single crochet | On the Needles

I have to admit to something. Something I’ve been neglecting for far too long. Something… gross.

My dishcloths have officially turned into dishrags, in the worst possible way.

It’s real grim in my towel-and-rag drawer. I didn’t think it was that bad, but now that I’m thinking about it, most of my “nice” dishcloths were wedding presents.

We got married 9 years ago.

Yikes.

I thought about posting a picture of the old rags, but I decided against it for 2 reasons.

You really don’t want to see them.
I don’t want you to judge me. Because… oof. They’re real grim.

The nicest ones are “only” bleached out from years of washing. The worst are stained with curry or chocolate (or who knows what) and riddled with holes from being used so many times.

So, in a fit of practicality (and avoidance of the projects I’m “supposed” to be doing), I’m breaking out my bin o’ dishcloth cotton.There’s plenty of yarn in there, but none of the colors are terribly cohesive, and there isn’t a ton of any one brand. I’ve always had grand plans of working up a lovely set of fancy matching dishcloths and towels, but… clearly that hasn’t happened.

So instead, I’m grabbing colors at random and making big ol’ single-crochet squares until the yarn runs out, then switching to the next color. They might not be the fanciest dishcloths, or terribly interesting to work up, but they’ll do their jobs well enough, and I’m enjoying burning through my stash yarn. We’ll just have to see how many I make it through before I get bored- so far two and a half, and I’m still going strong.

Have you worked on any really practical projects lately?

I, like everyone else in America, am a huge fan of Downton Abbey. If you’re not watching it, you are missing out. Sure, it’s basically just a soap opera, but it’s on PBS, it’s vaguely historical, and they speak in posh British accents, so it feels like you’re watching something with a little more substance than your average soap. Also, Maggie Smith as the Dowager Countess is pretty much the best thing in the history of TV. Just saying.

Unfortunately, while the costumes are historically accurate (and gorgeous) there is a definate lack of yarn-related garments. I’ve been on the lookout for a scarf, a sweater, or a pair of socks since the first episode, and frankly have come up almost entirely empty. There was one episode where they played cricket and wore sweaters, but that was it (and not terribly exciting).

That was, until last night, when the under-cook Daisy rocked this crocheted hat when she went to go visit with her father-in-law.

It’s an odd sort of a hat, to be honest, but she looks adorable in it. (But Daisy is adorable no matter what, so that could be part of it). It’s somewhere between a beret, a cloche and a potato sack. I like to imagine her sitting in her dormitory, working on her hat in the few moments she would have to herself between meals.If you want to make yourself a daisy-inspired crochet hat, try one of these patterns: