Useful knitting - Handmade Dishcloths rock!

I retaught myself to knit with the help of the internet shortly after Audrey was born.  Luckily my Grandma Cecilia taught me when I was younger, so it was pretty easy to relearn it.  I was(am) intimidated by sweaters.  But dishcloths, they were just the thing to learn on.

"Fresh off the sticks"- two new dishcloths  in a tried and true basic pattern sized perfectly for my hands.

Why dishcloths rock:

• No dishes or crumbs care if my stitches are even or if I missed a stitch or added in an extra.  
• Cotton is cheap - I love knitting with natural fibers, and dishcloths made from cotton are great.  My budget was (is) more in lines with the price of cotton rather than wool.  
• Dishcloths are quick - I can now knit the better part of a dishcloth on the ride to the in-laws - no problem. As a beginner, they are a quick win. 
• Portable, one little ball of yarn and a couple of sticks are super easy to stash just about anywhere (socks are also super portable and I love that about them).
• Easy to customize to fit your decor.  I have all kinds of shapes, stars, hexagons, pentagons, squares, and hearts in my dishcloths. I have holiday dishcloths and seasonal dishcloths.
• Great way to practice new stitch patterns.  I have dishcloths with cables and bobbles in them.  
• Practical - no matter how many I have, I use them all.  I think every member of my family (including Meredith) uses a new dishcloth *every* time they need to wipe something up.  We store them in the bottom drawer and Meredith plays with them.
• Frugal - I have not purchased a sponge for so long, I don't even remember how much they cost to give a good comparison.
• Sanitary - I wash them in hot water every time and if they seem a little off, I throw them in the dryer (but that is rarely necessary).

My system - I grab a new one each morning and I use it throughout the day to wipe the counters and to clean the dishes.  Each time I use it, I rinse it, wring it, and lay it over the edge of the sink ready to be used again.  At the end of the day, I hang it over the drawer handle of my oven to dry out.  When it is dry I toss it into the dirty clothes pile to be washed in hot water with the rest of the kitchen/bath laundry.  If I use it to wipe up something on the floor, I will hang it to dry over my bottom oven drawer handle after I rinse it, and grab a new dishcloth for the counters and dishes.  If I need to wipe up a person, I grab a clean dishcloth. 

I know that everyone has their own systems and favorite tools for keeping their homes clean, so I try not to impose my way on everyone else.  But I think most family members and even a few friends have a few dishcloths from me and if you don't but would like one or seven, just let me know (along with your favorite colors).  I have a big stash of cotton yarn and I love to give them to people who actually want to use them.