Thursday, August 24, 2017

Loom Stitches: Ridge Eyelet Lace

Ridge Eyelet Lace Stitch for the Knitting Loom
Translating stitch patterns from needle knitting to loom knitting is one of my hobbies, so I thought I would occasionally share one here in an effort to breathe a little life into this sleeping blog. Today's stitch pattern is the Ridge Eyelet Lace Stitch. This is a very easy stitch, even for beginning loom knitters, and it a great stitch to use for any project where you want a "touch of lace". An overview of the stitch is shown in the thumbnail below and detailed afterward. A larger version of the thumbnail photo is available in PDF format here: Ridge Eyelet Lace Stitch for the Loom.


The instructions above are self-explanatory, but I know some of us need more than just basic information so hopefully, the following explanation will help.

Ridge Eyelet Lace Stitch for the Loom

For this explanation, we will be using a 5/8" gauge 12-peg round loom and one strand of Red Heart Super Saver 

  • Cast On: Cast On all 12 pegs using one strand of yarn and your favorite cast on method.
    For a quick neat cast on edge, I use my version of the Twisted-Loop Cast On, where the working yarn is placed in front of the peg and e-wrapped from front-back-front; then finish by knitting the bottom e-wrap strand over the top. This is what the Twisted-Loop CO needle version looks like.
  • Row 1 (for working in rounds): Continue on from peg-12 to peg-1 and knit all pegs using the regular or u-wrap knit stitch.
    Row 1: (for working a flat panel): Turn in the opposite direction and knit from peg-12 back to peg-1 using the regular or u-wrap knit stitch.
  • Row 2 (for working in rounds): Continue on from peg-12 to peg-1 and purl all pegs.
    Row 2: (for working a flat panel): Turn in the opposite direction and purl from peg-12 back to peg-1.

  • Row 3: Repeat Row 1.
  • Row 4 (for working in rounds): You will omit the instructions represented on the chart above in yellow and work only the repeating pattern, *yo, k2tog; repeat from * to the end of the row. To begin this row you will move the stitch from peg-1 and all odd numbered pegs to peg-2 or all even numbered pegs, This will leave peg-1 and all odd numbered pegs empty and all even numbered pegs with two stitches. Bring the working yarn over the empty odd numbered pegs for the yarn over and knit the two stitches together on the even numbered pegs. (Note: When working the yarn over, you may use either an e-wrap for a more open lace stitch, or just bring the strand of yarn over the peg without wrapping for a tighter stitch.)
    Row 4 (for working a flat panel): You will need to include the instructions represented on the chart above in yellow, which forms the edge stitches for the flat panel as follows: K1, *yo, k2tog; repeat from * up to the last peg; k1 (the last peg). Pegs 2-11 will be worked using the yo, k2tog repeats. Notice that with the addition of the edge stitches for a panel, the yarn overs are worked on the even numbered pegs and the k2tog's are worked on the odd numbered pegs. Otherwise, the stitches are worked the same for both the rounds and flat panels.
  • Repeat the above 4 rows to your desired length.

Hope you have fun making projects with this easy lace pattern!

Monday, August 21, 2017

Artsy Eclipse Photos 2017


Today's solar eclipse found my husband and I sitting on the patio of Jason's Deli in Kennesaw, GA. We didn't have the best location to view the eclipse, but I snapped photos of this once in a lifetime event with my iPhone anyway. The pictures were rather unspectacular; however, after playing with the photo editor on my laptop things improved. The photo above was my favorite. It doesn't look like a typical photo of an eclipse but has more of an artistic quality that I love. The one below is my other favorite.