Lovebugs

Sparky Lovebug

When a Valentine project was needed for Loom Class, I was asked to do the Double Hearts pattern. Originally, the Double Hearts pattern was intended to be a springboard for other projects, so I suggested some of the projects that incorporate the Double Hearts instead. One of these projects from my design book was a little amigurumi lovebug, "Sparky", pictured above. He is actually version 2 of his somewhat fatter cousin, "Lotsa", pictured below.

Lotsa Lovebug, front & back

"Sparky" Lovebug is four inches tall and the original "Lotsa" Lovebug (above) is just a bit taller at five inches. The main difference in the two is Lotsa's body was made as a continuation of the head on the 12-peg Knifty Knitter Flower Loom. Sparky's head is made identical to Lotsa's, but his smaller body was made on the 8-peg end of the Knifty Knitter Spool Loom and included an extra stripe. Both versions use the Double Heart pattern completed using 5 pairs of pegs on the Knifty Knitter Long Loom.

The Lovebugs pattern, which includes both versions, is located in the Pattern Box on the right or by clicking the link at the beginning of the sentence. Hope you can join us next week in Loom Class (Jan 31-Feb 5, 2011)!

Postcard from the loom

Front of the postcard

Look what I got in the mail - a beautiful loom knitted postcard from my loomy friend, Vanessa Soto in Florida. Vanessa is one of those rare people that has the ability to see beyond the boundaries imposed by mainstream thinking and instead of asking "why", she proceeds with a "why not" attitude. This postcard is just one example of her creative fiber artwork.

The background of the postcard is knitted with a garter stitch using Michael's Loops & Threads Charisma yarn. The basic design is needle felted with worsted weight and textured yarns. Other related multimedia items are glued in place and chipboard is added to the reverse side to create a writing surface. Due to the dimensional nature of the postcard and the possibility of it being damaged in the mail, the card was mailed in a small brown envelope.

Currently, Vanessa is developing a tutorial for making loom knitted postcards. The tutorial will be offered through the Yahoo Loom Class Group in early spring. In the meantime, my lovely fiber postcard will reside in a special shadowbox for all to admire.

Back of the postcard