Parent Playtime Post: Quick Knit All-Purpose Cotton Cloths

This is the perfect quick knit project if ever there was one. I created the pattern late in the summer because I wanted transition from using paper napkins to cloth ones in S's school lunchbox. Standard cloth napkins are way too big for the school setting and the standard size of kid tables. I wanted something small and friendly to kid sized hands, mouths and spills. I also thought it would give him a little feeling of home during his school day to find something handknit by his Mommy at lunchtime. I knew I ran the risk of him accidentally losing some or throwing them away (so far the damage hasn't been too bad). I was not too surprised either, to see that he is so environmentally conscious he still only uses his sleeve to wipe his mouth and that most of the time, these little guys come home still neatly folded in half in a triangle shape right in the bottom of his lunchbox! Nonetheless, I often use them with a spritz of my easy homemade all-purpose cleaner (about 1 part rubbing alcohol to 10 parts water) to clean out the inside of his lunchbox each day and subsequently the dairy side counter-top after I prepare and pack his lunch for the next day. They even do well with warm soapy water to scrub out midweek yogurt spills when you don't have time to run the washing machine and still have a dry Paw Patrol lunchbox in the morning!

Yes, these Quick Knit All-Purpose Cotton Cloths have and do it all. They are great little napkins. They have a fabulous scrubbing action from the texture of the garter stitch. They are thick enough to soak up spills and soft enough to wipe tiny little hands and mouths on the go. They make a great travel wipe as well with a bit of soapy spray or water. Use them as washcloths, dishcloths, for cleaning or even dusting. And the best part is how quick and easily they knit up. I keep a ball of cotton yarn and size 7 needles in my cars for long trips when I'm a passenger or unplanned waits at the doctor or when I arrive too early for preschool pickup (which rarely happens these days). Because they are so quick and easy (and cost effective) to knit up, it's easy to stitch up an abundance of these little buggers. They make great gifts, have plenty of household uses and you won't feel [too] bad if a few get lost in the hustle.

In fact, a note on all handcrafted items you gift to your kids: they may get lost. They may get damaged. They may get rejected one day and beloved the next. If you are the type to become really attached to something you created (I am), this might be an exercise in breathing deeply and letting go. Opting to send your little guy to school in the first ever sweater you knit might not be a good starting point. Opting to stash a cotton cloth in his lunchbox is probably a safer bet!

So if you'd like to whip up one or two or six dozen of your own Quick Knit All-Purpose Cotton Cloths, here's what you'll need to know:

Materials:

• 1 skein 100% cotton yarn
• This will make multiple cloths. Common brands are Lily Sugar and Cream or Walmart's comparable item, Peaches and Cream yarn. They come in a variety of solid and variegated color options, even self striping. There are often sales and coupons available for craft supply stores on these products. You can go with all one color or collect a few. I may have collected more than a few, but I use this yarn for a variety of projects. 
• size 7/4.5mm straight knitting needles
• I really prefer the feel of bamboo, but any straight needles will work
• yarn needle & scissors for finishing

Directions: You will be working this project diagonally. The y/o at the beginning of each row will leave a little hole that creates the outer border pattern.

abbreviations: 

K= knit

y/o= yarn over

inc. = increase

dec. = decrease

K2tog = knit 2 together

st = stitch

Begin by casting on 4 stitches.

Increase rows:

Row 1: Knit across

Row 2: K2, y/o to inc. by 1 st, K to end of row. You should now have 5 stitches.

Repeat Row 2 until you have a total of 25 stitches. You will now begin your decrease rows.

Decrease rows:

Row 1: K1, K2tog, y/o, K2tog, K to end of row. You should now have 24 stitches. Your y/o will preserve your border pattern, while knitting 2 together both before and afterward will decrease your stitches by one each row you work. 

Repeat that row until you have 4 stitches remaining.

Knit across row.

Bind off.

Weave in and trim tails.