My first KAL!

Well, August is fast approaching which means that my very first KAL will begin August first! I have to admit that I am pretty nervous about it. There are over 7,800 members and that's a lot of pressure! I keep worrying that they won't like the design or me! I'm also scheduled for two additional designs later in the year, but if this turns into a disaster, it may be the last you'll ever hear from me!!

For those of you who already belong to the Yahoo Monthly Dishcloths group, you'll get first crack at the design. For those of you who aren't a member, I'll be posting the complete pattern after the KAL is done, so you won't be left out. The KAL is for a cloth, but of course, there is a coordinating bib. Actually, as with all my designs, the bib came first!! I hope everyone will like it. It's just a fun, whimsical design that's perfect for Summer. The KAL will run for six days and, on the seventh, I'll post it here! Wish me luck!

Hello...again

I thought maybe it was time to get re-acquainted with this blog. Knitting hasn't been at the top of my priorities lately. My daughter-in-law was recently diagnosed with cancer and I've been trying to help out where I can. I'm afraid that I haven't even had a pair of knitting needles in my hands for the past couple of weeks. I guess I thought it would be more productive to just worry! It seems to have worked though, because things are looking much better now! I want to thank you all for your nice messages and prayers. I've discovered who my real friends are.

Before life got so crazy, I did knit up the cloth for the frog to match the bib I posted last time. As with the bib, this cloth isn't in the pdf files yet. I'm still waiting for my website to get up and running. Even with the new website, you'll still be able to just access it from here. I'm waiting for my son to get back from vacation when he promises he'll help me! I'm starting to have a backlog of patterns that need to get posted! ;o)

I do want to mention that if you send me an email, be sure to put something in the subject line like "bibs" or "blog", so I know that it's not spam. I have received a couple of messages from people without any identifying information and if I don't know you, or don't have any information why you're contacting me, then I don't open it.

On a parting note, here's what we woke up to this morning. The apartment house across the street had some uninvited guests for breakfast. This is what happens when you get drunk the night before, pass out, and forget to turn off your oven and stove.

Hop-a-Long Cloth

Copyright 2010 by Elaine Fitzpatrick. Permission is granted to make and sell items from this pattern provided that credit is given to me as the designer. Permission is not granted to reproduce the actual pattern, or post it, or distribute it, without my express permission. Please respect my copyright and play nice!

Size: approximately 7 ¼" X 7 ¾ ".

Materials: One skein of worsted weight cotton in a solid color. The cloth pictured was done in Peaches & Crème in Celery.

Needles: U.S. Size 5 or 6 Because this is a “picture” cloth, you want your fabric to be fairly dense so the design will pop out. If you are a loose knitter, then you might want to drop down a needle size.

Gauge: 4.5 sts. per inch, not critical.

Abbreviations:
k = knit
p = purl
sts. = stitches

Pattern: Cast on 37 sts. (NOTE: Odd numbered rows are the right side and even numbered rows are the wrong side.)

Rows 1 – 7: k1, p1 across row.
Row 8: (k1, p1) x2; k1; p9; k1; p3; k1; p4; k1; p3; k1; p2; k1; (p1, k1) x3.
Row 9: (k1, p1) x3; (k3, p1) x2; k4; p1; k3; p1; k10; (p1, k1) x2.
Row 10: (k1, p1) x2; k1; p9; k1; p3; k1; p4; k1; p3; k1; p4; k1; (p1, k1) x2.
Row 11: (k1, p1) x2; k5; p1; k13; p1; k7; (p1, k1) x3.
Row 12: (k1, p1) x3; k1; p3; k3; p13; k1; p5; k1; (p1, k1) x2.
Row 13: (k1, p1) x2; k6; p1; k18; p1; k3; (p1, k1) x2.
Row 14: (k1, p1) x2; k1; p3; k1; p16; k1; p6; k1; (p1, k1) x2.
Row 15: (k1, p1) x2; k7; p1; k15; p1; k5; (p1, k1) x2.
Row 16: (k1, p1) x2; k1; p5; k1; p13; k1; p7; k1; (p1, k1) x2.
Row 17: (k1, p1) x2; k8; p1; k12; p1; k7; (p1, k1) x2.
Row 18: (k1, p1) x2; k1; p6; k1; p11; k1; p8; k1; (p1, k1) x2.
Row 19: (k1, p1) x2; k9; p1; k1; p6; k3; p1; k8; (p1, k1) x2.
Row 20: (k1, p1) x2; k1; p7; k1; p2; k1; p6; k1; p9; k1; (p1, k1) x2.
Row 21: (k1, p1) x2; k9; p1; k8; p3; k8; (p1, k1) x2.
Row 22: (k1, p1) x2; k1; p6; k1; p12; k1; p7; k1; (p1, k1) x2.
Row 21: (k1, p1) x2; k8; p1; k13; p1; k6; (p1, k1) x2.
Row 24: (k1, p1) x2; k1; p4; (k1, p7) x2; k1; p6; k1; (p1, k1) x2.
Row 25: (k1, p1) x2; k7; p1; k15; p1; k5; (p1, k1) x2.
Row 26: (k1, p1) x2; k1; p4; k1; p11; k1; p3; k1; p6; k1; (p1, k1) x2.
Row 27: (k1, p1) x2; k7; p1; k15; p1; k5; (p1, k1) x2.
Row 28: (k1, p1) x2; k1; p5; k1; p14; k1; p6; k1; (p1, k1) x2.
Row 29: (k1, p1) x2; k7; p1; k14; p1; k6; (p1, k1) x2.
Row 30: (k1, p1) x2; k1; p5; k1; p13; k1; p7; k1; (p1, k1) x2.
Row 31: (k1, p1) x2; k9; p1; k11; p1; k7; (p1, k1) x2.
Row 32: (k1, p1) x2; k1; p6; k4; (p8, k1) x2; (p1, k1) x2.
Row 33: (k1, p1) x2; k9; p1; k7; p1; k4; p1; k6; (p1, k1) x2.
Row 34: (k1, p1) x2; k1; p5; k1; p4; k2; p2; k4; p9; k1; (p1, k1) x2.
Row 35: (k1, p1) x2; k9; p1; k4; p2; k1; p1; k4; p1; k6; (p1, k1) x2.
Row 36: (k1, p1) x2; k1; p5; k1; p2; k1; p1; k1; p2; k1; p4; k1; p8; k1; (p1, k1) x2.
Row 37: (k1, p1) x2; k3; p1; k5; p1; k4; p1; k2; p1; k4; p1; k6; (p1, k1) x2.
Row 38: (k1, p1) x2; k1; p6; k4; p3; k1; p2; k1; p1; k1; p8; k1; (p1, k1) x2.
Row 39: (k1, p1) x2; (k4; p1) x3; k14; (p1, k1) x2.
Row 40: (k1, p1) x2; k1; p14; k4; (p4, k1) x2; (p1, k1) x2.
Row 41: (k1, p1) x2; k4; p1; k1; p1; k22; (p1, k1) x2.
Row 42: (k1, p1) x2; k1; p20; k1; p3; k1; p2; k1; (p1, k1) x2.
Row 43: (k1, p1) x2; k2; p1; k3; p1; k1; p1; k20; (p1, k1) x2.
Row 44: (k1, p1) x2; k1; p20; k1; p1; k2; (p1, k1) x4.
Row 45: (k1, p1) x2; (k3, p1) x2; k21; (p1, k1) x2.
Row 46: (k1, p1) x2; k1; p20; k1; p1; k1; p4; k1; (p1, k1) x2.
Row 47: (k1, p1) x2; k4; p1; k2; p1; k21; (p1, k1) x2.
Row 48: (k1, p1) x2; k1; p20; k1; p2; k1; p3; k1; (p1, k1) x2.
Row 49: (k1, p1) x2; k5; p2; k22; (p1, k1) x2.
Row 50: (k1, p1) x2; k1; p27; k1; (p1, k1) x2.
Row 51: (k1, p1) x3; k25; (p1, k1) x3.
Rows 52 - 58: k1, p1 across row.
Bind off in k1, p1 and weave in ends.