kitchen crafting

My mom drove down the coast from Santa Cruz to come and visit me this weekend, to see the documentary film Spirit Riders, which was being screened outside at Malibu Bluffs Park as part of the Malibu Celebration of Film.  Go see it, if you can... it is a lovely movie about an international peace movement started by the Lakota people in 1990.  The rides begun with a memorial ride and service to commemorate and heal from the 100 year anniversary of the Massacre at Wounded Knee, and has grown and spread worldwide, with ceremonies on the Summer Solstice each year. 

This morning, I surprised my mother with some little handmade favors to take home:

Yes, that's right, more Mason Dixon Knitting dishcloths!  I'm spreading the love.  I used Sugar 'n Cream cotton in bright, beachy colors, because my mom is a bright, beachy person.  One ball in each color made the three dishcloths, and I had enough left over for two matching crochet-topped kitchen towels, too:

I'm so used to having this kind of towel in my kitchen, I love them.  My Mam-maw makes these and sends a set to me every so often... I have Spring towel sets, Fall towel sets, Christmas towel sets...  a whole drawer, stuffed full.  They may not be the most modern decorating choice for the kitchen, but I always have two on my oven handle.  My oven is right behind my sink, so close that I pretty much had to crawl under my sink to get that picture, and I reach for these towels constantly while I'm cooking and cleaning.  I've had those sun buttons since I was in high school... boy, it feels good to use up long-term stash, even if it is just buttons that take up no space at all!

Comments

[Julia]

Those are very cute gifts! I'm going to have to give in and knit some dishcloths!

[Nonnahs]

Yay, dishcloths! I have to stop myself from making more of those! And, I love those towels, too! My grandma used to make them as well, and I think I may need to carry on the tradition. ;)

[Laura]

Oh my gosh! I just came here for the first time and you had the kind of towels I grew up with. It was like coming home in a weird way.

My mom's towels like that wore out years ago and I don't think I have seen any like them since. I might have to learn how to crochet just so I can have some new ones. Thanks for the inspiration.

[Jessica]

Those towels are so cute! What a great idea--so much cuter than the haphazard draping of regular dishtowels all over my kitchen. :)

[Leah]

So cute! I have knit a bunch of the dishclothes, but I haven't done any crochet topped kitchen towels. I have a lot of the cottone left, so I may just have to give that a try. Thanks for the inspiration.

[marnie]

I am begining to think every knitter in the known universe except me has been knitting Mason Dixon Warshcloths. Great colour combination! I LOVE the crochet tops on your tea towels--what a terrific idea.

[meg]

so adorable! i saw these in mason dixon and had been wondering if my beginning knitting skills could handle this. i want to try, though, as they would make excellent x-mas gifts for the neighbors. yours turned out terrific - well done!

[Marsha]

I love to knit the dish rags too! How do you make the towels? Im sure for most, that's a dumb question, but Im pretty new!

Thanks,
Marsha