Time To Knit Old Man Winter Is On The Way

Hi everyone I know I have been absent lately but what can I say the sunny weather, a hammock and good books have been beckoning me lately. Old Man winter will be here before I know it and I have to be storing up that sunshine and warmth before his arrival. Too bad I can't bottle all that sunshine up.

One of the books I just finished  reading is "The Friday Night Knitting Club" by Kate Jacobs. I wish I could say it inspired me to get out my knitting needles and the shawl I started a few years ago. Last time I looked at it I had no idea where I was in the pattern. Nor whether the pin side was the wrong or right side. No,I have a feeling my days of knitting with needles are over. Especially since I've discovered how easy it is to use a knitting loom.

O.K. I will confess that I originally bought the set of knitting looms thinking I could learn how to use them and then teach my granddaughters. They sat untouched for six months until I went and visited my sister. She got me going making my first hat. I made my hat longer only because I like my hats to cover my ears and neck.

 With one hat under my belt I decided to try to make a beaded hat for my "diva" granddaughter. It was great as I could take the loom with me camping and not worry about stitches getting accidentally dropped off of needles. I had forgotten to take the flower loom with me so had to wait until I got home to make the flower for on top. I decided to add some pony beads in the center of the flower. I wish now I had used the purple yarn for the flower middle but I'm sure my "Diva" will love her new hat.

My sister asked me how to do the beads on the hat brim. It is really simple. You thread the beads on your yarn before you start. How many rows you want beaded will determine how many beads to thread on. I decided to just use three rows on the brim of the hat. When you get to the row where you want beads instead of wrapping that row you place the yarn on the outside of the pegs with the beads in between the pegs and then knit as you normally would. If you should get too many beads on like I did you can just keep pushing them down the yarn until it is time to cut the yarn at which time you can slide them off the yarn.

 I used a 36 peg large gauge loom to make these hats. I think most of the Knifty Knitter loom sets are large gauge so I doubled the stitches knitting over two rows instead of one giving a tighter stitch. I am ordering by Knifty Knitter their purple loom which has 48 pegs closer together and is slightly larger for making adult hats. The men in my life have asked for hats with closer knitting so they will be warmer. Also dare I say it they have bigger heads because their brains are like the computers back in the 60's which took up a whole room. ;-).Of course if you have a better explanation of why their heads are larger I would love to hear it.

By the way a round knitting loom can be used for more than knitting hats. It can be used to knit cords,knitting flat panel scarfs,etc. So if you only have the money to buy one loom instead of a set buy a round knitting loom. Of course you just might luck out and find a set at a thrift store. :-)

I just picked up at the library the sequel "Knit Two" by Kate Jacobs so I'm off to go sit in the hammock and read until the sun sets. Wishing you Happy Frugal Crafting till we meet again!