Towels to Your Hearts Desire

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Months ago I began knitting a towel, but I lost focus about halfway through. In fact I knitted a pair of mittens for a friend's newborn, made soap, and basically forgot about this project. Good news is that I found it again and finally finished it. I missed Valentine's Day, but it will be ready to go for next year. 
This was a trying project for me as I made up the pattern as I went and I hadn't ever done that before. Turns out not to be as hard as I expected, but one tip I figured out- don't watch tv or talk on the phone while you're doing the first couple rows of a pattern you created. J I ended up pulling out several rows and reknitting and after all the trouble, I got a towel covered in hearts.  It's actually very easy once I got going and paid a little attention to stitch counts and stopped dropping stiches.
I used size 7 needles ( gauge doesn't really matter, make it whatever size and however tight/loose you want) and Rose Pink Sugar and Cream yarn. Using cotton is vital when making washcloths or towels-acrylics don't absorb water.  Acrylic yarns could be used if making a cloth used solely for scrubbing (washing dishes, etc.) however, I like my towels to dry my hands. I also like cotton because it seems softer many times.

Rose Pink Sugar and Cream Yarn with #7 Needles


CO 49 stitches.
1-3: Knit
4: K3, P43, K3
*5: K9, P1, K9, P1, K9, P1, K9, P1, K9
6: K3, P5, K3, P7, K3, P7, K3, P7, K3, P5, K3
7: K7, P5, K5, P5, K5, P5, K5, P5, K7
8: K3, P3, K7, P3, K7, P3, K7, P3, K7, P3, K3
9: K6, P7, K3, P7, K3, P7, K3, P7, K6
10: K3, P4, K2, P1, K2, P5, K2, P1, K2, P5, K2, P1, K2, P5, K2, P1, K2, P4, K3
11: Knit
12: K3, P43, K3
13: K12, P1, K11, P1, K11, P1, K 12
14: K3, P8, K3, P9, K3, P9, K3, P8, K3
15: K10, P5, K7, P5, K 7, P5, K10
16: K3, P6, K7, P5, K7, P5, K7, P6, K3
17: K9, P7, K5, P7, K5, P7, K9
18: K3, P7, K2, P1, K2, P7, K2, P1, K2, P7, K2, P1, K2, P7, K3
19: Knit
20: K3, P43, K3*
Repeat rows 5-20 eight times or until you get your desired towel length.
21-23: Knit
 


Final dimensions are 16" x 11". I will hopefully have a washcloth to go with this towel sometime this year or at least before next Valentine's Day, though it may have to wait as I am working on a few more baby gifts that need to be done by summer. I'll keep posting on any other fun projects I take on and perhaps add in a brief "how to" for creating designs to go on your knitting projects. For now, Happy really late (or really early) Valentine's Day! 

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