15 January 2019

Knit a Quick and Pretty Basketweave Dishcloth


I have been knitting dish cloths to use as gifts and to include in the cleaning hampers and I used my usual diagonal pattern. I love this pattern because it's quick and easy to knit, and being basic garter stitch it has good scrubbing power without the scratchiness of a nylon scrubby.

But sometimes I get a little bored with the same old, same old. I know - who'd a thought I'd ever get bored! So occasionally I break with habit and try a new pattern. This week it was a simple basket weave and I have to say it looks very nice, especially in the blue and white variegated cotton I used. It will go beautifully with the kitchen chair covers.

It's really easy to knit, so easy even a beginner can do it, no special skill required (other than counting - you can count to five can't you?).

Basket Weave Dish Cloth

Cast on 50 stitches.

Knit 5 rows. This will form the lower border and start the side borders.

Row 1: Knit 5 *Knit 5, purl 5. Repeat from * to last 5 stitches, knit 5.

Row 2 Knit 5 *Purl 5, knit 5. Repeat from * to last 5 stitches, knit 5.

Row 3: As Row 1

Row 4: As Row 2

Row 5: As Row 1

Row 6: Knit 5, *Purl 5, knit 5. Repeat from * to last 5 stitches, knit 5.

Row 7: Knit 5, *Knit 5, purl 5. Repeat from * to last 5 stitches, knit 5.

Row 8: As Row 6

Row 9: As Row 7

Row 10: As Row 6

Repeat last 10 rows four more times, 50 rows in total.

Knit 5 rows. Cast off. Weave ends in.

Notes:
At the moment I am using 10 ply cotton from Bendigo Woollen Mills and 4mm needles to knit my dishcloths. I buy it online, when the 200g balls are on sale and there is a free shipping offer. A ball makes 4 -5 dishcloths, bringing the price down to between $2 and $2.40.

This pattern knits in a garter stitch border around the dishcloth - it finishes it off nicely rather than just having the "weave" ends as the border.

02 January 2019

Just Do It!


A question that often pops into my inbox is how do I manage to get so much done.

It's no secret: I just do it.

I have a housekeeping schedule that everyone in the family now uses. When the kids were little I did the bulk of the work, but now they do it for me. Without fail, that schedule is followed week in, week out. It doesn't take long, about half an hour a day at the most, but it means that every room in our home is cleaned from top to bottom, including windows, every single week. I don't do spring cleaning - there's no need.

I also have a bill paying schedule that everyone now knows how to use. The kids have adapted it for their own financial responsibilities, and I know that if I'm not able to take care of the bills, then Wayne or one of the kids can do it for me. It takes less than 10 minutes a week. There is no excuse whatever for not staying on top of your bills. If you want to know my bill paying routine, let me know.

Something that helps with keeping on top of things is actually doing them.

Take emptying the dishwasher for instance. It's one of those jobs that seems to get put off until it's time to start loading it again. Seriously it takes less than two minutes for me to unload a FULL dishwasher and wipe over the seals, leaving it ready to re-load throughout the day. Two minutes! I know some folk who spend more time than that thinking about unloading the dishwasher or arguing with someone else to get them to do it. Just do it! Two minutes and it's done. That's a commercial break during your favourite reality TV program!

Another chore that is often put off is folding and putting away the laundry. Just do it! I fold as it comes off the line and I stack the clothes in people. Then I just deliver the stack to the relevant person and they put it away. It takes about 8 - 10 minutes to take the laundry off the line, fold it and deliver it. And then it's done! No more Mt. Fold Me in the family room. No more hunting through piles of crushed clothes for something to wear. Just do it. Ten minutes is less time than most people spend on Facebook of an evening!

Cleaning the kitchen is another job people put off. If you clean as you cook, then after dinner it shouldn't take more than 15 minutes to get the dishes done and the kitchen cleaned and tidied again. There's nothing worse than getting up to a dirty kitchen that needs to be cleaned before you can start breakfast. Don't put it off, just do it.

Five years ago I was diagnosed with a chronic disease. Since then I've had other health issues, totally unrelated. It's meant that some days it takes all my energy to open my eyes, let alone climb out of bed and face the day.

It would be easy to ignore the things that need to be done, in the hope that I'd have the energy to do them later. But later, they'd be bigger chores and harder work, and I wouldn't be able to tackle them. Doing things as they need to be done, while they are small jobs that only take a few minutes means I get quite a lot done in a day, even with having to rest regularly and spending more time in bed than I ever thought I would.

Some of you work full time. Some of you study. Some work part-time. Some work at home. Some are retired. I know a few of you are also suffering from chronic illness. Some have babies. Some have small children or teenagers. Some live in cities. Some are country based. Some have big homes, small homes, new homes, old homes.

We all have the same 24 hours in a day.

It's what we do with them, and how we use them that makes the difference.

Next time you see something that needs to be done, just do it.

And you'll find you get more done in a day than you realised too.