Ida's Dishcloth

This pattern is named after my paternal grandmother, Ida Witte Krueger. It was her mother who planted the rose bush mentioned in my previous post. Granny Krueger sewed and cooked, but I always remembered her for three things. 1) She always cooked up what seemed to be a whole slab of bacon. Yum yum! The platter was heapin' full!!! There was always plenty of bacon to eat and she would save the bacon grease to cook with later on. 2) She sewed aprons to wear in the kitchen and bonnets to wear in the garden. My mother has some aprons (maybe I'll get one someday), but I do have a bonnet. I asked her to sew me one years ago and she did. 3) Granny taught me how to embroider. I remember hot summer days on her farm, sitting around embroidering with her and my sister Kathleen. What fun that was!! What memories!!! Granny is gone now, but she lives on forever in my heart and I have so many memories. This pattern is not embroidery, but it is sc on top of the crochet fabric. I think Granny would like it too.

SKILL LEVEL: Intermediate Beginner

FINISHED SIZE: 8” Square after blocking

MATERIALS: Worsted Weight Cotton

2 colors, 1 oz. Each

Color A = Red

Color B = White

Crochet hook, size G/4.0mm

Tapestry needle

STITCHES: Sc = single crochet

Dc = double crochet

BLO = back loop only

PATTERN NOTES: Work BLO only for the rows indicated and for the repeat rows indicated, otherwise work both loops as normal.

COMMENCE PATTERN:

With Color A, Ch 34.

Row 1: Dc in 3rd ch from hook and in each ch thereafter, ch 3 (counts as 1 dc now and hereafter), turn.

Row 2: Skip first dc, 1 dc in each dc to end, ch 3, turn.

Row 3: Skip first dc, working in BLO for this row 1 dc in each dc to end, ch 3, turn.

Rows 4 – 7: Repeat Rows 2 & 3, finish off.

Rows 8 – 14: Attach Color B to end of Row 7 and repeat Rows 2 & 3, finish off.

At this point you will have 6 rows of ridges on the right side of your dishcloth from working the BLO. These are the front loops. You will use the front loops to create the ridged stripes.

1.Beginning at Row 2, to the first free front loop (right-hand side), attach Color B (the opposite color) with a sl st, ch 1, 1 sc in same st, 1sc in next front loop and in each front loop to end, finish off.

2.Repeat with Color B on Rows 4 & 6, and then with Color A on Rows 8, 10, & 12.

3.Finish off, weave in all ends.

This pattern is dedicated to my paternal grandmother, Ida Louise (Witte) Krueger, who taught me to embroider.

Copyright - This Ida's Dishcloth Pattern and the pattern photo are copyright 2009 by Melinda Miller. Free for your own personal use only. Per copyright law, do not redistribute (with or without charge) in any form. (Redistributing to others includes by photocopies, scanning, emailing, putting on a CD, posting in Internet forum messages, putting on another web site and any other manner of distribution.)