How to Make Sturdy Dishcloths

Hello dishcloth lovers!!

Dishcloth, a humble piece of crocheted article, is so versatile and multi-functional. I love the dishcloth! Not only is it an excellent beginner's project, advanced crocheters too can create them while making samplers. Use them in the kitchen to clean up the mess, wipe kids' faces and hands after they've had meals, use as washcloths in the bath or just for general cleaning purposes. Dishcloths always stand up to the rough treatment they are meted out. No doubt some things in life do need to be sturdy and strong enough to brave whatever comes their way!

Generally speaking, there aren't any rules about crocheting a dishcloth. However, if you need your dishcloths to be sturdy, consider the following:

• Use a strong yarn. Save fancy delicate yarns to make other dainty articles such as doilies, laces and party bags.

• Try using 100% cotton yarn. Regular yarns available in stores are typically acrylic, the main problem with which is that many of them are not skin and child friendly. They are also less absorbent in comparison with cotton. Acrylic yarns bobble up after a few washes, whereas cotton remains the same.

Specialty baby yarn is available in stores. Instead of going by their colors and smooth texture, pay attention to the amount of cotton in it. Make sure the yarn used to crochet dishcloths for babies and children is 100% cotton.

• Make the dishcloth last longer by using bulky stitches such as the afghan and shell stitches. Patterns requiring intricate stitches may interfere with the rough usage. Too many meshes may get entangled in hooks, cabinet corners or kids' tiny fingers.

• Crochet dishcloths slightly bigger than the size of your palm so you can hold them easily while using them, especially for cleaning kitchen counter and other surfaces. Too small a dishcloth may get squished and too big may become very bulky. Of course, you will need to crochet bigger dishcloths if they are to be used as towels.

Here are some dishcloth patterns to help you get started:

• Daisy/sunflower kitchen set – http://hometown.aol.com/lffunt/daisysun.htm

• Free patterns for dishcloths – http://www.jpfun.com/patterns/free/dishcloths/index.shtml

• Many links for kitchen related crochet items are available at – http://www.chainedlinks.com/kitchen.html and http://crochet.about.com/od/kitchenpatterns/Kitchen_Patterns.htm

Many other sites give dishcloth patterns. Don't forget to checkout the numerous crochet blogs!

If you do not have time to look for patterns, just select a stitch and crochet a 7"x7" square. The basic dishcloth is ready!

Happy crocheting and cleaning!

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