knitting projects

I can tell it is winter, or approaching quickly, as things are flying on the needles here. I want warm things, socks and shawls and afghans. And I want to clean - and to have lots of cleaning cloths. So, now with the 'ick' bronchitis/pneumonia mostly gone my knitting needles are clacking. I've used so many of the kitchen cloths for cleaning lately that I feel I owe Mark more to use only in the kitchen and have worked up a few of those recently in a pattern he requested.

New dishcloth pattern with furrows, cast on 4, k1, yo, k to end, ((adapt to k1, yo, p1 and try to repeat pattern for each side of the cloth identically). eventually: k2, yo, p1, k1, p1, k1, p1, k*, p1, k1, p1, k1, p1, k2 (*=all extra stitches will fall here until item gets as large as needed). Then decrease as k1,k2tog, yo, p2tog, k1, p1, k1, p1, k*, p1, k1, p1, k1, p1, k2 every row)- making adaptations in seed stitch for the beginnings and ends where the item will not have as many stitches to create the entire pk pattern. The resulting dishcloth will have a pretty 'furrowed' edge inside the eyelet and outside of a plain garter square. (picture to come)

The new texture should make them easier to tell apart from cleaning cloths than the others... try to keep them separated mostly by colors but it doesn't always work. octagonal swirl cloth <--would like to make several of these, and the shape would be different on those as well. Mark requested I alter my usual 'Grandmother's Favorite' dishcloth pattern this way so he can feel the edge before his finger slips through an eyelet hole. He uses them mostly to take hot things out of the oven and to grip hot lids on pans. He has a problem sometimes with the eyelet being a right where he doesn't expect it and his finger slips through onto the hot surface. I could also try to make some dishcloths that simply do not have the eyelet - it is possible.

I am working on Esme's sweater - getting closer to the end of the back panel. Then I will start taking it to work and making the front panels.

I have finished my garter stitch triangle shawl and am wearing it. Esme calls it the 'pink stripe wearing you wear'.. if she can't remember the word 'shawl'. *ha* She knows it is not a blanket, and gets stuck on what it 'is'... she tried to wear it to sit in our bed last night and decided if it wouldn't allow her to stay up later then she would give it to back to me. It looks nice and is warm, but not as warm as a stockinette stitch would have been. I will try to get a picture of it in the next week or so, as well. The crocheted rug has been put aside for a little while as it is not a necessary at all.

Now if only I can keep my feet warm at work! It is hard to get something knitted that fits within your shoes... so I will have to buy some warmer socks and have my knitted woolly things only at home. That won't keep me from knitting more, though!