3-Way Washcloth Swap

It's no secret that I love to make and use crocheted cotton washcloths. I've shown more than a few to you here at Hooked On Needles. I also enjoy swapping with others in organized, themed swaps hosted on this or that website. On my sidebar are listed swaps that I have joined or that I think others might be interested in.

A few months ago, a website that I follow was hosting a washcloth swap, so naturally I wrote in a comment asking to join. The hostess kindly informed me that it would be for local swappers only, and since I'm in the US, I wasn't local. I noticed a couple other US names in the comment section, one I knew from the kitchen swap I had participated in a while ago. So I contacted the other two prospective washcloth swappers, and we agreed on a 3-way washcloth swap using the same rules as the original swap. Here's the result...


These little fabric baskets, complete with a Tunisian Short Row crocheted cotton washcloth, a little foot scrubbie with a brush on one side and a pumice stone on the other, and a little tube of foot cream, are the gifts Joy and Adrienne received from me.


This pretty little collection of pink is what I received from Joy.


Joy sent two washcloths made from 1920-1930 feedsacks on the floral side and cozy pink fuzzy terrycloth on the other. She also included a pretty pink nail file, some delicious jam and a cake of handmade soap, also pink. What a lovely pink package from Joy!


And here's what Adrienne sent me...very cute and clever notecards with fabric shapes sewn onto them, including envelopes, a wonderfully scrubbie cotton washcloth that she crocheted herself, and a bar of handmade soap all wrapped up in a pretty ribbon.


Here's a close-up of the soap and the washcloth. I'm hoping if you see it close enough that you will be able to smell it...it really smells GOOD! Another package of thoughtful, and useful, gifts from Adrienne!

Thanks so much, ladies, for a fun swap!

Next up will be the English version of the Crocheted Pin Cushion pattern which I showed a few days ago. Liselotte was kind enough to allow me to publish it here on my website.

Happy Stitching!

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Correction on Magic Number for Tunisian Short Row Dishcloth

Back in March, I experimented with the original pattern for the Tunisian Short Row Dishcloth. I was looking for the largest number to use for the beginning chain so as to use up as much of a 2 ounce ball of cotton as possible without running out of yarn.

I thought 17 was it since there seemed to be so little left after my experiment that I was sure adding another stitch, which would mean 6 more long rows on the dishcloth, would surely cause me to run out of yarn. I was also quite satisfied with the size of the larger cloth compared to the original size cloth I had made at first.

But I decided to give it one more try, using this Sugar 'n Cream cotton called Baby Stripes. I love using the self-striping yarn on these cloths. The color patterns are always fun and different for each one.


Don't you just love how the color sections make the design on the cloth so much more interesting?


So here it is, the latest version of the Tunisian Short Row Dishcloth, made with a beginning chain of 18. This cloth is a full 11 inches across at its widest point which is a very generous size for a wash cloth.


I had enough yarn to work the first round of single crochet on the border, and then one round of reverse single crochet to finish off the edge nicely. When that was complete, there were only about 2 yards of yarn leftover. I'd say that is about as close as it gets for using up but not running out of a 2 ounce ball of yarn!

So now I stand corrected. 18 is the new magic number for me, using a size K hook and a 2 ounce ball of cotton. You may get different results because of your tension, hook size and choice of yarn. The solid colors are usually 1/2 ounce larger than the variegated or self-striping, and other brands may be different as well.

I think this one will be sent off to my niece who is expecting her first baby very shortly. Wouldn't this be lovely as part of a gift basket with all kinds of bath things for a new baby? Think about giving it a try for the next little bundle of joy coming into your life.

Happy Stitching!

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More Crocheted Red, White and Blue

In honor of our country's birthday, and because I can't seem to get enough of crocheting these cotton dishcloths, here is my patriotic version of the Tunisian Short Row Dishcloth.

I'll call it Cleaning Up in Red, White and Blue...


This self striping yarn is so unpredictable when used for these Tunisian Short Row dishcloths, and I would guess when used in any other kind of project too. That's the fun of using them!

This dishcloth was crocheted with a starting chain of 17, which I have found makes just about the perfect size cloth. Those made with only 15 to begin seemed just a bit too small for my liking, and I'm not quite sure one ball of cotton would be enough to finish one starting with 18, although I have not yet tried that. Perhaps I should next time I'm looking for a quick little project.


This cotton yarn is a Sugar 'n Cream self striping 2 ounce ball in a color appropriately called American Stripes. I really like the way the blue and red are not completely solid, but show a little bit of the white. I think that gives the crocheted fabric more of a casual denim type look to it.

Speaking of denim, I still have piles of old jeans to recycle and that is going to be my project this summer, if we ever get that too-hot-and-humid-to-do-anything-productive kind of weather that New England is famous for. So far we've been lucky with cool weather, especially considering I had to get that Sweet Liberty afghan finished on time! But I know the uncomfortable weather will be here at some point, and I am always so grateful that my sewing room is in the cool basement and I can enjoy lots of productive sewing time down there while staying cool and not so cranky at the same time. What good planning that was!

So I'll work on more aprons and clothes pin bags and anything else I might dream up to make use of all that cozy, broken-in, sturdy, useful denim that was destined for the trash.

What are your plans for handwork in the hot weather?

Happy Stitching!

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Crocheted and Knitted Cotton Dishcloth Collection

I've been busy cutting up more jeans and other things and have completed another apron that I was going to show you in a rather long tutorial type post, but I'll be lucky if I can get this published before we lose power since we are in the middle of a whopper of a thunder and lightening storm. So I am opting for a quick peek at my collection of cotton dishcloths.

I am taking a trip later this week with my oldest daughter to Kansas to celebrate my mother's 75th birthday, and I wanted to have something to give to all my siblings and nieces and sister-in-law and other nice people I'll run into while I'm traveling. I thought of bringing homemade jellies, but they don't travel well, especially in light of all the airline restrictions for baggage these days. Since I was so caught up in making these anyway, I thought what better way to thank everyone for their hospitality or just offer a little gift than to give them a handmade cotton cloth for their kitchen or bathroom.

So this is the collection I'll be bringing with me to share:


There are 21 in the picture altogether, and I have another still on the hook which I should finish tonight, and I may whip up another one or two before we leave. I think that will be enough to go around. I hope so anyway!

I also made my mother a little something for her birthday gift which I will show you after she sees it in person. I don't want to spoil the surprise for her. I know how much she LOVES surprises!

The storm is getting closer, so I will be signing off now. I will have that other apron up for show and tell in the next day or two so be on the lookout for that.

Happy Mother's Day to all you Moms and Mom-like women out there, especially my own. Take a look at this Mother's Day post on a blog that I read regularly and find inspiring. I thought it was so sweet and I think you'll enjoy it too.

Happy Stitching!

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Giveaway Prize Ready to Go!

Another giveaway prize package is on its way! This one is heading all the way to Queensland, Australia to Kerry who won my 300th post giveaway a few weeks ago. Here's what she will be receiving...



The prize was actually a choice between a set of 4 dish/wash cloths, or 2 cloths and 2 woven hotpads. Kerry chose the mix and since her requested color was not available, she said that green would also be a good color. I decided to go with the Tunisian Short Row pattern that I have been using a lot lately since it shows off variegated and self striping yarns so nicely. And the woven hotpad is just a fun pattern to make anyway. You can read how I came about that pattern HERE. Thanks again to P&P for pointing me to it!

The yarn I used is Sugar'n Cream Lime Stripes. It almost looks like the color changes on one of the cloths happen exactly at the beginning of each wedge of the cloth. That is purely coincidental and was a fun effect to discover the first time I used the self striping yarn on this pattern. I have since made several more with other self striping yarns and the same thing seems to happen more often than not. Very interesting!

Happy Stitching!

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Tunisian Short Row Flower

My first cone of cotton yarn is finally exhausted! When I started seeing the cone through the yarn, I knew I would not have enough left to make a whole dishcloth, but I had to make something. I couldn't just leave those last layers of yarn untouched! Would you like to see what I made with the last little bit of yarn?


It turned out to be a flower of all things! When I started this little project, I fully intended it to be a little drawstring bag similar to my Itty Bitty Anything Bag, only with a Tunisian Short Row bottom on it. Sometimes I have found that a project will become what it wants though, and not necessarily what I had in mind!

Using a size I regular crochet hook and the exact same method as the Tunisian Short Row Dishcloth, except with a beginning chain of only 7 stitches, I began what was supposed to be the bottom of the drawstring bag. After I finished the 6 wedges, I joined the beginning row with the ending row and was not entirely pleased with how the joining looked, so I pulled out the joining row and decided to just keep adding wedges until I ran out of yarn. I had no idea it would turn out to be something interesting and maybe even useful! What a great surprise!


When I had only a few yards of yarn left, I stopped making wedges and worked a simple little decorative border on the outside edge like this...(ch 3, sk 1, sl st in next stitch) all the way back to the beginning of the spiral.

Then I arranged the layers in a pleasing manner and stitched a few times right through the middle catching all the layers, using the tail of the yarn and a darning needle. This serves to hold the layers in place and keeps then from unwinding.


This is what the underside of the flower looks like...just a very small version of the underside of the Tunisian Short Row Dishcloth!

This was a fun little project to do and it could be used for lots of fun things. Since it is all cotton and so soft, you could use it in the shower with your favorite liquid soap in place of your little netty scrubbie thingy. Or you could attach a pin to the back and pin it to your favorite crocheted bag or hat. Can you think of other things to do with a cheerful crocheted flower?

Happy Stitching!

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Crocheting for PTO Fundraiser Finally Finished!

I'm not usually the kind of person who waits until the last minute to get things done, but I cut it a little close for my donation to the high school PTO silent auction for this Friday evening. I finally finished the woven hot pads to go along with the dish cloths I made last week, and I delivered them to school. Whew! One more thing checked off my list!


Here is one set for the kitchen basket. I love this color combination. It's Lily Sugar 'n Cream Country Side Ombre along with Sage Green.


And here is the other set for the kitchen basket. It is made with the same Sage Green along with Green Twists. These are the same dishcloths I showed the other day. In that same post I also showed a yellow and white Tunisian Short Row cloth that was paired up with the Yellow Duck wash cloth for the New Baby Basket at the auction.

The denim blue cloth and one of my Super Easy Knitted cloths were paired up for the Bed and Bath basket.

If you like the looks of these cloths, make sure you sign up for my 300th Post Giveaway. You could win a set of 4 in the color of your choice!

Happy Stitching!

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Magic Number for Tunisian Short Row Dishcloth

Using 15 stitches for the beginning chain of the Tunisian Short Row Dishcloth with a size K hook made a cloth that was just a bit on the small side, and left far too much leftover yarn, but not enough to make another whole cloth.

So I tried 16 stitches. That made the cloth just a bit bigger, but still did not achieve my goal of using up almost all of the ball of yarn. There was still too much leftover.

So I tried 17 stitches. You can see where this is going, I am sure! Here is the result...


A cloth noticeably larger than the original size, by about a whole inch and a half. And not enough yarn leftover from a 2 ounce ball to add another stitch to the beginning chain and be able to complete the cloth.

So 17 is the Magic Number! To work this pattern using 17 as the beginning chain, you follow the exact same instructions, except when the number 15 is mentioned, just change it to 17. Give it a try and see if you like the bigger size better.


Don't you love the soft blues in this Denim cotton yarn? A set of cloths in this color, or any color of your choice, could be yours if you win my 300th post giveaway! Click HERE and read the rules for this great giveaway, but don't wait too long. #300 is coming up fast!

Happy Stitching!

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Fiesta Tunisian Short Row Dishcloth

This is a busy time of year for school fundraisers, and with my eldest a senior in high school and my middle one in kindergarten, I have quite a few that I am committed to over the next few months. One for the high school is going to be a coffeehouse evening with music, desserts and an extensive silent auction consisting of all kinds of prizes and gift baskets and restaurant certificates and the like. I've been quite taken recently with these cotton dish and face cloths, so I volunteered to make some for the Bed & Bath basket, the Kitchen basket and the New Baby basket. Here's one of my offerings...



You will recognize this pattern as the Tunisian Short Row dishcloth about which I shared a how-to video not too long ago. The big difference here is of course the color...Wow! Don't you just love the bright cheerful Fiesta cotton that I used on this one?


I think this would make a great face cloth to use first thing in the morning. It would really wake you up!

If you haven't tried Tunisian crochet yet, you can check out the video tutorials here at Hooked On Needles. Then grab a hook and a ball of cotton and give this dishcloth a try. It is fun and easy, and works up very quickly. I made this one in about 2 hours while relaxing in the evening.

This cough is still hanging on, so I have not yet been able to video the Hawaiian granny square, but I've been having fun with my graph paper and will have another Tunisian cotton cloth pattern to share with you shortly. I can do that without talking!

Happy St. Patrick's Day and Happy Stitching!

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Tunisian Short Row Dishcloth Video Tutorial

Not too long ago, Merry of the darling Noah's Ark Crocheted Blanket fame, contacted me and asked if I could help her with a new project she had found on Ravelry for a Tunisian Short Row Dishcloth. Since I had not yet covered Tunisian crochet here at Hooked On Needles, I used that request as motivation to begin some tutorials on a few of the basic Tunisian stitches before jumping into the dishcloth pattern. I have had such fun with Tunisian Crochet since then and with this dishcloth pattern in particular. I hope you give it a try and see if you like it as much as I do.


Here are a few pictures of my first dishcloth which I made just to make sure I could do the pattern myself before offering to help anyone else with it. It was pretty easy to pick up the technique and I thought the result was very pretty and different.


The six wedges of this pattern are all crocheted in one piece using a method of Tunisian Crochet called Short Row, which means just what is says...short or incomplete rows of Tunisian Crochet. The pattern is an original of Khebhin Gibbons who posted it on Ravelry as a free pattern. I contacted him and asked his permission to include the pattern here to go along with the video, since not everyone has or wants a Ravelry account. He graciously granted permission for me to reproduce his pattern here on my site, so now you can try it too. You can find the pattern after the video at the end of this post. Please make sure you give Khebhin credit for this dishcloth pattern if you share it with anyone else.


This is the completed dishcloth that you will see from beginning to end in the following video tutorial. I used a solid color in the video just so the picture wouldn't be quite so busy. It is about 9 inches across the middle so it is a generously sized cloth. It took about 2/3 of a ball of Peaches 'N Cream cotton yarn and I stitched it with a size K or 10 1/2 afghan hook. The single crochet border was worked with the same yarn and a size K regular crochet hook.

Here's the video, which I will warn you is quite lengthy for a tutorial, running just shy of 18 minutes. I tried to cover all the major points of making this pattern so that hopefully even a beginner would be able to crochet it. If you have never done Tunisian Crochet before, you might want to start out with the Tunisian Knit Stitch tutorial so you have a basic understanding of the technique. Also when you watch the video, you might want to click the pause button just after starting the video and allow most of the video to buffer before playing it. This should allow you to watch it without any odd little glitches caused from the buffering.

Tunisian Short Row Dishcloth

You will need:
1 skein of dishcloth cotton-variegated preferred
size “J” afghan hook
yarn needle

*Note: all return rows are done as follows: Yo, pull through 1 loop on hook. **Yo, pull through two loops on hook. Rep from ** to end.

Chain 15.

First Wedge

Row 1: Pull up a loop in 2nd chain from hook. (2 loops on hook). Work return as shown in notes.

Row 2: Pull up a loop in next vertical bar. Pull up a loop in next chain st. (3 loops on hook.) Work return row.

Row 3: Pull up a loop in each of next 2 vertical bars. Pull up a loop in next chain st. (4 loops on hook.) Work return row.

Row 4: Pull up a loop in each of next 3 vertical bars. Pull up a loop in next chain st. (5 loops on hook.) Work return row.

Continue as established, pulling up a loop in next empty chain st after all vertical bars have been worked until you have worked all the chain sts and you have 15 loops on the hook. Work a return row. (1 loop remaining on hook.)

Wedges 2-6

Work as for Wedge 1, but using vertical bars on previous wedge instead of chain stitches.

After the sixth wedge has been worked off, slip stitch in each vertical bar across. Break yarn and thread yarn needle. With right sides facing, sew or whip stitch edges together. Using tail from original chain, sew center hole closed. Attach yarn to any stitch on outer edge and work 1 round of single crochet around entire edge. (That part is optional). Weave in ends and call it a day!

This Rainbow Tunisian Jacket designed by Dora Ohrenstein is a colorful example of using Tunisian Short Row for shaping a garment. It's a little more ambitious project than the dishcloth, but certainly something to look at and admire. I'm considering adding it to my wish list of projects to do someday!

Happy Stitching!

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