8 posts tagged “scarf”
Last night, I knitted a small sample on the 28" Authentic Knitting Board using just 22 pegs (and 22 pegs on the opposite side, too). I used some Berroco merino and followed the beginning of the pattern for the Luxurious Alpaca Scarf. What I learned is that I need to tighten the gauge because the knitting was a little bit too loose and the ribbing, which starts after six rows of stockingette, was not very distinct.
This board can be adjusted. Do you see the bolt on the end? There's another one on the other end, too. You may remove the bolt, take out the spacer in between each side, and then put something smaller in between, such as a washer. I'll have to scrounge around in the toolbox tonight for something appropriate. The closer the two sides of the board, the tighter the gauge. So, if you're working with a chunky or bulky yarn, or if you want a very loose knit, you would actually put more space in between the two sides instead of keeping it snug.
I was brainstorming last night and came up with a way to, possibly, turn this two-sided loom into a round loom by adding my own type of spacer (a piece of wood with two metal pegs). That way, I could knit socks or other small-gauge items in the round. We'll see how it goes.
I've been hankering to make a scarf, and after much thought, I chose a lovely Berroco Merino Pure in bordeaux. I decided to try the whole thing in a garter stitch pattern on the blue Knifty Knitter. After much trial and error, I frogged it and started again, this time on needles. After another try, I frogged it again, wondered why I really needed another scarf, and put everything away.
But today, I decided I really wanted another scarf, so I pulled out my little-used purple rectangle loom, an absoloutely enormous amount of Cascade Eco+ (7811) -- one skein is about 475 yards -- and an old sheet of wrapping patterns. Using just ten pegs (twenty if you count both the top and bottom) and a ribbed pattern, after just an hour or so, I had nearly two feet of my very, very purple scarf finished.
(NOTE: The drawings of the different ways to wrap came from the Yahoo Knifty Knitters Loom group files. It's under General Information and it's called "Various Wraps for a Board Loom." I'm using the Rib Wrap. It's also located here as a download.)
I saw this Knit-Wit kit on sale but didn't buy it even though it was the last one, figuring I had enough flower looms; however, I decided if it was still there the next time I shopped, I'd get it... and it was, sitting slightly askew just the way I left it even though more than a week had passed. For $5.00, I can call it fate, a bargain, or maybe both.
The Knit-Wit is a new-again loom, once very popular in the 1970s and now repackaged. Mine came with both a square and circular loom, plus a DVD with helpful instructions. I started making flowers, following the instructions to create a border around each one. Then, I took it a step further and started connecting them together as I loomed, creating this ... scarf? I think it's a scarf, anyway. I have about two feet done, 21 flowers in all, but I'd like to more than double the length. I'm using Marry by Rozetti, a yarn I'dbeen saving to practice cables or use the triloom to make another shawl. But for some reason, this retro, slightly-groovy scarf is growing on me. Or, is it growing on its own? Without me knitting anything? Hmmm...
Knit-Witting is sort of soothing, once you get the hang of it. What next? A pantsuit, perhaps? Thankfully, the biggest project I've ever completed consisted of 1.5 skeins of yarn, so I don't think a flowered pantsuit will ever be loomed by me.
I haven't been blogging--or knitting--very much lately, but just recently I've become interested in small, handheld looms, like the Weave-Its on the Eloomanation site. With them, you weave small squares, and if my eyes aren't dececiving me, you can actually make a vast array of woven creations with them. (I'm hankering to make a hat, like the one in this PDF pattern book from 1936.)
Because it's fairly hard to get a 4"x4" loom (they were popular in the 1930s and '40s) unless you're willing to bid on ebay, I decided to start off cheaply by buying a potholder loom from Wal-mart. You remember these guys. We all probably tried to make potholders with those nylon loops when we were children. But, instead of using the loops that came with my $5 plastic loom, I followed the tutorial by Noreen Crone-Findlay that is posted on Youtube (part 1 and part 2).
Making one square takes about 15 minutes. I chose some Moda Dea yarn, wove about ten squares, and then sewed them together. I highly suggest reading up on sewing techniques because I didn't, and my seams are a little clunky. Oh well, live and learn.
The result is a pretty nifty scarf, if I do say so myself.
I realized I never posted a photo of my ziggy zag scarf even though I finished it last spring. I've been wearing it a lot this fall, and it's just the right weight for not-so-cold days. I'd like to make a matching headband with the same yarn, but since it's a little bit scratchy, I'm not sure if I'd like it.
I posted instructions on the ziggy zag stitch earlier. The scarf is about 55" long. It curls a lot, but I don't think blocking it will help because it only has a small amount of wool.
Final thoughts: cool pattern, nice color, but it curls in everywhere but the ends. I'm please because this was my first fancy item, but I'd choose a different yarn and probably do a border along each edge the entire scarf.
How cool is this? A loom-dedicated online 'zine called, appropriately enough, The Loom Knitters Circle. Featuring patterns, articles, and a forum, this great site is just what loom knitters have been asking for. Visit it today!
As far as my own projects, I didn't take any pictures but over the weekend I knitted four little hats for my nieces' American Girls dolls. I used the blue loom, two strands of Moda Dea yarn, and invented a slightly different pattern each time.
I also finished my ziggy-zag scarf. In the end, I probably used 1.5 skeins of yarn. I'll post a picture, soon!
I started a scarf using the ziggy zag stitch. (You can find written directions for this stitch in the Yahoo Decor Accents Group. Go to Files, and then Stitches. Isela Phelps has written them up.)
To make this scarf, I'm using one strand of a beautiful blue wool blend. (Yarn Bee Mosiac Twist, Color: Moody Blue) and the red loom. This stitch needs an even number of pegs, so I cast on 12 pegs using the crochet cast on. Then I knitted one row and purled one row. This gives the scarf a non-curling edge. I then knitted back and forth for six rows using a stitch that's described in Isela's pattern. It's a lot like the mock crochet stitch but instead of knitting three pegs at a time, you only use two. It's an easy stitch to learn so I won't describe it here.
Then, I started doing the ziggy zag stitch. This is a fun, pretty stitch but it can be a little complicated, so I'm posting some pictures of how I interpreted it. Please let me know if I've made a mistake.
STEP ONE: To start, you flat stitch two pegs. In this picture (ziggyzag1) I'm doing the flat stitch on Peg One and Peg Two. Knit Peg One and then Peg Two. Don't pull your yarn too tight. After you knit over Peg One and Peg Two, your yarn should be between Pegs Two and Three.
STEP TWO: Bring the yarn BEHIND Peg Two, and then pull it in front of Peg One. Purl Stitch Peg One (ziggyzag2). Now, the yarn should be to the right of Peg One.
STEP THREE: Bring the yarn BEHIND Peg One and in front of Peg Two so your yarn is now between Pegs One and Two. Purl Stitch Peg Two (ziggyzag3).
Now, you're ready to move onto Pegs 3 and 4 and repeat Steps 1-3. Continue this pattern until you reach the end of your row. Then head back the other direction. (Check Isela's pattern for clarification.)
This is a really pretty stitch. It gives a zig-zagged edging, too, so you may want to include a border on either side of your project.
Another first: a scarf! I think if someone gets a KK for Christmas, they probably make a hat and a scarf. I try to make as many different things as I can, but I guess someday, you just look around and realize you need a scarf. I used the purple loom and Lion Thick & Quick and knitted a scarf using the entire skein. It took me about 1.5 hours, and I used the figure eight wrapping pattern to cast on, and then I used the zig-zag pattern after than. Super duper easy. The only problem that I encountered was that I thought the scarf was too wide and short, and when B laid eyes on it, he said, "Hey, I'll use that!"
So, I'm still scarfless. Oh well. It's about 50 degrees out and until the next snow, I won't need one. Next project: Slippers for Dad.
