Archive for the ‘How To’s Day’ Category
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How To’s Day: Bored? Nothing to do, Make a knitting loom with stuff in your house!
Our Internet has been down today, and no pleading or harassing of our Internet provider would get it back in operation! At least they said not until tomorrow morning. (aka Wednesday) But it seems it worked out and we are back online! (but if you emailed me today, please send it again because those did not seem to make it through the outage!)
While the Internet was out, we were a bit.. er.. without something to do. So we made some knitting looms with things around the house!
I’ll tell you about two styles that we made.
First up is the simple easy peasy loom.
Here is what you need:
- a cardboard tube i.e. a toilet paper or paper towel roll
- 4-6 popsicle or craft sticks (guess what we had for snack today!)
- a ponytail holder, or rubber band
- tape of some sort the best would be masking tape or duct tape
- Using the ponytail holder or rubber band, band the sticks to the outside of the tube like this:
2. Make sure the sticks are distributed evenly around the tube,with the sticks extending about 3/4 to 1 inch above the top of the tube.
3. Tape them in place with your tape.
4. KNIT!
The second style is a little more complex, but a great way to recycle those plastic juice, and drink mix containers!
Here is what you will need:
- a plastic juice or plastic drink mix container
- ruler and/or tape measure
- scissors
- permanent marker
- paper
So here is what you do with all of that!
1. Measure your container at the point you expect to cut, you want a container with an even measurement, like 20 inches no fractions like 17 1/2!
2. CAREFULLY cut around your container. (usually there are lines on these you can use as a guide!)
3. Make a template on your paper for how you want to cut the pegs into the edge of your container. I used a half inch wide and a half inch deep, I think 3/4 inch deep might be better. line your template up with the top edge of the container, and trace the peg cut lines with your permanent marker.
4. CAREFULLY cut your pegs out, cut the sides first then the bottom line. You might want to cut a slit in the bottom to hold your yarn while you are working (see photo below)
5. KNIT!
By far the Kool Aid drink mix container was the best.
I think the paper tube ones would make a great make and take for a fiber show or craft show, or even for a scouting or church group. It’s so easy!
*** and if you don’t know what to do with the loom once you make it.. check out my loom knitting basics tutorial on my tutorial page!! And any of the loom knitting sites in my links will have some great resources as well!*****
I am hoping to submit a tutorial to Whip Up for a foldable portable knitting loom, so look for that there some time in September!! (crossing my fingers!)
Well Brian is cooking dinner tonight so I am off to finish another peice of the project for Shepherd.. really they are not naming him that.. it was a little joke.. that stuck! Hang on Jesse I am almost done!
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How To’s Day: How to Pick a Good Substitution Yarn
A few weeks ago when I asked for How To’s Day ideas I got some great suggestions. Thank you to all of you who made suggestions!! Keep them coming!Today’s subject was recommended by Karen. This is actually a question I get alot!
“I want to make this certain pattern, but I need to use a different yarn because __________! “ Fill in the blank ….
- I’m allergic to the yarn called for..
- I can’t find the yarn called for..
- It’s just tooo expensive.
So what do you do when you want to switch out a yarn? How do you find a suitable substitute?
Allow me to let you in on one of my (until now) best kept secrets: YARNDEX.COM
Some other great resources I turn to are the following books:The Knitter’s Book of Yarn: The Ultimate Guide to Choosing, Using, and Enjoying Yarn
By Clara Parkes
The Knitter’s Guide to Combining Yarns: 300 Foolproof Pairings * 8 Cool Projects
by Kathleen Grecco
The Knitter’s Handy Guide to Yarn Requirements
by Ann Budd (I carry this one in my bag when I go to buy yarn)
No Sheep for You: Knit Happy with Cotton, Silk, Linen, Hemp, Bamboo & Other Delights
by Amy Singer
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How To’s Day: How to make me laugh…
Yesterday poor little Caleb had his kindergarten check up and had to get 4 shots! (no that is not what made me laugh) While we were there the nurse practitioner checked him all over and then came to the part of the exam where she needed to check out his ‘boy parts’.
So she asked him: will it be ok if I check your boy parts?
Him: silence
Her: Do you know what I mean when I say ‘boy parts’?
Him: (thoughtful pause) Well I have two brothers…..
The real How to’s Day will return next week! When I have time to do something!! If you have any more ideas for how to’s that you want to see let me know! Just leave me a comment, and I will see what I can do!
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How To’s Day: How to Measure Your Mystery Yarn!
I have acquired lots of little odd balls of yarn lately.
This leaves me with a little dilemma. Just how much yardage is it that I have here! As a designer it is important to let potential users of my patterns know just how much yarn they will need to knit up a pattern! As a knitter it is important to know how much yarn you have so that you are confidant that you will not run out before your project is done!You might not have a whack of odd balls like I do; but let’s face it, we all have yarn in our stash that has been separated from it’s label or even some ‘vintage’ mystery yarn that we picked up here and there. So just how do you determine how much yarn you have there?
It can be easy and low tech or you can get fancy..
In your LYS or online yarn shops there are often advertised little yarn measuring devices like this:
These are nice and vary in price from about $40.00 to $70.00. You grab it, clamp it to your work table and run the yarn through it typically between your skein winder and ball winder and go go go. It’s quick, easy and pretty darn accurate.
You really need to use a ball winder at least with this gadget for it to work really properly.
Of course if you are concerned about the price of the ‘commercial’ models you can always opt for your own low cost version. The ‘yarn meters’ are typically fishing line meters that are available at your local sporting goods store, that are mounted on a wooden yarn guide and clamp set up. I asked my husband to see if they were available one day at our local sporting goods store and rather than just scouting, he came home with one! So for about $15 I had my yarn meter! (and it even lights up!) I just clamp it on an unsuspecting chair placed between my swift or skein of yarn, and my ball winder and measure away!
Now, if you don’t like all that fancy winding, and spinning and all there are some other options for you.
The wrap method..
This has been the method I have typically used to measure any mystery yarn in my stash. I usually grab one of my kitchen chairs and turn it upside down. I measure around the legs, make a note of the measurement and start winding! Or I just wind it around the back of the chair.. works just as well..
I count how many times that I wind the yarn around and then do a little math magic to figure out how much yardage I have. In my case, the measurement around my chair top is 31″, so at 75 wraps around it, I have 2,325″ of yarn. If I divide that by 36 (you know 36 inches in a yard..) I get approximately 64.5 yards!
You can also do this with a piece of cardboard. Easy Peasey and better yet! FREE!
The Niddy Noddy:
I will admit to having bought one of these.. this is typically a tool spinners use, and while I have temporarily given up spinning till I get a wheel that is more suited to me, I will keep the niddy noddy. I have however yet to use it!
Knitter’s Review did a little piece on using niddy noddies to measure yarn.
And here is a nice piece on the general use of a niddy noddy.
So if you have one and haven’t used it hey, there you go!
There are some interesting mathematical methods for figuring your yarn by weight and all but hey I like to do as little math as possible!! So pfft!
I hope that you have found a method here to use for measuring your mystery yarn!
Till next How To’s Day, keep on playing with that fiber!! And if you have any questions you want me to cover, let me know! Just leave me a comment!
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How To’s Day: Hat Flaps Take Two!
Today we cover the “somewhere in between” ear flap method. Some of you may remember my little green hat. It has earflaps that can be pulled up and tied at the top when they are not needed, with a little trick, they tuck up nice and neat behind the fold up brim of the hat. Never fear my fellow loom knitters, today you get your own nifty tuck-up-able earflap hats!
It’s quite easy!
First make your 3 stitch I cord.
Then increase this to however wide you want your earflap (in my case I only made it 5 stitches wide as I am working on a 24 peg loom)
Now since you will be seeing both sides of this earflap I recommend you make it in garter stitch pattern.
Once you have your earflap looking the way you want it cut your yarn leaving a nice tail to weave in, and place it on a stitch holder or some waste yarn. And of course you will want to make another one.. unless you only have one ear.
Then cast on all stitches of the loom and work in circular. This will be a fold up brim, you can make it anyway you want, k2p2 ribbing, plain old stockinet, garter stitch, seed stitch you choose! (I chose garter) Knit until you have the length desired for the brim. then.. no mater what stitch pattern you were using you will knit 1 row (I don’t care from flat stitch or e-wrap you choose!)
Here is where it gets tricky.. yep that 4 letter word MATH!!
T= total number of stitches (in my case 24)
E= total number of stitches in BOTH earflaps. (in my case 10)
So here is the fancy formula: T – E = X Take X and divide it by 2. this will = S S is the magic number!
In my case 24-10= 14 14/2 =7
I will need to leave 7 stitches between my earflaps so that they are spaced directly across from each other on the loom, and therefore on the head!
You may need to fudge it and have them 1 peg closer to each other in some cases.
So on the next row I will knit S amount of stitches Then you will bind off the number of stitches to match how wide one earflap is. Then knit S amount of stitches again and then again bind off the number of stitches for one earflap.
You should end on the first stitch of the next row. And it will look like this:
Take the earflaps and put the end of the I-cord down through the center of the loom. Place the live loops for each earflap on the corresponding empty pegs on either side of the loom, like so:
Then continue on incorporating those stitches into the next round. Continue with your hat as normal using whatever stitch you choose and finish it off!
Clever!
Enjoy! And next time remind me not to write tutorials late at night
Sleep well, I’ll most likely edit it in the morning….
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How To’s Day: How to keep those ears warm!
Let’s face it! It is still chilly outside! And when it is cold it’s important to stick a hat on your head and keep your ears warm!! What better way to keep your ears warm than some clever ear flaps on your hat!
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Now how to do it. As I thought about that I figured there was more than one way to get the job done. So we will look at three ways to do it! And these principles can translate to needles too , though I will be sticking to my roots and showing these techniques on the knitting looms. I will be covering these it separate posts as it seems that to get this all together at once is impossible especially when I keep thinking of different better ways to do this!! I will pop them all together in a pdf when the series is done!
- Starting with the earflaps and working your way up.
- Starting at the top and making the earflaps last.
- Somewhere in between!
To start with the earflaps and work your way up.. you can make an I-cord to tie your hat on (or not) I usually work a 3 stitch I-cord. Once you have your I-cord made you start to work as for a flat piece and increase 2 stitches at each end of the row every other row till you have the ear flap as wide as you want.
Then keep knitting till you get it as long as you want. Now, break yarn, look across your loom and start again with the center stitch directly across from the center of your finished earflap.
Then once you are done with your earflaps you simply work your way around your loom and make your hat, your usual way!
In this sample I used a garter stitch earflaps and brim. It is best to use this sort of brim or even a ribbed brim so that that edges between the earflaps will not curl!
Some things to keep in mind:
- if you make your earflaps in stockinet stitch the edges will curl. so if you don’t want this to happen work your earflaps in garter stitch!
- It seems to me that baby ears are set more toward the front, so you might want to place them closer to the front.
- Older ears seem to sit in the middle so center the earflaps for older than baby ears.
- If you are making your earflaps a different color than the rest of your hat be sure to match the type of yarn.. you sure wouldn’t want to go and wash your hat in the washer and have your ear flaps felt on you!!
* of course this is THE most clever earflap hat ever.. Jayne Cobb’s hat from Firefly!
I might use the earflap up method for this one.. dispensing with the i-cords and making the earflaps on the wider side..
“I think my hat is quite clever.. thank you!” says Claire.
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Paying the bills…
Coming April 13th
