7 posts tagged “yellow loom”
In the past, I knitted a hat with the large gauge yellow Knifty Knitter loom, but it turned out too big. The yarn was an acrylic mix that didn't have much stretch, and so the hat was droopy. However, I feel the green loom is a little too small, so I tried the yellow loom again, this time using Lion Brand Wool Ease Thick and Quick. I decided to make a very long brim so I could fold it up. I did a K2, P2 brim, but because the yellow loom has an uneven number of pegs, I had to do a K3 on the final three pegs to keep the ribbing even. I knit about 4" (or 20 rows) for a brim, and then switched to the regular e-wrap stitch.
On the Yahoo Knifty Knitter group, I had read about finishing off a hat without doing the typical gather and I wanted to try it, so when I got near the top, I divided the loom into four sections with stitch markers (10 pegs, 10 pegs, 10 pegs, and 11 pegs), and decreased one peg as I knitted back and forth. For example, I knitted Peg 1 through Peg 10. On the way back I decreased one loop, and then knitted Peg 9 through Peg 1. Then I decreased another loop and knitted Peg 2 through Peg 9. When I got down to the final peg, I wrapped it with the working yarn, cut the yarn to about 12", and knitted the peg off, pulling the yarn through the final loop. Decreasing in this manner creates a triangle. I then did the final three sections (on the fourth section, I decreased two pegs on the first row because it has 11 pegs, not 10 like the others.) I turned the hat inside out and stitched the triangles together on the seams using the mattress stitch.
I really like my new hat. It's warm, fits just right, and looks great on a pumpkin.
I made this cowl by using two strands of Cascade 100% Merino Wool yarn and the round, yellow Knifty Knitter loom. It's a very loose neck warmer than hangs in folds but can be pulled over your head if you need a little extra warmth.
The first time I started this, I used the regular e-wrap and one strand of yarn, but I didn't like the ladder-effect I was getting, so I frogged it all. The second time, I switched to using the mock crochet stitch, but it, too, was becoming too loose and airy, so I frogged it again. The third time's the charm--using two strands gave me the perfect thickness, but the stitch is more interesting than the normal e-wrap.
Here's a simple pattern I wrote up:
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Mock Crochet Neck Warmer
- One skein yarn (Use two strands of worsted weight yarn or one strand of a bulky weight yarn.)
- Yellow Knifty Knitter
- Knitting tool
Cast on using your favorite method. (I use the cable cast on.) Start the Mock Crochet Stitch and continue throughout the entire project. Knit approximately 10" to 12". Cast off.
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There you have it! It's easy! Mine took approximately four hours from beginning to end.
You can find the strangest things on youtube, like this video of a knitting machine powered by a windmill:
And this old-fashioned sock knitting machine. It's mesmerizing to watch. (Okay, it's mesmerizing to watch if you like watching vintage sock knitting machines.)
Current project: I'm making a cowl on the yellow Knifty Knitter loom. I started it by using the pattern found at the Ben Franklin site, but after about 15 rows, I decided I didn't like the look of the plain e-wrap stitch. I was using just one strand of a Cascade wool in blue, and it was looking very ladder-ish. So, I frogged it all and began again, this time using the mock crochet stitch (instructions here). It's a very easy and pretty way to vary your loom knitting.
Last night I finished knitting this little shawl on the yellow Knifty Knitter.I used the pattern I listed below in a previous posting, by Rostitchery. Although I had some trouble decreasing, in the end, it turned out. Rowena had instructions to put the last loop on the near peg and KO. Then, wrap that "new" last peg, KO, and continue on down the row. I found this made the edge tight, not loopy like on my increase side. To try to make it match a little more, I would do just as she said by pulling the last loop to the second-to-last peg and KO. Then I would double wrap that final peg, knit 2-over-1, and continue down the row. Because the yarn is bulky and also varies in thickness, it passes just fine.
I used Moda Dea Cache in Tootsie, about 2.5 skeins. This is not a favorite yarn of mine. In fact, I bought it for $1/skein at Goodwill months ago. It makes a cute shawl, though!
My only thought on this shawl is whether or not is should be blocked. It fits snugly around the shoulders, and I like it that way, so I don't think I will, but we'll see.
This is a fast project to knit. I estimate it took me about five hours total.
I've been making this pretty little shawl from Rostitchery's blog: http://rowena.typepad.com/rostitchery/2006/12/give_a_little_g.html
However, I've encountered a problem. The first edge of the "V" has a loopy edge, made by how I interpreted her directions to skip one peg, knit the last peg, and then do a full row back. I have a funny feeling I shouldn't have done it quite that way; however, I'm stuck with it. It looks nice.
But now I'm starting back up the opposite side of the "V" and I'm decreasing a peg each time. Instead of that nice loose edge, I have a normal edge. Hmmmm... I'm trying to figure out how to add an extra loop on this side of the shawl.
I've been using some of my stash of $1 Moda Dea Cache (Twinkle). I think I'll end up using approximately 125 yards, or 2.5 skeins. Photos to come.
I've been working on a shrug, and I decided to use a looser, lacier stitch than the ones I'm familiar with, so I've been using this one. It's just one strand of yarn (Yarn Bee, Cameo). I don't know the name of the stitch yet, but I'm trying to find it. I cast on and then, with one stitch on each peg, I double-wrap each peg--I don't go around the loom twice, I simply wrap each peg twice--then I move onto the next, and so on. I then knit the bottom two wrappings over the top one, leaving just one wrapping on each peg. This creates a boxy looking stitch. I'm not certain if I like it, but I'm going to keep on with it.
As far as shrugs, this will basically be a rectangle (knitted as a flat panel on the yellow loom) about 36" long. I'm also knitting two sleeves/cuffs on the blue loom. If they're too small, I may switch to the red loom to get a looser look. I've never made a shrug before, so it's yet another experiment. Honestly, I don't even know if I like shrugs, but it's fun to make something new.
There are a ton of free patterns for shrugs here, but they're all knitting patterns, so you'll have to find a way to convert them to a loom. I tend to like the ones with a front on them, like Berroco's Evonne, but I like the look of this one, and the one listed on this vintage pattern site (scroll down to see it). The one at the Lion Brand free pattern site is neat, too. I'll put these in my to-make-someday-when-I-have-a-finer-gauge-loom file or my to-make-someday-when-I-understand-how-to-convert-patterns file.
I have a cat who's always cold and in search of a warm blanket, so I decided to crochet him a little afghan. The only thing I had ever crocheted (or knitted) was a very ugly black scarf for my husband many years earlier. I remember it took a long time (a few weeks) and the end of the scarf was much narrower than the beginning. I can't remember my husband ever wearing it--and I have no idea where it ended up. Yard sale? Goodwill?
So the bug bit me again, and I went to Michael's and bought two skeins of Lion Homespun yarn plus a crochet hook. The next day, after making too many mistakes to mention, I decided I should get a bigger crochet hook so I bought one of those monster plastic ones. The next day, after many more mistakes, I decided to knit instead. If you've ever used Homespun yarn, you know it has a bumpy texture that makes it difficult to find stitches. It only took me three hours with the knitting needles to decide I just wasn't cut out for knitting.
What to do? What to do? I had a chilly kitty and two skeins of yarn. I went online and started searching for other ways to knit or crochet. I knew there was something called a Knifty Knitter out there--sold as four plastic wheels with pegs on them--so I took a plunge, spent $11 at Walmart, and in two days I had finished the afghan.
I used the yellow loom cast on 40 stitches, and knitted two flat panels using the e-wrap. I started with the green color and mid-way swapped to the cream color. Then I knitted a border with a strand of each color, and I sewed the whole thing together.
It's ugly, isn't it? But my cat likes it. And my cat is cute.
Ugly afghan or not, I have been bitten by the knitting loom bug, and for Christmas I've asked for yarn and someof the longer KK looms. I plan on making: hats, mittens, slippers, etc. Suddenly, I can't wait for Christmas!
