Hats

Here's Sparky in a Lee's Lattice Hat made with Lion Brand Incredible yarn. Since completing the ribbon bag as posted by Graciela in the LoomClass, I L.O.V.E love it! Then I found it on clearance for $2 a skein at Michael's! Woo-hoo Big Score! So I have, what, 6 or 7 balls of it left.

BWA-HA-HA-HA...

(BTW, I think that kid is pretty stinkin' cute. But then again, I might be biased.)

So here's my second original design. (The first one being a cable knit shawl for which I don't have "in process" pics yet." Hm, come to think of it, I don't have a finished project either. Add that to the chekc list.")

The hat! Ah, yes, the hat is made with Sensations Life yard. Rainbow or Carnivale or whatever multi-colored yarn it was. Double strand. (Yes, I *do* take good notes, huh?) I used a woven bag bottom for the top. Had to frog it the first time as it was waaaaaayyyyy too tight. BTW, yarn does not like to be repeatedly pulled around and through other yarn. So I had to get it right the second time.

Anyway, woven top with ewrap rows for the sides. Long single strand tassels with rainbow paillettes on the end. I had tried the flat knit stitch, even with the U-wrap and it looked like a poofta. All wrong. I tinked it and started again with the ewrap at a point as closeto the end of the basket weave as I dared. I'm pretty happy with it.

The colors bring to mind a friend of mine. I showed the hat to her while it was still on the loom this afternoon. She said it would be too big for her. Really? Yes, she can wear her 7yo son's hats. But now his hats are getting to big for her. That is one small head.

So now, I have a few ways to go: Cable knit shawl pics, barrel bag, clean house for incoming in-laws, cut out fabric, or hang out wiht my fez on.

New socks, hat and old placemat issue

I finished my ginormous wool toe-up socks. I realized they could be a thneed that everyone wants 'cause everyone needs (Dr. Seuss).

I'll be felting them this weekend with special attention to the ankle and heel areas. With the extra stuffing, I hope to have enough room to fit my foot in without struggling with it.

I used Paton's Merino Wool in dark olive green. It took me about two and a half skeins. I changed the pattern in that I knitted 10 rows then 5 rib rows at the ankle, not the original 15 + 5. I started off with two skeins. I wasn't done with the second sock, so I called my Michael's (since I knew Joann's was out). I then found Lion Brand Incredible Ribbon Yarn on sale for $2/roll. Bought way too many of them.

Under my Toe Up pattern, I found "Lee's Lattice Hat" pattern. Simple enough. You ewrap and knit off 18 rows, fold over for brim. Then ewrap two pegs at a time, knit off. It made a small cap then what I normally make, but it cute and I used up the rest of teh third skein, AND I made it in about 2-1/2 hours.

I sure like immediate gratification knitting.

I frogged the placemat again. Two strands do make a difference. One side is still droopy, not as bad as when I was using one strand. I also did not cast on as tightly as I had before. And I continue to keep the ends slightly tighter than the middle.

We'll see what's what.

Placemat issues

Here's my placemat. Yes, yes, I know, the loom is to large, but it's what I have. The stitch is airier. I like it, though. And since the Girl has already pegged it as hers, I'll make it longer to make it a runner of some sort.

So, now, my question to Graciela is why is my right side long? The left side, where the switching of yarn happens, has the potential to be too tight with pulling up the new working yarn. Once I got that, the left side is fine.

But the right side? Could it be I am not wrapping the end tight end, keeping enough tension on that side? Long loom kniotting is new to me, so any ideas are appreciated.


And this is the fabric I have earmarked for sewing. I was hoping the picture would capture the monumental stack in a what seems to me to be reality, but it doesn't. *sigh*

OK, so now I have to exercise self-discipline and "get off my duff," as the Girl puts it.

Aw, maaaaaannnnn.

Ribbon Bag

Here's my lovely ribbon bag. Thank you, Graciela, for this great class! And thank you LoomClass members who asked the questions I needed answers to. This baby loomed up quickly and easily.

I used Lion Brand Incredible. Rainbow, of course. I frogged it once because it wasn't stretching across the loom easily and my working yarn was in the wrong place. When I tried to unstretch it to add a row, I dropped a mess of stitches, so it was partly frogged anyway.

I think Graciela's model had two handles on it. I thought, for my purposes, it would make a better single strand draw bag. I am happy with how this project loomed up. And yes, the Girl has already got her eye on it.

I have started the honeycomb place mat. Right yarn, wrong colors (for me) and wrong loom. But since I am eager to learn how to use the double rake, I'm going along with what I have. It's loopy, to say the least. Using the Sugar and Cream on the KK blue long loom is making for an airy stitch, to say the least.

Joann's had S&C on sale. I got there the last day of the sale and yes, you snooze, you lose. I managed to find Hot Green and Hot Pink, which are not my first choice in colors, but since the other cotton yarn I have is varigated, I had to find something to help me see the contrast for what I am doing.

I may just keep on it until I get a Girl-style table runner. Then, she can us it for her tea parties.

Baby Bonnet

Here's the baby bonnet. I used Bernat Popcorn. It's a deep pink with sparklies and bumps (that's the popcorn part) through it. The model was gracious enough to have a small enough head and sit still. I couldn't help about the collogen lips an over the top make-up. Heh. (Girl wouldn't sit long enough for me to have everything I needed to take the picture on hand at the same time.
I like Pam's technique of throwing in a purl row to make the forming of the brim easier. I didn't get what she was trying to
accomplish until the foldover row. And then the section in which she switched from a one over two to one over one to get the lace through row. Wow! That is the sort of thinking I want to have on hand.

I am still futzing with my cable knit shawl pattern. It's written up for the yellow KK loom, but with the purl rows, it is not as wide as I want it to be. So I frogged it and have started it again on the KK blue oval loom as a flat panel.

I also have ideas for a hat and a barrel bag, but I guess I need to do more research about the flat woven bottom. I know there are a lot of purse patterns out there. I saw a girl at the library carrying a little bag that could be made from three flat panels and an I-cord.

Maybe a dissertation on how to look at projects with looming in mind would be worthwhile.