Putting the kitchen back in cotton

So, I finished Max’s socks. (A few days ago, actually. They have been worn up and down and all around this house, over several days, and are now crumpled in the laundry hamper, exhausted. He likes them.) Since then I’ve struggled with what to work on. First, I set out with the intention of reducing my works in progress – ahh, how they multiply – by working on Greg’s scarf. I made it into the third and final ball of the yarn when there was, without warning, a massive tangle. In boucle. I set it aside.

Taking that as a sign that I should do something fun, I pulled out my new Misti Alpaca Chunky and started swatching. I used several different needle sizes and still wasn’t pleased with the result. I’ve heard knitters remark on alpaca’s ‘lack of elasticity,’ but once again sometimes you have to see a thing before you really understand what it means. Many months ago, before I’d ever had the opportunity to do more than touch (and therefore fall in love with) alpaca yarn, I theorized that alpaca might be better suited to crocheting than knitting because crocheted stitches have more structure than knit stitches. I pulled out my hooks and discovered that – at least in this case – I was right. I was pleased with the fabric my swatch was producing. I just wanted to go up one hook size from the one I was using, and it would be lovely.

I was using an ‘I’ hook. No problem, I know I have a ‘J.’ However, I looked in my bag, and I couldn’t find it. I looked in my box. I didn’t see it. I remembered that I lent Wren a hook to work on something – perhaps that was my J. I went to go ask her for it (I’m pretty sure she doesn’t use it much).

Me: “Hey, are you using my J hook?”

Her: “No, I think it’s an I.”

Me: “An I? An I? I thought I was using an I downstairs…”

Her: “I’m pretty sure it’s an I.”

Me: “Would you check?”

Her: (checks) “Yup, it’s an I.”

Me: “It’s an I? But I’m sure I was using an I – why would I have two Is?”

Here her face sort of froze in a grin, one of her eyes twitched and after a two-beat pause she popped out an obvious, pun-based groaner. Thereby proving, once again, that she is in fact related to me. We are your children, Dad. We are what you made us. 😉

Anyway, unable to locate my J, I listlessly swatched on other projects until bedtime. Today, though, I came across a really great pattern while browsing Crochet Pattern Central – Cotton Dish Sponges. They are simple genius. I made four. (The small one is for Max. He helps me clean.)

I could easily, happily, make many, many more of these. They’re very much ‘Zen crocheting,’ simple, memorable, fun and fast. I definitely want to go to Michael’s or Joann’s or something and pick up some more fun colors of cotton just so I can make some more of these. Um. Fortunately I have several people on my Christmas list that would politely accept homemade sponges should I chance to accidentally make more than my house can hold. Once again, here’s the link to the pattern. Follow it, but make sure you have some cotton on hand, for safety’s sake.