Sunday, September 12, 2010

Where I Finally Knit Something Useful

Hello my little love bugs. How's life treating all you fine people, today?

I forgot to post this. A while back I knitted a mopping pad for my Swiffer Wet Jet. I was tired of paying nearly ten dollars a box for the disposable pads. One use and in the trash. It just galled me. But I like my Swiffer Wet Jet. It is lightweight, easy to use, the cleaning fluid or juice as we call it around here cleans really well, dries in a snap and leaves my house smelling nice and fresh for hours. I get a lot of uses out of a bottle of juice so I don't mind buying that.

One day I wanted to wash my floors but I didn't have any pads, so I just put a hand knitted dishcloth on the floor, planted my Swiffer on it and went for it. It worked, after a fashion. My floors got clean but trying to keep the cloth under my Swiffer was a royal pain. It kept rolling and bunching. So, I decided to go buy some cotton yarn and knit my own reusable mop pads.



I simply knit two rectangles slightly bigger than my Swiffer (to allow for the inevitable shrinkage after laundering) with Sugar and Cream cotton yarn in Natural on size seven needles in moss around the edges and stockinette in the field. I used a tapestry needle to sew the two together then hand crocheted the string ties, sewed them on and I was ready to rumble.

The moss stitch edges are great for keeping the pad from curling and they get right down into edges so that my floor gets clean from edge to edge. Love that. :D The pad does a very nice job of cleaning, overall. It doesn't slide and glide as easily as the disposable, I have to put a little muscle into it, but it isn't all that hard. This pad nicely cleans my laundry room, kitchen and bathroom. If I needed to go over them twice, I can just untie and flip the pad. That could also be done for cleaning much larger floor areas than I have.

I know it looks really amateurish.  I am not a super good knitter. I taught myself from a book and I think I have limited true talent for it. But I love to knit and make simple things. I am still trying to learn how to knit in the round on two circs because I long to knit socks. I need to dig my stuff out and get back to trying, I know that if I keep reading the directions and practicing, one day I will get it. All of my beautiful sock yarn might be long eaten by moths and I might be too old and grey and blind to see the stitches by that time... lolol

Anyhoozle, the mop pad works great. I think I cast on 55 stitches long and worked it 32 rows long. I did three rows of moss top and bottom and two stitches in moss on each end. It was really easy to make and I need to get another cast on. I got one double layer pad and ties out of one super sized ball of Sugar and Cream cotton yarn.

That is the old style Swiffer Wet Jet. They changed the design recently but I see no reason to buy a new one while this one is still working just fine. :D

Okay, I have to run. I need to get my arse in the shower. Probably should get the rest of me in there, too... :p Get some makeup on and get ready to get going. I have some running around to get done. I'll get a little exercise doing that. Hopefully the air will clear enough that I can walk, soon. I am beginning to feel like a rusty old Tin Man. lol

Bye!

8 comments:

  1. That's a great idea! I used to crochet, but now I can't remember how to add rows...and I'm an idiot so online directions are hard for me to follow.

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  2. What a fabulous idea! I, too hate to have to buy those pads, but love my Swiffer. Unfortunately, I do not know how to knit, so I'll just have to keep paying the outrageous price for the pads.

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  3. I'm totally making these for us! BRILLIANT! Thanks!

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  4. Okay seriously - genius. I hate the pads they have for them.

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  5. How inventive!! And I love the cost savings of this idea. Did you knit TWO (so you always have a fresh one handy)? Well done!

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  6. Grace, adding rows is simple. At the end of the row, you chain one for single crochet, two for double, three for treble, etc. Then you turn, work into the next stitch and you are off and running, once again. :D

    Ann, I have another one on my needles, right now. :D

    Thanks you guys. They really are easy to knit. They have to be... lol

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  7. First Steps, would you please e-mail me? My contact info is in my contact tab at the top of my blog page.

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  8. I need a like button like FB! LOL This is a great idea. I crochet and love doing it!

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