These round knit cloths are just the size of an adult’s open palm, and the most useful things to have around for the summer should you have any of these; dogs, kids, or a pool. They are a utilitarian workhorse item, keep a stack by your kitchen sink, and another stack on the outdoor table. They are handy to wipe faces or sop up spills, to use as a cover for an open pitcher or a trivet to collect the condensation from the iced tea or sangria pitcher. For patio parties, they are a natural for walk-around eating of taco or burgers, or to hand out with a Popsicle as a drip-catcher and face-wiper. And the picture with the Chinese take-out was sent to me by my SIL, with some additional comments. Oh, yeah, these things get used everyday. Throw them into the washer, then dryer, and they are ready for another round.

Typically, my knitting on #4 or 5 needles yields a dishcloth that weighs in at about 28-29 grams per unit. This colorway was purchased as a 14 ounce cone, so it will yield 12 dishcloths. The cones retail for $12-16/cone, so it is a very economical gift. There was just enough left over to make a pair of the charming Bluebirds of Happiness from Sara Elizabeth Kellner.

The yarns known collectively as ‘kitchen cotton’ are (almost) always a four ply 100% cotton yarn, and come in a range of colors from different manufacturers. They are available in solid colors, heathers, stripes, ombres, space dyed, color dots; and twists’ where each of four plies is a different color. There are some mix-and-match possibilities between the manufacturers that allow for creative combinations. I like to gift them for baby showers in a basket along with Burt’s Bees Baby Shampoo & Wash. For a housewarming gift, choose colors coordinated to their kitchen, and add a nice smelling hand soap.