this as they'll all be washed frequently and you don't want the cloth you've been using in the bathroom to turn up for duty in the kitchen. So make blue or red (or whatever) your bathroom colour and then you'll know that that colour should never be in the kitchen.

COTTON

I like the Supremo cotton the best. I think it's 4 ply. If you can't get that, get crochet cotton in a 2 ply, or 4 ply if they have it. I believe Pattons also make a 100% cotton yarn - Patons Gem. I use size 9 or 10 needles.

CARE
I usually use a clean cloth every two days, but at times I use a clean cloth to wipe up something and put it out to wash straight away. The dirty cloth goes into the laundry to hang over the side of a dry bucket or enamel dish until you have about 5 or 6 dirty cloths. It's better to hang them so they dry out, otherwise they'll get smelly. The night before you do the washing, add hot water and a tablespoon of oxygen bleach, and soak them overnight. Next day just put them in the normal wash with your other washing. I wash the bathroom cloths separately and usually put them in the washing machine with the towels. Be assured that the oxygen bleach treatment will sanitise them effectively. Caring for your cloths like this will keep them serviceable for at least a year, possibly a lot longer.

CLOTH CONSTRUCTION
I've always done the square cloths but my next one will be the triangle type. The square ones tend to stretch out a bit and I think making the triangle kind might stop that happening. If you're making a square one, it's basically just 43 or 45 stitches and then just knit whatever pattern you like until it's the size you require. I do plain cloths but you can do any number of patterns. Here are some patterns for you to read through. I'm sure you'll find something here you'll like.
http://extension.usu.edu/files/publications/publication/FL_ST_Needlearts_2006-101pr.pdf
http://www.knittinghelp.com/knitting/free_patterns/household.php
http://knittingheavenonearth.blogspot.com/2007/02/monkey-cloth.html
http://www.knittingpatterncentral.com/directory/dishcloths.php

Right in the middle of the yard, in full sun, is where I sat yesterday enjoying the sun while knitting.