A Fun Stash Buster Project...

This past weekend, I decided to take a little stroll through my rather extensive collection of yarn. I came across a large quantity of Idena Cotton Sport yarn in a lovely cream color and decided to make some new dish towels (Mum would call them "tea towels") for our kitchen. The store-bought varieties just don't seem to last very long anymore, so I thought I'd much rather have some of my own making instead.

You can see the result in the photo. After knitting up my own pattern, I added a sweet little crocheted flower, which I then affixed to the towel with a daisy-shaped button.

So, if you'd like to make a few of your own...and use up a little of your stash...I'm going to share my design with you. I think it's a little addictive. Once you make one, you'll want to make more!

Brynwood's Lazy Daisy Tea Towels
(Click on the Brynwood Tea Towel Photo below to download a pdf file of the pattern)

Approx. 250 yards of yarn per towel (You want them nice and big)
A Little scrap yarn in a contrasting color (for your flower - more if adding a contrasting stripe)
Size 6 knitting needles
Size H crochet hook
1 fancy button

Seed Stitch Pattern: Knit 1, Purl 1 across row. Next row, Purl the knits and knit the purls.

Cast on 64 stitches. Work in Seed Stitch for 6 rows. On subsequent rows, work the first and last 6 stitches in Seed Stitch. Knit all other stitches. (You'll end up with Garter Stitch on the area inside the Seed Stitch borders.) Continue in this manner until the towel measures approximately 21 inches from the beginning. Work 6 more rows in Seed Stitch (all the way across the towel), and then bind off all your stitches. Tuck in all your loose tails.

Flower: Using a size H crochet hook, chain 5 stitches. Join chain. Into the circle single crochet 1, double crochet 3, single crochet 1. Repeat five times, ending with a single chain. Tie off and tuck in loose tails.

Now, using a button that is bigger than the center of the flower:
Place the flower in your desired location, place the button in the center of the flower and, using perle cotton thread, sew the button to the towel. (You don't even have to sew the flower to the towel if your button is larger than the center of the flower!)

For a different look:
You can add three to five rows of your contrasting yarn color all the way across your towel when you're knitting it up. Just join in the desired location and stay in pattern using the new color. When you're ready, just switch back to the main color and finish your towel. (I knit six rows of seed stitch, then five rows of garter stitch in main color and then three rows in contrast color before changing back to the main color for the balance of the design.)

Your first towel is complete! Now, you can have a ball knitting new ones in your favorite colors - and go through some of that stash at the same time!


By the way...Feel free to email this link to your friends to share the pattern! Everyone should make at least one special tea towel for their kitchen! All you have to do is click on the little envelope with the arrow (below), to forward it to a friend. You can click on the tea towels photo or go to my "My Completed Knit/Crochet Projects" album to see a larger photograph of the tea towels.