The Round Knit Dishcloth Explained for Non-Knitters Like Me

An expert knitter was making one of these and I expressed admiration, and she wrote down the pattern from memory for me. 

I tried.  I would make one section come out right, and end up with the number of stitches I was supposed to have, about 1/5th of the time.  No fun. 

The internet gave me a bunch of similar patterns, with varying sets of instructions, several of which... I tried. 

I'm obviously the lamest knitter on the planet, that or I just can't count. 

I finally figured out what I needed was a list of how many stitches I'm supposed to HAVE at a given moment (not how many I'm supposed to remove) on every single row. 

I wrote it out for myself in knitting-kindergartener language and crossed off each row with a pencil as I completed it, and voila!  Success! 

Here's my easy no-fail version for any other baby knitters out there  :-) 

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The Cotton Knit Dishcloth (Written out with numbers)

From a pattern by Marion Torgerson, that I rewrote to make it easier to keep track

worsted weight cotton yarn, size 7 US needles

Cast on 15 stitches

row 1: knit across. (ends with 15 sts on needle)

row 2: k3, yo, k11, leaving 1 st, turn.

row 3: knit across. (ends with 16 sts on needle)

row 4: k3, yo, k11, leaving 2 sts, turn.

row 5: knit across. (ends with 17 sts on needle)

row 6: k3, yo, k11, leaving 3 sts, turn.

row 7: knit across. (ends with 18 sts on needle)

row 8: bind off 3 sts, k2, yo, k8, leaving 4 sts, turn.

row 9: knit across. (ends with 16 sts on needle)

row 10: k3, yo, k8, leaving 5 sts, turn.

row 11: knit across. (ends with 17 sts on needle)

row 12: k3, yo, k8, leaving 6 sts, turn.

row 13: knit across. (ends with 18 sts on needle)

row 14: bind off 3 sts, k2, yo, k5, leaving 7 sts, turn.

row 15: knit across. (ends with 16 sts on needle)

row 16: k3, yo, k5, leaving 8 sts, turn.

row 17: knit across. (ends with 17 sts on needle)

row 18: k3, yo, k5, leaving 9 sts, turn.

row 19: knit across. (ends with 18 sts on needle)

row 20: bind off 3 sts, k across row (ends with 15 sts on needle)

Repeat these 20 rows seven times, draw up the center and sew together.

Knit dishrag from scraps

Just an anti-boredom thing so I don't zone out when people are talking.

knitting socks

Something I've always wanted to do. Someone gave me three balls of red wool yarn, which I had thought was a bit useless since it was lighter than worsted, and it sat around a while. Then I got reading sock patterns on the internet. They said following a sock pattern is an act of faith. You have to trust that this idiocy is going to produce a sock. Okay, so finally I did it!
Knitting on double-pointed needles isn't so bad either, if you remember to knit snugly. We're taught to practice keeping the yarn loose on the needles. If you do that the dpns fall out. But if you knit snugly they don't. In fact it's easy once you practice a little.
And look what I have now, nice wool socks.
The pattern I used was called Joan's Socks. Yep I know the toes are ugly. Between then and now I've practiced Kitchener Stitch so the toes will look better next time.
I had no idea how wonderful wool socks were until I walked in them a while. All day long, warm and cushiony. MUCH better than store-bought socks at least the kind I've always bought :-)
Now I wouldn't sell them for fifty bucks.
I'm making some for the boys out of cotton, mostly to practice. See, I've made two (2) socks and I think I'm an expert, and don't have to use patterns, and I'm inventing my own way of doing things which will have to go on my page. So far it's working out! One sock is done and the boys can't agree on whose sock it will be. I might have to make another pair before anybody gets anything.