Toweling off

Moss Grid Hand Towel (from Mason-Dixon Knitting)

Yarn: Elsebeth Lavold Hempathy (34% hemp, 41% cotton, 25% modal; DK weight)
Colorway: 09
Needles: US 5s
Stitches: 73

I've done some serious knitting in the past week, including today. I started knitting during the Reds-Indians game today, kept at it through all nine innings, took a break to exercise, and then cranked out the rest over the next couple hours. My conservative estimate for the time it took to knit the entire thing is eighteen hours, with about five of them taking place on this lazy Sunday. Wait a minute...five hours of knitting today?! The time flew by.

Although gauge isn't critical for this project, I will point out that my hand towel is approximately 11" x 20" (vs. the book's 13" x 20"). I substituted the hemp/cotton/modal blend for the suggested linen. I used about a skein and a half of Hempathy. The difference in size can probably be chalked up to the yarn, although I think I'm probably a tight knitter too.

I knew how to do everything the pattern required, but I did learn a better way of unknitting that will definitely come in handy for future mistakes. The pattern is simple, but it does produce a somewhat intricate-looking FO that leaves me impressed. I've been told that it ought to get softer after a trip or two through the laundry, but I'm very happy with it as it is.

Prior to being a knitter I would have never given a second thought to something as mundane as a hand towel. Certainly there are cheaper and more efficient ways of getting one than making it myself, but now when I wash my hands I can take pride in a small piece of my own handiwork.