Earth Day Dishcloth
Well, folks, I'm behind, as usual. Behind, that is, on the dishcloth craze. Right about when dishcloths came "in" a couple of years back (remember the Mason-Dixon Ball Band dishcloths[Ravelry-only link], anyone?), I ignored them. After all, I'd recently switched to sponges, and all dishcloths did was get smelly in the sink, just like they'd done when I was a kid. (Yes, they did get washed, but the smell left a stronger mental impression!)
But a couple of days ago, Earth Day caught up with me and I thought to myself, I should really get back in the habit of using dishcloths, rather than so many paper towels! I mean, I'm not that bad; I do try to use the sponge, but sometimes I just want the convenience of a paper towel... but still, I should try, shouldn't I?
Yes, we recycle and watch the temperature of our house and buy cars that get good gas mileage - but couldn't I be better about this one little item? Maybe if I had my own handmade dishcloths I'd use them, I thought, so out came the cotton and the needles...
Coffeeboy swore he wouldn't use it, that he couldn't subject anything I'd knit with to such treatment as scrubbing dirty sinks and counters. Besides, he'd grown up with sponges, not "those cloths" as he used to call them back when I was using cloths, not sponges, so I expect there was some resistance to the dishcloth funk. But knit one I did, use it to wipe the counter I did, and now, boy doesn't our sink look too pretty for its own good?
There are other ideas I'm finding equally inspiring - many of them, to give honor where it's due - mentioned on Zarzuela's Earth Day post. There I was introduced to the Greencraft group on Ravelry - if you're on Ravelry, you should definitely check this group out! It's fascinating what people are doing, the little ways they are getting back in touch with the world!
6 comments:
I refuse to use anything you've knit to clean up dirt. That would be ... just wrong!
--Coffeeboy
But I've already used it to wipe the counters, honey, and besides, it's good for the earth! Really!
Handknit dischcloths are the best. They last forever and what better way to honor the knitting than to use it well? I was visiting my mom tonight and saw that she had one I knit for her in the sink. It made me happy to know that she is no longer using it as a doily! It was meant to work!!!
I have been meaning for ages to knit myself some dishcloths -- somehow all the ones I knit end up being given away! I'm also going to go and check out that Ravelry group.
Thanks for coming by my blog and commenting; it's nice to know I'm not the only one who feels and likes that thread of darkness in Celtic and klezmer music.
My anti-funk strategy is to use them only for counter-wiping (so they don't sit in the sink soaking wet), and I have about a dozen of them in the drawer, so I can start each day with a new dry one and change them out the minute they get yucky. Wash them in hot water. Funk begone!
Kay
Good for you! It's very pretty. I've banned sponges from the house and just wash our dishcloths in the washing machine regularly. If they are really funky, white vinegar (the cure for everything!) and baking soda in the wash help. One of these I'll get around to making some, but we use a lot of those microfiber cloths and they work pretty well.
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