Knitters: the next generation

Am I a geek? Yes I am.

Next week, I'm going to give my ten-year-old cousin a crash course in knitting before she and her mom and her sister set off on an adventure across the country. Last night, I was putting together a "knit kit" for her as I pondered the perfect first project. Her mom thought it was pretty nifty that I make dishcloths, so hey, why not a dishcloth? I always need dishcloths, so I started one, and I'm sharing it here.

What you need: one pair of single-point needles in US size 4, 5, 6, or 7, depending upon your knitting style, and depending upon your desired results (smaller gauge needle = tighter knit, etc.); one ball cotton yarn; large-eyed blunt needle; scissors.

For dishcloths, I LOVE Lily's Sugar & Cream yarn. (Last summer, I was lucky to find an insane amount of Sugar & Cream mill ends at a North Carolina A.C. Moore, and I nearly had a conniption right there in the store.) You can use Lion Cotton, or any other yarn that is 100% cotton. Cotton cotton cotton.



(Isn't it GORGEOUS?)

Cast on 35 stitches. Here, I'm using US size 5 needles, because I like a dishcloth that can scrub my bean pot clean and live to tell the tale.





(I just love the look and feel of cotton yarn on bamboo needles.)

Now, knit every row* until the cloth is square, then bind off in knit and weave in your ends. Give your new dishcloth a quick rinse, and it's ready to go! I toss mine in the washer and dryer with my other towels. Sometimes I have to re-tuck the ends, but these dishcloths really hold up. No kidding, they will scrub your bean pot clean and live to tell the tale.

Happy knitting!

*If you want to get fancy with your garter stitch knitting, slip the first stitch of every row for a neat, smooth edge.