Ms. Kitty

My new favorite loom for knitting amigurumi, washcloths,afghan squares, and other little items is the KB Sock Loom 2 which is a smaller version of the All-n-One Loom. Both of these looms have a 3/8 inch gauge and can easily accommodate one strand of worsted weight yarn. Also, both can be adjusted for decreases or increases which proved to be the perfect loom for today's featured project, Ms. Kitty, pictured above.

Ms. Kitty is a loom knitted adaptation of Linda Dawkins Beans the Cat, which is a needle knitted pattern available as a free Ravelry download. My loom knitted version is very similar, but modified for the loom. Since there was no size or gauge mentioned in Linda's pattern, I had to guess, but overall I was pleased with my little fat cat. I plan on making one using black yarn for Halloween.

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Ms. Kitty, the amigurumi cat
(The following gives general modifications for making this project on the loom. For complete needle pattern information, please refer to the Ravelry pattern, Beans the Cat)

Materials
Loom: KB Sock Loom 2
Yarn: Paton's Shetland Chunky in #03212 Imperial (This is a #5 yarn in a discontinued color, so you may have to substitute.)
Embroidery yarn or buttons for eyes and nose
Stuffing

Gauge: 4 st X 6 rows = 1 inch in stockinette stitch
Size: 4.3 inches tall and approximately 3 inches wide

Stitch pattern: Crossed Stockinette
Row 1: flat or u-knit all pegs
Row 2: e-wrap knit all pegs

Instructions

Set slider for 30 pegs (10 on each side, plus the 5-peg end pieces)
CO 30 pegs using a drawstring CO. 
Work Crossed Stockinette stitch pattern for 2¾ inches ending on an e-wrap row.
*K1, k2tog; rep from * to end of row. This is a decrease from 30 to 20 stitches.
Continue working stitch pattern for another 1.8 to 2 inches.


Refer to the original pattern for shaping, stuffing, eyes and nose.

Tail: Work a 5 inch I-cord using 4 pegs and stitch in place.

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I hope to be adding many more projects that I've worked on over the past few months. I've spent more time knitting than blogging so I'm a bit behind updating Loom Lore. I hope to add projects that I did for the Yahoo Loom Class that haven't been posted before in addition to new creations. My next post will be my version of a log cabin square done on the loom, so stay tuned.

Brenda's Basic Baby Blanket

34 inch blanket in progress on 36-peg large gauge round loom

Peg-doubling 

One of the biggest complaints regarding the common large gauge looms (aka, Knifty Knitter, Boye, Darice, etc.) is you can't make a baby blanket or afghan without seaming panels. Well, I just happen to have a solution to the problem: the peg-doubling technique. This technique makes it possible to create a flat panel that is double what is typically made on the round loom. In simplest terms, this is accomplished by:

• casting on two stitches per peg & one stitch on the last peg;
• knitting & shifting the top stitch to the previous peg;
• knitting the bottom stitch; and
• repeat across the row.  

Using the peg-doubling technique makes creating a blanket or afghan on the large gauge loom both easy and more portable for those who loom knit on the go. While designed for the large gauge looms, these techniques are easily adaptable to any knitting loom. The addition of edging, embroidery or other embellishment will make each blanket your own unique design.

Completed 34 inch blanket made on the 36-peg large gauge round loom

Double flat knit stitch
The stitch pattern used for this project is the double flat knit stitch (referred to originally as the 2-peg stitch in the Irish Washerwoman post), but other stitch patterns can be adapted to this technique, as well. The double flat knit stitch has become one of my favorite stitch patterns.  I've used it on many different projects, including berets, scarves, dish clothes, etc. It makes a nice textured stockinette stitch that resists rolling without using purl stitches and works very well with the peg-doubling technique.

Loom knitted picot edging
The picot edging shown on the blanket in this blog post was done using the same 36-peg large gauge round loom on which the blanket was knitted. It is a very simple technique that uses two pegs to work an I-cord picot; bind off one stitch; then pick up and add a new stitch. It's done in a similar method to the picot bind off shown in my Patriot Pin post from two years ago.

Close-up of loom knitted picot edging

Instructional links

I've been teaching this class on the Yahoo LoomClass Group for the past week and we have one more week to go. In the meantime, here are the links to help you learn how to make your own basic baby blanket:

• Blanket Video Tutorial
• Blanket Pattern Instructions

The 20 minute video focuses on making a sampler square to practice the peg-doubling technique, while the pattern instructions detail how to apply the technique to make the actual baby blanket. 

A separate video is available that shows how to add the loom knitted picot edging

• Loom Knitted Picot I-cord Edging

Sunflower coasters

Popping in to share a fun quick project in honor of Earth Day (April 22, 2013) and International Sunflower Guerrilla Gardening Day (May 1). Sunflowers have much symbolism worldwide and in Native American culture as the "fourth sister" to the better known three sisters combination of corn, beans, and squash when gardening. It has also played an important part in American history and became the state flower of Kansas.

So, what better way to say "green" than to knit up a stack of sunflower coasters? These are such a fun and quick project to do, once you've mastered the cast on/bind off technique for the petals. Not only are they great for coasters, but these large six inch diameter sunflowers can be incorporated into hats, handbags, scarves, afghans, kitchen accessories and home decor. 

Happy Easter!

As usual, I'm running behind. However, I wanted to share pictures of my little ducks. This was such fun to do and sort of evolved as I made them. The big duck is made in two main pieces (head & body), but the little duckie is in one main piece. The most difficult part of designing these for the loom was making the beaks. The feet are still forthcoming, but I just had to show them off for Easter. 

The white basket is the larger 24 peg version of the Jelly Bean Basket. The eggs are decorated revisions of the original Easter Eggs pattern.

I am particularly proud of the seamless cast on on the little duckie shown below.

Hope your day is just duckie!