Answer: Find another craft to keep you busy inside with the AC running. Yep. I'm one of those people. Can't stand the heat and humidity of the South. It knocks you down and makes you unable to breathe ! UGH ! With near 90 degree temps all last week, I hibernated as I do every summer. Only venturing out when I must. I dread summer coming at all.
Ok, so I haven't posted in a few weeks. It's really due to that first loom knitting project. I actually finished it in roughly 6 weeks - give or take a day here and there. Loaded with mistakes, attempting to fix mistakes and finding it heavier than I really thought it would be - I finished it ! It's big, about 65"x58" I think it was. Something in that range. Nice size for getting nice and cozy warm. Which who needs that in the summer but hey, it's available. :)
I'm not sure I like the way the yarn ended up after washing. It's very "fuzzy". It washed up great ! It's soft to be sure. No issues there. Even the repairs I did held up really good. Still, I don't care for the fuzz. This yarn is really nice in hats and scarfs though. I love how it looks.
Since finishing my first afgan, I started yet another one with new yarn. I LOVE the new yarn but had to "frog" the project. Why the term frog to end a knitting project ? I'm not sure but might as well keep with the lingo right ? :) Anyway, I learned the purl stitch. Never did that stitch before and found I really liked the look and it was something different. Also learned the other 3 basic stitches. On the new project I used both estitch and purl. Decided I really liked the yarn alot and was going to buy more but because I was unsure I would get even close to same dye lots, figured I better not. So the project was frogged. Anyway, I got practice on the stitches.
Now we come to yesterday. I got my latest shipment of yarn ! Oh yeah ! I'm addicted because I could not WAIT to get those packages. Only 2 arrived. lol ! More to come. Anyway, so I started yet another afgan as soon as I could yesterday. LOVE LOVE LOVE this yarn ! OMG ! Soft, chunky, beautiful colors ! I bought 2 colors of this stuff and I know I'll go back for more. Bernat Blanket Yarn. YUMMY ! Doing what is called the garter stitch - which is nothing but knit a row, purl a row. Love it ! Will have to add a photo later. Still in camera.
So, as it is with my glass addiction - it is also with loom knitting. :) I'm not complaining mind you. Oh no, I'm enjoying it totally and completely. And have already shown that it's not just the yarn or the loom or the actually knitting - it's the gadgets that go with it !! lol ! Oh brother..................
Time to get my day started. Thanks for coming by. Have a great week ! Enjoy life !
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 ! :)
