Virtual Loom Along and Challenge - loom knit picot flower

April Showers have certainly brought May flowers!

In a festive flower celebration, I'm hosting a virtual 

loom along from May 1 through 14th!  

Come join me on my Facebook or Google+ pages for fun posting and knitting together.  

Lets share photos of what we make and creations to use our flowers on.  Email me your photos @ gkkcontests@gmail.com by May 14th (see challenge rule details) and I'll be drawing for a winner.  Winner(s) will receive PDF patterns and I might get to throw some yarn in the mix!

We'll upload them to our Flickr site to feel the love of all the flower power!


Patterns and yarn to give away?! What?!


Check out my Website for details on how to enter the Picot Flower Challenge!

We’re challenging YOU to make a Picot Star or Picot Petal, submit your photo & be entered to win!

Please see the Contest Rules at the link below. If you do not know how to make them you can access the free flower patterns & video loom alongs by clicking here! 

Please visit out my main YouTube channel and if you are not subscribed, I’d be honored if you’d subscribe and check it out.  I am a YouTube Crafting Guru.  I teach how to loom & needle knit with a little crochet, general crafting & design as well. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhmDNssauW8

                                                       

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RaESjWsWEU

Here is the Yarny Link:

http://goodknitkisses.com/GoodKnit_Kisses/Giveaways_Contests.html

If we have an overwhelming response 2nd & 3rd drawings will take place for additional winners.  All winners will receive a GoodKnit Kisses pdf pattern of their choice (by email) and a signed postcard from Kristen just for fun! :-)  See this link for the card.  Feel free to download to make your own card to keep or hand out for other loom knitters. 

Good Luck & Happy Knitting!!

©2013 GoodKnit Kisses

http://www.goodknitkisses.com

http://www.youtube.com/goodknitkisses.com

FREE PATTERN: Loom Knit Mesh Soap Bag (small drawstring sachet)

Mesh Soap Bag by Mary Walters
Pattern Published and edited by Kristen Mangus

(adapted from the “Loom Knit Mesh Bag” by Kristen Mangus)


12 peg (or other large gauge 12 peg) Knifty Knitter “Bloom” Loom
Skill Level: Beginner

USES: Small drawstring sachet size Mesh bag for soap or small items.  Add length in Ewrap rows to make a longer toothbrush caddy. 
















YARN:     2 balls cotton or cotton blend  (use scrap yarn)
                  Use two strands held as one. (Can add additional
                  strand(s) desired.)


(Watch http://www.youtube.com/goodknitkisses for video tutorials on this bag design or SEE BELOW PATTERN POSTED)

Abbreviations:     EW = E-wrap         P = Purl


FLAT PANEL-
1.    Using both strands of yarn E-wrap Cast on 5 stitches to round 12 peg loom in a flat panel. Counter-clockwise to the starter peg, work as a flat panel in EW 10 rows making sure your working yarn is back to the starter peg for the next row.

BUILDING BASE OF BAG –
2.    Leaving the panel on the loom, stretch the panel across the loom to the opposite side and place on pegs across. Now take the side stitches and place 2 stitch loops at a time (the two held as one) on adjacent pegs to stretch flat panel to fit on all pegs of the loom. Make sure to pick up ALL side stitches so your bag will not have an open hole. This is the bottom base of the bag. Wrap all pegs EW in a full circle and knit over leaving only 1 set of two strands (the two color choices). For example the side stitches have 3 sets of two before knitting over on a few pegs that have extra side stitches.

MAIN BODY OF BAG –
3.  Purl 2 rows
      EW 5 rows
      Purl 2 rows
      EW 2 rows

BIND OFF –
4.   Loose Bind off - This is similar to the Basic bind off.  However, after each stitch moved over, and knit off, wrap the peg and knit off again before moving over. Begin Basic Bind off by wrapping the first leading peg & knitting off. (See GoodKnitKisses video tutorial for help)

DRAWSTRING –
       5.    Using a size I, J or K crochet hook, chain 50 with both strands held as one. Do not tie yet.

Weave the chain into the top of the bag between the knit stitch columns, just below the cast off . Weave back and forth between the outside and inside of the bag till you come to the beginning end.  Tie the ends together and weave tail into the chain or simply cut off.  The tied in can be repositioned into the inside of the bag if you like.  Weave in all loose strands.  Add bar of soap and pull drawstring to close.

CARE:
Hang bag up in shower or tub, wash as needed.  Suggest making one for each person using the bag with many on hand to switch out for hygiene. Be sure to inspect for mildew and clean.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIyW-rwX93I&feature=youtube_gdata_player


Other uses Kristen suggests to use as a sachet for potpourri or scented candle chips, feminine hygiene packet for purse or bag, other small items (suggest using one more strand to hold small items).

Happy Looming!! 



©2012 GoodKnit Kisses

Loom Knit Elf Hat - Decrease for cone with no seams

Loom Knit Elf Hat 

Decrease for cone with no seams

Hello my fellow loom knitters! It's been awhile since my last blog.  I've had many requests in the past & recently on how to make an Elf Hat for babies or newborns.  Below is a written description of what I do to get that gradual cone shape & also a video on the decrease principle I use.  We will use this technique over an over a few times to get that look.  Please try this once with scrap yarn on the looms suggested to get the technique down first.  Then try adjusting it from different loom sizes on your own.  Please appreciate I cannot transpose to every loom for everyone but if you use the basic strategy it will work for you.  Feel free to add rows or change it up to for your pattern. I'd love to hear back from you or in a video response on YouTube.  Have fun!!

Let's say you are making a newborn Elf Hat on the 24 peg KK loom.  I make my hat a few rows shy of the crown length I want to fit it to & then start my decrease. (Divide all pegs into 4 sections of six. Use my video but instead of knitting over 1 row after moving over the pegs, add 1 more row.) By the time you are done and have 12 pegs left on the loom, you will have 3 extra rows created to make it longer plus the 3 rows of decrease. [see video for decreasing by *Principle of Six - SEE BELOW POST]

Now thread a contrasting yarn through all the loops and transfer over to the 12 peg KK Bloom loom (or 12 pegs of a long loom with a loom clip). At this time go ahead and pull on the extra slack in the yarn so that your ladders between the stitches get smaller and so do the transferred loops. (Divide into 2 sections of six and decrease exactly as you did before adding an extra row.  After this you should have 6 pegs with stitches on the loom and have added 3 extra rows to the length plus the 3 rows decreased.

Next transfer again, with contrasting yarn, to a long loom with a loom clip at the end. You will use the loom clip as 1 peg and 2 pegs on each side plus one end of the loom. Pull up the slack. Now you have the *"standard 6 pegs" to decrease again as before.  Add 1 row extra between each decrease row as on the two looms before. You will have 3 pegs left.

Move the three pegs close to each other and pull up the slack. Knit two stitches together and continue as an i-cord until you have reached the length desired. Knit the last two together and knit last stitch. Cut a tail and pull through. Add a pom-pom and weave in any ends. Basically it's the same decrease over and over again with adding in extra rows along the way for a gradual decrease and cone appearance. (The hat in the picture above I did not continue with an i-cord to show what it would look like to leave short).

*PRINCIPLE OF SIX - My decreasing method divide the loom into sections of 6 pegs.  The first round of decrease move all the 2nd pegs to the 1st peg.  Wrap all remaining stitches left and knit off (KO). Next move all the 4th pegs over to the 3rd peg. Wrap all remaining and KO. Last, move all the 6th pegs to the 5th and KO. If a hat this finished the decreased crown, just cast off at this point or continue with transfer if for a longer crown. (On some looms the last section may be 5 or 7 pegs in the section.  In this case just wrap and KO. If 8 then add one more row to move the 8th peg to the 7th, now wrap all left and KO.

I hope this has helped you.  Happy Looming!!

Kristen

©2012 GoodKnit Kisses