Crystal's World

2008's Tree Quilt

2009-01-11T13:05:00.003-05:00

Every year I make a Tree quilt around the holidays. I thought I'd share the most recent one. Maybe someday I'll actually get pictures of all of them!
This is a small wallhanging that measures just about 22" square.

What a Year!!!!

2008-03-14T21:36:00.007-04:00

It's been a year since I've written. I hope you don't feel neglected! I'm another year older and it's official... I am NOT going to have another birthday... EVER! That being said... time to catch up.

My high school is planning the 20 year reunion. I missed the last one(s) they had. I guess I got lost from their radar... all the moving I did after high school. It's going to be interesting to see what everyone is doing after all this time!

I'm still running the quilting sew-a-thons on the first Sunday of the month- for charity. Crystal Kini Designs has taken off. Check out my website with all the belly dancer goodies that I make and sell. I've missed a bunch of belly dancing classes recently so I'm vowing to get back into the swing of things. I quit smoking--- St. Patty's day will be 2 months since my last cigarette!

I'm sad to say that I haven't had much time to loom knit - which is why you haven't seen much of me. This blog became very much about my loom knitting!

So... I'm not making any promises... but maybe that will change a bit. In the meantime, check out some quilts! Some of them were made or designed by me for my charity quilt group -TheSew Fine Quilters or they may have been made by myself or the quilters of my quilt-making business -QuiltMasters. Enjoy!

First photo... I designed the Greek Key design of the quilt for the sew-a-thon... but BJ truly made it her own! She used the frogs from the fabric as an inspiration for the appliques!
QuiltMasters...
My daughter holds up the Quilt made of the baby clothes of our customers 7 children!

Mom and I hold up a quilt we made for Andrea- she designed it for a class in her Master's Degree program! We heard her teachers liked it!

QuiltMasters quilt - A kind hubby had this quilt made for his wife for the holidays last year... it included photos of the family as well as Pandas... her favorite animals. Sweet, huh?

Mama got a new sword!

2007-03-09T11:10:00.000-05:00

My hubby was so sweet to get this beautiful sword for me. We went out to Fig Cafe for my birthday and that's when he gave it to me. Behind me you can see some of my friends who came to enjoy the evening too! Another friend was dancing there that night-and it was her birthday too!
I love the way this sword balances on my head! It's a Baledi sword. I have been practicing belly dancing with it... I think it's a great way to remember that you have to keep your head straight! If you don't, it falls! Even though it's not super sharp... it can definitely cut and stab!

The best part was when I put it on my head... there were a bunch of people sitting across from us... about 10 feet away. They casually looked my way when I opened it. Then went back to their conversations. When I put it on my head they all took a double take. You could see their mouths dropping. It was too funny!

I'm not one to be the center of attention... but it was interesting to see the reactions of others. In the pic of me with the sword on my head... you can see Des' arm... she was leaning pretty far away to stay clear!

Lacy Shrug!

2007-02-18T13:23:00.000-05:00

My latest Design! The Lacy Shrug!
If you look back in a couple of posts, you'll see when I started this. I had to modify the pattern a bit and now, it's just perfect for Lisa! She looks happy, huh?

I made this on The Red KK loom with King Tut Egyptian Cotton Yarn with the mock crochet stitch. Around the edges, I crocheted it with a cute lacy (even ruffle-y) stitch for that feminine look!

I created a pattern for this and will be teaching it locally... probably in the Doylestown, PA area. If you are interested in taking the class, please feel free to let me know. The time and date of the class hasn't been finalized yet... but I'll put it here on my blog once it's all worked out!

The cool thing about this pattern is that it seems to fit lots of people... the stitch allows for a lot of give in the fabric and only slight modifications would be needed to make the sleeves longer or shorter. It doesn't actually go around the shoulder, but lies against the shoulder. Gives you coverage, but doesn't limit your movements... exactly why my belly dancer friends like it! But, I think it would be great on anyone!
Oh, and Lisa is wearing a Crystal Kini Designs Skirt too--- I made the pointed one she's wearing! :-)

Here's a picture of the back on Lisa.

Here we have the same shrug on Frankie--- the back of her top was a little higher, and I thought the stitches are a little easier to see!

**Remember, you can always click on the pictures to see them bigger!**

My stuff for Sale!

2007-01-27T17:42:00.000-05:00

I've put some of my handmade items on Ebay for sale! Please check them out here!
Here's a quick preview!
To the left is a pointed skirt, also known as a handkerchief skirt. This is a great skirt to wear alone or over a skirt or harem pants for bellydancing. It's also great for wearing with a fairy costume or over another skirt at the Renn Faire!

Below is a celtic belt with the triquetra design and shiny
coins and bitty bells on the trim. It's also great for bellydancing or a Renn Faire... or just for a fun look over jeans!

Hair Sticks and Falls!

2007-01-11T22:59:00.000-05:00

I came up with this cool idea... well, I think it's cool anyway! The concept goes like this... hair sticks that have dangles... but not only that (as if that's not cool enough!). The dangles from the hair sticks are interchangeable and stackable!
Well that's how Clippy Bits was born! They are jewelry for your hair! And, they are great for everyone!
Tribal-style bellydance is all about layers and Clippy Bits work great for dancers because they can be attached to different parts of the dancers costume, bras, belts, cholis and particularly hair sticks. You can have one or as many as 6 on some sticks stacked up for that really layered look. But, honestly - everyone likes them- and wears them- you don't have to be a dancer to love jewelry for your hair!
Here's a pic of two in my hair. I'm also making some hair sticks that are straight. I'll have to get more pictures of them soon. Every stick or set is different- since I love celestial stuff, that's the style I wore for the pic!

I've also been pretty busy working on hair falls. These are dangles that hang down from your hair. But, these too can be attached to other parts of a costume- especially belts.
Here's a couple of pictures of some hair falls I've made recently. These are selling as fast as I can make them!

Mock Crochet Shrug

2007-01-11T22:16:00.000-05:00

I know it's been awhile... I even got e-mails from some of you asking me to post. It's just been crazy, but I've been busy, busy, busy! That's a good thing, right?

Well, I've got a few pictures of things I've been working on. And, I KNOW you come here for the pictures!

I'm making this meshy shrug for a fellow bellydance student.
I started it out on the blue round Knifty Knitter loom, and tonight we did our first fitting. Well, it's too small so it's frogging for me! The pics show the shrug on the blue KK loom. But, I will be upgrading to the green one. I really don't mind frogging it, I LOVE the mock crochet stitch. It's so fun to do and it goes pretty fast!

The shrug is being made with King Tut yarn in a light minty-sage green. Is that a color? Well... it's not too mint green, and not too sage- so I think it's minty sage! :-) King Tut yarn is an Egyptian cotton yarn, and it's got a nice sheen to it- it doesn't say that it's mercerized, but it looks like it. It has a nice feel - since it's cotton, it doesn't have a lot of stretch, which is ok with this stitch on the loom. There isn't a size on it, but I'd guess it's DK or baby weight.

Here you can see that I knit the first sleeve in the round, then stopped and split it into a flat panel, then, I started knitting it in the round again. It was actually further along, but I didn't get pictures before I started frogging it. I'll take more pics when it's been redone on the red loom.

I plan to also add a crochet border to the sleeves and around the opening. I saw a cute crochet border technique on Knitty Gritty today... I'm probably going to do that.

The border goes something like this for you crocheters out there...
row 1 - sc evenly around the pice
row 2 - ch 3, skip one stitch, sc in next stitch
row 3 - In each loop that was made from row 2, 1sc, 1hdc, 1sc.
I can't wait to see how this comes out! I'll keep you posted. I might even make up a pattern for this one! (I didn't find a lacy shrug pattern on the web when I searched) The closest I found was one that Isela made- it looks very warm- but my friend wanted lacy!) IF you plan to do one of these, the blue KK loom will accommodate someone with arms that are about 10" around the biggest part. For everyone else... Stay tuned, I'll let you know how the round green KK loom works out for her!

Dear Readers...

2006-11-08T21:23:00.000-05:00

Dear Crystal's World Readers,

Thanks for checking out my blog. Please feel free to look around and see what you can see! There are lots of links within my blog entries... so don't forget to check them out. (Anything that is underlined is a link to another site- probably something related to the subject at hand). To all of you other bloggers and website hosts who link to me, please don't be offended that I haven't added you to my links. It's just a chore I haven't gotten to yet- and frankly, I just hate to play with html.

Just an FYI- My pictures are all clickable - you can really get a close up of some of the projects when you click it. Then, you can usually make it even bigger if you click it again! Please don't mind the threads and dust when you get really close up! ;-)

I want to let everyone know that I really like getting feedback about my blog and especially about my projects. Sometimes people e-mail me with questions about a project --- and it seems everyone wants to apologize - please don't! I'm always happy to answer questions... but I warn you I can be a bit long winded--- so you might get more info than you asked for! So, long story short, ask away! And, if you have suggestions, or just want to show me what you've done with my pattern, or idea, please share that too. I absolutely love to see the way that things evolve!

Thanks for checking things out here!
~Crystal
PS... Don't you just love the knitting smiley? :-)

Wrist Warmer-Fingerless Glove Pattern- Just Right!

2006-11-03T12:49:00.000-05:00

Here's the one that fits me!
The pattern is the same as the previous post... I just used less pegs on this one!
Again, let me give credit to Kansas for her inspiration - and input!

I used the Small Gauge WonderLoom from Decor Accents and worked in the round. For this wrist warmer, I used 28 pegs. This is Lion Brand Jiffy- notice the way this one knitted up differently than the last one- it's from the same skein- but the different # of pegs gave different look to the stripes.

Here's the pattern...

Crystal's Wrist Warmers Pattern!

NOTE: I used the Flat Stitch for all Knit stitches in this pattern (not E-wrap stitch)

Cast on 28 peg using the Cable Cast on Method (video available here at DA Looms) This gives a nice non-loopy start.
Row 1-5 rib stitch on all pegs (Purl 1, Knit 1)
Row 6-15 knit all pegs
Row 16 bind off first 4 pegs with crochet bind off method place the last crocheted loop onto peg 5. Knit remainder of row
Row 17 Cast on first 4 pegs with cable cast on method. Pulling the last loop onto the 5th peg, knit off those stitches then bring the working yarn back to the front and continue knitting in flat stitch for the remainder of the row.
Row 18- 53 knit (25 rows)
Row 54-59 rib stitching (P1,K1)
Bind off with crochet method.

You are finished! Enjoy!
Now, since I only made one of each size... the decision is... Do I make another one of each- or take the larger one apart? Hmmm... the dilemna!

Please note, this pattern is copywritten... so please don't claim it as your own. You are welcome to use it for yourself or gifts, and you can even link to it here. Please don't sell my pattern as your own, or copy it to your website without permission. Thanks again to Kansas - check out her pattern here!

Wrist Warmer- Fingerless Glove-Too Big

2006-11-03T12:31:00.000-05:00

Here we have my first attempt to make some wrist warmers! I felt inspired by Kansas' pattern to make some. Her pattern is a little different. But, she and I chatted a bit about how she made hers and I ran with a bind off and cast on for the thumb hole. Here's the scoop...
I used my Small Gauge WonderLoom from DA Looms. (I have to admit, I was on the first shipment list for these months ago - and this is the first time I used it)
First, let me say, I absolutely love this loom! This the first loom from them that I got that has the nylon pegs... they rock! They're flexible and yet sturdy. Doing the flat stitch on it was a dream!
I used Lion Brand Jiffy for these guys... and I only needed one strand for this gauge- always a plus! I'm loving it.
So, this was the first one that I made... I used 30 pegs and it is a little big.
I'm not skinny- that is for sure, but my wrist is 6 1/4" around and my hand is 7 1/2" around- just to give you reference. I just think that it's a little looser than I wanted... it fits, and it's not coming off... but I wanted it a little more close fitting. Since my wrists are probably the skinniest part of my body, I wanted the least amount of bulk as possible. But, if you have larger hands or wrists than I do, I'd say defininely go with the 30 pegs!

OK... I'm going to put the pattern in the next post... this one is getting a bit long!
Happy Looming!

Fun, Fuzzy and Funky Handbag!

2006-10-20T09:11:00.000-04:00

This bag was fun to make and it sure is funky! I hand knit it on size 17 needles and used Lion Brand's Big Yarn. It took two skeins- right to the
end! I also used fun fur and Red Heart worsted weight acrylic yarn.
The handle is finger crocheted- using no hook.
The clasp is made with the end yarn from the
handles. I fed the yarn through the top stitches
and knotted them in the middle.
Then, for the clasp side, I tied another knot a few inches down the strands and crocheted the fun fur around the loop it made. For the other side, I strung some hand made glass beads on the two strands of yarn and knotted again. I brushed the yarn out so it looks like a little tassle.

The little cell phone bag was made by crocheting the Worsted weight yarn and the fun fur held together. I started with sc around the first couple of rows... the dch a few more rows. It's attached with the extra yarn from the seams on the side of the big bag and then I used a single macrame knot to make the cell bag strap more sturdy and decorative! Now, the cell phone won't get lost in the bottom of the bag!

Oh and I almost forgot! I lined the bag with 100% cotton quilting fabric... it is fused into the bag with Heat and Bond Heavy fusible web. This makes the bag very sturdy and stable.

I didn't use a pattern for this bag... just made two pieces with a gusseted bottom and sewed it together!

This bag is for sale at my etsy store... to check it out go to www.crystalkini.etsy.com

Remember, you can always click the pics to see closer versions!

Finally Done! Blue and rainbow knit handbag with attached cell bag

2006-10-19T15:17:00.000-04:00

YAY! I finished it! If you look back into my archives you'll notice that this bag was on the incomplete list back here... Reality Check
Well, it's done now! And I LIKE it! I knit this on the yellow KK loom with 3 strands held together. I made handles for it, crocheted an edge on the top and when I went to finish it, I didn't like it... so I took it off!
The other day- I decided it sat in the 'to do' pile too long! I removed parts mentioned above and added lining, by fusing fabric to the inside of the bag... this made it nice and sturdy (no more floppy knit bags)! Then, I crocheted an edge around the top and made the handles again... but I didn't stop there!

If you look at my second pic, you'll see, I crocheted a small cell phone bag and a strap for a key ring. I am always losing my cell phone in my hand bag- when I find it, the people have been sent to my voice mail.

Hmmm... maybe I should make one of those for myself! Well, anyway, I created the pattern for this bag- it's got a flat bottom, but not the same method as my previous bags. This one is sewn on the sides.
I'm working on some patterns that will be for sale... so keep your eyes open!

In the meantime, this bag is for sale along with some other things that I have made... check out my items for sale at my Etsy store...
Crystalkini.Etsy.com
Remember, you can always click the images to see them larger!

Latest Things- Bellydance!

2006-08-26T13:59:00.000-04:00

So, this is what I've been up to!
The first two items- bracelet and belt are not made by me, but by the Kuchi Tribes of the Middle East. I'm selling these in conjunction with my own handmade bellydance items!

All the other pics are things that I am making and selling on my website www.crystalkini.com and also I'm selling at area haflas or bellydance events in the general area. It's very fun and exciting. Some of my items have influences from designs I've seen on dancers or through studies of the traditional Middle Eastern dance outfits. I haven't used anyone else's patterns for any of the items that I make. First is a lace-up belt... it's reversible! It's green on the other side. I have heard many people say they want to wear theirs over jeans or gaucho pants! Don't have to be a bellydancer even! Second, are zil covers, or zil mufflers. Put these on your finger cymbols for storage or for practice. With these on, you can practice zill drills for hours, and the neighbors won't complain! Third, is a long skirt that is worn over a pair of harem pants or tiered skirt. It's a great accent - this one is a long version... but I have some shorter ones too! Last, is my latest venture... cowry and coin hair falls! I really like the way these turned out! They have a base of yarn and are wrapped in a spiral pattern with embroidery floss and crochet cotton. They have accents of beads, cowrie shells and kuchi coins- I can't wait to design another set... they are so much fun and remind me of my youth! We used to use a similar technique to make hair wraps. I have to admit though- they take forever to make. Each one must have 750 knots holding them together! Great project to do while watching tv!

Jiree Pattern Testing!

2006-07-15T09:36:00.000-04:00

Isn't she cute?
A month ago Denise sent me and Pam an e-mail asking if we were interested in doing some pattern testing for her. Here you can see the results! This is called a jiree. What a great pattern! You can make it into a vest as the first photo shows or you can make it into a cardigan sweater!

Denise's pattern is for infant, toddler (shown here) and adult sizes.
I used the Long Blue KK loom to make this... but it can be made on the Round KK looms as well!
For the vest it only took one skein of Bernat Boucle. For the sweater, I used a little of a second skein to finish it up.
If you want a quick easy pattern, I'd suggest this one - a beginner or advanced loomer can do it! Denise has the pattern for sale at her blog and she tells me it will be available at www.loomknit.com soon!

Almost Free Mystery Soup!

2006-06-20T14:23:00.000-04:00

I was checking my yahoo groups this morning and I was lead to Kansas' blog- nice loom knitting in fair isle styles! But, I read along and saw a post by Kansas about this site... Hillbilly Housewife which has a lot of ideas of how to save money and make yummy homemade meals and treats. I thought I'd send a tip to her, but in her contact information, she said she isn't looking for recipes. This is kind of a recipe, but not really. So, it inspired this blog entry... Almost Free Mystery Soup! The internet is such a round-a-bout thing sometimes! But definitely full of inspiration!

I was thinking I would share my soup method with you. This stuff is so yummy that I have friends who actually request invites to dinner on 'Mystery Soup' night! Anyway, my mom always did this and now, I do too so I thought I would share it with you. Here's what we do...

Keep a large plastic container in your freezer. Mine is a 7 1/2 cup tupperware container. (You can use a few smaller containers too). When you have leftovers that you just know that no one will eat or there is only 1/2 a spoonful left, don't throw them out. Cut them into small chunks and put them into this container. When someone is feeling the flu coming on, or when the container is full, make some soup.
I put the contents of the container (usually still frozen) into a large pot, and add about 2 cups of water. Cover and cook on low or medium heat until it simmers (stir occasionally). Taste it! If it's too salty, add more water, if it's bland, add some soy or worchestershire sauce (a little at a time). You can add some boillion cubes, canned broth, french onion soup mix, herbs, garlic or spices to taste, if you need more flavor - but I rarely need to do this- see below. Also, check the contents of the pot, if you think you need more veggies, add whatever you have on hand.

About 1/2 hour before dinner, I usually add some pasta, rice or chunks of potatoes. (my mom adds pasta and potatoes- but I usually pick one or the other!) Just use your judgement- this is a very free form thing -add what you like. If you add uncooked rice or pasta, add a couple more cups of water. If the broth is thinner than you like add some corn starch or mashed potatoe flakes.
Serve it up--- and impress everyone! It is never the same twice- but it's always delicious! I'm telling you, if you like 'real' soup--- this is the way to go! My husband grew up on Campbell's soup... he didn't think anyone EVER made their own soup anymore--- now, he knows better and loves mine! The best thing is this is made primarily out of things that were headed to the trash and now you have a delicious meal! (and nothing is stinking up the trash can!) Usually the only additional thing I add is the pasta or the rice... so for less than 20 cents, I've made a huge pot of soup! If I add pototoes... it might be 50 cents or$1!

Here are some examples of what goes into my 'soup container'...
VEGETABLES such as carrots, peas, broccoli, onions, mushrooms, chopped spinach, beans, tomatoes, potatoes, mashed potatoes, (even if they have sauce or cheese on them-toss them in!) Oh, and don't forget that little bit of juice from the serving container-- add that too- the water that vegetables are cooked in is filled with the vitamins from the veggies- don't pour that down the drain!
MEATS - beef, chicken, pork, ham - I don't put breaded meats in there, but I guess you could. Sometimes I remove breading, but I don't usually add breading to my meats- we only have it if it comes that way from the store!
RICE any kind- even the instant side dish stuff! (don't forget the leftover fried or white rice from the local chinese restaurant)
MEAT GRAVY- canned, packaged, or homemade- doesn't matter- You know there is always just a spoonful left-swish a little water around in there to thin in out and toss it in the container!
MEAT DRIPPINGS- Again, there is always a little bit of that marinade left in the pan. That made your meat sooo yummy--- add a little water to swish it around and add it to the container- this is what most soup stock is made from- so don't waste that!

What I DON'T put in to the soup container...
fish (gets yucky when re-frozen)
noodles (but you could- my little one will eat every last one!- but also they tend to get mushy when recooked later)
cabbage - I guess you could- but I don't like cooked cabbage.
saurkraut- I think the flavor might take over the soup.
Salsa or hot stuff, but, I don't like spicey hot things--- but if you like that--- go for it!

Oh, and when you only have 1/4 cup of this soup left, put it into the freezer container and start the process over! (I have to admit though- this never happens! No leftover soup in this house!)
It really is amazing how quickly the soup container gets filled (and how much of that yummy good stuff would have gotten thrown out).
Try it and see how quickly your soup becomes the best soup you ever had!

The Yarn Box Returns!!!

2006-06-10T18:19:00.000-04:00

YAY! The yarn box got here today! Here's a pic of the goodies that came back to me! If you recall from a my previous post... "All Dressed Up and Ready to Go" I started the Knifty Knitter Yahoo Group Yarn Box for Group #4.
Today, it came back to me. I've been a little impatient for hubby to get home so I could take a picture of the yarn - before I dug into it! He had the camera! :-)

So, now you can see what a great job our group did! I hope everyone had a great time with the yarn! I promise to give these babies a good home!

Hmmm... Ok this is me!

2006-05-22T21:15:00.000-04:00

You Have a Melancholic Temperament

Introspective and reflective, you think about everything and anything.
You are a soft-hearted daydreamer. You long for your ideal life.
You love silence and solitude. Everyday life is usually too chaotic for you.

Given enough time alone, it's easy for you to find inner peace.
You tend to be spiritual, having found your own meaning of life.
Wise and patient, you can help people through difficult times.

At your worst, you brood and sulk. Your negative thoughts can trap you.
You are reserved and withdrawn. This makes it hard to connect to others.
You tend to over think small things, making decisions difficult.

What Temperment Are You?

This is 'me'!

2006-05-21T21:33:00.000-04:00

I thought the first image you get of me should be this one... why? Well, because it's fun! Here I am as a American Tribal Style Bellydancer!
Last night hubby and I went to the Belly Jam -it's a hafla- kinda like a bellydance party! There were a bunch of performers - from all different styles of bellydance and time for open floor dancing! I had a great time! I've been bellydancing for less than a year now... and I have a long way to go! But, it's fun and I enjoy it. The Belly Jam was hosted by Hipnosis - a tribal style bellydance troupe in my area. My teacher, Vikki, is in this troupe. I even danced - a little! I'm a little shy about it yet!
In the spirit of this blog... I made my hair falls... out of homespun yarn and some fabric strips. Note: Homespun yarn sheds against velvet... big time! I picked fuzzies off of myself all night! There are coins, washers and cowry shells on the hair falls also!
I made the choli - shirt out of 1 way stretch velvet. It's mostly open in the back with just straps (see bottom pic). I also made the fringe skirt out of Lion Brand Mystery yarn and some heavier fabric.

The belt is made of old kuchi pendants and tapestry. I didn't make this... but did sell some at the show! The necklace I made with the kuchi pendant in the center along with some old Middle eastern coins and beads. I have more kuchi items - we plan to put some for sale online.

So, there you have 'me' in all my get up! You can laugh... the kids in the Dunkin Donuts did when we went to get our 'potluck' food before the show! I swear, I wasn't the only one dressed up--- although you might think it from these pics!
Happy Shimmies!

Is this Me???

2006-05-04T16:08:00.000-04:00

I just took this aura test... very interesting what they can determine about someone by their answers to 98 questions!
So, for those of you who know me... what do you think? Is this me??

Nurturing Tans are the pillars of their community. They are helpers, volunteers, believers in brotherhood, dedicated, tenacious, service-oriented, unselfish, self-effacing, communicative and mental.

Nurturing Tans are another of the Eclipse Colors in the Personality Spectrums system. The color closest to their body is Mental Tan. Outside the Mental Tan and completely encircling their body is a band of Blue. These two colors combine many of the characteristics of both the Mental Family of colors and the Emotional/Spiritual Family of colors. However, a Nurturing Tan has a distinctly different motivation from either of these two colors alone, with personality and character traits unique to this color.

The driving force of the Nurturing Tans, the mission that gives their lives meaning, is the concept of brotherhood. They demonstrate their commitment to this mission by rendering service to the family, the neighborhood, the city, the nation, or the world. They put the needs of others before their own, teaching humanitarianism by example.

The lesson that Nurturing Tans need to learn is to identify and serve their own personal ego needs as well and to satisfy their own longings and desires in such a way as to make existence something worth living for. Nurturing Tans need to learn that it is acceptable to give something to themselves while serving others.

Here's more about me- according to the Aura Test... I have to say---- it's pretty darn close.
Nurturing Tan
Take the test yourself HERE.

Reality Check!

2006-04-26T17:05:00.000-04:00

Here we have my lovely works in progress. Hmmm… Do I have attention problems? Am I easily distracted? Or, am I just plain busy???

Any excuse I want to give is just not going to cut it… They’re not done and that’s that. They will be someday!

*Starting at the back left – we see a bag with it’s handles begging to be attached. This was a prototype for a large (non-felted) bag that will be sturdy and have a flat bottom- but not using my other technique. I plan to write a pattern for this one—and possibly put it up for sale. It’s made with two strands of Red Heart Super Saver and one strand of a baby weight yarn.
*In the middle… the purple bag is a continuation of my felting study--- handles not attached (or made) yet—but it’s 3 strands of Lite Lopi. I had to get it off the loom quickly to use the Yellow Loom for something else. (Insert distraction excuse here!)
*In the back Right, we have the black felted handbag (part of my study in felting wools) All I have to do for this one is add the crystal and take it’s picture with the other felted bags- What am I waiting for? Well, I was waiting for batteries for the camera--- but I got them now--- no excuse allowed!
*In the front, we see my lovely Easter project--- it’s a crocheted hot pad… but I ran out of yarn. I used more than one skein of Peaches and Cream Fiesta Ombre – and ran out on the border which holds it all together--- I have actually been to 3 stores looking for this color again—have to keep looking! And I need to make another one to go with it!
*On the loom, we see my mesh bag using Suzanne’s pattern. I’ve got the bottom done… ready to switch to the mock crochet stitch now! Hmmm... what’s the hold up--- Life!

The other day I decided to write myself a To Do list… and I filled a whole page with stuff I have to do for my jobs, my own business stuff and home life, as well as my looming!
So, I’m working through the list! But, it does feel good to cross those things off and know that they are out of the way!

Late in Reporting- My book Came!

2006-04-26T10:13:00.000-04:00

OK... so I'm a little behind in my posts!
I got my Learn to Knit on Circle Looms Book! Karen of Karen's Crafts sent it out the day I ordered it, which was a day before I saw it in ACMoore. Karen really keeps that 'little country store' feel about her business. Even if it is an online store! She even e-mailed me the update info for the book (without even asking!
On that note--- There are a few typos in the book (gotta love proof-readers!) Denise says that they mixed up all kinds of things from her patterns and that is expected to be fixed in the next printing. But, in the meantime, if you are one of the anxious ones (like me) who had to get it ASAP, the updates are posted on Denise's Site. The updates are near the image of the book on the right side of her site.

I really think the Denise did a great job on this book... I'm going to make my daughter a bangle bag (she LOVES BAGS!) And, I'm thinking an afghan is order for hubby! (He probably won't give up the one his grandmom made him though!- I just don't rank!)

More Socks!!

2006-04-26T09:38:00.000-04:00

YAY!!! My New Loom Came!!!
I wanted one of the EFG Sock Looms from DA Looms (they came out right after I bought my FG Sock loom- my luck!) But, I knew that Isela and Sam were in the process of moving and didn't want to order it right now and add more pressure on them. I have a bunch of sock yarn that are just begging to be made into socks... but it's a little thin for use with the FG Sock Loom.
But, as fate would have it...
My new buddy Tracey posted about her new 9" EFG Loom on her blog ... and the sock she made was a little small for her. So, we came to an arrangement and now, that little baby is mine!! The pegs are very tiny and the loom does take some getting used to. I started a sock on it last night... using Plymouth Yarns Wildflower DK (51% cotton 49% acrylic). I cast on using the cable cast on method as the Ribbed Sock pattern requests. To get the crochet hook through the loops, I had to use a 2mm crochet hook--- very tiny! The yarn is a little odd... it's got a loose twist and many strands. It reminds me of Embroidery Floss. I have to say that working in such a fine gauge on the loom is challenging... the KK hook just won't work with this loom. The point on the end of the hook is too thick to get a grip on the yarn. So, I used my handmade stilettos to pick the stitches. (Soon to be for sale on my website!) In my attempt to make this easier on myself, I tried to bend the point on my stilettos... well it worked for one (but the point came loose- so I had to glue it) I didn't have much luck bending the other two points on my stilettos--- they snapped right off!
So, in my journeys... I will be searching for some dental picks to use. In the meantime, I'm waiting for the glue to dry on the first one---I'm sure that one will work perfectly--- you can see it in the second picture... it's the one with the dark green/black handle. The aquamarine colored one is one that I broke! Remember- You can click any picture for a bigger image (and click again for an even closer view).

So, here we have both of my socks in progress sitting side by site--- Of course, my goal was to get the dark blue socks done before my new loom got here--- but that didn't happen... Tracey was too fast, and my life has been getting in the way of my looming. Oh, Also note in the second pic, the awesome little brightly colored rubber bands that Tracey sent to me with my loom... I love color--- and those are great for marking the pegs. These are normally used for by people with braces.

I've been looming I swear!!! Socks!

2006-04-17T22:15:00.000-04:00

Ok... so here we have a real sock. This is the first of this pair to be made. I made tube-like slipper socks with this loom first... but my son has those and I am NOT going into his room to try to find and photograph them!
This sock is made with Isela's Ribbed Sock pattern on the Decor Accents Adult fine gauge sock loom. I'm using the recommended Caron's Simply soft yarn to make them.
I've gotten the ribbed top done on the second sock now... but the pics are from the other day... and my camera's batteries were 'borrowed' so, until I get new batteries, I won't be able to take

another pic. I can see myself wearing these socks... but I want to get the new extra fine sock looms too! I've got some sock yarns that need to be made into something! I may modify the pattern a little and use the flat stitch on the bottom of the sock... not because they need to be tighter, just because I think it might be softer on the soles of my feet!

So... the next pic we have here is my sock loom with it's metal tack... kinda tacky, huh? he he he! Anyway... while rushing the little one to the potty at ACMoore's the other day... I spotted these lovely wooden push pins. I thought that they would make a nice accent to my little wood loom so, I bought them! The metal pin part was sooo long and didn't want to go into the loom so easily. So, when I tried to remove it, the wood part of
the push pin came off and the metal stayed in
the loom. I got out my handy dandy, heavy duty wire cutters and cut the metal part down... then put the wood part back in and added some glue... wa la... pretty loom!

At the bottom, you see the first sock with it's companion - in process! Let's hope I don't run out of yarn.

Looming projects in process...
I've got the black bag felted, and I made a bag out of 'regular acrylic yarns' (I swear, no felting there!). I'm working on a pattern for that one... but I have to get the batteries in the camera to take pics of those little ones!
Have a Happy Day!

Safari!

2006-04-13T15:03:00.000-04:00

Safari Adventure Results in Treasure Found!!!

Ok... so the adventure began yesterday. Just like every Wednesday, I taught my afternoon Quilting Class at The Quilting Circle (check out the site, I manage it!) :-). But, with the beautiful 70+ degree weather, the turn out for class was slim! My mom (who joins in the class) was there... and only one other student, so we finished up early. My oldest went to the zoo with his friend and my little one was hanging out with Pop Pop for the day! So, after class I was a free bird! My mom happened to hand me an ACMoore ad. Well, all the yarn was on sale for 25% off and there was a 40% off coupon calling my name in that ad. So... My adventure began... off I went to the great wild world of ACMoore!
Now, mind you... Denise Layman author of 'Learn to knit on Circle Looms' had a post on her blog a while back titled Safari . She challenged the world to find her book 'in the wild' and take a picture of it- in other words - in a retail store! This has been in my mind since I saw it... and for the past couple of weeks I've had my camera in my purse. I figured, hey, if I see it, I'll take a picture (plus you never know when you will need your camera anyway!) But, of course before heading to class, I took the camera out of my purse to lighten the load! I never thought I would find it before anyone else!
I'd been waiting to purchase the book til I saw it in a local store to avoid paying shipping. On Monday, I broke down and bought it from Karen's Crafts - I just couldn't wait any more! Karen e-mailed me that day that it was in the mail- she just made it to the post office before it closed on Monday! YAY! (trying to be patient!)
So anyway... while wandering the yarn aisles of ACMoore- I entered the 'tools' section and there it was amongst the looms and bags - Denise's Book! I was so excited... in a weird sort of way... I didn't have my camera to prove it... and I had already purchased it elsewhere... RATS!
So, anyway... when I got home, I e-mailed Denise... she said that I was the first to report it was in a store... and she declared me the winner! WooHoo.. The prize is something to be determined from her stash! But, I agreed to send her some pics... I know how exciting it must be to see your creation in a store for all the world to buy!
So, right after breakfast this morning, my trusty accomplice and I were off!

Meet Lily, my trusty accomplice!

(She understood winning and finding the treasure... but didn't quite understand that the prize wasn't in the store!)
But she loves ACMoore... they sell paint... her favorite thing!!!

And here we have it... the restless Treasure - begging to be brought home! Right there on the hook next to the KK looms, wonder looms and some project bags!
Treasure found!
The wild creature just begging to come home to a domestic enviroment - like your home!
If you are in the area... This image was taken at the ACMoore in Bensalem PA! Go get your copy before they are gone!

Honestly, I was a little shocked that ACMoore had it before Michael's--- I checked there on Monday! Michaels really pushes the KK looms... thought they would have the book first... but nope... ACMoore was the first!

Quilts for Kids

2006-04-09T00:20:00.000-04:00

A little about what I do when I'm not looming! I work with a 501(c)3 charity - Quilts for Kids
Well... to begin, I've been making quilts for the organization since early 2004. Then, things evolved! I started running the sew-a-thon at our local quilt shop (The Quilting Circle in Bensalem PA) in August of 2004. Every month, I make more than 35 quilt kits and a group of volunteers known as 'The Sew Fine Quilters' gather to sew the kits into quilts. The volunteers range in age from 10 to 80 years old. They are a very creative, productive and friendly bunch! To date, our group has donated 1,288 quilts to Quilts for Kids. Considering that we have about 25 people sew with us every month (many other occasional volunteers too)--- It's amazing. Often the volunteers will also make quilts out of their own fabrics or will take fabric that has been donated and create their own designs. Shortly after taking over this sew-a-thon project, the Founding President of Quilts for Kids asked me to use some other talents to help out with the day-to-day operations of the organization. Officially, my title is Director of Membership and Volunteer Services. I work with the over 50 chapters we have internationally as well as individual voluteers nationally. In addition, I help to keep other things running smoothly for the organization.
Anyway, I decided to post a little about what is going on with Quilts for Kids as things are moving so quickly! Quilts for Kids was founded in 2000... and has donated over 40,000 quilts to children in need. The first goal was to keep fabric out of landfills and secondly to make quilts for children with life threatening diseases such as AIDS and Cancer as well as those who are battered and abused.
Downy (the fabric softener company) contacted us as they wanted to make Quilts for Kids the recipient of their 'Downy Family Quilt' Project. They have created a virtual quilt - they are asking for people to upload a photo of their families to fill the quilt... for each photo that is uploaded, they will donate $1 to Quilts for Kids. The goal is 20,000 photos. If we fill the quilt, Downy will throw in an additional $5,000! That's $25,000 to the organization! The great thing is that it costs nothing to participate... and you can even get a free sample of their latest fabric softener! To participate, please go to Downy's website. Please go to the site and upload a pic!

Secondly, The cast of the Broadway hit "Wicked" loves Quilts for Kids. On May 15th they will hold the 3rd Broadway show to benefit Quilts for Kids. This will be a Broadway star-studded variety type show. A star from the hit show Extreme Makeover will be participating - and we're hoping Tony Danza joins in... as well as many other big names in Hollywood and from Broadway. In the past.. Liza Manelli, David Hyde Pierce, Ben Vereen, Jai Rodriguez, Carson Kressley... and many other stars have Broadway participated... you can see more about the previous shows and information on how to get tickets on the Quilts for Kids website.

Thirdly, A major fabric company 'Crypton' has taken a fabric design that was created from some of our Quilts for Kids recipient's drawings and printed the fabric out. The Crypton Fabric is pretty resilient stuff... stain proof and anti-bacterial -liquid beads off of it! So, they have printed this fabric and are marketing it to hospitals and schools for their funiture lines. Some of the proceeds of each yard that is sold will be dontated to Quilts for Kids! In addition, Crypton has developed a few different bag types that will be sold with all proceeds going to Quilts for Kids. I'll have more infomation about this as it becomes available. There is a messenger bag (which can also be used as a diaper bag- pad included) as well as a tote bag- great size for knitters, quilters and loomers!

This is such an exciting time for Quilts for Kids... it has only be around for just over 6 years and has truly made an impact on the worlds of the little ones who most need it. Our next big step will be to get a 'real building'. Currently, The Q4K headquarters is run in a additional room built exclusively for Quilts for Kids... the addition was build by the founding president... and we have surely outgrown this room! Our goal is to have our own building which will be a storage place for fabric and finished quilts. Also we plan to have an open workspace for people to sew as a community for the community. We plan to offer sewing and quilting classes to teach others the art... as well as provide after school programs to help give kids a focus on community service. Ultimately, we'd love to also have a long arm sewing machine to help speed up the quilt making time and provide more quilts to kids in need!
So, there you have it... this is what I do when not looming!

The Felting Study Continues!

2006-03-31T20:24:00.000-05:00

Here we have another study in felting. This is almost purely for comparison with the other wools I've tried. Here we have the pre-felted black bag done with two strands of Lamb's Pride Bulky on the Yellow Loom. It's sittting with the bags I previously made. This was done with the same pattern as the other bags with the flat bottom method - starting with 18 pegs, knitting til it reaches the other side, then knitting in the round. I did the handles and buttonhole cords on the loom with just 1 strand . I used just 2 pegs and knitted in a figure 8 pattern. For the buttonhole strap, I folded the piece in half and stitched along the edge leaving an open loop in the end for a button. I can't wait to see how it compares to the other bags in size once it's felted!
Remember to click on the image for a larger view - it's hard to see it in black and small!

Big Tote Part 2

2006-03-31T20:06:00.000-05:00

The After Shot!
If you recall, the big pillow in the background was in the bag in the pre-felted pic, along with it's mate! Now, the tote is still big... it measures 9 1/2" high with a base of 13" x 5". The pre-felted size was 15" tall with a base of 18" by 6".
This was made with 2 strands of Lite Lopi yarn. This was the messiest felting of any of the yarns I've tried so far. More little wool balls floating in the washer than I had seen before. (I have felted a bag comparable in size that I knitted with needles - it was made with Lamb's pride bulky. That was messy too--- but not nearly as much as this one!) After it was done felting, I rinsed it in the sink with warm water. Then, I put it back into the washer through the rinse and spin cycle- hoping to tone down the fuzzies a bit. It was still very hairy! Those little guys were sticking straight out - some as much as a couple of inches! So, I decided to put it in the dryer- still in the mesh bag. I was hoping this would help to buff them down a bit. It worked! The bag is definitely less fuzzy as a result!
I got this idea from my mom... she was telling me about a show she saw on HGTV where the woman 'buffed' the felted hat with a piece of regular vinyl in place of sandpaper on an electric sander. Now, this woman did raw wool felting from what I understand (didn't see the show myself) So, the process was completely different... but that's where I got the buffing idea!
So there you have it... I think this will be a great project bag... and boy do I have projects!
:-)

The Big Tote!

2006-03-28T10:09:00.000-05:00

I finished the big tote last night! And, it IS BIG! It measures 15" tall with a base of 18" by 6". Just to give you an idea, there are two 22" square pillows inside of it! One is in front of the other.

I used 6 skeins of Lite Lopi 100%- two strands held together throughout. (And I used it right to the last inch -no exaggeration!) This yarn is not as sturdy as the other wools that I have tried. If you pull too hard, it will break! The texture is not as smooth as others either.

Of course, I plan to felt this bag so we shall see how it looks and feels once it's felted. I also plan to make a bag on the Yellow KK with the Lite Lopi to continue the wool study! I'll have a real reference then!

This was made with my flat bottom bag method too!

On to the Loom! My pegs didn't work out as well as I had hoped. The plastic anchors I used were grooved - and that was great to get the hook into, but the little hole punched plastic pieces didn't cover the tops completely. I tried to sand down the tops of a little so the sharp edges weren't so rough- but that just didn't seem good enough. I had to be really careful not to rub my hands against the tops of the pegs so I wouldn't scratch my hands. Sometimes, the yarn caught a little bit too. Also, the nails were a little too short for the anchors so they didn't go very far into the wood. Some of them came loose. Some were very tight though!
So... as soon as the bag was off the loom, I pulled the pegs out and took the frame out to the yard. I sanded all the glue off and got out my handy dandy Dremel and Plunge router attachment and made holes for cotter pins.

I made a rake knitter the other day using the same method... here it is...

Both of the looms have a 1/2" spacing on center for the cotter pins. I like them much better! I used Elmer's Polyurethane Glue to hold the pegs in... and let me tell you, I don't think they will ever come out!

So... the many projects in my head are really ready to come out! Unfortunately, my friends - The Sew Fine Quilters expect me to have 35 quilt kits ready for them by this Sunday! So, I just have to finish making the quilt kits before I can do much in the way of looming! Of course, there is always time to felt a bag!
Hmmm... I think I will do that now! Talk to you later!

PS. You can always click on my photos to make them bigger... You might even get a magnifying glass icon to make them even bigger! - No looking for spots on the couch! :o)

Checking in!

2006-03-25T20:20:00.000-05:00

This is just going to be a quick non-visual post... I'm working hard on some things. The bag I'm working on with my new loom is coming out nicely! I'm hoping that with 116 pegs, it's big enough to hold a lot of things after felting! On that note... I definitely am going back to the drawing board with that loom. The pegs aren't as good as I thought they would be... some are perfectly fine... some are coming loose - plus they are a little scratchy in some parts. They are only in the wood less than 1/4" - I've made a rake loom with cotter pins that that bad boy is sturdy! I'm probably going to change the rectangular loom out to cotter pins... as soon as I get enough cotter pins (been traveling to all the hardware stores in the area to gather enough!). And, of course, I have to finish the bag too!

I'm also working on a pattern for the bags made on the Yellow KK looms... the felted ones--- and some non-felted ones!
Up and coming is a v-neck knitted tank top pattern! Just in time for summer!
Happy Looming!
~Crystal

All Dressed Up and Ready to go!

2006-03-21T09:03:00.000-05:00

When I told these little ones that they were going on a trip to far off lands, they started jumping into the box! I told them to come back out so I could take a going away picture… Can you see them waving?

These precious fibers are off on their yarn swap journey… they’re hoping to find someone who appreciates them for who and what they are.

Whether functional, funky, fun or fanciful, they all hope to be transformed and loved!

So, off they were sent to the first person on our Yarn Swap List--- No peeking Darlene!

I could hear them giggling as the mail lady put them on the conveyer belt down the shoot at the post office! You would have thought they were on a sliding board!

Farewell sweet ones--- have fun in your new home and don’t forget to tell your new fiber friends how much fun traveling is! Send some of them my way, I’ll give them good homes, as you know!

If you are wondering what this is all about… The Knifty Knitter Looms Yahoo group is having a yarn swap… I’m the box coordinator for Box #4--- and this is the starter box! Let’s see if any of these darlings come back after going through 9 people!

It Works!!!

2006-03-17T19:46:00.000-05:00

Here's the scoop! As you can see from my pic... The loom is working! I'm using two strands of Lite-Lopi wool yarn. One strand wasn't enough- this yarn is kinda thin. Can you guess what I'm making?
I have to say that there is some tweeking needed with the loom... little more glue here and there, but for the most part, it's working well. The frame is sturdy. The nails used in the pegs could be a little longer... they aren't causing any problems now and I'm hoping it stays that way. For my first loom, I'm pretty happy with it.
OK, I'll tell you... I'm making a bag- maybe big enough to be a tote bag once it's felted!!

Flat Bottom Bag- After Felting

2006-03-15T21:48:00.000-05:00

Much awaited... after felting comparison of the original Flat Bottom Bag! The center purple bag is the same as my first blog posting... the other purple one shows the after felting size. The blue one is also the same size. If you recall, these bags were made with Lamb's Pride Bulky. I like that this yarn doesn't shrink so much. But, I think there is a combination of things happening here... The yarn is bulky weight--- heavier than the others I have tried so far... also, the blue loom is a slightly finer gauge than the yellow loom... so the knit is tighter.
Just my thoughts.. The daisies really aren't that big... it's all in the perspective.
Sizes...
Pre-felted- 4 1/2" high, base 2"x 3 1/2"
Felted - 4" high, base 1 1/2" x 3"

More Felting Lessons for Me!

2006-03-15T21:25:00.000-05:00

In the first picture, you can see the little blue bag made previously and it's standing as a comparision to the green bag. The green bag was made out of Lion Wool (not Wool-Ease). This is worsted weight yarn, and very soft to work with.. and nicely woven. I used 3 strands on the Yellow Knifty Knitter and made it with the flat bottom bag method. The same way as the blue one was made. This is the size the blue one was before felting (there's your comparison). I made the handles with one strand on the Wonder Knitter (3 pegs). The button hole strap was made on the Embellish Knit - which made a much smaller/tighter knit. I held the ends together long ways and stitched most of the way up leaving some open as the button hole.

Now, The After-Felting comparison! The green bag measures 6 1/2" high with a base of 3 1/4" x6". This is a better size for me... and with green... it's just in time for 'Green Day' as my 3 y/o calls it!
These are both done using the same pattern... 18 pegs to start and flat panel bag method. The differences...

Green Bag: 3 strands of Lion Wool - took 2 skeins
Blue Bag: 2 strands of Patons Classic Wool- took 1 skein.

Note to self... be more scientific... use the same amount of strands to really see a true comparison! :-) (in my defense... I wanted a bigger bag!)

I Can't Wait to Try My New Loom!

2006-03-15T20:28:00.000-05:00

I was inspired yesterday!!! After I felted another bag made on the Yellow Knifty Knitter Loom, I thought it was a little small. I have heard that the larger the gauge of knitting, the more it shrinks. So, I wanted a loom in a smaller gauge to try out some more felting. I knew I just couldn't wait if I ordered one online... so a-hunting for supplies I went.
First stop was Michaels to see if they had any canvas stretcher frame used by painters. I couldn't believe it - They only have prestretched canvas and frames. Now, I've never painted on canvas, but I have done some things with those frames--- and they used to sell the pieces seperately... not now. OK... so I continued searching... I found in the embroidery section some framing pieces that come in sizes from 9" to 22" (two in a package)- they are about 3/4" square. So, I bought the 22" and the 9"sizes. (Total cost after 40% off coupon- under $4.50). Then, to find some pegs... well... Michael's was a bust for that. The wooden pegs were too big, and they had no cotter pins (wasn't really expecting them) If I was going to put all this work into a loom, I didn't want to just use nails. Anyway... off to the local Ace Hardware - and I searched and searched. They had cotter pins.. but only about 40 of them- I needed 100 of them (I tought). So, I looked through all the bins and boxes to see what I could find. I found these straight wall anchors ($.03 each)they have grooves in them that I thought would be perfect for the loom pick to glide along... and some nails... So, my total cost there... Under $5.
I put the frame together and glued it... then, with a push pin I poked the holes 1/2" on center. I put the wall anchors through the nails (with some glue on them) and mounted them on the board... but I realized that the grooves on the wall anchors stuck out a little bit and I feared the edges would catch the yarn... so I needed another solution.
After some thought, I figured out a solution... a washer... but I had none- and it was 10 o'clock at night... and my glue was already drying! So, I punched holes into an old margarine lid with a regular 1/4" hole punch- pushed the nails through the middle and it covers the edge! Hopefully, this will prevent the pointed edges of the grooves from catching the yarn! Well... of course I had to take all 100 nails out and add the makeshift washers to the pegs. Long before this, I realized I had 116 holes--- so I was short 16 pegs.
This morning, I went back to Ace and got what I needed to make the rest of the pegs. When I came back from work, I sanded the wood down - rounding the edges and smoothing the joins and added the rest of pegs. Now, it's drying... and I'm anxious... I can't wait to try out my new loom... I've got some Lopi wool that is dying to be made into a handbag!!!
Wish me luck that it works well and holds up!

Oh Boy did it shrink!

2006-03-11T21:55:00.000-05:00

Oh how I wish I had taken a picture of this bag before I felted it! This bag was made on the Yellow Knifty Knitter Loom with Paton's Classic Wool Merino in Peacock. This yarn is very soft and pretty good to work with. I used two strands held together throughout in the e-wrap stitch. After felting the bag stands 5" high and the base is 2 1/2" by 5 1/4". This is less than half the original size. Before this, I have only felted with Lamb's Pride Bulky... so it was definitely an experiment. The Lamb's pride never shrunk this much.
At first check from the washer (about 5 minutes into agitation) the bag looked very lacy- the bars of yarn between stitches had big spaces in them. I rinsed with cold water and tossed it back into the washer. My little one was in the bathtub while felting, so I had to wash her hair and such. Once we got her finished, the washer was already on the spin cycle. So, I let it go through the rinse cycle. The bag is very sturdy and thick. On the bright side, it'll probably keep it's shape very well once completely dry. But, I was hoping for a thinner, lighter weight bag for summertime. (and one that is a little bit bigger!). So goes the learning process of a new craft!
This is a larger version of the flat bottom bag (see first post of this blog). Here are the specifics...
I e-wrapped 18 pegs in flat panel method until it stretched to the opposite side of the loom. I hooked 17 pegs on the opposite side of the loom (using the 'bars' created between the stitches). There were 3 pegs on either side empty- I hooked them with loops from the sides of the piece. Then, I knitted in the round until it was as long as I wanted, probably about 10" high. I added the handles (stay tuned for info on how I attach handles - plans for another blog in the future). Then, I knit about 4-5 more rows and bound it off with the crochet method. I folded the piece inward so that the handles were at the very top and whip stitched the top edge down--- creating a 'cuff'. The button hole/strap was made by double crocheting with a single strand of the yarn. 3 stitches across and about 8 inches long. A loop was made by crocheting a chain and attaching it to the other side. When it was done felting, I stitched a crystal pendant onto the bag as a button (but this is much easier!). This is kinda my trademark... I put a quartz crystal pendant on every handbag that I make. I used to make and sell fabric handbags. I guess that's why I'm drawn to make bags with my looms!

Oh- by the way, I made that mesh laundry bag... it's nice and big--- ready for any felting project I can toss into it! It worked great!
Happy Knitting!

Felting Lesson Learned

2006-03-11T10:26:00.000-05:00

Some people call it fulling...I still call it felting. The act of putting a wool item in a hot water wash and making it shrink up. Then, rinse in cold water and do it again (if necessary) until you get the desired results! Since I had two of these bags to felt and only one very small mesh laundry bag, I put one in it and left the other one free in the washer. Here they are drying... Can you guess which is which?
OK, I'll tell ya! The blue one was left free in the washer with the blue jeans. Can you see how much more fuzzy it it? It needs a haircut! The purple one was done in the mesh bag. I definitely like the look of the purple one better! I did notice that the stitches are almost invisible on the blue bag, and the purple one you can see some striping where the stitches are! Very interesting study in Felting (ok, Fulling!). By the way, both bags were made with the Brown Sheep Bulky 100% wool yarn using the flat bottom bag pattern (my first blog entry). When they are dry and the buttons are added, I will take another picture of them with the 'un-felted' one. I have to make a big laundry bag to felt any bigger bags I make! Hmmm, imagine that, I happen to have some fine meshy fabric lying around here somewhere.... I'll add that to the project list!

More Bags!!!

2006-03-10T21:05:00.000-05:00

Mesh Bag

I got the idea for this bag pattern from Suzanne's Duster stitch (go to Jan. 06 archives to see it). This stitch is the mock crochet stitch done by skipping every other peg. I made the bag with 100% cotton Peaches and Cream yarn in the Fiesta Ombre color. I used the flat bottom method from my first blog entry pattern and I made the straps with 3 stitches on the loom flat panel method. The first picture shows the bag holding a large bath towel... there's a little room to spare. My idea was that this would make a good shopping bag for the produce store, or for a beach bag. Now, the ideas are flowing into other things with this stitch... my husband thought it looked like a basketball net, I'm thinking stuffed animal hammock for my daughter's room and maybe even a bath toy bag!
The first time I tried this stitch, I made the piece twice as long as I should have so I had to frog the whole thing and start over... but I really didn't mind... it's a fun stitch to make and it goes really fast!

Bunny Bag

This Bunny Bag was done with the pattern on the Provo Craft website but I did the bottom with the flat bottom method (I can never stick to a pattern completely!). It was made with Red Heart Baby Clouds yarn and the bigger pom poms were made with Caron Simply Soft and the small one was made with Lopi wool yarn.

Felted Bag

This felted bag was made on the Yellow Knifty Knitter Loom out of Brown Sheep Bulky yarn. I used the backpack pattern on the Provo Craft Website for the body of the bag (well for the most part). I did it with the woven bottom of the bag- I find that to be a waste when felting, it's very bulky on the bottom and didn't felt the same as the rest of the bag. It doesn't look bad, but just seemed that in this case, it's a waste of yarn. Well, it's a very long, skinny and round bag. Sometimes, I just start knitting and don't know when to stop, I guess! If I make another one of these, I would stop sooner and do the bottom with a flat bottom method! This was the first bag I made on the Knifty Knitters... and I have to admit, I'm not lovin' it - but we learn from our mistakes.

Hmm... I have some feltable wool yarns in the knitting basket and they are calling my name! Let's see what other bags I can make!

Hats #1

2006-02-27T21:41:00.000-05:00

So what 'Knifty Knitter' doesn't have Hats, Hats and more Hats?? So, this is the first posting of hats... I'm sure there will be more!

All hats (except the lavendar one) have been done with two strands.
1. The Beige hat was made on the yellow loom with TLC yarn... oooh sooo soft! E-wrap stitch, brim and gathered top.
2. The Light Blue one was done with a fuzzy baby type yarn (it was a hand-me-down from my mom) I have no idea what brand. Yellow loom, E-wrap stitch, no brim, gathered top.
3. The Brown Stripey one was done with 1 strand brown and one strand varigated yarn, (again, hand-me-down yarn, but I think it's Red Heart Super Saver). I love the stripes it created... This one is for Sandi (I didn't forget you!). Yellow loom, E-wrap stitch, brim, and gathered top.
4. The lavendar one is done with the flat stitch (aka True Stockinette Stitch) It was done with some really soft (but really thin) fuzzy acrylic yarn, from Target's One Spot. (OK, it was on clearance for 25 cents each) The hat took 4 skeins. I just couldn't knit this yarn on needles - it was too slippery and soft and it got lost when combined with other yarns. So, I tried something fun - First I used the Embellish-Knit to make all the yarn into I-cord. So fun and fast on that thing!! Then, I used the I-cord to make the hat. It was made on the Green loom - but because the I-cord has stretch and I used the flat stitch... it came out tiny. It's very thick and sooo soft. But, it only fits the dollies and not the daughter it was intended for! Green Loom, Flat stitch, brim, gathered top.
5. The Black/Grey hat was intended to be be a slipper for my son. Done on the blue KK loom, I started the toe with the same method as the flat bottom bag. I used JoAnn's Rainbow Boucle yarn. It made a nice toe (now top of hat) but the slipper was too big for him, so I decided to just make it into a hat. It's very soft and will keep a little head warm! Blue Loom, E-wrap, no brim, rounded top.

There you have my hats so far! Well except for the dark blue one I did for my son and the other brown varigated one done on the green loom. But, I wasn't going into my son's room to get the blue hat (it's dangerous in a tween's room), and you don't want to see duplicates!

Have a Knifty Day!

A Stocking in February???

2006-02-27T20:45:00.000-05:00

I know you're thinking I'm nuts... I'm not really! I just wanted to try this pattern... I was given this red yarn --- it was pretty old... Woolworth's Brand! It is a worsted weight yarn like Red Heart Super Saver and I used two strands! It was crying to be made into a Christmas stocking! Who was I to argue? I used the pattern in the first Knifty Knitter booklet for this. Of course, I can't stick with a pattern completely--- I used a flat edge bottom for the toe of the stocking, instead of the gather method. You can't really see it here, but it looks more toe-like.
I'm probably going to donate this one to a charity at Christmas time - although my kids think they each should have it!
My mom made all of our x-mas stockings out of granny squares. I'm not willing to give mine up--- I've had it since my first x-mas! And as each person enters the family, they get one too. It's tradition!

My Knifty Knitter Bags

2006-02-27T18:53:00.000-05:00

The Plastic Bag Bag!

The Plastic Bag Bag was made on the Yellow Knifty Knitter Loom with e-wrap throughout. I used 4 teal grocery sized bags (from my local quilt shop purchases) and 2 Large Black Garbage bags that had seen better days-- I had to cut around a few holes. (Of course, they never held garbage... just hand-me-down clothes). The handle was made on the loom using just 2 pegs in a figure 8 pattern - I used Simply Soft Quick for that. The bottom is sewn by drawing the 'bag yarn' through the loops on opposite sides of the loom... like some flat-top hats are done. I cut the grocery bags like they do on this link... Cutting bags
The finished bag measures 13" across and 7" high. The plastic bags that I used were not very 'crinkly', they are pretty sturdy - you know how a black trash bag feels!
OK... so what you really want to know... the cutting took about 1/2 hour (not bad). The knitting took me about 4 hours... I worked on this all day on a Saturday. You really have to keep a very loose wrap- otherwise it is too tight. I e-wrapped the 'yarn' around my thumb and the peg to keep the stitches consistant and loose- and it was still a bit tough to get them over the pegs! (If I made this with yarn, it probably would have taken me 1 hour, start to finish) Would I make another one?... Not anytime soon! Although I've gotten lots of ooohs and ahhs about this bag... it was a lot of work and my wrist hurt for 3 days after this. (Not fun for the carpul tunnel!) I'd be willing to sell it to a goth chick with a thing for plastic!!!

The Flat Bottom Handbag!

This bag was made with Simply Soft Quick Yarn on the Yellow Knifty Knitter Loom. This was done in the same way as the Flat Bottom Bag. I wrapped 14 pegs to start and pulled them over to 13 pegs on the opposite side. This left 7 pegs on either side. This gave a very square shape, believe it or not! I made the handle by wrapping 3 pegs back and forth repeatedly... then attached it to the other side of the bag by putting the loops on the loom and knitted them off.
Next, I continued with the strap and added a round ring to the end (I plan to clip my little cell phone bag to it). It's shown on the outside of the bag here, but it actually settles nicely into the bag.
This one was definitely a learning experience. Here's what I will do differently in the future...
1. Use a more sturdy (maybe even stiff) yarn. This is a very floppy bag!
2. Wrap more pegs in the beginning. Probably about 17 or 18 to give a more rectangular bottom.
3. Tack the flower in more places... when it's not posing for a photo... it's pretty floppy too!
4. Make it in a different color so YOU can see it better!

Flat Bottom Bag - Knifty Knitter

2006-02-13T21:05:00.000-05:00

UPDATED PATTERN COMPLETED!!! I've made another bag and checked the numbers... there were a few things I needed to change. Thanks Trudy for bringing it to my attention! ~CrystalI've created this pattern for a little bag - it's made with the blue Knifty Knitter loom.
This one is made with Lamb's Pride Bulky which is 100% wool- one strand throughout. (Using different yarn does effect the number of stitches needed which might require some pattern tweeking!) I plan to felt it- I'll post pics when it's done.

1. Wrap 10 pegs with the e-wrap method. Knit back and forth on the 10 pegs for 8 rows (*please note that when I do a flat panel on the loom, I don't double wrap the end peg twice- in other words, I skip the first stitch on each row -this means that you will only wrap 9 pegs on each row but use 10 pegs total. This does make a difference- less stitches on the sides which enables you to wrap a lesser amount of side loops without leaving any gaps on the bottom.)

2. Now stretch the stitches across the loom and attach them to the opposite side of the loom. I was easily able to put 8 stitches on the opposite side ... this leaves 3 open pegs on either side.
UPDATE: Bethalice has a great tip here about how to keep track of your stitches to stretch them across the loom! She modified this pattern to make a water bottle holder! Check it out!
3. Pick up stitches from the side panels of the knitted piece and put them on the pegs. Like this...
4. Now e-wrap completely around the loom and knit off. Continue knitting around the loom until the bag is as long as you would like it to be. As you knit along you will see the base of the bag develop into a more boxy shape.

5. When the bag is as long as you would like it to be, wrap the first 11 pegs and knit off. Then, bind off 12 stitches. I used the crochet method. (Remove the first loop with a crochet hook, do 1 crochet chain stitch through this loop. Then, lift the next stitch and pull it through the loop that's on the hook. Do another crochet chain and pick up another stitch, pull loop through the loop. Continue until 12 stitches are removed.)

6. The last crocheted loop is then put on the last peg on a round - this starts the purse flap. (If you start with the peg to the left of the side hook of your loom, this means you will put this loop on the peg to the right of the side hook). It should look like the right picture below.
(NOTE: The flap starts 1 stitch before the pegs that you started with at the beginning--- and ends 1 stitch after -- you had 10 stitches at the very beginning and now you are using 12 pegs)

7. E-wrap the remaining 12 pegs and knit off. Knit 4 rows on the same 12 pegs.

8. Decrease by moving the last stich of the 4th row onto the peg next to it and wrap the 5th row. Knit off. Decrease the next row the same way. Knit 2 rows without decreasing. Decrease the next two rows as before. Knit 2 rows without decreasing. Continue in this manner until you are down to just 5 stitches.

9. Bind off with crochet method as above. With the last single stitch on the crochet hook crochet a chain (I made mine 8 single stitches) Cut the yarn about 5" long and put it through the last chain stitch to end the chain. Then, attach chain to other side of bound off top as in the picture (below right). This creates the loop for the button. Weave in the ends.
Now it's done! YAY! Felt if you would like. Before felting and as shown in picture, the bag is about 3 1/2" wide, with a 2" base, and mine is 4 1/2" high. This bag is a good size for my palm pilot. After felting, hopefully it will be the right size for my cell phone!

**I'm a little protective about my patterns so please don't claim it as your own. You are welcome to use it to make some for yourself and your friends... but please don't claim my words or pictures as your own!**