I've been busy trying to get my afghan squares caught and doing the felted clutch purse from my other group GettingItPegged . This was my first attempt at felting, and I think that I may become addicted to it.  (Will need to go get some more felting wool) The first purse  and little change purse was done with Bernat Felting and the colour was New Iris, the second purse was done with Jaeger Winter Spun Wool that I had found at a thrift shop for next to nothing, the colour of it was Arosa.  For a first attempt at felting I am quite pleased with the results.

I have decided to offer my Little Bow Butterfly Bonnet as a free pattern. You may download it from the Free Patterns link in the side bar. If you make the bonnet I would love to see a picture of it and with your permission showcase it on my blog.

Enjoy and have a great day!

Have started working on my afghan squares again. Have finished the Block 9, now just need to get caught up on the other four blocks that I am behind.

Well, I finally decided to submit a pattern to teach for the Loom Class. I will be teaching my Little Bow Butterfly Bonnet class from September 7 - 13. I am really looking forward to doing this. Hope to see you in class.

I'm having a hard time getting caught up on my Afghan Square classes. I had planned on making a lapghan for my mother for Christmas, but since she passed away in July am having a hard time deciding what to do. My daughter says that I should finish it and keep it for myself. Perhaps that would be the best solution.

On a brighter note, I finished my String of Diamonds Belt for the loom class. This was a really nice project to do, loomed up quick and was easy to do.



Every year at Christmas I buy my grandchildren a special tree ornament that they will have to decorate their own tree when they are out on their own. This year, I have decided to do loomed Christmas bells for them. So far I have made 10 of them. Planning on finding other ornaments to loom also.

I'm finally starting to feel like looming again, trying to catch up on all the classes I am behind in, plus doing some mittens for grandchildren for Christmas. Below are some of my finished projects. The jellie and the kissie fish were fun classes to do.

Okay, so I did it again! (Much to hubby's dismay) Went bargain hunting at our local Value Village and came home with the goodies below. I scooped up 40 skeins of yarn in different sizes and colours for $30.00, and also found these two neat little looms one is labelled as a snowflake loom and the other a flower loom.

I'm starting to get back into my looming, I'm so many projects behind in the Loom Class. Just finished the little purse by Anke. Thanks Anke.

Bethany's having a party and your invited!


1.
What was your age when you first discovered your love of yarn? What (or who) was it that introduced you to all that fibery goodness?

I think I was about 8 or 9 my Mom used to knit, I always loved watching her. She was very patient trying to teach me how to knit, but it wasn't until I was married and on my own that I really took up the needles and have been knitting ever since.

2. If you could sit down with anyone in the world to have a little knit along, who would it be?

All of the wonderful friends that I have met in the loom class.
3. What is your favorite comfy place or position in which to work with yarn?

I really don't have a favourite place, just pick up the loom and sit down wherever.

4. Like our heroin in the story below, do you ever dream about soft fuzzy goodness? Or how to do a particular technique you’d never thought of while awake?

I always dream about learning new techniques and different stitches.

5. What type of loomer/knitter/crocheter are you? Do you like long involved projects, or quickies full of fast satisfaction?

I like looming both type of projects.

6. Have you ever guiltily postponed dinner due to your involvement with a project?

I plead guilty to this, more than once!!!

7. What is your ultimate goal in your yarn life?

To live life to fullest and always be patient and caring to others.

8. Do you have a favorite snack you like to munch while working with yarn?

Mints

9. What is your all time most favorite yarn tool/accessory that you absolutely could not live without?

Everything

10. What is your favorite movie?

Gone with the wind.

11. What is your favorite book as an adult…and what was yours as a child?

Black Beauty as a child and Sylvia Brown books as an adult.

12. What are you working on right now with your yarn?

I working on Christmas decorations for the grandchildren.

13. Is there a special project that you’ve been just dying for someone (or yourself) to design?

A lacy looking sleeveless summer top.

14. Did someone invite you to join in on the party today?

Learned about it from the group messages.

These are my other three finished afghan blocks from the loom class. I am behind in doing the class projects, but hopefully when if feel up to it I will get caught up with them.

Today my mother passed away. I will always love and miss her, but I know that she is at peace and watching over us. I Love You Mom.

A MOTHER'S LOVE

A Mother's love is something
that no on can explain,
It is made of deep devotion
and of sacrifice and pain,
It is endless and unselfish
and enduring come what may
For nothing can destroy it
or take that love away . . .
It is patient and forgiving
when all others are forsaking,
And it never fails or falters
even though the heart is breaking . . .
It believes beyond believing
when the world around condemns,
And it glows with all the beauty
of the rarest, brightest gems . . .
It is far beyond defining,
it defies all explanation,
And it still remains a secret
like the mysteries of creation . . .
A many splendoured miracle
man cannot understand
And another wondrous evidence
of God's tender guiding hand.

~Helen Steiner Rice~

In Loving Memory of My Mother
November 29, 1909 - July 12, 2008

When I Must Leave You

When I must leave you for a little while
Please do not grieve and shed wild tears
And hug your sorrow to you through the years
But start out bravely with a gallant smile;
And for my sake and in my name
Live on and do all things the same,
Feed not your loneliness on empty days
But fill each waking hour in useful ways,
Reach out, your hand in comfort and in cheer
and I in turn will comfort you and hold you near;
And never, never be afraid to die,
for I am waiting for you in the sky!

Helen Steiner Rice

I am so excited I received my looms from CinDWoods Crafts with the gift certificate that I won in the Loom Class Contest. I have already started a hat and some slippers. I really like these looms, they are easy to work with and feel much lighter than the knifty knitters. I got an assortment of different sizes and gauges as you can see from the picture below. I know that I will be making a lot of projects with these looms and will be ordering other looms when I have the extra funds to do so. I was really impressed, chose and ordered the looms that I wanted and they were delivered to my door six days later. Now I just have to find the time to start and finish all the projects that I have going around in my head and on my looms (l0l).

Right now, I am looking after three of my grandchildren, ages 4, 5 and 8,


on and off for the summer holidays, so my looming projects have kind of gotten set aside for the moment, and will get caught up when I have more time to just sit and loom, but until then, I am enjoying the time with the grandchildren.

Below are some of the latest class projects I have been working on:

The latest of my finished projects is the Head Band Class by Crystal. I know I will be doing a lot more of these for my granddaughters. I am using a glitter knitting yarns and they are turning out really nice. They are so quick and easy to knit up, and the grandchildren will love them, thanks Crystal for this class.

The Kiss Loom Baby Sweater, booties and hat, the sweater was converted to the red knifty knitter, booties to the 17 peg bootie loom and hat was done on the blue knifty knitter for the class contest, which I came first place in, yeah, have never won a contest before or anything for that matter, so I am absolutely geeked out over this.

Wanda's pigtail hat, turned out really nice the blue is done on the green knifty knitter and the red was done on the red knifty knitter.

HOW I MADE MY LOOMS



Since I have had a few inquiries about the tin can loom, (pictures below) I thought I would put the instructions here as to how I made them.



Small tomato paste can (this was used to make the little socks and ruffled baby booties)



15 cotter pins.



I marked evenly around the can approximately ½ inch between pegs, and then I applied a small amount of Super Glue and attached the pegs to this. Let the glue dry over night then added a strip of heavy duty packing tape around the bottom of the pins for extra measure and it also keeps the wool from getting caught on the bottom of the pins.







I also have one that is made out of a PVC pipe, (pictured below, which has 17 pegs), and one that I will be making into a flower loom this is made the same way, except that I found that small wooden dowels work better on this than the cotter pins. Mark your spaces evenly around the pipe at the gauge you want, add a small drop of glue where you want your pegs to go and attach pegs, one at time, allowing to dry (then you won’t accidentally knock one off while your putting the next one on). Let glue dry completely and your new loom is ready is use.















Depending upon the size of PVC pipe or tin can you make various size looms in various gauges.



I plan on going back to the hardware store and picking up one to make a thumb loom, and who knows what other sizes I’ll come up with.



Happy Looming

My latest finished loom class project. Melissa's Sweet Feet Booties. Thanks Melissa for a really great class and cute bootie pattern. Once I got started on them, I just kept on going. They are so cute.

Visit Melissa's site here: http://melissakline.wordpress.com/


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Below are a few other home made looms that I have made. These are easy to make and work really well. The rolls of packing tape were bought at the dollar store and I just measured out where i wanted the pegs and hammered them into the roll of tape. I was impressed the pegs don't move at all when knitting on them. The tin can looms are made out of various sizes of cans, measured out where I wanted the pegs and super glued them on then added some packing tape to cover the bottom of the pegs.

Was playing around just trying to see what I could come up with and here it is, my latest creation a pair of soakers/diaper cover. These were made with Phentex Elite and turned out fairly well.

Now that I am all caught up with my classes, and waiting for the next class to start, I decided to try and design something myself. I really like the little bow butterfly pattern and after a few froggings and wondering if I really could do this, below is the little bow butterfly bonnet that I made. I used one strand of Red Heart Comfort yarn and the red Knifty Knitter to do the pattern. I am quite pleased with the way it turned out for a first attempt at making up a pattern myself.

Now that the nicer weather is here and I am able to get outside more, I am finally starting to feel better and have managed to get caught up on my looming classes, below are my two finished projects.

I finished the baby bonnet for the Loom Class and really wanted to do the Little Socks but my problem was that I didn't have the right loom to do the class. Then because I really wanted to do these socks/booties, Necessity became the Mother of invention. Below are pictures of how I accomplished being able to do these. Thank you Graciela for this patten!



Above are the finished socks/booties

The following pictures are how I finally accomplished doing these without the loom called for in the pattern. This idea came to me while making spaghetti, after opening the can of tomato paste I thought if I buy some cotter pins and put them around the sides of the can it should be close enough to the loom size needed. So after a trip to Canadian Tire and $1.70 later, I set to work putting the pins around the side of the can and taping them there with heavy duty packing tape. Then to try my first sock/bootie, success it worked perfectly.

My latest finished project a baby bonnet done in the loom class. This was a quick easy project to do. Thanks Pam for this class.