Crochet Washcloths

Over the last couple of months I have been searching high and low for a great washcloth pattern, there are many patterns out there on the web but I was looking for that "go to" pattern which I'm 100% satisfied with, a pattern which I love to create and feel pride in when I've finished. A pattern which makes a finished product that a want to carry around with me and wave around and declare "look what I've made!"

I'm happy to announce that yes! I've finally found it. It's a LuLu Belle design which you can find here.

There's something about the combination of this pattern and the colour of the cotton that makes my heart sing.

Getting back to the feeling of wanting to share my work, this is my Christmas project. My plan is to make packs of 1 colour and 1 white washcloth and a bar of soap. I think that these gifts will make great stocking fillers.

I picked a backup pattern so that I could change things up a little, plus I can accept that not everyone has the same taste that I do . My second favorite pattern is a Lion Brand Pattern which you can find here.

I like this pattern but it doesn't make me grin from ear to ear.

One of the great things that I've discovered is that each washcloth uses almost exactly one ball of Drops Paris 100% cotton yarn, so there's very little waste, another positive is that both of these patterns are worked in one piece so there are no borders to add and only two yarn ends to sew in. I use a 6mm hook for the starting chain and then a 5mm hook for the washcloth. They are so quick and easy to whip up, the effect is simple and clean, they truly are beautiful.

The finishing piece for this gift is the soap. Again I looked high and low for the soap, I wanted something that has that handmade feel to it, that smells great and that is reasonably priced. On Monday I walked into a shop and was immediately pulled up short, there was a full display of soap, just like I'd imagined. There would have been over 10 different colours and fragrances, so I placed one of each in my basket, and then I put some more in.

Ohh if only you could smell these now, you'd be in heaven. I couldn't help myself, so I used one in the shower last night, I think that it was lychee scented, believe me, it was a pure indulgence.

 My plan is to wrap the soaps and then somehow tie them together with the washcloths, to be honest I'm still looking for inspiration, but I've got another couple of weeks to play around with that. I've still got plenty more washcloths to make before Christmas, that's for sure, but trying to fit it in around work and everything else will be a good challenge/distraction.

Other news from this past week is that I have a friend who was going to throw a bread maker away, but offered it to me first. Of course I leap at the offer, I picked it up yesterday and today I thought that I'd give it a go. This is what greeted me when I opened the lid.

I think that one of life's pleasures is freshly cooked bread, the smell, the taste, the sense of achievement - although you might argue that the machine did all the work. I honestly have no intention of buying store brought bread from now on, we'll see how long this lasts!

On the work front we have weaners in the yards at the moment. I hate the first couple of day, when we take the weaners off their mothers and have to listen to them bellowing out. I feel like the most wicked person alive. But after a couple of days the crying stops and I really enjoy my daily rituals of feeding them and working with them. We usually keep them in the yards for a couple of weeks until they quieten down and become somewhat educated, making them easier for us to handle when they are adults.

I'd best go because we're getting a little bit of rain and a lot of grumbling thunder and the pup is outside. Plus I need to get busy with these washcloths.

Xxx