[/vc_column_text][/vc_column]
[/vc_row]
The funny thing about being Someone Who Works With Her Hands is that, when the day is done, if there is a teeny bit of time left over it’s almost impossible to sit and ‘do nothing’. Watching tv is not remotely relaxing on its own. For full sofa contentment there has to be some form of crafty busy-ness. Unfortunately the enjoyable embellishment of lovely ladies’ lampshades is too tricky for a sofa moment (http://www.thetraditionalupholsterystudio.co.uk/lampshade-gallery.html see here for why)… and anyway no Upholsteress would attempt ‘proper work’ unless in the workroom wearing apron and business-like attitude.
The ideal Sofa Moment involves a creative task that can be done without making a big noise, getting up and down, thinking too hard or following a tricky pattern. It also needs to be finish-able quickly as a sense of achievement is paramount for contentment. I believe I have finally found the perfect Sofa Moment project.
Here is…The Crochet Dishcloth.
Now, I knoooow you can buy multi-packs of dishcloths for pennies, but when every day involves technically skilled challenges to be solved artfully and perfectly, what could be a more lovely way to wind down than by creating something so simple and lovely? And of course back in doris’ day a kitchen sink sporting a handmade dishcloth was a badge of honour in terms of housekeeping prowess. Shop bought didn’t ‘do’.
If you’re not already sold, let me share with you one more thought…
There is simply nothing nicer than stepping out of the bath and reaching for a beautiful soft and yarny white dishcloth with which to chase a squirt of Cif about, and when all is rinsed and smelling Cif-y, the cloth looks pretty draped out to dry until the next bath time. It’s true that the handmade dishcloths in the kitchen and utility sinks have acquired a patina of age, especially those ‘mistakenly borrowed’ to clean the car. But the great thing about natural white cotton dishcloth yarn, unlike its shop-bought inferiors, is that when soaked in a bleachy solution it comes up soft, strong and sparkly again.
The Crochet Dishcloth Pattern
To be frank, there is no set pattern. as long as your dishcloth ends up a sensible sized square, you have got it right. About 10in is a comfortable size to wring out with both hands when wet. After being taught the basics of crochet, I decided to teach myself new patterns by picking squares from this book:
I’m sure that any crochet book with a few square patterns will do just nicely. For crochet beginners, creating a square is a fine way to practice new stitches and patterns. My favourite dishcloth is simple double crochet with a teeny picot edge. so simple that it can virtually be done in the dark, it makes a good choice for a cosy Sofa Moment.
As craft cotton comes in lovely colours as well as pure white and natural white there is nothing to stop you from using your Sofa Moment to make a ‘treble crochet stripe dishcloth’ … or a ‘granny square dishcloth’…
or keep to simple white and make a lovely ‘flower square dishcloth’…
By happy coincidence, you will require the size of a dishcloth in terms of pattern repeats (’rounds’) to perfect the technique of fancy crochet stitches. This of course means that handmade dishcloths are hugely economical both creatively and technically. and as a ball of dishcloth yarn costs less than £1 from which you can create two dishcloths, well it’s a wonder we aren’t all still doing it.
The Crochet Dishcloth Gift
Imagine after the end of a wonderful dinner, weekend visit, or christmas gift-giving, handing your host a creamy white handmade dishcloth all tied up with a bar of pure fragrant household soap. Her thrill with the lovely handmade goodness of your gift will mean more than a lifetime’s supply of shop-bought dishcloths. It will have cost you pennies… and by creating it you will have enjoyed a Happy Sofa Moment and added a brand new crochet stitch to your repertoire of craftiness.
Win win!
A Pattern for the Simple Double Crochet Dishcloth
(I’m not a crochet expert or pattern-writer, but this should see you through)
You will need
Ball of natural white dishcloth cotton
A 5mm crochet hook
To make the dishcloth
Make 31 ch.
Row 1: 1 dc into the 2nd ch from hook, 1 dc in each remaining chain.
Repeat this row until you have made a square.
To make the picot edging
Working around the edge of the dishcloth, 1ch, 1dc in the next dc space, 1dc in the next 2dc spaces, *3ch, ss into the first chain (one picot made), 1dc into each of the next 3dc spaces, repeat from * to end. Finish off, and then weave the cotton end back into your stitches.
You may want to adjust the number of dc on each side, so that a picot will fall into each corner of your dishcloth.
Joanna Heptinstall runs her own upholstery studio in Wiltshire and also creates bespoke lampshades to order, many of which have featured in leading lifestyle magazines. As well as teaching upholstery and lampshade covering at Denman College, she runs a range of workshops in her local area. To find out more about her or to get in touch, visit:
www.thetraditionalupholsterystudio.co.uk
blog: Joanna@dorisandme
courses: @thefarm
