Kitchen Scrubber (E)

Knitting is a craft I've tried occasionally but, honestly, it intimidates me. That lack of confidence probably is due to comparing myself to others who are gifted at knitting. Despite that, the benefits of knitting are greater than my lack of confidence so I keep trying. Lifehack.org has an article on the "6 Unexpected Benefits of Knitting." Ironically, when I keep a project simple, I feel the stress-relieving benefits of knitting. Like with anything, practice will help improve my skills.

One thing I've learned with yarn projects is they can be messy. What I mean by that is yarn, by its nature, is a group of twisted fibers. If a knitting needle, or crochet hook, splits these fibers, it can cause headaches. Speed, an enviable skill of polished knitters, isn't the main goal. Clean stitches and enjoying the process is the most important reward.

Example: look at the picture to the right. There are ten stitches on the needle. The scrubby yarn has little nylon-type fibers extending off the main yarn. It's easy to catch these "messy" extras and end up with two loops instead of one, such as the stitch on the far left of the needle (click picture for a larger image). 

Two tips:

1. Take your time. Make sure each stitch is clean and the knitting experience will be much more pleasant.
2. Frequently count the stitches on your needle, especially at the end of a row. This will help you catch problems early.

To make these kitchen scrubbers you will need:

• One skein of Red Heart Scrubby yarn (WalMart and Joann's)
• Knitting needles (I use size 10, but pattern on back of label lists size 8)

As mentioned above, the label around the back of scrubby yarn has instructions on the back. In addition, here's some help for newbies.

Casting on. I learned how to cast on decades ago in high school. I didn't learn the best way, but habits are hard to break. Rather than show you my way, here's a video with the proper way to cast on.

Once you have 26 stitches on your knitting needle, it's time to knit. Fortunately this project is a basic garter stitch, which means you knit every stitch. Repetition is a great way to learn so this is a good project. (The two videos in the above links are part of series including purl, and bind or cast off.)

Happy knitting.

UPDATE: Year 2 of making these scrubbing cloths. I've increased the cast on to 30 stitches, which results in a cloth about six inches square. I'm also using size 5 knitting needles, resulting in a thicker, denser cloth; very durable.

I prefer the multi-colored yarn. It seems to look newer longer. I tried the cotton version of the Scrubby yarn, but I'm not a fan. The nylon version provides the scrubbing action better. I had hoped the cotton would be more absorbent so better for cleaning kitchen counters, but it wasn't.