Perfect for the most avid kitty lovers:
this knitted lap cloth or hand towel features a cute lace cat motif.
For August’s KAL, we are back to doing lace. But since the project is knitted with heavy worsted weight yarn, we are going to prove that not all lace needs to be knit on tiny needles with teensy yarn.
Crafty knitters, spinners and crocheters all know the value of using a towel in your lap to provide protection from stray fibers as well as give contrast/lighting for better visibility of stitches or drafting zone.
Now here’s your chance to knit your own lap towel that features a friendly feline friend. Kitty In Your Lap Towel is the August KAL here at KnitHeartStrings.
The friendly feline friend of Kitty In Your Lap Towel
Shopping List
- Heavy worsted weight or Aran weight yarn:215 yards for rectangular towel with finished measurements 13″ x 22″. Note: You can also do a square 13″ x 13″ lap cloth version with approximately 125 yards if you are looking for quicker project or have limited amount of yarn.
- Knitting needles size 8 (5 mm) suggested for gauge of 17.5 sts and 6 rows = 4″. Note: Gauge is not critical although could affect planned yardage given above. The kitty motif is knitted near the beginning of the towel, so once you get past that, you could easily adjust the length if you find yourself running short of yarn.
I used Caron Simply Soft, a 100% acrylic yarn for the pictured sample model, color Bone #9703. It comes in a large 6 ounce skein of 315 yards, so 1 skein will be plenty enough if you need to purchase rather than being able to find something in your stash that will work. (Which was my case, since I am still on my summer travels! I must admit that I am starting to get homesick for my stash, among other things, lol.)
Pattern
I will post Kitty In Your Lap Towel pattern in a couple of days. When available, the pattern will be free to KnitHeartStrings.com members during August. Meantime, I wanted to give you a heads up so you can get your yarn and needles ready to knit!
Be sure to let your knitting friends know that they can join KnitHeartStrings for free and get a free pattern, too. Thank you for sharing and spreading the word.
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Hmm. Or 13×13 would make a nice front for a pillow???? Knit the back solid or use fabric or just stitch this onto the front of an existing commercial pillow? Wonder if my sister might like a little pillow. That would be fun.
Jackie, your sample knit on US8s really looks thicker than the Caron Simply Soft I’ve got in my stash, which seems more like light worsted. Sometimes I think a US7 is as big as I would go with the Caron. Maybe it’s different for different colors, like Red Heart SuperSaver, which varies in thickness as well.
A pillow would be great, too!
Re. the Caron Simply Soft — At first, I too thought that seemed a bit finer and used a US 7. But the yarn squeaked! (literally) It also made it difficult to knit and my hands were really tired after only 8 rows. The fabric also felt a bit too boardy for my likes. So I ripped out and restarted on US 8. That went smoothly; no squeaking and no tired hands. But that was just my experience. Needle size is always just a suggestion.