New Dishcloth Group

I, like many knitters I know, can be rather obsessive about dishcloths. I like them mainly because they are a great way to try out stitch patterns. I don't really NEED dishcloths myself. I prefer sponges, truth be told. But still. They are fun and quick. At first I enjoyed the dishcloth mailing list where you get a few lines of the pattern at a time and get to see the pattern unfold as the days progress. It's a mini mystery and the small doses can make overwhelming patterns seems much more doable.

However.

And it's a big-H However.

For some reason, dishcloth mailing lists are plagued with off-topic posts. I occasionally end up deleting bits of the pattern on accident when I'm trying to get rid of all the fluff emails, which is so very frustrating. I mean, I'm glad that some people out there have found a bit of community on the list and that's all well and good, but, really people, I just want to knit some funky swatches, and 20+ off-topic emails a day gets old fast.

So, I'm starting my own list. C'mon and join in if you like. Looking at my schedule I think I'll be able to start sending out patterns in mid-August. (Summer is crazy, and I'm going on 2 trips between now and then, so I'm trying to be realistic.) In the meantime, I'm going to be sussing out the first few patterns and spreading the word. Feel free to spread the word yourself if you like. This group will have zero fluff. The only emails you will get from the list will be the bits of patterns. A dishcloth list that is JUST dishcloths. The patterns will be available in the archives after the knit-along is over. The first pattern of the month will be a knitting pattern, the second a crochet pattern. We're going to start easy in both areas, so if you are a beginner in either area, this should be good practice for you.

Incidentally, I don't plan on doing many, if any, of the knit/purl picture cloths. I, personally, find them kind of boring to work on, and I get really annoyed when I finish one only to find that it's something I care nothing about. The vast majority of the cloths on this list will be ones that strengthen your technical abilities: lace, relief patterns, cables, etc.

You can find the group here: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/JustDishcloths

You'll need a yahoo id to join the group. If you don't already have a yahoo id, you can sign up at http://groups.yahoo.com It's free and easy to do, and once you've gotten the id and told them what email address you want your group mail sent to, you won't have to log on again if you don't want to, so it's not a big, scary techno-thing you need to learn how to navigate. Just follow the links and do what it tells you to do.

If you are oh-so excited and want to start stocking up on yarn, I'll tell you now that while many people prefer kitchen cotton, I personally prefer a dk weight cotton, as I find it dries faster and isn't as big and floppy while I'm working with it. I get my DK cotton from recycling cotton sweaters, but Patons Grace works well, too. Some standard worsted weight kitchen cottons are peaches and cream or sugar'n'creme.

So, there you have it. Join up! Spread the word!