MOD HUMMINGBIRD KITCHEN TOWEL; Knit

I started this towel yesterday – and finished this morning, along with a matching dishcloth.

I'm pleased with how my kitchen towel design turned out.

I chose a hummingbird grid – drew it freehand … and chose my towel colors based on a pink fuchsia flower 😊

Now, with the tempestuous weather happening outside, is the perfect time to drink coffee and be creative 😉

Freehand Grid; patterns found on Pinterest.

Fuchsia plant.

Normally, I work my patterns in jacquard knit (knitting a pattern directly into the fabric of knit work), but cotton yarn is a lot stiffer than acrylic worsted and jacquard tends to look messy with cotton yarn; so when I use cotton yarn I usually opt to use the duplicate stitch embroidery for design purposes because it stays put when the damp cotton yarn “grows”. Cotton yarn is good for dishtowels because it wicks moisture off hands and dishes (if you handwash/hand dry dishes); but it tends to lose shape when it gets very damp with constant use. Even so – I prefer my handmade cotton towels over the recycled plastic fiber kitchen towels sold in stores that are basically worthless other than the cute designs stamped on them.

I’m not a fan of the duplicate stitch stich … but it seems the best technique to do a broad-span design on cotton yarn projects: it “sets” the pattern to keep it in place.

This pattern combines knit, crochet, and embroidery stitches.

Here’s the pattern –

MOD HUMMINGBIRD KITCHEN TOWEL

1 skein Cotton yarn in Pink, Green & White; small amount of contrasting color throwaway yarn; Worsted yarns in Green and White.

# 9 knitting needles

#I/9 crochet hook

1 resin button for towel topper

1 tapestry needle

1 set of plastic cone-shaped needle point protectors/stoppers

Terms used:

CO = cast on sts

St = stitches

st. st. = stockinette stitch

tog = together

sc = single crochet

dc = double crochet

EO = end off yarn

 

With pink, CO 70 sts & K 1 row.

Work 62 rows in stockinette stitch (knit 1 row = front side of work; purl 1 row = back side of work).

Keep sts on needle, and slip a point stopper on the tip end when row 62 is finished (this will be the purl side of work).

Lower end of kitchen towel finished.

With a small amount of throw away yarn, mark off the center 20 sts needed for the hummingbird embroidery design.

My pattern grid was marked like this: count 20 rows from the bottom – and 25 sts on each end of the center 20 design sts; there should be 23 top-end rows.

Once you have your st counts set up, start the Duplicate St embroidery using the tapestry needle and contrasting yarn colors: this online page describes it (https://www.thesprucecrafts.com/how-to-duplicate-stitch-2116380).

It’s pretty simple to do.

Using Duplicate St ...

Hummingbird finished.

When your design is finished, weave in the loose ends; and start on the towel topper.

Towel Topper – Row 63: With crochet hook, attach green yarn and sc across row as follows – *sc 2, sc 2 tog*, end sc 2. Ch 1, turn.

Repeat row 63 once more.

Next row and every row afterwards: Decrease one st EA end, until there are only six sts remaining to be worked.

Dc for 8 rows.

Button keyhole: Sl st next 3 sts; ch 6 and sl st in same sp; sl at to end. Turn.

Dc x12 in chain loop; EO.

Add a decorative loop edging of your choice (or leave plain).

With tapestry needle, sew button in place and weave in loose ends.

Trim your towel with a pretty edging, if that is something you want to do: I did, because I designed my towel after a frilly flower and a flighty bird. LOL

My towel looks stiff, but both yarns will soften with the first washing.

Knit kitchen towel with crochet topper & trim.

==KNIT DISHCLOTH

I’ve had this dishcloth pattern since the early 1980’s when it had been printed in the local newspaper; it’s easy to work up, and looks good either plain or 2-toned, as I am prone to do 😉

Knit Garter St Dishcloth pattern.

MOD Hummingbird Dishtowel Set completed.

Enjoy!

MESSAGE IN THE WIND

I went to the Lexington Coffee Hour this morning.

I was awake very early (5 AM), so I had spare time to kill before 9 AM: so, I decided to cruise my Pinterest Page to see if I could find a Spring-themed pattern grid for a kitchen towel I was wanting to design when I got back home.

I found two patterns; and worked out grid dimensions before hopping in the car and jetting off. I settled on the hummingbird pattern for today’s towel 😊

I'm such a mess-cat; thankfully the marker inks came off with soap and water.

The gathering was enjoyable. 

Several topics were touched on.

Some topics were studiously avoided (like politics); if brought up by anyone (not always me 😉), a brief reply was given, and the topic was changed. No one wanted to get angry today about a political nonsense.

Rabbit trails were entertained on occasion – two stuck out today: the timeframe for the opening of the Astoria-Meglar Bridge … one person said 1967: I said it had to be earlier than that because Bob was the second person to drive across (he was 16 at that time) it when it was opened to the public; and he graduated in 1967, a few weeks before his 18^th birthday. Everyone (except me) grabbed their phones and spoke to the animated siri investigator, to get the actual date – the smug ones wanted to make sure I knew I was wrong. I was right 😊

The other thing was brought up after a comment led to someone else breaking out in a Monkees song (obviously I have connected with weirdos like myself 😉); and speculation of surviving Monkees. It was assumed they are all dead now. Everyone was wrong: Mickey Dolenz is still alive and kicking.

The Monkees – ‘Daydream Believer’ song (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvqeSJlgaNk)

The Monkees – ‘Valleri’ song. This one made me laugh because no one can pronounce my Name, so they call me Valerie: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUZJy1RYz3U)

Mikey Dolenz (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKKRG7DNpwI)

I drove home from Lexington via the Hazel Dell road, and Delameter road. There is a crack across the road – with a bit of a slip breakage – on Coal Creek.

I also heard on the radio that the obamanite Supreme Court pick will be seated. Being seated is NOT a win; being seated is a political move, that is actually an illegitimate move. So, I turned the radio off. I couldn’t listen to ketaji brown’s racist acceptance speech; and biden’s whiney monotone makes my stomach turn.

Even though it’s obvious America is rapidly spiraling into the depths of Hell, it’s still surprising to me to realize the continuing depths of break with reality politicians and their devotees have slid.

Like I said many times before … politics in this new America, that is not recognizable … is depressing. And angering. I avoid depressing situations/circumstances; and I’m tired of always hovering on the cusp of angry.

Parking at home, the river winds were really kicking up; and raindrops were starting to fall.

Blossom blizzard; actual snow predicted over weekend.

Garden area weeding was not going to be happening.

The message on the wind is that snow will fall by Monday: I put the faucet cover back over the outside faucet.

So, while the wind outside was gustily blowing, and raindrops were slapping the window panes, I watched an old western movie; and got busy designing the kitchen towel I could already see finished in my mind’s eye 😉

Sad day for America will stretch into decades of unrest and chaos ...

Standing firm on my 2022 promise to myself.

Wind chimes are dancing in the rain: Bob liked wind chimes – his chimes still hang from the front porch support beam. I always smile when I hear them dancing.

Hummingbird image finished.

I’ll finish the towel tomorrow; it’s 1:45 AM, and I’m beat.