real and durable and non-disposable

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I'm not sure what this is. 

Maybe it's a pot holder. Or a wiping down the bench cloth. Or a trivet. Or a face washer.

I cast on 28 stitches and thought I was knitting a moss stitch square but obviously I'm a rookie because it's rib, not moss. But it feels totally lovely to touch and I've had an epiphany. Use real stuff around the house, particularly the stuff you look at and touch every day. Like cleaning cloths. 

A good friend walked through my kitchen yesterday and picked it up. "Did you knit this?" she asked and when I said yes and that I thought it was a cleaning cloth I believe she snorted a bit and said something along the lines of I cannot believe you knitted a cleaning cloth

She's right. I couldn't believe it either. It's supposed to be moss stitch, dammit. 

And then I thought, so much better to knit something you'll pick up every day, throw through the wash, use and use again than a beanie used a handful of times per winter or a jumper a smallie won't wear because it's too scratchy. Crazy indeed.

 

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Above, the simple joy of the real cloth nappy. Which turned out not to be a passing phase (yep, surprised me too.) I figured out the folding, found someone who makes wonderful nappy covers (more on her shortly!) and just the sight of them on the line, or in the basket or on the cabinet is an inexplicable simple pleasure. 

(And cloth is so easy! I thought it would be a bother! And I paid $20 for 12 terry nappies. Cheap!)

 

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Hankies. They're making a comeback, I hear. 

We've always used them, but I did also get into the habit of buying tissues. I much prefer hankies. They're gentler and more natural on kids noses and they smell like sunshine. 

Sometimes they get ironed. 

 

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Cloth napkins. My Mum has always been big on them. All my life every family member had their own napkin ring which meant you could fold up and save everyone's napkin if it didn't need an immediate wash. When a boyfriend or girlfriend became permanant, Mum would add in a napkin ring for them. It would always be made of wood and have the person's first initial on the inside. I remember finding Adam's new napkin ring in the box the first time. It was before we were married. It made me so happy to see that "A" on a new ring. We don't use napkin rings here (because I don't have any!) but we do use napkins. They feel real. And there's no tossing away. You just wash them and fold them up again. No, no ironing. Can you tell?

So what about you? 

Am I talking rubbish?! 

Can we really live without paper towel?

 

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xxx

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