So many of you were fans of the last year’s free weekly dishcloth series that we’ve published a book of the all the patterns compiled, plus 8 brand new ones! To celebrate the release of 52 Weeks of Dishcloths: A Knit Picks Kitchen Spectacular, we’re featuring a new series on the blog called “Dishcloth Remix”, where we find alternate uses for these great patterns. We’ve switched up the scale or the fiber, and knit up these patterns into fun objects to enhance your life or bring a smile to your face.

We’ll offer “pithy directions” (as Elizabeth Zimmerman would say), and hope you’ll follow along. The patterns are free on our site, of course, but the book, at its very essence, is an amazing compilation of stitch patterns that can be used for so many things. The possibilities are, truly, endless! Let’s start out with something simple that makes a big impact, shall we?

We used different weights of wool yarn to knit up Stacey’s Orbital Dishcloth as a trivet and coaster set.  The large trivet, a perfect “landing pad” for a big bowl of soup on a chilly evening, is made of Wool of the Andes Bulky in Silver, Spruce, and Red. Just change colors each row of the pattern, and this larger circle will have one more color than the original. Finished, it measures 15 inches across.

To match the trivet, we made 3 coasters in Palette yarn (colors Silver, Spruce, and Serrano). Use a size D (3.25mm) crochet hook and one color for each coaster, and you’ll make a charming set for your table. The coasters measure about 6 inches across, but if you’d like a bit smaller for glasses or mugs, you can just stop crocheting when your coaster seems big enough. Wouldn’t a set of these make a great host/hostess gift?

Next up: A Rug, formerly known as a dishcloth :). Stay tuned!