Tag Archives: Baby Bibs

Bib and Cloth

On the surface it does not seem like much was accomplished in terms of knitting  last week, but  in reality there was. I was growing weary  of knitting dish and washcloths to use the cotton in my stash and was thinking about other things to make with my stash.  I had  recently received a copy of the monthly local Newborns in Need Chapter a couple  days prior to the weekend.  I wrote the person who sends out the newsletter to see if baby bibs  and burp cloths would be accepted. She assured me they would. I also heard from a long time friend saying she would accept bibs and cloths for the charity with whom she is involved.  This information provided the boost I needed.

I set off on a search of Ravelry for bibs and burp cloths. A few moments into my search I saw a link to a pattern by Elaine Fitzgerald, the owner of Down Cloverlaine. That was exactly the person  for whose patterns I was searching.  The patterns she writes are always clear, accurate and easily understood. I allowed myself the luxury of reading the past several entries of her blog before deciding to make a bib using her pattern: Rhonda’s Delight. It has always been and still is, one of my favorites because it shows off the colors in the ombre yarns in my stash. The next item I saw was Slipped Rib and Bib  which is  a design I had been wanting to try but could not because it was not available to the public.  The pattern is now available and you can read about it in her post: Blast From the Past. I chose to knit the cloth to try out the pattern.

I am not sure which of these two patterns I like the most. Knitting the Rhonda’s Favorite Bib reminded me of visiting an old friend. My hands and needles enjoyed the feel and rhythm of the pattern. The bib turned out looking quite nice. Knitting the Slipped Rib Cloth was a bit of a knitting adventure at first. It did not take my brain or hands long to memorize the stitch pattern.  Once that happened I relaxed and enjoyed the time knitting it. The pattern shows off the colors of the ombre yarn wonderfully.  Each of these are destined to become part of a bib and cloth set.  My conclusion is that they are equally my favorites.

May you enjoy these patterns at least as much as I do.

 

Dishcloths

As some of you may know, one of my other blogs is Dish and Wash Cloth Mania. While I was sitting here this morning adding links to some of the pages and generally updating the site, I came across this article: Lots of Cloths by Cathy at Wishing I was Knitting at the Lake.

Thank you for writing it. :)

I read the article a couple of times to take in all that she says. First of all, she offers an interesting variation on an old dishcloth pattern. It sounds like an idea well worth the try. It has been added to my list of “Patterns to Try”.

Secondly, is that she expressed a lot of how I feel about making dishcloths and the arts of Knitting and Crocheting. As a teenager I secretly wanted to be an artist. On the talent end of it I was a bit short to say the least. Because of some eyesight issues, not only do I literally see the world differently than most people, but I do not have some hand/eye co-ordination skills. For me this means that I know what I want to write or draw and how I want it to look, but cannot make it happen on paper or canvas.

This is where my hooks and needles come into play. When I pick them up I can do almost anything I choose. I can change the color of a pattern. The size can be changed either by adding a border, adding or taking away a multiple of stitches, or changing the number or rows made. I can use different stitch combinations than what the original pattern suggests. Did you ever try a garter stitch top instead of a ribbed top on a pair of socks? Did you ever uses a 1×1 rib instead of a 2×2 rib in a pattern? I can also use more than one strand of yarn to make an item. Did you ever take a ‘new to you’ pattern from a stitch dictionary and use it in a scarf or dishcloth? Did you ever combine 100% cotton knitting worsted yarn with #10 crochet thread in a dishcloth? How about crocheting or knitting with large hooks or needles? Have you ever used a yarn other than that called for in a pattern? ( Be especially careful with this one. A gauge swatch could be a life saver with it. ) Have you ever tried making up a stitch pattern? Have you ever made an item using a Cro-Hook or the Tunisian stitch? These are some of the ideas that come to my mind to try.

Hats, scarves, mittens, baby bibs, afghans, doilies, dish and wash cloths and other items become unique creations when these things are done. It is amazing to see a simple scarf pattern look different by using different sizes and colors of yarn. My imagination can and does run wild with ideas. The possibilities are endless. Now all I want is more hours in my life to turn my ideas into reality.

Maybe I really am an artist.

Pictures of Finished Projects

My knitting time this week has been spent making dishcloths, a bib and more squares for Greensburg. The dishcloths and bib are from the stash of cotton recently purchased.

About two weeks ago I posted a picture of the first part of the Mad Dash

Cloth. Here is a picture of the finished cloth:

Mad Dash

I would have taken a better picture of it , but it is in the soiled laundry basket. This picture does not do justice to the lovely pattern.

Recently I talked about needing to get out of a rut when it comes to making dish and wash cloths. After completing the Mad Dash cloth I decided to make the well known Darrell Waltrip Cloth. My original plan was to make one just to do something different. I liked it so much I have completed two of them. A third one is on the needles.

This is the first one I did. It is made with Peaches n Creme Passion yarn.

DWaltrip cloth

Even though I saw pictures of it on Knitting Knonsense, I was amazed at its beauty. It does a wonderful job of bringing attention to the colors of the yarn. Since it is also an easy pattern for me to memorize this a good pattern to use when spending time with my family. It also works up quickly. Because the designer lists the multiples of stitches used, it is extremely easy to adjust the size of the cloth. I prefer smaller cloths than a lot of people so this is important to me when making them for myself.

Here is a picture of the second one. It is made with P&C Butter & Cream

DW butter&Cream

I rarely buy patterns for dishcloths or other items, choosing instead to use free available resources. Several weeks ago, while doing research for my other blog, I came across a baby bib pattern at that caught my imagination. I wanted to buy it immediately, but chose to wait and see if I changed my mind at a later date. In the end the pattern was ordered and very promptly delivered. It is the Eyelet Diamond Baby Bib from here.
ED Baby Bib

It is made from Gumdrops by Peaches & Cream. The colors are much more vibrant in real life. This was a real experiment for me for a couple of reasons. It has been a very long time since I have used a pattern requiring the use of a stitch holder. It was not a challenge to my ability by any means, but it made the pattern interesting. The other reason is that this was my first time to make an I-cord. It was pretty cool! This pattern is a great addition to my pattern collection. It will become well used in the future.

Here are pictures of a couple of other dish cloths made recently using two of my favorite colorways of Peaches & Cream: Gumdrops and Potpourri Ombre.

Gumdrop BWeave1A
EPPotPurri1