Retirement of a dishcloth

I'd like to explain why I've sometimes been working in the shop in my pyjamas. It's quite simple, I've been up all night knitting with friends and tea and U tube, a scene, I could never tire of....except, 

my dishcloth has done just that. Felix noticed and took this lovely picture.

This dishcloth was knitted by our friend Sue in hand spun jute, just over 2 years ago, and has been in use, Monday to friday, with only two summer breaks, and two Christmas holidays ever since.  It has lifted a hot kettle off the stove, up to five times a day, cleaned trays and surfaces, with light washing up, mostly cups and saucers, then a wash and tumble dry on the weekend. It's deteriation has now become rapid and it must retire to a sunday dishcloth. 

There is a horrible temptation to go out there and find a new, more absorbent, perhaps even anti bacterial dishcloth, but at the end of every knitting class, when I meet the dishcloth again, one can't help feel that if one is going to do any chore at all, it might as well be done with love.

So here we are, a new dishcloth with a crochet edge, knitted in our new Shilasdair, organic hand spun cotton. It's so spongey, I've started knitting a second one to buff up the glasses for our gin and tonics at 6pm.