Three things

I have a yay, nay and something on the bay with my loom-knitting. First the yay!

You can really see how rough I am on my looms when I take these macro shots. ;-)

My Square Dance Blanket is rockin'. If I were only working on this, it would be done by now. But since I'm juggling projects crafty and graphic design alike, I'm just finishing the second of four pieces. I love the increasing/decreasing method of making the square — and the garter stitch tip I mentioned last time. It's my favorite, no-brainer WIP right now.

Before I could prepare for the next square, I had to free up the gray yarn of this project — the doomed sock that turned into a fingerless mitten and then into a wrister. Yep, this is the nay ...

I shake my fist at the mitt not meant to be!

I am going to save the lace pattern for another day. The Spriggs Creations knitting spool loom is just not my friend (but he might be yours!). If you are planning to knit socks with this loom, be sure to use the e-wrap stitch taught in the accompanying booklet. The u-wrap/regular knit stitch results in a too-tight sock. The mitt I made instead fits well, albeit a little loose for my lace to really pop. I give a thumbs up to the loom's smooth base and evenly spaced pegs. And while the gauge wasn't right for socks, worsted yarn knits up very nicely on the loom. But I must give a thumbs down to rough pegs that snag yarn and no peg toppers.

Before I hop back to a particular book design project ;-) ... I have another beaded scarf teaser for you. I finally took some photos of the long-tail cast-on and beading process. Once I do the writing part of the pattern translation, it will be available on the Interlacements website! This is one of those projects your friends won't believe you loomed.

Beading it!

World Wide Knit in Public

While I do knit in public at least twice a week, I logged a third today with my friends for World Wide Knit in Public Day.

We packed our knits and a picnic for an afternoon at Jackson Square Park in Green Bay, Wis. The weather was wonderful (well, I at least was warm enough) and the yarn was flowing through needles and loom.

     

I FINALLY started my first baby project today — the Square Dance Blanket from Loom Knitting Made Easy. The blanket really is easy and I should have it done in a week or two. To make things interesting, I'm also trying the garter stitch tip by Isela Phelps (video). Check out the link to learn it, too!

Using this technique, you can do an e-wrap knit row and a purl row together, saving just a bit of time. I was worried the e-wrap knits would create a fabric looser than I prefer but so far, it's lovely for the blanket project!

Speaking of this particular stitch, head on over to Loom Knitting Central for the Garter Stitch Challenge. My project here isn't eligible but original projects qualify. Loom away!

Flowers in lieu of FOs

My garden is blooming while my knitting is barely budding lately. I've knit a bit with my friends but my looms remain lonely when I'm home. So here are some pretty pics with just a few WIPs at the end ...

:-P ... Can you see it, too? I forget their real name but I love them. I hope I can keep them alive. My track record with annuals is poor.

Chives!

I accidentally let them go to flower but they grow like weeds so I know we'll get more this summer.

I beat the bees to the Hawthorne tree blossoms this year.

I found alstromeria at Bonnie's Greenhouse this year. I didn't even know I could grow it in Wisconsin. It was one of my complementary flowers for our wedding.

Some flowers from family ...

Wild geranium from my mother-in-law

 

Pasque flower from my mom

And the shade garden is filling out ...

Lily of the Valley reminds me of my mom's porch garden.

   

Solomon's Seal lives between the hostas but the latter grew so big this year that the Seal might be on the move.


  
Miss Kim is the lone lilac left. Pocahontas and Angel White bloomed big but both have dropped their last petals. My Sensation lilac with the awesome white-tipped purple flowers didn't pop at all this year. 

Some loom-knitty photos as promised ...

Washcloth set

I knit up a quick washcloth set for Lucie's wedding gift. I used the corn row pattern from I Can't Believe I'm Loom Knitting for the square; the pinwheel is one of Isela Phelps' free patterns. 

The waves are slow-going in the shrug from Phelps' Loom Knitting Primer.


Meadow lace fingerless mittens

I'm still playing with the Spriggs Creations sock loom. Unfortunately, the loom has some shortcomings and I'm not having much fun with it. My yarn either snags on the rough pegs or slips off because the pegs don't have tops. I might have to save this original pattern for another loom.

Beaded scarf off the loom

My beaded scarf has been half-done for almost a month. I've been stalling on stringing on beads for the second half even though it's really not that hard — just time-consuming. I'll take some nifty photos of the long-tail cast-on for the second half. Then I get to write an approved loom translation of the pattern for Interlacements Yarns. So stay tuned!