I have been knitting washcloths these last few weeks! I’m digging them for their instant gratification and relative ease in putting down and picking up. I’ve been reluctant to start on any longer projects lest I go into labor and never pick it back up again, and hesitant to start anything too complex, imagining I will want to knit through early labor but will definitely lack the mental energy to focus on much.

I’ve also been finding washcloths a really stress-free and nearly foolproof way to work on my knitting pattern-making skills. I mean, if something starts to go really south, ripping out and starting over isn’t nearly as traumatic on a small washcloth as it is on, say, a pair of longies. I started out only knitting from patterns I found online, but now I’m largely working on designs from my own head. It’s really amazing how two basic stitches - knit and purl - and a few basic techniques - slip, knit together, knit front and back - can turn into a stunning array of unique cloths.

And - if you’ve never used a hand-knit washcloth, you really should. They are just luxurious. We use them both in the bathtub/shower as well as for dishes.

I started out making these for Christmas. I’m planning to give each woman in the family (only four this year) a set of two or three cloths along with five or six soaps and a small bag of bath melts. I’m going to give a few to other people as gifts, as well. And then I’ll sell the rest in the shop!