Loom Knitting - Or How to Become Addicted to Yet Another Craft

I'm sure everyone that's ever done more than one craft/art already knows what it is to become "addicted" to that craft/art.  sigh.  It pretty much takes over your life.  lol !  We don't mean it to do that but it does.  And ususally without realizing it has until it's too late.  Then you are so far into it that it's just too late TO do anything about it.......except enjoy it, have fun with it and find as many places online or locally as you can to spend time with others that have that very same addiction !  :)  Been there - done that and am there AGAIN !  lol !  

This loom knitting thing is extremely addicting.  It's like with my beads.  I love it, can't wait to work on my project and look forward to learning something new.  I enjoy connecting with folks who are same minded.  There are LOTS of Facebook groups dedicated to loom knitting and of course a few on Ravelry.  I have enough looms for now.  Got all of them years ago except for the new KB "S" loom I am using now.  And I really have lots of yarn left over from all those years ago however they are not the type I need to use on these looms.  I bought them for Kumihimo  (yes that was another addiction too ! ) braids.  I am really drooling over all the yarn these days !   Especially all the newer types like the cake yarns.  So yummy but I am really controlling myself.  I recently used a gift certificate I had for Hobby Lobby all on yarn !  lol !  My next project already in my head.  lol !   

So yes, it's easy to become "addicted" to an art/craft - once you step into it.  So be careful.  No matter what it is  - it will take you in and hold you there until you can't take it anymore !  If that day ever comes.  lol !  

I'm still working on my first afgan using my KB "S" loom.  I've used up all the left over yarn that I had that worked in this project.  I wanted to keep it all one type of yarn - polyester so I still have left over yarns that I can use in other projects later.  I purchased 6 skeins of same namebrand yarn I started with and have 2 1/2 left.  As of today, I have about 50 inches of afgan knitted and thinking I need another 20 inches give or take to get a full 6 ft. long afgan.  Turns out those skeins are making only about 6 1/2" of afgan so I may end up having to buy another skein or two to finish UNLESS I just end it after the next two skeins.  I think it just depends on how "impatient" I get during the process to see the end result !  lol !  

Photo is of where I ended up a couple days ago at about 45".  Not to shabby I think for a first try at an afgan.  I made plenty of hats and scarves years ago and even a bag or two but never an afgan.  So, there it is.  

    Of course with loom knitting, you must have a few loom knitting tools - or as I call them, picks.  I just find it easier to say picks is all.  :)  I did have several already that came with the looms I had previously.  One came with the s loom as well.  I found they are all too short or too skinny or just plain uncomfortable in MY hand. As with the clothing industry - one size DOES NOT fit all with these picks.  So I searched and found a few that are longer and ordered.  One came yesterday.  I also saw a link posted in one of the FB groups of a video of how to add "padding" to the picks to make them "softer" or cushioned using those tiny rubber bands.  The handles of these picks that come with the looms are hard plastic and quite uncomfortable and even painful.  So I ordered some of those tiny rubber bands.  Those came on Monday.   Watched the video and made 2 rubber band "holders" for 2 of my picks and wha-la !  It works !  Easy to make, fun to make, fun to look at and most importantly - it HELPS tremendously !  I'll post the link to the video below.  Pictured are the two picks I added the rubber band holders too.  The red/orange/yellow colors represent the flame since I do make glass beads at my torch !  :)  The longer one is the one that I purchased and am thinking of ordering another one.  That one is 6" long.

     
Links:  How to make the loom knitting tool holder:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P762Ai88p8s

My FB page:  https://www.facebook.com/AllMyBeads/   Here you can find LOTS of items for sale such as my hand dyed 100 % silk cords/strings, jewelry clearance items, beads and Kumihimo braids.  

Thanks so much for coming by.  I hope you come back again sometime and join me on my loom knitting journey !  :)  

Beads and Silk Cords

Beads - they're in my blood.  I can't get away from them.  I don't want to get away from them.   All kinds of beads make me happy.  Lampwork beads are my favorites of course but I enjoy all the rest too.  Seed beads, clay beads, wood beads, ceramic beads, metal beads and on and on.  They are addicting.  Maybe that all goes back to my "hippie" days.  Afterall, I am a child of the 60's.  I didn't make them back then but I did wear them and often.  Plus as a child we all played with plastic beads in some form and who didn't play with marbles ?  Marbles are beads - they just have no holes.  Beads have been around for so long I don't think there's too many people that haven't done something with some kind of bead in their life.   Beads - they are a part of our society and many others - like it or not.  They're all around us and have been for centuries.  They aren't going anywhere and I'm sooo very happy for that ! 

This week, I've had the pleasure of being able to be at my torch a couple of mornings before the heat sets in.  The thing about that is it means the mornings are becoming cool again, slowly but surely, which also means, fall is just around the corner.  Yay !  My absolute favorite time of year - next to winter !  lol !  Which also means, many more days at the torch and for longer periods of time.  Which also means more beads are coming.  As long as my back and hands hold up.  lol !  Anyway this week, I was able to make a couple of sets, managed a pumpkin for Halloween and pulled some special stringers for some special types of beads.  Those stringers, took TWO, yes TWO hours to pull !  That was my day at the torch yesterday.  See, sometimes these pretty beads you see, all pretty with special decorations added in, take ALOT of prep time before even making one bead.  And then with so many additions to the bead, it can take a very long time to make that one bead.  Anyway, I wasn't able to make one of those beads yet but they will come.  :)  The beads I did make are still waiting to be photographed and a set is still soaking in the water.  Will have to show those beads later. 

I also worked on some brand new colors for hand dyeing silk cords and that's exactly what I did last weekend.  There are more new colors coming very soon too.  Colors I've never dyed before so it's pretty exciting for me !  :)  Anyway, photo's below of the newer colors.   All will be in my Etsy shop soon but are also available on my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/AllMyBeads  All of the cords now available in my Etsy shop can also be purchased via my Facebook page.  Just message me over there.  :)

                                   Deep Blue.  So pretty.

                          Deep Red  This red is darker than it shows and really stunning.

                              Neon Green !  Yes it's NEON !  :)  LOVE this !  More neons coming.

                              This is more a strawberry red.  Pretty.

                              Two tone turquoise.  Nice.

 

That's it for this week.  Thanks so much for coming by.  I hope you come back very soon ! 

Hand Dyed Silk Cords/Strings Revisited

Last week was such a busy week but there was some fun involved too.  :)  I am not complaining cause I like to stay busy but we all need a break once in a while right ?  So I think this coming week I'll slow down a bit.  Get caught up on some rest but do what needs to be done too. 

Ok so what kept me busy last week and actually the last 2 weeks - hand dyeing silk cords/strings.  Yes indeed.  I've gotten back into it once again.  Left doing that some time ago mainly because I had enough to keep me going for a while.  Recently, I looked at what I had left of those colors, I decided it was time once again to start dyeing.  :)  So far, I've done 30 skeins with more in mind.  I manage about 10 a day with single colors.  When I start painting the cords it will probably take longer.  Painting the cords can be fun too.  Still I want to expand on the single colors before I start painting them.  :)  What I managed to get done I have listed in my Etsy shop which you can see to the right of this.  Just click on any photo to go there and see all the colors.  More will be coming !  These cords are perfect for Kumihimo braiding.  You can use them on either the Marudai or the foam disk.  Either way works.  I use them on my Marudai which is what I'm use to using with fibers and keep my disk for beaded kumihimo. Also would be great using them in Friendship bracelets.  

Below are a couple of samples of the 8 strand braids using my silk cords.

The first one is a square braid using my sky blue silk cords and hand dyed satin cords.  The square shape is very distinctive.   

  
The second braid is made only with my hand dyed silk cords - Red and Black.  This one is available in my Etsy shop. 

I am anxious to try out some of my new colors just dyed.  They all look GREAT if I do say so myself.  lol ! 

I was able to finally finish up a couple of beaded Kumihimo braided necklaces as well.  I'll show those next post.  :)  I need to get back to work.

Thanks so much for coming by !  Come back again soon to see what's happening.    

Edited Page

Original post was removed due to it being outdated.  There are HUNDREDS of pages of free information out there about Kumihimo, beaded and not beaded.  Just search the web and be amazed ! 

In the meantime, come on over to my Facebook page for all of my hand made items.  Lampwork beads, hand dyed silk cords/strings, jewelry and braids. 

 JEWELRY SUPPLY DESTASH ALBUM -  All My Beads Jewelry Supply Destash
 

Link to my Facebook page -  https://www.facebook.com/AllMyBeads
 

Thanks for coming by.  :) 

 

Beaded Kumihimo

This page has been edited due to the fact there is so much on the web now about Kumihimo that my information was a bit outdate.  Do a search and you will be amazed at what comes up.

Links to my Facebook pages.  First one is a jewelry destashing album which has kumihimo end caps and much more.   I WILL have MANY kumihimo making supplies listed so check back often. 
Second one is to my page.

ALL MY BEADS JEWELRY MAKING SUPPLIES DESTASH

https://www.facebook.com/AllMyBeads


Two of the first beaded kumihimo bracelets I made.  There are so many more I've lost count. 

    

 

 

ALL MY BEADS   - FACEBOOK PAGE