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Knitted Kitchen Blog Hop: Cartridge Rib Dishcloth

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cartridge rib dishcloth knitting patternIt’s time for another installment of the Knitted Kitchen Blog Hop. If you missed it last month, a group of knitting bloggers are getting together to share a new dishcloth/washcloth pattern every week this year (well, except for in December). It’s a great way to learn new knitting skills and techniques on a small scale and start using more reusable dishcloths and washcloths in your home.

My pattern this month was inspired by a scarf pattern from Purl Soho that I shared earlier this month. It uses Cartridge Rib, an easy stitch pattern that makes a rib-like fabric with no purling at all. I had never tried this stitch before — and frankly was a little skeptical that it would take as long to work as regular ribbing because of the slipped stitches — so I thought this was the perfect reason to give it a go.

It’s really fun and easy and I do think it’s a little faster than conventional ribbing, though you do have to move the yarn around a bit to make it work. Still, it’s a cool technique and one of those things it’s fun to show off to your knitting friends.

Cartridge Rib Dishclothcartridge rib dishcloth knitting pattern

Materials:

  • one skein Lion Brand 24/7 Cotton (I used about 75 yards total to make a small washcloth); mine is color 102, Aqua
  • pair of size 7 US/4.5 mm knitting needles

Gauge:

Gauge is not critical but I got about 7 stitches and 8 rows per inch in pattern stitch

Size:

Washcloth shown is about 8 inches square. Instructions are give for 8-inch and 10-inch squares, with the larger size instructions in parentheses.

To make a different size, ensure that the number of stitches is a multiple of 4 plus 3 for the pattern to work.

Instructions:

Cast on 55 (71) stitches.

Row 1: Knit 3, *slip 1 with yarn in front, knit 3. Repeat from * to end.

Row 2: Knit 1, *slip 1 with yarn in front, knit 3. Repeat from * to last 2 stitches, slip 1 with yarn in front, knit 1.

Repeat these two rows until piece is square, ending with row 2. Bind off and weave in ends.

More Dishcloth Patterns

Check out my other patterns from the series: Vine Lace Dishcloth | Ridged Ribbon Eyelet | Two-Color Moss Stitch Dishcloth

Why use dishcloths? Dishcloths are re-useable and save on kitchen waste. Most dishcloths are made using cotton yarn and can be thrown into the washing machine when dirty. This makes them very hygienic, especially when compared to kitchen sponges, which sit on the sinks for days if not weeks.  Another great thing about dishcloths is when it comes to knitting the knit up quickly and are great for gift giving. Everyone needs a dishcloth.  For gifting, It’s not something that has to be in fashion or a certain colour for the recipient to like it, though there are so many great dishcloth pattern designs out there.

Looking to knit more dishcloth patterns ? Check out these dishcloth patterns on Etsy 

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What’s Next for Joann?

Now that all the Joann stores have closed, a mysterious message has appeared on the company’s website:

For generations, Joann has been honored to be part of your creativity: your quilts, costumes, school projects, and handmade moments of love. It has been our joy to serve markers and dreamers across the country.

We’re stitching up something new behind the scenes and we can’t wait to share what’s next.

Stay tuned for exciting news about the future of Joann.

To quickly recap, Joann filed for bankruptcy in January for the second time in less than a year. In February, in the hope of making the company more attractive to potential buyers, it petitioned the court for permission to close about 500 of its 800 stores. The company was put up for auction, with Gordon Brothers set to buy the company, sell its assets and close all the stores if no other buyer materialized.

In the end the winning bidder was GA Group, but the result was the same: all stores were to be closed by the end of May if not sooner.

Once store closure sales started the company quickly stopped selling on its website, and now all that remains is this jpeg image hinting at new ventures.

I’m sure there will be a tone of speculation in the coming days and weeks (or as long as it takes for them to announce the meaning of the message) as to what sorts of plans Joann could be cooking up.

My theory based on nothing but my gut is that they will transition to an online only storefront, probably with much reduced inventory, sort of like Herrschners (which had previously announced that it will be carrying Big Twist yarn, the beloved private label yarn brand sold at Joann). I also think they will use whatever retail sales they do to support CreativeBug, the digital learning platform that Joann purchased in 2017. That could mean producing kits for projects that already have classes, or developing classes based on products they want to sell, or both.

As of this writing the CreativeBug website seems to still be functional and there’s a full slate of new classes planned for June. I’ve got my eye on both the Joann website and the Joann restructuring website and will let you know as soon as I see changes.

In the meantime, I’d love to hear your speculation as to what the next chapter might be for Joann.