I really like numbers. And I like mathematics. Most of the time – clearly not when it comes to doing my tax return. Hence, on an annual basis, I visit the world’s best CPA. She doesn’t only like numbers, she loves paper and turns the stack I bring into a proper file with an equally adequate and orderly filled in form.
No one would ever mistake me for her or vice versa. Why? Well, I don’t think spending time with yarn (to the extend I do it) ever came to her mind – nor have I ever had any ambitions to live in her world of tax legislation.
However, last summer when reading a journal, she came across the pattern of a bathmat she really liked. Hence, she bought yarn and needles to get started.
She told me the story when I saw her last: “But then … that pattern … it was like a foreign language! Can you imagine?!” (Yes, I can). “Nobody understands a language like that!” (Well, uhm … yes, knitters do). “Seriously, a square – it can’t be that hard, can it?!” (No, it’s not). What had to happen, happened: she had long since given away the magazine, the yarn and the needles. Too bad! It would have been my pleasure to “translate” it for her and help her through the pattern.
Now, there I was, not knowing any details about the bathmat she had seen, but ready to defend a knitter’s reputation. And to start a new project!
Because her story – finally! – had me knit the bathmat I had been wanting to knit for a long time: the famous Baker’s Twine, made of Schachenmayr’s Cotton Jersey.
For those of you, who aren’t familiar with Baker’s Twine (no way?!): It is the name of the most wonderful potholders, invented and written down by Ducathi, that literally everyone knit earlier this year. Truly everyone and everywhere on social media.
If it works for potholders, it might as well work for a bathmat, I figured.
And it does! Trust me, Cotton Jersey was made for this. It is a voluminous, round tape yarn, constructed from a cotton net filled with polyamide. Due to its construction, it is lighter than other cotton tape yarns, features a slightly stretchy quality, it is washable and comes in beautiful colors.
Granted, this is not an easy knit – the whole thing gets heavier with every row and the needles are big – but the stitch definition is perfect and the finished mat is as firm but squishy as I wanted it to be. Did you see the icord edging? Isn’t that a neat finish?!
And – of course – that loop. The potholder’s distinctive feature, its trademark. Adding one to the bathmat was a must! If only to hang the mat up when needed (or to trip over it, I know).
The finished bathmat weighs 600 gr., it is about 65 cm wide and 45 cm long. I have used 6 balls of Cotton Jersey in nature and a little bit of pink. Finally, it took about a week to dry after washing (which is not true, it just felt like it).
Now it is blocked and neat and ready to go. About time, I call my CPA, don’t you think?
Back in 2017, I loved the Wonder Woman movie and I still do. I am eager to see it again. On a huge screen!
