[FONT=“Georgia”][SIZE=“4”][COLOR=“Indigo”]I want to knit my dd some dish cloths as part of her wedding shower gift. I looked on Ravelry and found oodles of dish cloths, but I have several questions.
How do you link to a pattern once you decide on the one you want to use?
What are the best yarns, as far as holding up wash after wash, for dish cloths? Which ones should I NOT use?
Any pointers/tips for knitting the dish cloths?[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]
I searched for free dishcloth patterns (seems to be loads of them). If you scroll down you’ll find the link to the free pattern bolded and underlined.
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/search#sort=best&query=dishcloths free
If you’re logged in and you click on one of the patterns, you’ll see links in the upper right to your notebook: you favorites, your queue, etc. You can add a link to the pattern there if you’d like.
Oh, what a wonderful gift!
As for the best yarn to use, I think we all have favorites, but a cotton or linen blend will hold up nicely. I haven’t noticed a difference in wear between the inexpensive cottons and the more expensive ones, but I have noticed that the inexpensive cottons tend to lose color on washing.
I’d suggest considering her kitchen cleaning habits when selecting colors. For instance she may be the sort who bleaches her kitchen towels, so white or cream would make sure she can use it. If she’s the decorative kitchen sort, then the world is your oyster.
[COLOR=“DarkGreen”]I found the pattern links, but I don’t understand what you’re saying in the bolded section above.[/COLOR]
She means once you click on a pattern you like you can save it to your favorites, add it to your queue, or cast on which adds it to your project page.
I’ve used Sugar and Creme and also Lily. I thought they got rather limp and stretched out. The last ones I did were done with Bernat Handicrafter cotton yarn. Love it! Very sturdy. Bright colors. You get a lot on the skein. And it’s on sale right now at Joann’s.
Oh, thanks for the heads up! I will be near a JoAnn and will see about picking some up.
Bernat Handicrafter is my favorite “kitchen cotton” too. 
(Although I don’t make a lot of dishcloths. I want to, but I don’t make more than I need and they seem to last a long time.)
inPJs, thanks. I stopped at JoAnn and thought the Handicrafter was $2 off but it rang up full price. I got 40% off because of that, thanks to the gal that checked me out knowing about the coupon she scanned, and then I had another 25% off! I got my ball of yarn and 3 sets of DPNs and it all came to around $14. I never would have stopped in if you hadn’t mentioned it. Even at the 25% off sale price the needles alone would have been that much. Score!
[B][COLOR=“Green”][COLOR=“Green”]You are one lucky lady!!!
Have you ever used the Handicrafter yarn? What do you think of it?[/COLOR][/COLOR][/B]
Nope, haven’t used it yet. I think enough people say they really like it that I will too.
[COLOR=“Green”]Okay! If you don’t like it please let me know.[/COLOR]
I’ll try to remember but it might be quite a while before I get around to using it.
I was walking by a yarn store yesterday (it was closed, sadly)…and saw in the window a lovely yellow cotton yarn which had sheen to it. Expensive, at $3.99 per ball (50g). Would make beautiful facecloth gifts, methinks. You got me thinking now…
I also used the Sugar and Creme and the Lily for dish cloths and yes, they stretched a lot! And the darker colours ran badly into the dish washing water the first time they came into contact with hot water!
[B][COLOR=“Green”]
Thanks for your reply!
I was talking to a lady at work today and she said when she knits dish cloths she starts at one of the corners and works with increases and decreases. She said this has helped to keep the dish cloths from stretching so much.[/COLOR][/B]
[COLOR=“Green”]Now you can go back when they’re open and buy the yarn![/COLOR]
Maybe that’s why the pattern is called Grandma’s Favorite Dishcloth. I like doing mine that way and it has to be garter stitch too. I think it helps with the stretching problem and the texture is just scrubby enough to work really well. Mine are all from Peaches & Creme or similar. I want to make the ones I’m using go away so I can have new ones. They just don’t wear out.
[COLOR=“Green”]Yep, she uses garter stitch too.[/COLOR]
[COLOR=“SeaGreen”]Speaking of the Sugar and Creme, have you ever doubled up the yarn; use two strands instead of one? [/COLOR]