Common Threads

I attended my guild's bienniel quilt show this weekend at which I knit for five hours (in a guest exhibitor booth for the local Knit in Public group). But what I really got done this weekend was a pair of crocheted washcloths.

Quilt, knit, crochet...I guess it's a good thing the show's theme was Common Threads.

I am learning Tunisian Crochet. It's amazingly simple...in fact, the first stitch I learned is called the simple stitch. Tunisian Crochet is also known as the Afghan stitch. I like its dense weave, but it curls like a possum's tail. What I really want to learn is a kind of Tunisian Crochet that involves two yarns and a double-ended crochet hook. I hear it doesn't curl as badly, and it looks the same on either side.



My first washcloth has tire tracks running across it. They're due to crocheting into the back horizontal bars along the row instead of the vertical bars (which is the traditional simple stitch). Crocheting into the back horiz. bar pushes the row into a ridge along the front. All in an attempt to reduce the curling.



The second cloth I like best, although it's far from a polished project. I fashioned it a la Grandmother's Favorite washcloth (a knitting pattern), increasing and decreasing from corner to corner to create horizontal lines. Then I hooked a half double crochet edging around it. The edging didn't really relax the curl, either, but that's probably because I didn't turn the corners correctly. So now they pooch up.

Oh well. At least the Pakucho cotton is sooooooft. If you want to know a little more about these washcloths, I've got them on my Ravelry page.