Dishing About Dishrags: DIY Knitted Dishcloth
18 Aug 2010
How do you like your dishrags? Do you care? Maybe not, but while we are ditching the paper napkins why not just chuck the paper towels out too? And, since we’re dishing about dishrags, I like my dishcloths thick and absorbent, thank you very much.
There’s a bit of a buzz in the knitting world about dishrags. Kay Gardiner shared with the readers of her popular Mason-Dixon Knitting blog, her dishrag obsession, “‘Whatcha knitting?’ ‘Um, a….[muffled] dishrag….’ Somehow, even for me with my raised consciousness about the value of old-time domestic pursuits, knitting a dishrag is not something I’m eager to admit to some over-buffed woman on the beach. But I cannot tell a lie, I was knitting dishrag after dishrag. And loving it!”
Paper towels have become yet another symbol of waste. With over 90% of US households taking advantage of the convenience of paper towels, we produce over 3,000 tons of waste each day. Phasing paper towels out of the home can be more of a challenge than ditching paper napkins, and plastic bags. I’ve heard about using alternatives such as clean cloth diapers for paper towels and newspapers. But really, do they hold any appeal as cleaning cloths? Not so much for me.
Not ready to fess up to knitting dishrags? Just say you’re checking your stitch gauge and doing your part for the environment by using leftover yarn…CLICK HERE FOR MORE (PATTERN)
Credit: Mason-Dixon Knitting
janet
Aug 19, 2010 @ 07:22:22
i love my dishrags and couldn’t live without them ( I confess though that I use paper towel sometimes too). I like the French ones – drop dread beautiful colors and patterns, not too thick, they dry out nicely. anyone have the primo answer to washing them so that you get out that FAINT smell of mildew that they get because they LIVE in water?
Ronnie
Aug 19, 2010 @ 19:53:49
Janet, I love those French ones too!
Mine don’t smell and I use a very mild eco-detergent. But, I found a site that claims you should put your dishcloths in the dishwasher and they will stay fresh and clean. Here’s the link: http://happyslob.blogspot.com/2006/10/handy-tip-to-keep-dishcloths-nice-and.html
Hope this helps!