Have you tried loom knitting yet – part 2? (by Jen Chambers)

Since Christmas is right around the corner, you might want to start now and try some loom knitting.

This is a fun project that is easy to complete and I think is the cutest thing ever!

The pattern is free at Provo Craft’s website.

The pattern calls for using a 12″ new sink plunger inside to give the snowman stability to stand.  I didn’t have this exact pattern when I made mine, but I did use a big zip top plastic bag full of beans to give the bottom round some stability.

I wanted my snowman to look a little fluffier, so I used one thread of white worsted weight yarn, and one thread of Fun Fur.  I held the 2 strands together as I worked the pattern.

I also used little Christmas light buttons I found at the craft store.  He needed a top hat rather than a knitted cap, which I found at the craft store in the doll making section.

Yarn Review: Patons SWS – Way better than Tofu! (by Jen Chambers)

Decided to try and felt using Patons SWS yarn.  It’s 70% Wool, 30% Soy, so I thought it would probably felt up nicely.   I had a couple of skeins of SWS which stands for Soy Wool Stripes in colorway Natural Earth and thought I’d try making an iPad cover.  I don’t have an iPad, but one day I hope to and I’ll have a beautiful cover to keep it safe from scratches.  I didn’t have a pattern, but figured I just try and see if I could work it out.

I cast on 45 stitches on size 8 needles.  I knit the piece in garter stitch and it used just about the entire 2 skeins of yarn.  The yarn itself is soft and knits up nicely.  The yarn has a slightly different  “twist” then normal worsted weight yarn.  It’s not twisted as tightly and when untwisted it doesn’t consist of 4 threads like most worsted weight.  Instead it untwists into about 50 very fine “hairs” that create a fuzz when separated.  The yarn is self striping and the color changes were subtle from row to row and the pattern repeat was easy to anticipate when it came time to join the 2^nd skein of yarn.

Finished size before felting was 22.5” x 9.5”.  I sewed up the side seams and began the felting process.

I watched closely as the piece felted to make sure I didn’t go too far.  The finished measurement I was shooting for was about 9.5” x 7.5”. I felted this in the washing machine and it took 2 wash cycles to get to the measurement I wanted.

I pulled out the piece and rinsed with cold water then used the book in the picture as my drying form.  I put the book into a zip-top bag, and slid it inside the iPad cover while it dried over the next few days.

After the piece was dry, the felting process had made the finished piece quite fuzzy all over.  So I took a disposable razor and cut away the fuzz and the finished piece was exactly what I wanted.

Overall, I was very pleased with this yarn.  It’s a beautiful yarn that looks great whether you decide to use it for felting or just a normal knitting project.

PLARN!!! (by Aubrey Mayes)

I recently purchased a wonderful book titled “AwareKnits” by pro knitter Vickie Howell and Adrienne Armstrong (knitter and wife of Green Day front man Billie Joe Armstrong). Along with dozens of eco-friendly knitting and crochet patterns and tips, there was a fabulous section on Plarn- or plastic yarn.

Plarn can definitely take some getting used to while knitting but its actually fun to make and a clever way to recycle plastic shopping bags. Through trial and error I have some fantastic tips to get you Plarn-ing away.

Here are the supplies you will need:

• Flat surface
• Scissors or Exacto knife, depending on your preference.
• Oodles of plastic bags. More bags = more Plarn!
• Patience

Try to make your bag as flat as possible and remove the handles. You can keep the handles to use as embellishment or just recycle them. Take your cutting implement of choice and make a one inch cut in the top of the bag at the seam going down. That will be the start of your strip. Cut in a spiral until the whole bag is one big strip (the book compares it to peeling an orange). Remember- the longer the strip, the fewer knots you have to tie.

From there, its just wash, rinse, repeat. Keep your strips in a pile until all of your bags are cut. I know it seems like a lot, but once you find your rhythm you’ll be turning out bags a lot more quickly. Once all of your bags are cut, tie them together. Knot them GENTLY so you do not tear the plastic but TIGHTLY because you’ll be knitting or crocheting with it. Snip the ends off the knots. Once they’re all knotted just ball it up and bada bing- PLARN!

Once you’ve made your Plarn there are many different things you can do with it. The book has a pattern for a bag, but you could do some really stellar art- deco items for the home  or some mod or bohemian- esque jewelry. The possibilities are endless, and there are millions of bags out there.

Stitch on and remember to Knit Happy with your PLARN!!! 

Shrug This! Pattern Review (by Jenifer Rank)

This pattern comes from the “One Skein Wonders” collection and is super easy to work up, however, the pattern is TINY!!!  Like toddler tiny!  After seeing the pictures posted on Ravelry, I decided to go down a needle size because I usually wear an extra small… gauge was fine and it was working along very quickly.  By the time I got to the end I realized that for as tiny as I am, it hit about halfway down my chest (and I’m small chested) and that was after adding a few rows into the pattern.  It fit my three year old perfectly and the bottom of the shrug hit right at his waist.  It fit my nine year old how I was expecting it to fit me – about mid torso.  Fortunately, there was a nine year old in my son’s class that was having a birthday… she now has a cute little cotton summer shrug. This first one was knit using the Bernat Cotton Tots in their Natural/Oatmeal color.

The second attempt, I made some adjustments: cast on 63 instead of 53, adding two stitches to each section, and used a size 11 needle – going up a size from the recommended 10.5.  For this shrug, I used the Lion Brand Cotton solids and it used nearly the whole ball.  I like how this one came out – it’s a looser knit than pictured on the pattern website, and again, I added a few rows so that it hits mid-torso on an adult (size Small).

This was my first try at raglan shaping and I have to say, I really enjoyed it.  This is a great beginner garment (or, if you just want a quick knit!).  I like that there is no seaming, as you cast off the sleeves, the underarm just works directly into the body.  Be aware though, if you choose to make this in an actual adult size, it will take more than one skein…. You can find the pattern at: http://www.oneskeinwonders.com/patterns/shrug.php  or on Ravelry by searching Shrug This.

You can contact me by email at kusalaknitworks@gmail.com if you have questions.

Jenifer Rank – Kusala Knitworks
www.jeniferrank.etsy.com
www.kusalaknits.blogspot.com
www.flickr.com/photos/kusalaknitworks

Fixing a tight cast-on (by Ina Gilmore)

For the longest time, I had trouble knitting socks.  I’d cast on and the cast-on row was much tighter than the rest of the leg. Which meant I either had socks that fit in the leg and were too tight at the top cuff or the top fit and the rest of the leg was too loose.  Nothing worked.  That is until I knit my first pair of toe-up socks and discovered this elastic bind-off.  It was perfect! The leg fit me right and the bind-off was elastic enough. So of course I thought I’d just have to get used to knitting toe-up socks.

Almost immediately I found a traditional cuff down sock I really wanted to try. One I really needed to knit following the pattern before I tried it toe-up.  I searched and could not find a cast-on that was elastic enough. In frustration, I put the pattern aside and started another project.  A scarf. One with a lace pattern knit starting in the center, with a provisional cast-on and that’s when I had my “A-ha!” moment.

A provisional cast-on enabled me to knit the sock from the cuff down, remove the provisional row picking up the “live stitches” and use the elastic bind-off.  It worked! And quickly became my favorite cast-on for traditional socks.

Provisional cast-ons are used for a variety of projects including:

• A toe-up sock cast-on.
• Knitting from the middle out to the ends. This works especially well with a one-way design such as a cable or some lace patterns as in the scarf I knit. It also works well for patterns closed at both ends, such as knitting a ball.
• If you start a project but want to decided how the end will look later. One example is knitting a pair of socks, but you’re not sure how you want the cuffs to look. Knit the socks, and decide at the end.
• If you’re not sure you have enough yarn for a project. If you start a pair of socks above the ankle and knit the feet, you can then go back and knit the legs deciding on length. Or even changing to another yarn at the same place.

Wondering how to cast-on provisionally? This video shows you three techniques.  They all work and help you knit happy!

Red Heart’s Eco-Ways Recycled Blend (by Jenifer Rank)

 

Red Heart’s Eco Ways Recycled Blend Yarn Review

 

• 70% acrylic, 30% recycled polyester
• 186 yards, 113 grams
• Machine wash warm – gentle cycle, tumble dry low

Because I make so many things for kids, and living in the Northwest…well, if you don’t use something with some form of recycled fibers people look at you like you have three heads. I saw this yarn on one of my trips to the craft shop for Fiber-fill.  The Eco-Ways blend was on sale and I thought, hey I’ll give it a shot.

Overall, not too bad!  While it does have a slightly “acrylic feel” to it while knitting, it doesn’t “squeak” or have a rough finish to it when the project is completed.   I used this for two different projects (for a child’s ball and on a preschooler’s backpack) and am currently using it on a third project.  The yarn is durable and holds up well under washing and drying.

I would recommend this for smaller projects or projects specifically for children – simply because you can toss it in the washing machine without worrying about what will happen to the piece.  While the pattern given on the wrapper lists an afghan, I think this yarn might have too rough of a feel upon the completion of that project. 

Definite bonuses: inexpensive (around $3), easy to care for, usually on sale!  Unfortunately, the colors I’ve seen in the stores are all pretty neutral.  The bright colors are only to be found on-line. 

I found a really good selection at the JoAnn Fabric and Crafts website: www.joann.com

Four Fabulous Tricks for Knitting in the Round (by Robyn Devine)

It may seem like an advanced move, but knitting in the round can be mastered by beginner knitters with ease. And by adding it to your knitting bag of tricks, you will open up an entirely new world – one of hats, sweaters, and socks!

Getting started with knitting in the round can seem tricky on the best of days, but with just a few tips and tricks you can be joining to work in the round in no time at all. When I began my circular needles journey, these four tips helped me immensely.

Trick #1 – Make sure your circular needle is shorter than your finished circumference. If you’re knitting a hat for a 20” head, grab 16” long circular needles. If you’re knitting a sweater for someone that’s 36” around, be sure you’re not using your 40” long needles. Seems self-explanatory, but I spent many frustrated hours fighting with needles that were just a bit too long for projects I was working on. When in doubt, go a bit shorter – you’ll never regret it!

Trick #2 – Cast on one extra stitch. When you join for working in the round, knit that last stitch you cast on together with the first stitch you cast on. You will have the correct number of cast on stitches, and you will have a much less noticeable join for your work.

Trick #3 – When casting on a large number of stitches, to ensure you don’t twist them (and create a Mobius on accident!) knit the first few rows of the pattern before joining. You’ll have a much clearer view of joining your stitches together, and you can use your tail to sew up that open spot later.

Trick #4 - Use a different color stitch marker to mark the beginning of the row. When you are using stitch markers to mark decreases, increases, pattern changes and the like be sure your “beginning of the row” marker is a different color, shape, or size. This will help you more easily distinguish it from your other markers.

With these four simple tips, you will find yourself knitting around and around before you know it! You can use this new-found skill to whip up some sweaters for all the folks in your life, hats to keep their noggins warm, and maybe even donate a few things to a local charity!

Stitch Markers: A Knitters Best Friend (by Whitnee Humphrey)

I got a phone call the other day from my best friend. She asked if I could talk and that she needed help. I said sure and the first words out of her mouth were “my son has a giant head”. Naturally the first thing that goes through my mind is that this sweet little three year old has gotten his head stuck somewhere and she needs someone to calm her down while help arrives. Luckily this was not the case. It turns out she is knitting him a cute little hat and the pattern is too small for his giant head. My best friend has fairly recently begun to knit and has only done basic projects so she needs help modifying the hat. I whipped out the laptop, read through the pattern and told her exactly what she needed to do to make the hat larger. As I was reading through the pattern, I noticed that there was a pattern repeat. I explained that it would be wise to learn to use stitch markers for this pattern or she might just end up with a few gray hairs!

Stitch markers are a wonderful invention. They have kept me sane through a few projects, as well as made them fly by that much faster. Before the phone call from my best friend, I had never really thought about people not knowing what stitch markers were used for. I taught myself to knit from a book and they were discussed in there. I have taught several people to knit and I don’t believe I have ever once covered stitch markers in any of my lessons. Now I realize this was terrible of me!

Are all stitch markers created equal? No! There is the obvious difference between larger and smaller markers. Larger markers fit on larger needles. And yes you can use the larger markers on smaller needles, but be careful as big markers on small needles with small yarn can equal a big gap in the knitting.  A friend of mine, who used to own a yarn shop, taught me something wonderful to use for stitch markers: baby hair bands. These look like those rubber bands that you use on braces. They are multicolored and I believe they can be found in the toddler area, with the rest of the little girl hair accessories. The bands that I bought came separated by color in a plastic container. They are not sticky feeling like regular rubber bands so they don’t get stuck in the yarn. These do not create holes at all. I do find though that when I am working with a heavier yarn, I like a thicker marker.  There are also split markers which can be used like a regular marker but they can also be used to mark a stitch in the actual body of whatever you are knitting.

Stitch markers do not have to be used only when the pattern calls for them. You can use them any time you want to mark a stitch or a group of stitches.  The times that I most commonly use them are:

• Any time there is a large number of stitches. You can break down that 400 stitch count into a smaller, more manageable number. This comes in handy when casting on or when you are KIPing and that wonderful friend of yours decides to count by tens while you are trying to double check your stitch count causing you to have to start over again and again.
• Pattern repeats. *K1, P4 , K1* Repeat across row. By marking each repeat, you don’t have to wait till the end of the row to realize that you are one stitch off at the very beginning of the row. Tink, tink, tink. When you get to the end of that particular repeat, you should know that you are off. I found this saved me from pulling my hair out when knitting lace.
• Places you want to keep an eye on. For me this is usually the borders. I am knitting a scarf for my mother right now that has a 4 stitch seed stitch border on each side. If I don’t mark the stitch, sometimes I will get going and not realize that the first stitch needs to be a purl instead of a knit. It may be only one little stitch, but it still takes time to tink and then correct.
• Measuring length. Knit 4 inches ST st, increasing on each side on even rows. Then knit another 4 rows of ST st with no increasing. Where do you measure from? Sometimes it is hard to tell which row to measure from. If you mark that with a split marker in the middle of the row, it will be much easier to measure from.

So why use stitch markers? Because they can save you a lot of time in your knitting and keep you sane!

You’ll find colored rubber stitch markers (pictured above) in the ACCESSORIES section of the KNIT SHOPPE under the NAUGHTY STUFF page!

What’s In A Notions Bag? (by Robyn Devine)

Most advanced knitters carry around with them a bag, full to the brim with tools to help make their knitting time easier and more productive. But when you’re just starting out a trip down the knitting aisles of your local craft store (or a visit to the notions section of your LYS) can send you into a tizzy in a hurry – all those extras, many with little to no explanation!

Never fear, Robyn is here! With this handy list of my seven favorite items you’ll want to have in your notions bag from month one – along with what each item is used for and some possible substitutions! – you can be sure you’ve got everything you’ll need to make your knitting time just as productive as the pros!

Stitch markers. These bad boys can be bought in bunches of plastic, multi-colored packs, or you can purchase them from Etsy sellers and other knitters. I’ve had my plastic ringed stitch markers almost from day one, and have slowly acquired some pretty beaded ones that I whip out when knitting something extra special. Don’t feel like you need to spend a lot of money on these, though – especially at first. You can even substitute strands of contrasting colored yarn, safety pins, or hoop earrings in a pinch!

Yarn-only scissors. No matter how new you are to knitting, you’re going to need to cut your yarn ends off at some point. I recommend keeping a pair of “knitting-only” scissors in your knit-kit. This way your scissors won’t get dulled by cutting paper, hair, or anything else, and you always know where your scissors are! Mine came from the dollar bin at Target, although I know knitters who have spent up to $20 on their pairs.

Cable needle. You may not think you need this at first, especially if you’re not cabling quite yet. I’ve used my cable needle to pick up errant stitches, however – this is actually more often what I use it for! I got a three-pack at my local craft store, so I know I’ve got a cabling needle that will work for any size cable I want to make!

Darning needles. When weaving in ends, I’ve known knitters to use crochet hooks, but I prefer a plastic, blunt-tipped darning needle. Buy these in bulk, as you’ll find they are the item that most often goes missing!

Row counter.  I’ve pretty well stopped using mine at this point, thanks to an app on my iTouch – if you’ve got an iPhone or iTouch, you can find knitting apps for free! Most knitters, however, slip this onto their circular needle so they never lose track of which row they’re on!

Tape measures. I buy mine at the local craft store when they’re on sale for $1 – they’re known to be stolen by my kitties for play toys, and can break pretty easily. I should probably buy a nice one that won’t break, I guess. This comes in handy for measuring gauge, for measuring length/width of your knitting, and for determining sizing.

Pencil. I keep a mechanical pencil in my knitting bag at all time – perfect for marking rows and notes onto my knitting patterns, and great in a pinch to write something down or even pick up a stitch!

While there may be dozens of other tools knitters will tell you to pick up, or tools you’ll come to love in your years as a knitter, this basic kit will keep you happily knitting from day one!

Process Knitting (by Mary Fran Riley)

There are many ways to approach knitting.  Making finished objects,  making hundreds of swatches to learn various techniques and knitting for the process.

I love a beautiful hand knit project as much as the next gal (or guy).  I really do!   I have three sweaters on needles, a pair of slippers begging to be sewn together and felted, a pattern waiting to be typed and yarn for about ten other specific projects calling my name.   I am a process knitter.  What’s that?  I knit because I love the action of knitting and not for the contentment of completing finished pieces.

When I knit I become part of what I am knitting. It is a movement and a flow. The knitting itself is the point, not the finished product. It is about a connection I get to a project.  It’s about the satisfaction I get using my hands to create something.   A kind of satisfaction I don’t get from my creative industry job.  It is a break from the sterility of computers and the perfection they give.

I have a short attention span and always get bored with a project long before it’s done.  Including hats.  After I have experienced the best there is about a pattern, I am ready to move on. I usually finish hats when I run out of short circular needles and need them for another project that I so very much need to knit.

I always have my knitting with me and knit every chance I get – air planes, trains and cars are my friends.  Long boring meetings and college classes provide great opportunities for me to knit away!

My aversion to getting to the end of a project might be because of my deadline driven professional life.  Sometimes it’s just nice to create and not have the pressure hanging over the process.  Sometimes I feel I should be creating better goals for myself and try to finish more of my projects.  I’m afraid that by doing this I will taint my pure connection to the act of knitting.  I will turn knitting into a task that is always looming.

So, I will continue on my path to knit with every type of fiber that I can find followed by an attempt to learn as many techniques and stitches along the way.  Maybe, just maybe, all of this will end up in a higher project completion rate for me.  Maybe it won’t and I am ok with that too.

I am certain I’m not the only knitter out there who knits for its calming effects.   I hope I am not the only person who knits just to knit and not to make a finished work piece.

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