I am being a bit fussy here in order to maintain as much consistancy as possible with the finished washcloths. Thank you for understanding. 
1. Only use a cotton or cotton blend yarn (ex: cotton with another fiber) that does not bleed. Panda Cotton or Lion Brand Organic Cotton are good examples.
1a. Please do not use the Sugar’n Cream cotton yarn unless you’re making a very light color as it tends to bleed a lot when washed, more so than others I’ve experienced.
1b. Please do not use 100% acrylic – we want these ladies to have something soft against their skin.
2. Use a light colored yarn rather than a dark one, if possible. That doesn’t mean everyone should make pastel washcloths, just be mindful of the darker colors and their bleeding potential when washed. (We’ve all been there - the bright red or dark blue wash cloth accidentally ending up in a load of whites.)
3. Size of washcloth – minimum 9 x 9, maximum 10 x 10. There’s a reason for this, see number 6 below.
4. Patterns: feel free to knit or crochet in your choice of stitch or pattern but make sure the washcloth is square and the minimum/maximum size when it’s complete.
5. Drop me an email (see contact information) and I’ll give you the address to send your washcloths to. I’ve closed the mailbox because I won’t be working downtown after December 19th.
6. Each washcloth received will be folded into a small square (4.5 x 4.5 or 5 x 5 depending on size you send). I will use a yellow ribbon to tie 2 mini-soaps to each washcloth and finish the ‘package’ with a small sprig of artificial flowers.
7. Each washcloth will be photographed and will appear in a photo gallery on this blog with the appropriate thanks to the sender.
8. Every 8 weeks – or more often if needed – I will bring accumulated packages to Ascension Place where I’m sure they will be accepted and appreciated by all who work there and those who utilize their services.
9. I will personally thank each and every person who sends in a washcloth using that crazy system – snail mail!
That’s it on guidelines, not too bad, right?
Any questions, issues or comments please email me (Patty) at:
posiesandlemondrops@gmail.com
January 9, 2008 at 7:17 am
Mind if I elaborate on a couple points?
When Patty first told me about doing this, the first thing I said was that we’ve got to find a good yarn to work with…MY only experience was with Sugar’n Cream 100% cotton in a dark color, and it wasn’t so much that it bled in the wash, it bled in the kitchen sink while wringing it out! And continued to do so even after numerous times through the wash. I don’t know if that was the 100% cotton, the dark color or the brand of yarn. The other thought I had was that again, either because of being 100% cotton or the brand/quality of the yarn, it didn’t do a great job of holding its shape.
So if anyone has had a GOOD experience with a mostly-cotton blend yarn that holds its shape, is absorbent and doesn’t bleed, please share with us on this site! I tend to be much more quality-minded when I’m knitting/crocheting for someone else and don’t want to donate something that isn’t going to hold up all around.
If you’ve never made a washcloth before, or are just looking for new ideas, I spent a good hour on http://www.knittingpatterncentral.com yesterday going through over 100 FREE washcloth patterns!
I continue to marvel at Patty’s dedication to volunteer work and the time and effort she puts into making the lives of less fortunate individuals even a little bit better, and she’s inspired me to do more myself!
January 10, 2008 at 10:02 pm
I have made a couple of wash cloths out of CottonTots. I made the first one just because I wanted to try the yarn because it was so soft. I would highly recommend it!
February 18, 2008 at 6:40 pm
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March 3, 2008 at 12:24 am
Not to sound cheap or anything, but what kind of soaps are you going to give with the washcloths? I travel a lot for work and I always bring home the soaps and shampoo’s and lotions for a collection at work that gets donated to a local homeless shelter. I would be more then happy to send them your way if that is the kind of stuff you are using. Like I said, I’m not trying to sound cheap, just wondering what you are using! thanks
March 10, 2008 at 5:25 pm
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