Cotton Cloth Calendar Challenge and Lessons Learned.

Finished Object Friday Post(link in sidebar)

Here we have the back of faded summer (Septembers) cotton cloth for DD for the Cotton Cloth Calendar Challenge. Pastels indicating the brilliant summer colors no longer at their peek. Details in this post

Here's the front of the cloth, on my lap, sorry folks didn't have a good place to lay it down to photograph at this particular moment. I finished this cloth once we arrived in Park City for our family vacation and passed it on to DD who was happy with collection to date. I had 3 finished prior to the trip, finished July on the plane, started above September on the plane. (finished Sept and April before the end of the trip). Love this pattern and will definitely use this stitch again. Actually already have, now that I think about it....as a design element in the red and purple scarf.

This is another cloth for the challenge started after arriving in Park City for the family vacation also. This cloth was started over 4 times before I hit on a pattern I liked. Several of the patterns just weren't showing up using the variegated yarn/cotton...and so were a bit of a waste of time counting etc. Both DD and I like this, it's a bit thicker and has good texture for a cotton washcloth. This now is cloth 6 in her possession. #7 which is March is on the needles, as we speak which leaves 5 to complete for the cotton cloth calendar challenge. 50% there.

I have discovered 2 things while making these cotton cloths. Some time back I posted I didn't like to work with cotton, that it bothered my hands. What I found out is, I was using my Denise needles and the cotton does not slide nicely off the needles, in fact it really sticks which makes working on the item hard on the hands, fingers, and shoulders (you know tension). However, I had a metal something (Susan Bates I think), circular needle the right size and started using it for these cloths............WOW, what a difference. It's not the cotton that's hard, it was the combination of the needles and the cotton. The 2nd thing I've learned so far with working on these cloths, is the fun in trying new stitches/patterns on a small scale.......much less fearful, and also much more willing to frog if I don't like it.