12/10/2014 --- I got to wrap up my dishcloth knitting a little earlier because I ended up only needing 52 and I had 56. Now I have a head start for next year’s!

12/1/2014 --- 9 to go. Hoping to finish them up this weekend.

11/10/2014 --- 51 down, 13 to go. I’m supposed to be working on my NaKniSweMo project. Whatever.

10/28/2014 --- 47 down, 17 to go.

9/28/2014 --- 38 down, 26 to go.

9/14/2014 --- 31 dishcloths down, 33 to go.

9/5/2014 --- Every year I knit dishcloths for my family. My great-grandmother started the tradition years ago, and since I’m the only one in my family she taught to knit, I’m continuing it. I usually give sets of four dishcloths per family. With seven families at the family gathering for my mom’s side, it comes to 28 dishcloths per year. If I knit a dishcloth a day, I can have the lot completed in less than a month. Really, it’s way less dramatic than I make it sound every year. I didn’t have to knit any last year because I went overboard knitting a ton the year before.

This year, I have a new boyfriend with a big family. Including them, it takes my estimated dishcloth count to 64.

This still doesn’t include my dad’s side of the family. Yeesh, I’m going to be knitting dishcloths forever.

CONS:

• I’m literally knitting nothing but dishcloths for two straight months. After fair season (Late August, early September) I drop EVERYTHING to work on dishcloths.
• I’m not knitting anything for myself. As a typically selfish knitter, this makes me sad.
• Some years I can’t finish all of them. One of the years I was in college and only got to knit two dishcloths per family.
• I usually get sick of them halfway through. I have dreams of intricately cabled socks and Estonian lace. My Ravelry queue, which is more than 400 projects deep, makes me ultra sad.
• I have a ball of cotton yarn leftovers as big as my head. I should teach myself how to crochet again and make an afghan from them.

PROS:

• I remember my great-grandmother and what she taught me
• I can knit nice things for other people. Everyone really appreciates their yearly knitted dishcloths. I’m blessed to come from a family that likes handmade things.
• It’s the only project I can knit in the dark, even casting on and binding off, without messing up. I can knit dishcloths in movie theaters.
• I don’t have to think about Christmas presents for anyone, go to the mall, make a list, deal with traffic, wonder if I’m getting the right thing… $50-60 pays for all of the yarn, and that’s it.
• I get to knit with my Signature needles, which are pointy and wonderful!