Let me ask you a question:

What is your favorite handmade gift to give or to receive?




I think my favorite is to make a dishcloth set for the kitchen in pretty colors that match either the decor or the season.  Sometimes I add a pretty bar of soap.  In this picture, I added a set of coasters.  I think this was a home welcoming gift to one of my good friends.

Crochet Hexagon Blanket

A friend of mine had her second baby last March, and I wanted to make her a blanket.  Many times first babies are given lots of gifts, but after that, they aren't always given much.  Also, if the baby is taken care of, then I want to give the Mom a gift because she does all the hard work.  So I've been working on this blanket more for my friend than for the baby.  It is a lap blanket size, and usually I can get one out in a month or so, but crocheting causes my injured wrist to ache after about half an hour so it has taken me a year!  I'm working on building up the strength in my hand so hopefully this won't always be the case.

The pattern for the hexagons was found here.  I finished the edges by single crocheting several rows around the whole blanket.  I used Knit Picks Shine Worsted in Green Apple, Crocus, Terra Cotta & Fedora.  Shine is a yarn made out of cotton and modal.  It is soft with a silky texture and a good weight to it.  

Blue & Yellow Hanging Towel

Mason Dixon Knitting Outside the Lines describes this pattern as the beauty of simplicity and usefulness.

That is so true and I love giving gifts that are not only beautiful but useful.  I made this particular dish cloth as a part of a new home welcoming gift.  I later visited my friend and there it was hanging on her oven door, which is exactly where mine often hang.  The cotton easily dries wet hands, and it washes and dries well in the machine.  

White Lattice Dishcloth

I've bought so much cotton on sale that I've been trying out various dishcloth patterns.  Here is one of them from a stitch dictionary.  

Tip:  To make the last corner look more even and finished, when you have 2 stitches left to bind off, knit them together and then bind off.  This helps all of your corners to match.

Cabbage Dishcloth

I love knitting and crocheting dishcloths.  They are small and the various patterns give lots of variety. Also, a few handmade dishcloths can really add something special to a gift.  I love functional gifts, and dishcloths can be both pretty and functional. This particular dishcloth is the Cabbage Patch Knitted Dishcloth by Tomato Lady and I made it in a KAL on Ravelry. I have used this cloth in the kitchen and I have washed and dried it several times. It is holding up great, and I love the way it feels. I used Lion Brand Cotton-Ease yarn.

Flower Coasters

Pattern: Springtime Coasters by Doni Speigle (found here)

This was another addition to my friend's birthday gift. These were very easy to make, and I could make 2 or 3 of them in an evening. Again I used scrap yarn that I think was either Sugar and Cream or Peaches and Cream and Lion Brand Cottonease. I really love Lion Brand Cottonease because it is so easy to work with. It is much easier on my hands than 100% cotton. Besides dishcloths, I have used it to make spring and summer baby blankets, and I think I might use it to make a summer cardigan someday.

Multidirectional Dishcloth

This is another dishcloth I made for a friend's birthday. It is a great pattern to use up stash. I must say that knitting dishcloths is a great way to learn new stitches and great for summer knitting (light and portable). They also make great gifts because everyone needs them, and they make mundane chores at least a little more aesthetic. Cotton is a hardworking and easy care fiber. You can wash and dry it, and the texture of the dishcloths helps with washing dishes.

I found this pattern on Ravelry here.

Circle Cloth

Here is the next dishcloth that I made for my friend. I found the pattern on Ravelry here. It was a free download, and I just thought the effect was really cool. The blue yarn is cotton, but I'm not sure of the brand. The natural yarn is Peaches & Cream cotton.

Crochet Textured Dishcloth

I put together a birthday gift for a friend of mine, and since she has just moved into a new house, I thought I would make some functional, yet pretty items. The first was this crocheted dishcloth. I am not sure what brand of yarn this, but it is cotton. It is a really, simple pattern, but I liked it so much, I'm thinking of making one in green for my kitchen.

Pattern:

Chain an odd number of stitches the width desired.

Single Crochet in the second chain from the hook, and then in each stitch across row. Chain one and then turn.

Single crochet across row, alternating crocheting through the back loop and then the front loop.

Repeat last row until dishcloth is the size desired.

See it is so simple, functional, and pretty!

Felted Boxes

This year I decided to make my kids' teachers' gifts. I chose something quick & easy, and I must say they turned out lovely. They are the felted boxes from Mason Dixon Knitting.

For my son's 3 preschool teachers, I made the large boxes. The first picture above shows the finished boxes. I added some homemade Cinnamon Crunch Popcorn to fill the inside of the boxes.

For my daughter's 1 teacher, I made a set of 3 nested boxes. The middle picture shows the boxes before I felted them.

The last picture shows a felted box close up. For those of you who haven't tried felting, it is really easy. These boxes were knit with a double strand of yarn, using Size 15 needles. To felt them, I put them in my washer with a pair of the kid's old shoes on the lowest water level and the highest water temperature. I also add a little detergent or baby shampoo. Felting shrinks the yarn, and makes it a stiff fabric. If you are felting something with straps or a belt, then put it in a pillowcase or a lingerie bag. If you want complete felting instructions, drop a note.