Things You Need: Dishcloth Diva, by Deb Buckingham

Deb hits it out of the park with TWENTY amazing patterns

Okay, I'll admit it. I've never been much into knitting dishcloths. In fact, I think the closest I'd ever come before reviewing this book was a single, purple, acylic potholder (don't ask). However, Doc's mother had been asking me for quite some time for some hand-knitted dishcloths, and when Deb popped by my Ravelry group and started chatting us up about her new book, Dishcloth Diva, I knew I needed to take a peek.

Stonework & Cutting Edge

I quickly realized what all the fuss is about. When knitting dishcloths, see, you can take about a third of a ball of cotton yarn, combine it with an hour or so of knitting time, and come out with this lovely, useful little thing!

Glamour & Organic

I was hooked. I thought I'd just knit one or two dishcloths, just to get a feel for how Deb's patterns are written up (they're perfect, by the way), but wound up knitting six. Even then, I only stopped because I needed to actually wrap these all up and give them to their intended recipient! Truly, all 20 of these are knit-worthy; it almost makes me wish I had more folks to knit them for! I think I'll knit the other patterns, and add them to my just-in-case gift box. Paired with a bar of luxurious, handmade soap, wouldn't a knitted dishcloth be a nice stocking stuffer or "just because" gift?

Deb has a real knack for writing these patterns; she's gone through extra effort to make sure each pattern is written out stitch-by-stich, line-by-line, meaning that you have to use almost NONE of your own brain power when knitting along (and if you're anything like me, that's the first thing you look for when working from a pattern)! In 6 patterns, I found not a single error - just clear, perfect instructions for absolutely delightfully satisfying dishcloths. You should be comfortable working from written instructions though, because there are no charts here, but trust me - you won't miss them. For the knitter who hates to purl, Deb's gone one step further, because many of the patterns incorporate the patterning into the wrong side rows, meaning you get a plain knit row instead of a plain purl row. Whew!

I'm giving this book an enthusiastic, two thumbs up, mostly for its power to convert a non-believer into a (somewhat timid) addict. If you have any interest in knitting dishcloths whatsoever, you need this book on your shelf, pronto! You can get all 20 patterns as an eBook for just $9.95 via Ravelry, or a print AND digital combo for $15.95 + shipping via the Cooperative Press website.

Even better, Deb and Cooperative Press have teamed up to provide one lucky commenter with a FREE digital copy of this wonderful book! Just leave a comment below telling us which is your favorite pattern from the book for a chance to win. I'd tell you when I'll announce the winner, but regulars know that's pretty much a joke at this point, so we'll just say, post away, and check back in about a week to see if you've won!

If you're on Twitter and would like an extra entry, tweet the following:

Have you seen @TheSexyKnitter's latest giveaway? I've entered to win a copy of Dishcloth Diva from @Deb_Buckingham!  http://tinyurl.com/divadebgiveaway

Looking for the winner of Lee Meredith's giveaway? It's Faith the Vampire Slayer! Congrats, Faith! Lee will be gifting you a copy of the Short Stripes Trio shortly! Enjoy!

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