Throwing in the towel...

I am throwing in the towel on my loom knit glove with fingers! I have been unsuccessfully trying to create a pair of gloves using just my looms and have not had any luck. I am able to get fingers on my handpiece but there are giant holes at the base of the fingers I am unable to blend into the rest of the stitches to make it look like one fluid piece. I was able to get fingers attached, but without a smooth transition, it just will not work! I even tossed my last attempt into the trash and a few hours later my husband discovered it in the trash, rescued it and brought it to me asking if our baby (Amanda May who is one year old) took it and threw it away (bless his heart). I told him I was just too frustrated and that I couldn't even figure out how to get the dumb thing unwound to salvage the yarn!

More bad news today. I just read an email from my friend Sheila who was diagnosed with and treated for cancer a few years ago, she had blood work done this past weekend and the test came back way off, her readings should be around 35 or less and she had readings of 6400! She told me that she believes it may be a mistake since she does not have any symptoms, however, she asked me to keep her in my prayers. This is very disheartening news for me and my family, she has been a wonderful blessing to us first as a nanny to our children, then as a cherished friend, and most recently as a valued spiritual adviser. I will most certainly keep you in my prayers, Sheila!

Two fingers down, three to go...

I got two fingers of my glove on the hand piece, only three to go (yeah!). The thumb piece doesn't look the greatest, but once I get the other fingers on, I'll rip the thumb piece out and try something else. Here I thought the thumb would be easy! Ha!

My stepdaughter posed a new challenge to me, she ordered a pair of fingerless gloves where there is a flap that you can put over the fingers to make a mitten. Mmmm, let me think, I just might be able to do that. I am still thinking about the scarf/belt/poncho thingy my other stepdaughter wanted me to make. Maybe I'll look for some patterns to modify...

The pictures my husband took of the cardinals out our window didn't turn out as well as I had hoped, but here is one of the pictures, enjoy:



I am off to work on my glove...

I'm cookin' with gas now!

I am making some progress on my glove. I posed the question to my Loom Knitting group over at Yahoo.com and got an idea I am working on. Can't say yet if it will work since I just started it and only got the wrist part done so far.

I finally finished my pair of socks. Love them! The only thing I don't care for is that they are shorty socks. I am going to make the ankle much longer next time. I needed to modify the pattern some and got a better idea on part of the pattern. Here is a picture of the first one I made:


I found this over on Isela's blog and thought I'd give it a shot. I have been told on numerous occasions that I looked like Gena Davis, but this picture obviously didn't pick up on that resemblance.

Rip it, rip it, rip it...I hear lots of frogs around here.

Well, I have frogged the glove again! I was doing so good and my one year old came along and yanked on the yarn and messed everything up! She was so darn cute, I couldn't be upset. She just stood there and giggled. I am working on adding a sunrise design to the glove using the Russian join method and using different colored yarns. I wish I had taken a picture because it looked so good. Now, if I can remember how I did it and replicate it, everything will be great!

I started working on my socks. Ohhh, are they ever fun! I could get addicted to those. So fun, I want to work on the socks and leave the glove idea alone for awhile. I suppose it's ok, it isn't like I am on a deadline or something, this is a hobby and it needs to stay fun otherwise I'll get discouraged and not want to do it anymore.

My mom works on quilts for her church to give to the needy, after talking to her last night, I had an idea, I should start a group that loom knits hats, mittens, gloves, scarves, socks, etc. during the winter months. It is so bitterly cold outside right now, I know there are many who are very cold and in need. I am aware of some loom knitters in my area, I should design a poster and put it up around town and see if I get any interested in doing something like this.

Starting over...almost.

I've started my project over (almost). I ran into the problem of my hand piece being either too big or too small for my hand (grrrrrrr). I have resorted to making a flat piece on the loom that created the hand piece too large and reducing it by four pegs. I will need to mattress stitch the piece together to create a tube. Hopefully this tube will fit my hand and I can finally finish my glove!

I picked up an array of brightly colored yarns last night I am anxious to use. I finally found some eleastic thread that will work with my sock pattern (actually, my hubby found it up high on the shelf since he is 7 inches taller than I, he was able to see up there while I kept missing it). Mmmm, maybe I'll start a pair of socks tonight...

I learned the mock crochet stitch the other day. What a fun, fun stitch!!! I am anxious to apply this stitch to a project (it would be lovely in a shawl, vest, hat, or purse). I used worsted weight yarn to learn, but think I'll use a much lighter yarn to complete a shawl or perhaps one of those neat belts that can pull out into a shawl I saw in the stores (my eldest stepdaughter said she wanted one of those). Fun! Click here for a demonstration from Isela (thanks again Isela -- still can't wait to get your book!).

There is a cardinal out on the birdfeeder outside my livingroom window. What a beautiful bird! It is so bitterly cold outside (-15 below zero) and I wonder if that is why he stopped by.

There's hope for (loom) newbies everywhere!

I am working on a design (pretty scary since I am very much a newbie at this loom knitting stuff). It's actually turning out really well. It's a glove (with fingers -- I hate fingerless gloves). I looked all over the web and in my craft store for a pattern and all I found were fingerless ones (arrrrrrrrrg). I found patterns that I didn't understand with my limited knowledge of needle knitting, but no loom patterns (I can actually understand those). I do hope I am able to get this project put together so I can share something with my loom knitting groups (finally). There is hope for me yet! Once I am done, and if it turns out, I'll post some pics.

Bittersweet goodbyes...from baby to toddler and she'll never look back.

My youngest is now a toddler. She has been taking short forays across the living room now for weeks. As of yesterday, she has now given up her knees (she was walking around the house on her knees -- talk about funny!) for her feet (yeah!). It's bittersweet goodbyes since she is my last one (my tubes were tied so I know this is so). It's babysteps for her and babysteps for me (I am learning many new things on my loom). Just as she stumbles and falls (ouch, she just fell this weekend and cut her eye open), I stumble with the loom. But, just as she gets back up and keeps on trying until she finally gets the hang of it, so will I. Many loom knitters started out this way -- stumbling and then finally mastering this craft. With the help of the loom knitting groups I belong to on Yahoo.com I am learning many new things and learning how to get past the things I am doing wrong.

If you stumble across this blog and you are new to this craft, don't get discouraged! I have mastered some of the loom knitting basics and will eventually be able to accomplish my dream of knitting a toddler sweater!