Bath Mat? Or Bath Runner? And More!

Yesterday morning saw bath mat 2, the striped one, done. It's more of a bath runner, than mat. About 12 inches wide, and 25 inches long...I have some yarn left over in every color—clearly, I could have made it wider, But, no matter. It is more of a runner shape than a mat shape, but it will do the job.

On my way to visit the girls yesterday (it was Library day once again for the first time in weeks) I got socks cast on, and a single row worked, but I didn't get the socks joined into rounds, and repositioned as 2 socks on 2 needles.  But I am back to down town Flushing again today--I will be picking up my daughters share from her CSA--and will get more knitting done on the bus ride to and fro.

There are several methods for casting on and setting up 2 on 2 socks—you can see my method on the Golden Apple Face book page –here is a direct link to the video.

I got nothing done on the way home—my daughter was off to end of summer get away—in NJ- and since she would be driving past my house, she dropped me home.

Once home, I should have continued with the socks but instead...

This is an unknown cotton yarn. 7 or 8 years ago, a celebrity knitter out in California—one with a yarn store for the stars—expanded and created kits for knitters. All the projects were simple ones. Knit in garter stitch, on huge needles. The kit had a project bag, some yarn, an oversized bamboo needle and directions.

This yarn is from one of these kits. The project was a simple poncho, knit on size 10(or so) needles in a very open light weight fabric. The cotton yarn is almost a boucle. The yarn is a loosely spun cotton with a heavier thread wrapped round it. If you are familiar with Lion Brand Homespun yarn, you know the type. The cotton core is less splitty than Homespun, but it has the same lightness. 

I have made shawl and blankets from LB Home Spun, and they are very light and airy—and warm too. I don't much like the yarn for clothes, it is so soft and drapy I feel it looses shape...but it is great for blankets and shawls. 

Meanwhile, theses knit kits were (to my thinking) over priced. I wasn't alone in my thinking. A year later, I found 2 in the remained bin for $5 (originally $30!) and for $5, I grabbed them. The yarn is 100% cotton (and natural fibers are always worthwhile) and the zippered plastic bag made a good project bag. The bamboo needles were gifted to a newish knitter who liked big needle projects—I had no need for another pair of largish needles (I prefer to knit finer yarns on smaller needles). The second kit had black yarn, not natural white, in a wool/synthetic blend--it became a hat for charity years ago.

So the cotton has been hanging around waiting for me to knit it up. I was worried as I started—I wasn't sure there would be enough for a bath mat. Not that I knit that densely—I usually knit a bit loose and then full by washing in hot water. But I had no label, and no idea of the yardage, and it didn't feel like much yarn by weight.

So here I am, with skeins one and two (of 5) nearing completion. The mat is 17 inches or so wide, and 9 inches knit. Finished it should be about 17 by 20 or 21 inches. Fulled it will grow to 18 inches wide, and shrink to 19 or so inches long. And almost square. I will also end up with 1 full skein of this yarn left—maybe a guest towel will be made to match .

It is, as you see, the dreaded seed stitch. But its not to bad. The cotton is light, and the work is loose Seed stitch with its k1, p1 nature is like a ribbing.. It really should be worked on a smaller needle--Its going fast—most of this was knit last night (another inched was added this morning. This bath mat should be done sometime tomorrow—and it will be the third in the set.

One rectangle(in a golden ratio) , another rectangle (almost a runner in shape) and the 3^rd, a squarish shape. A small dent made in my cotton stash—and a small collection of bath mats added to my bath linens (that aren't linen at all but cottons!)