On the Importance of Details

I love simple patterns that include just one or two little details that make them really special. I’ve been thinking a lot about how to add those kinds of touches to my own designs, whether it’s an interesting hem line or a simple stripe or something a little more complex.

In the case of Schoonheid, a free pattern from Berroco, it’s a panel of lace that runs along the edge of an otherwise stockinette stitch triangular shawl. That little detail doesn’t boost the skill level significantly but it does make the project a lot more interesting and special than if it had been completely stockinette or worked with something like a garter stitch edging.

The yarn its worked in — Ultra Alpaca Light — is a beauty, too, reminding us once again that the yarn choice is super important when a project is simple because the quality of the yarn really shines through.

I may not ever knit this project but it sure has taught me a thing or two anyway!

[Photo via Berroco.]

Fall will be here before we know it, and that means there are holidays coming right behind where we might be entertaining at home. It’s always fun to have a hand knit touch in your home for other people to see, and if you’re going to be in the kitchen all day you might as well have some nice knit dish cloths to use.

I love this little plaid hand towel from Darling Jadore. Use a little bit of leftover cotton yarn from another project for the plaid portion. It looks like the horizontal stripes are worked as you knit and the vertical stripes are done with duplicate stitch, making this a quick and easy project even newer knitters can make.

Combine garter stitch and an easy eyelet pattern worked sideways to make the Annette Dish Towel from Cluck Cluck Boots, which is meant to be reminiscent of flour sack towels. It calls for DK weight yarn and you can work it in one color or two (or even three!).

Add a little more texture with this set of kitchen towels from Whileberry Creative. They’re mostly worked in garter stitch with borders in easy knit/purl patterns, and you can work them in sport or worsted weight yarn.

Two of Wands Shop has another cute allover knit and purl pattern they call the Seersucker Textured Tea Towel. It’s an easy repeating pattern worked in worsted weight yarn, and there’s a chart in the pattern you can use, but don’t have to, if you want to practice knitting from a chart.

The Classic Cloth dish towel from Handmade Home by Connie is another one that can use a little leftover yarn in a contrasting color, or you could color block it our use stripes throughout the pattern. This one uses worsted weight yarn and another easy repeating knit purl stitch pattern.

If you like to hang your towel on the oven handle or elsewhere but it’s always falling off, try the Stay Put kitchen towel from Fancy Step Knits. This project is worked in garter stitch and includes a hole partway through so you can pull the towel through itself over a rod or handle. Stripes are optional but a nice addition.

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