Check out my latest design! Pattern can be found over at the KnittingBoard.com blog.
March 25, 2013
February 01, 2013
March 14, 2012
March 09, 2012
Last Minute Slouchy Hat
It was Tuesday morning and it was my turn to carpool the kids to school. I was running around like crazy that morning and I hadn't even had a chance to change out of my pajamas. 6 kids were in the car waiting for me and the clock was ticking. I didn't had a chance to go upstairs and brush my hair and make myself look half-decent, but as I was going out the door, I saw my slouchy hat and put it on. In a second, I went from looking disheveled to presentable and that my friend's is how the name of the slouchy hat came to be. It is my last minute emergency tool! I love it! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
Materials
Loom: All-n-One Loom
Stitches: k, p, e-wrap, k2tog, yo.
Yarn: 130 yards of worsted weight
yarn. Araucania Aysen was used in sample (Less than 1 skein).
Notions: Knitting tool, tapestry
needle, and removable stitch marker.
Gauge: 8.5 sts= 2 inches in double ribbing
Size: Fits up to a head circumference of about 21 inches.
Level: Intermediate
Notes: Working clockwise around the knititng loom. The ribbing section is done with the knit stitch, may substitute with the flat stitch or the u-stitch. The rest of the hat is done with the e-wrap stitch. Important: Note that on Round 11, we move the first stitch one place to the left (clockwise) to keep the pattern slanted. We will use the stitch marker to keep track of our new Peg 1 position. We keep moving it after each pattern repeat so each time you do a row 11, you move the stitch marker over to mark the new Peg 1 position.
Knitting Loom Settings: set the knitting loom to 80 pegs (35 on each of the long rails and the two sliders).
Abbreviations:
k=knit stitch
p=purl stitch
k2tog=knit two stitches together
yo= yarn over (simply e-wrap the peg that needs the yarn over)
Directions
Cast on 80 stitches, join to work in the round. Place stitch marker on 1st peg.
Round 1-8: *k2, p2; rep from * to the end of round.
Round 9: *yo, k2tog; rep from * to the end of round.
(How to: *Move the loop from the first peg over to the second peg, first peg is empty, second peg has 2 loops on it. E-wrap the first peg thus creating the YO. Then ewrap the second peg, lift the bottommost two loops off the peg. Repeat from * to the end of round)
Round 10 and 12: Knit with the e-wrap method.
Round 11: Move stitch marker one peg to the left (peg 2). This peg (peg 2) becomes Peg 1. *yo, k2tog; rep from * to the end of round. (How to: see Row 9 on the break down).
Round 12: Knit with the e-wrap method.
Repeat Rounds 9-12: until item measures 9 inches from cast on edge.
Bind off with gather removal method.
Steam block to open the lace, be careful not to steam the ribbing portion as this will loosen the stitches.
Wanna do it but are worried about not being able to crank it out, no worries! Check back next week for a how to video :)! I got ya covered! In the meantime, go order your loom and your yarn and we'll see ya next week.
Happy looming!
All-n-One Knitting Loom Launch
The All-n-One knitting loom by the Authentic Knitting Board company.
We have all been waiting for the much anticipated release of this new knitting loom by the KnittingBoard.com company. I have had the pleasure to work and create with this knitting loom for the past two months.
The moment it arrived, I rushed to open the box and was immediately in love with the knitting loom. Hundreds of design possibilies came to mind. It is a knitting loom that can go from making a little itty bitty baby bootie to a shawl, even a blanket!
Down to the knitty gritty of the loom. Gauge: it is small gauge, pegs are at 3/8" apart. The knitting loom consists of 2 long rails (48 pegs on each rail), 2 sliders--with 5 pegs each slider, for a total peg configuration of 106 pegs. It also comes with two spacers to use the knitting loom as a knitting board. The pegs are made out of nylon, giving the user a very smooth peg to slide your knitting tool on. Speaking of the peg--it is grooved to facilitate knitting and the pegs also have a small cap at the top to prevent the yarn from accidentaly sliding off the peg. The knitting loom itself is made of hardwood giving you a solid, strong loom. The wood has been varnished to provide you with a smooth, glide-your-hands-on-me knitting loom.
All-n-One loom will include the following:
- 2 long rails (48 pegs each)
- 2 sliders (5 pegs each)
- 2 spacers
- Knitting tool
- Booklet with basic instructions and patterns.
The knitting loom is a delight to work on. It is so smooth to the touch and since it is made out of wood, it feels warm the more you use it. The pegs are smooth but not so smooth as to make the yarn pop off the top. They have enough grab for the yarn to stay on but yet smooth enough so the knitting tool slides easily on it. Adjusting it was a breeze too. All you have to do is loosen the wing nuts at the ends and slide the slider up/down, tighten the wing nut and you are good to go.
And now that I told you all about the knitting loom, let me show you what I have created on it so far.
Three of the patterns are available through the KnittingBoard.com website, in the free pattern section, the Lacy Shawl and the Cowl. The purple hat instructions come with the knitting loom. Look for another pattern (the slouchy hat in the center) coming shortly.
I have used DK weight yarn (the gray hat that my daughter NyNy is modeling and it gives me an impressive 11 sts per in. Worsted weight, I had 9.5 sts per inch.
Here are some quick numbers for your use:
Hats with Worsted Weight yarn
Adult Men: 88 pegs
Women S/M/L: 76/80/84 pegs
Youth: 72
Children: 64
Toddlers: 60
Baby: 54
As I play more with the knitting loom, I will be posting peg numbers for socks and other basic items. Coming next...the Last Minute Slouchy Hat!
March 01, 2012
The Weekly Stitch: BasketWeave
Basketweave Stitch on a Loom
Cast on a multiple of 8 sts, plus 5 sts.
Follow this stitch pattern:
Rows 1 and 5 (RS): Knit.
Rows 2 and 4: p5, * k3, p5; rep from * to end of row.
Row 3: P5, * k3, p5; rep from * to end of row.
Rows 6 and 8: p1, k3, * p5, k3; rep from * to last st, p1.
Row 7: P1, k3, * p5, k3; rep from * to last st, k1.
Repeat Rows 1–8 to create the pattern.
Fabric created with this stitch will lay flat. Perfect for scarves, blankets even sweaters.
February 03, 2012
Cat's Paw Headband Stitch Breakdown
The Cat's Paw Headband is in the current issue (Winter 2012) of Loom Knitters Circle magazine. Hop on over to get the entire pattern.
I am going to break down the Cat's Paw Chart (see it on the right), rows 1-6. (On the headband pattern, they are rows 5-11).
*Row 1: p2, k1, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, ssk, k1, p2
Row 2: k11
Row 3: p2, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, ssk, p2
Row 4: k11
Row 5: p2, k2, yo, central double decrease, yo, k2, p2
Row 6: k11*
Bear with me, there are 3 rows that I am going to be breaking down: R1, R3, and R5. They are very similar and once you get the hang of it on the first row, you can probably do the rest easily.
Row 1 Breakdown
Note: I am numbering pegs 1-11 from Right to Left
Move stitches as follows:
Step 1. Remove stitch from peg 4 and hold it.
Step 2. move stitch from peg 5 to peg 4.
Step 3. Place stitch from Step 1 on peg 4. Peg 4 has two loops on it.
Step 4: Remove loop from peg 8 and hold it.
Step 5. Move loop from peg 7 over to peg 8.
Step 6. Place loop from Step 4 on peg 8. Peg 8 has two loops on it.
Pegs 5 & 7 are empty.
Step 7: Work the row as follows: purl pegs 1 and 2; knit peg 3; k2tog on peg 4(treat both loops on the peg as one loop); e-wrap peg 5; knit peg 6; e-wrap peg 7; ssk peg 8 (treat both loops on the peg as on loop); k peg 9; purl pegs 10 and 11.
Row 3 Breakdown
Step 1: Remove loop from peg 3 and hold it.
Step 2. Move loop from peg 4 and place it on peg 3.
Step 3. Place loop from Step 1 on peg 3. Peg 3 has two loops on it.
Step 4. Remove loop from peg 9 and hold it.
Step 5. Move loop from peg 8 and place it on peg 9.
Step 6. Place loop from step 4 on peg 9. Peg 9 has two loops on it.
Pegs 4 and 8 are empty.
Step 7. Work the row as follows: purl pegs 1 and peg 2; k2tog on peg 3 (treat both loops on the peg as one loop); e-wrap peg 4, knit pegs 5,6, 7; e-wrap peg 8, ssk on peg 9 (treat both loops on the peg as one loop); purl pegs 10 and 11.
Row 5 Breakdown
Step 1. Move loop from peg 5 over to peg 6.
Step 2. Move loop from peg 7 over to peg 6.
Peg 6 has three loops on it. Pegs 5 and 7 are empty.
Step 3. Work the row as follows: Purl pegs 1 and 2; knit pegs 3 and 4; e-wrap peg 5, k3tog on peg 6 (treat all three loops as one loop); e-wrap peg 7; knit pegs 8 and 9; purl pegs 10 and 11.
And you did it!!! Yay! I am working on a video to demonstrate the steps, but with the breakdown, I think it should be quite easy to get it done.
Happy loomin'
Isela
May 10, 2011
KFB/KF&B on a Loom
What? Yah, it may seem like I am speaking gibberish but I do know what I am trying to convey. KFB stands for Knit into the front and back of the stitch.
I was looking for some written instructions but I couldn't find them, however I did find a video that I made a few years ago. After finding the video, I had to make the written instructions to have on file.
I hope you find them useful. I tried to take step by step pictures but I don't know if they make sense, I think the video shows the steps a little better.
kfb/kf&b: knit into the front and back of the stitch. Also known as the bar increase. It is as it description says, you create a two stitches out of one by knitting into the front leg of the stitch and then knitting again onto the back leg of the stitch. Although in needle knitting is quite simple, for loom knitters this type of increase requires an empty peg where you want to create the increase, meaning we need to move loops around. Prior to creating the stitch, you will need to move the loops from the pegs to open a peg for the increase.
The main characteristic that this increase demonstrates is a small bar created by knitting into the back of the leg. You can see it in the picture above (it is pointed by the tip of the knitting tool)
To demonstrate: the increase is being created from a Right to Left direction on the knitting loom, in our example, the increase will take place at peg 3.
Picture above--Peg 1 is marked with the orange stitch marker.
Step 1: Knit peg 1 and move the loop to the empty peg to the right (peg 1 is now empty).
Picture--step 1
Step 2: Knit peg 2 and move the loop to empty peg 1 (peg 2 is now empty).
Step 3: Holding the loop on peg 3, knit peg 3 (do not let the original loop pop off the peg). Place the newly formed loop on peg 2. Peg 3 remains with the original loop on it.
Step 4: E-wrap peg 3 and lift the bottom loop up and off the peg.
Steps 1-4 created a kfb at peg 3. Continue working the other pegs as the pattern directs.
December 31, 2010
Loom Knitting Booklet--Blogger Reviewers & Contest
Bloggers Reviewers Contest Winners!!!
It is time my dears to choose the winners for the Blog reviews, there were 5 with blogs who entered their names into the hat and I have exactly 5 copies to give away for bloggers. Their names are...drum roll!
Jenny, Bethany, Tanya, Chris and Diana!
Please contact me privately and send me your mailing address. I just barely received the package with the little booklets.
Reviews can include questions to me too, please no more than 5 questions :).
CONTEST, CONTEST, CONTEST for non bloggers and bloggers!
I have 5 extra copies to give away, you can win a copy by doing the following, an entry for each social media blip! Facebook about the contest=1 entry; Tweet about the contest=1 entry; and last but the most imporant comment on this post by sharing with me one of your Goals for 2011 =1 entry, in the same comment give me the number of entries you have earned. You can win a total of 4 entries! Contest entries must be entered by midnight Wednesday, January 5th, MST.
A picture of my favorite project in the book :). Wrapped in Lace.
December 21, 2010
New Loom Knitting Booklet!!!
Hot off the presses! I just received my complimentary copy of the latest little booklet! It is so cute, so tiny(8.5 x 5.5 inches) and I love it! The pictures are wonderfully clear and the projects are greatly photographed for you to see the project at its best.
Check out the projects, there are 5 easy ones and 1 advanced one at the very end.
CONTEST: Come back next week and I will be giving you a chance to win your very own copy: 5 copies to give away!
Reviews: If you have a knitting or loom knitting blog and would like to review a copy, drop me a note in the comments and I will choose 5 random bloggers.
Find the booklet at your local craft stores!
PS: Late in getting those Holiday presents, don't despair, may I suggest a gift certificate from loomknit.com for your loom knitting friends.
