Home-Dec Knitting

 Normally, I am not a ‘home dec’ kind of knitter.  But last winter, friends from long ago  came to visit and  Mrs. K.  gave me  a great, hand-knit,  stove towel.

When I asked for the pattern, Mrs. K. frowned and said she had re-written it into her own words which was at best, she thought,  a language all it’s own, and at worst,  simply scribbles. Hmmm, she seemed to think this was unusual.  I suggested she take a look at some of my knitting pattern notes.  Assured I  wouldn’t make fun of her scribbles and that I would be able to decipher their meaning, she shared her pattern.      

I had great fun making my first stove towel. 

 

 Knit with Bernat Handicrafter Cotton and a 4.5mm needle, it was a quick knit.  The pattern is a simple 12 row repeat, I am sharing here.

Cast on 61 stitches, 

Rows 1 – 8, Knit.

Rows 9 – 12, K6, YO, K2tog to last 5 stitches, K5.

Repeat the 12 row pattern a total of 6 times, then work several rows of decreases as follows.

Next row  Knit 29, k2tog, Knit 30.  (This leaves an even number of stitches)

Next row, K10, K2tog across. 

Next row – K9, K2tog across,  next row, K8, K2tog across, next row,  K7, K2tog across. 

Repeat, working one less  stitch before the K2tog each row until there are 5 or 6 stitches remaining.

Knit those few stitches until tab is  4  inches long.

Next row, Knit across, working a YO K2tog buttonhole in the centre of the row.  Knit one more row, Cast off. 

Sew on a button and fasten on  your stove handle.

 

 Mine, I think,  I will gift to my next-door, trailer neighbour when I leave for home at summer’s end.  She has been accompanying me on my daily, morning walk.  This is   a great comfort to me as I think  bears  less likely to attack if there are two of us. Perhaps I’m naive.  Her husband says – two walkers make a  bigger meal for the bear.