Tag Archives: loom knit

Potholders on a Martha Stewart loom

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IMG_8531The other day I needed a potholder. I went to my dishcloth/potholder drawer and discovered that all my potholders were in the washing machine. It was then I realized that I had only 4 potholders and needed more.
I thought about sewing some up and I may yet, but I needed one sooner than I could pull my fabric and supplies together and make one.

I remembered that back in early winter my Bff had given me a bag of cotton craft loops. They’re sort of a teri-cloth type, but I figured they’d work. I needed a loom though. Thank goodness for my Martha Stewart loom set. I put together a loom that was a big as the loop would stretch and I began happily weaving.

IMG_8525I discovered early on that if I used the normal bind-off that the potholder would be too small. I decided to stitch the edge with cotton yarn and bind it off that way.

IMG_8518On the first potholder, I weaved cotton yarn throughout it and crocheted around the edge, but I really don’t like the way it looks, so the others I just stitched around the outside loops.

I like my new potholders, they’re not pretty and have wonky stitches, but they work and that’s the important thing.

I thanked my Bff for the loops. I enjoyed making several nice size heavy potholders with them and wished that she was here making some too.

Here’s wishing you all a good day with
quick resolutions to any issues that arise.
sewinggran

3-spcbg

Loom Knit Kitchen Scrubbies

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IMG_7454Last month my Bff called me to tell me a very helpful hint she discovered: use a scrubby to wash potatoes with.
I love this idea and have used it ever since.

IMG_8189Back in the winter my Bff gave me some nice size scrubbies. They’re bigger than the ones I make. So, she told how many pegs and which loom she used.
I’m so glad she helps me. We have so much fun discussing looming and sharing our projects and ideas with each other.

“Thanks so much my Dear Bff,
Your scrubbies are great and your idea to use them as vegetable scrubber is wonderful.
I’m happy to share your hints with my blogging buddies and readers.” 🙂

I thought I’d make a bit of a tutorial to show how I now make bigger scrubbies.
I use regular 4 ply acrylic yarn and tulle to make my kitchen scrubbies.

My terminology may be off. I can’t find the right words sometimes. 😉
Also, this tutorial doesn’t explain how to loom knit, but is written for folks who already know the basics of loom knitting.
If you’d like to take up loom knitting, here’s a link to a youtube.com search results for ‘How to Loom Knit’ It has oodles of videos of most anything you’d need to know to get started loom knitting.

And here we go…

Kitchen Scrubbies
knitting loom
knitting hook
Tulle (or some type netting)
Yarn (I use 2 strands of acrylic 4 ply yarn)
Large Darning Needle

Cut the netting in 1 1/2 inches wide strip about 12 to 15 yards long.
Wind the strip of tulle into a ball.

*Leave about a 12 inches yarn/netting strip to weave in to use as a drawstring when you’re finished.
Or use a drawstring cast-on.
Hold yarn and netting strip together and cast them on the loom in your favorite fashion.
*I use a regular e wrap cast on.

Using E wrap, knit 12 to 15 rows.
*I usually just knit until there’s about 12 inches of the yarn/netting strip left.

To bind off, thread a darning needle with the yarn/netting strip and feed it through the loops as you take them off the pegs. Continue until the scrubby is off the loom.

Pull the the yarn/netting strip drawstring tight and tie off

Weave the beginning 12 inch strip of yarn/netting strip in and out of the edge stitches making a drawstring.
Pull tight and tie off.

I generally thread the strip through the scrubby and tack it to the other side to secure it in place.

The 5 1/2 inch blue knifty knitter loom makes about a 4 inch scrubby.
scrubbet

IMG_8180
I make smaller scrubbies using a Martha Stwart square loom with 20 pegs.
mslm

A Scrubby is another handy item that can be made from left over yarn.

—–
Further Resources:
Here’s a link to a tutorial for Scrubbies.
There’s a few differences between it and mine. Go and check it out, it may be a more understandable and a better method for you if you’re interested in loom knitting a scrubby.

 

edited in 1-15-2019 – hopefully helpful info:
PVC Pipe Knitting Loom Stands

 

PVC Pipe Knitting Loom Stands – with lengths for various looms

 

 

 

A few clothes-pin hints for yarn & looming

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IMG_7474My above photo is some of my left over yarn wrapped around clothespins. I did this to show that I think it’s a neat idea. This idea could be used for embroidery thread, yarn, ribbon, twine or most anything stringy to help keep them neat and tidy.
I searched and tried to find the original poster for this idea. Unfortunately that website is gone now, so here’s a link to the next to the oldest one I found: factorydirectcraft

IMG_7178My favorite stitch in loom knitting is the e-stitch or e-wrap stitch. It’s makes a rib type pattern and I like the look of the finished project.
The e-stitch is simple since it’s just wrapping the yarn around a peg. It can be used for cast on as well.

However, the most irritating and frustrating thing about using this simple stitch is if you let it loose for a nano second while wrapping the pegs , the yarn will spring to life and unravel like a joyous snake of rebellion.

I resolved the unraveling issue, sort of. After I wrap several pegs, I put a clothes pin on the yarn sort of between a couple of the wrapped pegs and then continue on wrapping. I move the clothes pin along as I get further around my loom.
If you use this method you may notice that the clothes pin overlaps the pegs on some looms.
clothespinhold
This next tip comes from an idea sparked by my Bff. I complained about when I was looming, if I had to leave my loom to do something else like housework, when I’d come back to looming, I couldn’t remember if I was going left or right. I ripped out more than one project because of this memory lapse.
My Bff shared with me that she had resolved this issue by using a pencil gripper to set down on a peg a dozen or so ahead of the way she was going. That way whenever she sat down to loom again she knew which direction she was headed.
I didn’t have any pencil grips, but I did have other things that would work just as well.
*Use something that can’t be knocked off the loom peg: stitch marker, clothespin, safety-pin or a pencil gripper
Place it on a peg several pegs in front of the direction you are going in, move the clothes pin along as you go further around your loom.
If you use this method you may notice that the clothes pin overlaps the pegs on some looms.
clothespinmarker

These are things that work for me, they may not be right for you, but I wanted to share them anyway.
I hope some of the tips maybe helpful in making your crafting adventures more enjoyable.

Wishing you all a sunshine filled week.
🙂
spcr1