MOD WIDE STRIPED DISHTOWEL~Pattern; Castle Rock-WA

MOD Wide Striped Dishtowel – Wide

I had some balls of leftover yarn from the other Day's Kitchen Towel Set design … 

MOD KNIT JACQUARD LEAVES KITCHEN TOWEL SET~Pattern; Castle Rock-WA: (https://roadgypsiesvalandholland.blogspot.com/2026/09/mod-knit-jacquard-leaves-kitchen-towel.html)

… so, I made this large sized, striped, cotton towel to drape over dishes drying in the drainer … or draped over a cooling loaf of challah.

Materials: 1 skein Cotton Yarn in 3 colors of choice (or plain); #10-1/2 American needles; scissors; tapestry needle. 

Stitches Used:

CO = cast on

g st = garter sts (knit 1 row, p 1 row)

st st = Row 1: K across. Row 2: P across.

MOD Wide Striped Dishtowel – Wide

With Black Currant yarn, CO 75 sts and work 6 g st rows (3 ridges). DO NOT CHANGE COLOR. Work an additional 4 rows in st.st.

Change to Forest Green, and work 4 rows st. st.

Change to Yellow, and work 8 rows in st. st.

This pattern established, work rows in st. st. as follows: 4 rows Forest Green – 10 rows Black Currant – 4 rows Forest Green – 8 rows Bright Yellow  – 4 rows Forest Green  – 10 rows Black Currant – 4 rows Forest Green  – 8 rows Bright Yellow – 4 rows Forest Green – 4 rows Black Currant in st st & then 6 rows of garter st rows (3 ridges): BO

MOD Wide Striped Dishtowel – Wide, finished; weave loose ends in and that's it!

BE PATIENT~Wonderland Complex Fires; Castle Rock-WA

Last night, I had 2 posts ready to post ✍️💻 … but Blogger was on the fritz & uploading pictures was impossible 📸❌; but I was able to get those posts up this morning while drinking my morning joy juice ☕️:

MOD KNIT JACQUARD LEAVES KITCHEN TOWEL SET~Pattern; Castle Rock-WA: 

(https://roadgypsiesvalandholland.blogspot.com/2026/09/mod-knit-jacquard-leaves-kitchen-towel.html)

Important because my children & grandchildren have been sucked into this destructive void - COMMUNISM UNDER A PALATABLE BANNER: (https://roadgypsiesvalandholland.blogspot.com/2026/09/communism-under-palatable-banner.html)

When Holland woke up & looked outside, he said, "heavy smoke cloud" … so, I went online 💻 to see where it was blowing over us, from 🧐 - and my heart was pained to read the location 😲😔

There is a heavy smoke cloud over our area today … the picture shows gray - but the smoke cover is actually a dingy white.

Oh no! This is such a beautiful area; Wonderland~Mt. Rainier National Park

A view of the Wonderland Complex Fires observed by aviation firefighters.

I have not done the recorded 5-Day Hike (my lungs would never be able to do it) … but I have done 88% of the hike piece-by-piece 🚶‍♀️🥾, when Bob would drive me ❤️ to the Mountain I love - he even did a few pieces of the Wonderland Trail 👣 with me 😘

Bob & I hiked the Wonderland Trail in 2014, from my favorite haunt - Box Canyon. The trail was steep, but my lungs held up and sheer will-power transmitted to our legs & kept us moving forward 😘

Wonderland Trail~Box Canyon, Mt. Rainier National Park

Wonderland Trail~overlooking the Box Canyon parking area, Mt. Rainier National Park

Bob, on the Wonderland Trail~Box Canyon, Mt. Rainier National Park

Wonderland Trail~Box Canyon, Mt. Rainier National Park

Bob planned a surprise drive to Mowich Lake in 2016 - and that primitive hike was the most strenuous we'd ever done! But, it was also very beautiful & forever etched in my mind. It was a long drive, a steep climb, and a very loving thing my husband did for me … and with me 🥰

Mowich Lake -  located in Orting-WA, on the backside of Mount Rainer.

Bob, walking the trail around Mowich Lake-WA

Mowich Lake - so serenely beautiful.

Bob, gamely climbing the challenging trail … with a challenging leg & back.

A careless footstep here would land us in the Lake – the trail sides went straight down … the water was SO CLEAR, it was like looking through clean glass to the bottom of the Lake.

I recognize so much of this YouTube 🎞️; and I can even mentally see Bob 🧠👀 walking ahead of me on the portions he walked with me.

Hiking the Entire Wonderland Trail in Mt. Rainier National Park in Washington: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oe5YOKn9T3k&t=7s)

Even though everything I am reading tells me that the wildfire is in the "Wonderland Complex" region: I am praying that the wildfire did not damage ANY of these beautiful scenic areas; I am hoping it started & stayed in wilderness regions 🔥 off the beaten trails 🙏

{{West Fork Fire – Mount Rainier National Forest, WA

The West Fork Fire is currently the largest of five active wildfires in Mount Rainier National Park, burning about 306 acres with roughly 17% containment, and is part of the “Wonderland Complex” of fires in the White River drainage.

Location: Southeast of Sluiskin Mountain, within the West Fork of the White River drainage, part of the Wonderland Complex with the Sluiskin, White River, and Garda Falls fires.

Discovery: First reported August 23, 2026 

Current Status: Size: ~306 acres (about 232 football fields) 

Containment: 17% as of early September 2026 

Cause: Not yet reported 

Activity: Fire crews have been conducting aerial reconnaissance, water drops to cool the fire edge, and tree felling to protect perimeters. Spotting (embers igniting new fires) has occurred to the southwest, and a rappel crew had to disengage from the Garda Falls Fire due to a spot fire from the West Fork.

Firefighting Efforts: Crews are holding established lines and performing initial attack operations.

Park Closures & Access: Wonderland Trail and Grand Park area trails remain closed due to the Wonderland Complex fires. White River Road and Sunrise Road closured to vehicles; some recreational sections reopened for limited access on Sept. 5, but backcountry camps in the Grand Park area remain closed. The White River Wilderness Information Center is open; White River Campground is open only to those with wilderness permits.

https://www.nps.gov/mora/learn/news/fire.htm }}

I redirected my thoughts 🤔 from the present wildfire drama … and buried my nose in the pages of a scorching Cussler-Fargo Medieval drama 🎭, that tinges present Days, with it's own unfolding drama that craftily blends then with the now 📖

Cussler-Fargo  Adventure Novel, following the trail of Attila The Hun treasure.

Lego de Garda~The Fargos help Italian authorities recapture the hijacked plunder.

The Fargos help Italian authorities recapture the hijacked plunder.

The black market thugs get heavy-handed; Remi is kidnapped & held for ransom in a wilderness compound.

Remi taken from Lego de Garda, Italy to Nizhny Novgorod, Russia.

Sam & Remi had always had a plan for a kidnapping scenario - they were depending on it.

COMMUNISM UNDER A PALATABLE BANNER

REALITY: socialism is brutal communism under a palatable banner.

barak hussein obama & his he-she partner, michael robinson, are muslims following an America-hating religion seeped in toxic muslim brotherhood doctrine - commonly known in America, as the black panthers … directly linked to the rabid muslim racist Louis Farrakhan and his nation of islam organization.

barak hussein obama & his he-she partner, michael robinson, are also socialist-communists, who literally stole the 2009 thru 2017 Elections by throwing the race card into the political mix to forward their poisonous agenda … by erasing American History, declaring Christians as 'domestic terrorists', eradicating actual education & supplanting it with muslim ideologies and using disingenuous sexual perversions to delude & groom America's children for skin trade, openly attack America's Juneau/Christian foundation - violently attacking Christianity & replacing it with pagan religions, including islam. Then, obama placed a dementia patient puppet, joe biden, in office to establish a firmer grasp on American politics, and weld that bullwhip to usher in and cement islam & communism across America; and ultimately promoting atheism, in biden's term. Atheism is the hallmark of communism.

FANTASTICAL DELUSION: Forty-six percent of Americans age 18 to 34 now view democratic socialism favorably.

That is not a campus club anymore. That is a generation taught that equity is the only just thing, and that anyone who ends up ahead must have cheated.

Equity is not equality under the law. Equity is the government deciding what you get. In every country that has tried it, the result is the same. Everyone is equal in poverty. The people running the government are not living in poverty - they are the elite, living the life of the rich and famous. And they decide who lives or dies, at a given whim.

College students are told capitalism is evil because some people get rich. They are not told those people risked their own money, worked when it was easier to quit, and built something other people wanted to buy. They are told life is unfair and they will never get ahead. Then they are sold "democratic socialism" as if putting the word democratic in front of it changes the destructive machine.

It does not. Someone still pays. A free tuition bill is a tax bill with a prettier name. A free clinic is a clinic someone else funds until they cannot. At some point the money runs out.

Venezuela sat on the largest oil reserves on earth. After years of socialist control, living standards fell about 74 percent. More than 7 million people fled. The grocery shelves emptied. That is not a theory. That is what happens when a government promises everything and produces nothing.

Young people who bought this idea think they are fighting injustice.

In their ignorant and arrogant stupidity (self-willed delusion), they are volunteering to be managed.

Limited government and equal application of the law built a country where a kid from nowhere could get rich. Equity politics wants to take that apart and call it fairness.

Nothing free stays free - freedom always costs something from someone.

When the money is gone, the state does not apologize. It takes more.

If the government promised you equity, who do you think would still eat first?

Socialism always bites the hand that feeds it.

And communism kills the body behind the hand.

MOD KNIT JACQUARD LEAVES KITCHEN TOWEL SET~Pattern; Castle Rock-WA

MOD Knit Jacquard Leaves Kitchen Towel Set

I designed ☕️✍️🧶😊 this jacquard patterned kitchen towel, using my own basic towel pattern that I designed in 2016 - and pulling on the leaf colors 🌳🍁 I remember from my 2021 walk around the Lake, in Longview-WA …

Pattern Graph

SPECTRUM: https://jeastofeden.blogspot.com/2021/10/spectrum.html

Jacquard knitting combines different colored yarns to create patterns directly into fabric. This technique is not my favorite way to work a knit pattern … but it is the only technique that really works for a pattern such as this leaf one, I designed. And while working the leaves into the knitted towel fabric 🧶📏✂️🧵 - I was thanking Elohim that the inspiration for the pattern was a short one, with limited sts, on a small scale 😉

MOD Knit Jacquard Leaves Kitchen Towel Set~Pattern

Materials: Cotton yarn in Forest Green (divide into 2 balls, equal size), Black Currant, & Sunshine = 1 skein of each; #10-1/2 knitting needles; #J/10 crochet hook; Scissors; Tapestry Needle; 1 Resin Button

Cotton yarn for Fall towels.

Terms Used:

st. st. stockinette stitch (1 K row = RS - 1 P row = WS)

RS = front facing side of work

WS = backside of work

k = knit

p = purl

tog = together

EO = end off yarn

CO = cast on stitches

INC = Increase

DC = decrease

EA = each

Garter St. = Knit every row

ch = chain

sc = single crochet

dc = double crochet

sl st = slip stitch

Knit Towel Body:

Rows 1 thru 9: With Green, CO 75 sts & work in seed st.

Row 10: Work 7 sts Green in seed st - drop Green, & attach Yellow & k across the next 61 sts - drop Yellow, & attach 2nd ball of Green, working last 7 sts in seed st.

Row 11: Work 7 sts Green in seed st - drop Green, pick up Yellow & p across the next 61 sts - drop Yellow, & pick up Green, working last 7 sts in seed st.

Rows 12 & 13: Rpt rows 10 & 11.

Rows 14 thru 26: Keeping 7 side edge sts in Green & towel body Yellow … work the leaf pattern in Black Currant, following the Leaf Graph grid & carrying yellow yarn along the backside & working it in, where indicated = x's are the Black Currant sts.

Work the leaf pattern in Black Currant, carry Yellow yarn along backside.

Pattern Graph.

Rows 27 thru 36: You will finish the towel body now in Yellow alone, keeping 7 side sts EA side in seed st. pattern.

Jacquard Leaf Pattern

Row 37: Work seed st. across first 7 sts; drop Yellow & with Green,  work as follows - *K 1, P 1* across row.

Row 38: Keeping 7 side edge sts on both ends, in seed st - P across Green sts.

Row 39: Work seed st. across first 7 sts; drop Green & pick up Yellow,  work as follows - *K 1, P 1* across row; with Green, finish last 7 sts in seed st.

Row 40: Keeping 7 side edge sts on both ends, in seed st - P across Yellow sts.

Row 41: Keeping 7 side edge sts on both ends, in seed st - K across Yellow sts.

Row 42: Keeping 7 side edge sts on both ends, in seed st - P across Yellow sts.

Row 43: With Green, work seed st. across first 7 sts; drop Yellow & attach Black Currant,  work *K 1, P 1* across 61 sts: with Green, finish last 7 sts in seed st.

Row 44: Keeping 7 side edge sts on both ends, in seed st - P across Black Currant sts.

Row 45: Work seed st. across first 7 sts; drop Black Currant & pick up Yellow, working *K 1, P 1* across row; with Green, finish last 7 sts in seed st.

Rows 46 thru 61: Keeping 7 side edge sts on both ends, in seed st - work Yellow st rows in st. st.

Crochet Towel Topper:

Row 62 (WS): Staying with the color changes, P 3 tog across row to last 2 sts: end P 2 sts. There should be 26 sts on needle.

Change from knitting needles to crochet hook and work in sc as follows: dec 1 st EA end until 7 sts remain.

Sc for 13 rows.

Sl st x5; ch 6 and sl st in same sp; sl at to end. Turn.

Dc x12 in chain loop; EO.

Add a decorative loop edging of your choice (or leave plain).

Sew button in place and weave in loose ends.

Towel finished.

I also designed a simplistic dishrag to match my towel. My design is based on the tried-and-true garter st 'Granny's Dishrag Pattern' … my difference is that I start with less sts, dropped the openwork edge, and added more sts for a man who knows his way around the kitchen ;-)

MOD DISHRAG: Cast on 2 stitches.

Row 1: Knit 1-Inc 1 st in next st.

Row 2: Knit 1-Inc-knit across the row.

Row 3: Knit 2-Inc-knit across row.

Row 4: Repeat Row 2 until you have 50 stitches on the needle.

Row 5: Knit 1, Knit 2 together, knit to the end of the row. Repeat Row 5 until you have 3 stitches left on the needle; K 3 sts tog - EO off and weave in loose ends.

Knitting kitchen towels and dish rags may seem like such a small thing, but they are a kitchen necessity, and I like a splash of color here and there to give off warm and welcoming vibes. I enjoy designing and creating kitchen towel sets for my new home :-)

MOD Knit Jacquard Leaves Kitchen Towel Set, finished.

HANG IN THERE~Self-Care 2026; Castle Rock-WA

September 8th: Holland wanted his friend Tim, in Kelso, work on Beast Betsy - and Tim agreed … and reneged for 3 years straight: regardless of how Holland feels, it is abundantly clear to me that Tim in not a good friend. Tim is a user; and he is not trustworthy. Tim only makes contact with Holland when Tim wants Holland's help -  but, Tim is not there to help when Holland needs his help. Holland will have to come to an understanding about this on his own. But, for the time being, Holland has actually heard me on the maintenance issue: "Forget about Tim - he is not going to do it. I have heard him - same as you have, the past 3 years, saying 'sure, I'll do it'; you have had the pieces in the back seat of Betsy for 7 months, Holland … but he is never available. Tim is available, however, when he wants you to do something for him. E.v.e.r.y.m.o.n.t.h. Something for him. Forget Tim & hire someone who will actually get on it. And from now on, tend to the upkeep when it's needed - don't plan on 'Tim's help, when we get back up north'. Hire someone reliable - someone who is not going to shine you on 👻". So, Friday, Holland broke down & hired a traveling mechanic 💻📱💬🛠️ to install brakes & shocks (this man has worked on race cars, so Holland is satisfied that 'he knows what's he's doing'): Betsy's front end, was done yesterday afternoon … and her back end was done, this afternoon. Finally, that is done 🤝: Holland forked the 💵 out, and the frustration level - for both of us, has lessened.

While he was gone, I did a set of stretching exercises - combined with the warm-up movements, it was about 15 minutes of physical flexibility activity:

Warm‑Up Routine for Seniors Before Hip & Glute Stretches: Aim for gentle, dynamic movement before hip and glute stretches to warm muscles, lubricate joints, and reduce injury risk. Why Warm‑Up Matters for Seniors: As we age, muscles take longer to heat up, joints produce synovial fluid more slowly, and the cardiovascular system needs more time to adjust to activity. A proper warm‑up improves blood flow, joint lubrication, neuromuscular coordination, and balance.

Step‑by‑Step Warm‑Up Routine (5 min. minimum): Perform each movement slowly, breathing normally, and avoid bouncing. Tip: Repeat this warm‑up before each hip/glute stretching session, and consider doing it daily for best results

WARM UP March & Arm Swing~ct. of 60 = 1 minute

WARM UP Shoulder Shrug; to loosen tight muscles~ct. of 30, each direction = 1 min total

WARM UP Side Bend~ct. of 30, each side = 1 min total

WARM UP Bodyweight Hip Circles Stretch~ct. of 30, each direction, L & R = 1 min total

High Knee Steps Exercise~ct. of 15, each leg = 30 sec

WARM UP Bodyweight Standing Ankle Circles~15 sec each foot = 30 sec

Transition into Hip & Glute Stretches: The hips are the body's deepest joint. The muscles around it prone to shortening due to sitting down. The glutes are an engine. They power our body when we run, jump and kick. The Hips & Glutes Stretch workout applies mechanical force on the hip and glute muscles to strengthen them and improve range of motion. It will make you feel more in control of your own body. Safety Tips: Keep movements gentle; avoid bouncing. Stretch to a mild pull, not pain. Stay within a comfortable range of motion. I have modified the workout sets to make them friendlier to senior joints. Hold each 20–30 sec (count, 1-2-3, ect.), breathing deeply, and stop if you feel sharp pain.

Muscles Worked

Chair Assist Hip Flexor Stretch~Aim for 30 ct., EA leg = 1 min total

Bodyweight Hip & Knee Flexion Squattting Stretch~Aim for 60 ct. = 1 min total

Bodyweight Pretzel Stretch~Aim for 30 ct., EA leg = 1 min total

Bodyworks Glute Bridge 2-legs on floor~Aim for 60 ct. = 1 min total

Bodyweight Lying Hip Flexor Stretch~Aim for 30 ct., EA leg = 1 min total

Bodyweight Recumbent Hip External Rotator & Hip Extensor Stretch; gently keep the stretch “firm but tolerable” - stop if there is sharp pain, pinching in the front of the hip, knee discomfort, or low‑back arching~Aim for 30 ct., EA leg = 1 min total

Bodyweight Glute Stepup~In & Out of Betsy x6

Bodyweight Standing Calf Raise~Up & Down  stairs x10

I read a couple chapters of my latest Read …

Cussler-Fargo  Adventure Novel, with an Atilla the Hun mystery storyline.

When Holland came back home, we drove to Centralia 🚘, to grocery shop at the Winco there 💸🛒 Holland prefers the freeway, so that is how we went … up I-5. Along the route, someone a couple vehicles ahead, hit their brakes hard - causing everyone else to lock their brakes up to avoid back-ending the vehicle in front of them. The vehicle directly in front of us, stepped on his brakes so hard - he fish-tailed. I braced my right arm against Betsy's cab roof 😱 as Holland applied the brakes and turned Betsy's nose towards the center median to avoid her front end from kissing his vehicle, as it swung around: I was thinking we'd either be T-boning him - or bumping his back bumper. Holland was watching what was playing out in front of our windshield 👀 as well as watching the side mirrors to make sure no one would be careening into Betsy. It was a seriously dicey situation; but Holland handled it calmly &  with ease 🦁, and Betsy escaped being squeezed in a fender bender gridlock 🤑 When we were sure the danger was past, we looked at one another with relief, and said at the same time, "Well, we know the brakes work." That wasn't how we planned to test the fella's workmanship - but it was an assurance we were happy to know.

There is more work to be done on Betsy before we get back to our road gypsying again 🚘🗺️, but that can be scheduled throughout the next couple of weeks 📅 And maybe Holland can schedule another knee injection ⚕️💉 too, before we leave here.

Back home, I put everything away … and got supper underway; visited my Blogger friends, & after tidying the kitchen, unwound with a cup of coffee & by designing ☕️✍️ and crafting 🧶 a new Fall-themed kitchen towel set, while watching a humorous YouTube movie 💻🎬🎧🤭:

Val's 4Patriots Beefed-Up Lasagna Recipe:  (https://roadgypsiesvalandholland.blogspot.com/2026/09/vals-4patriots-beefed-up-lasagna-recipe.html)

My crocheted book cover was featured on Teresa' s Blog Hop:  (https://keepingitrreal.blogspot.com/2026/09/welcome-to-really-crafty-link-party-524.html)

Jacquard Leaf Pattern, grafted for MOD Kitchen Towel Set.