Holiday Knitting Orders

Did you know that Christmas is less than 100 days away? The holidays are just around the corner, and it’s not too early to start thinking about those special people on your gift list. I am accepting orders right now for loom knit items you can purchase. These items will be knit to order by yours truly, and you can receive them well in advance of the holidays. Why wait until the last minute? Shop now! You’ll be glad you did. Send me an e-mail at artmangreg@aol.com with your choice from the list below, and I will send you a Paypal link so you can prepay for your order. Items will take 2-3 weeks to knit and ship, so ordering early is essential to receive in time for the holidays! Last date you can order from this list is 11/11/11. All yarn used is Lion Brand (or equivalent) acrylic, unless noted. Photos are for suggestion only; actual knitted items may vary slightly in color or design. You may request a photo of an item that doesn't have the photo here:

Adult hat and scarf sets (not sold individually) one solid color or two color: $40.

Child hat and scarf sets (not sold individually) one solid color or two color: $35.

Child hat with pom pom and scarf sets (not sold individually) one solid color or two color: $40.

Newborn baby hat and booties set (pink, white, yellow or blue): $25.

Adult or child watermelon novelty hat and scarf set (in sizes above, not sold individually): $45.

Teddy bear (pink, blue or brown): $25.

Sunflower air freshener: $20.

Glass Christmas ball ornaments with Christmas tree inside – set of 4 (family heirloom quality – each gift can have individual gift tags with your family’s names on them – up to 6 different names): $45.

Glass Christmas ball ornaments with Christmas wreath inside – set of 4: $30.

Knit Christmas ball ornaments – set of 4: $20.

Baby Daffodil Christmas Ornaments – set of 6: $25.

Mini Christmas stocking ornaments (stuff with a peppermint stick and attach to your Christmas gifts, or trim your tree with them!) set of 4: $22.

Glow in the Dark stars – set of 6: $30. (made with special glow in the dark yarn)

Cupcake: $15.

New Steering Wheel Cover

I needed another steering wheel cover for a green minivan, and since the last one I made came out so well (see here for pics and directions: http://loomdude.blogspot.com/2011/06/fathers-day-gift-idea.html), I decided to make my own:

Here is a detail of the stitching. I used 1 over 1 stockinette, double stranding (1 strand of Sugar 'n Cream Green Twists and 1 strand of Lion Brand Hometown USA Oklahoma City Green), and knit off 110 rows on 10 pegs on the flower loom:

These steering wheel covers are simple to make; the only bit of a challenge comes when you have to sew the cover onto the steering wheel. This can take time, but it is well worth the end result. I suppose if you wanted to use velcro strips instead of sewing the cover on, it would probably work, but you would need to knit on 12 pegs instead of 10. I knew I wanted to use green yarn, but I didn't want something too pastel or deep green. Combining the Sugar 'n Cream with the Hometown USA provided just the look I wanted: variety without being too busy. What do you think?

Oh my Stars!

I’m a little late posting due to Hurricane Irene blowing through NJ and having the power off for several days. You can read more about my hurricane experience here: (http://artmangreg.blogspot.com/2011/09/my-hurricane-irene-story.html). For now, I’d like to post the latest project: stars!

They are relatively easy to make, and I will have the complete directions in my upcoming book. In the meantime, I used the Bernat Glow in the Dark yarn on the flower loom for the small star and the blue round loom for the large star.

Knitting the stars doesn't take long, but shaping them afterwards will require a little nimble effort with the yarn needle. This time I dunked the completed stars in the fabric stiffener and saturated them before I placed them on a plastic bag, shaped and blocked them. After a couple of days they were both dry. They are perfect to hang in a child’s bedroom as a sweet little electricity-free night light! You might consider involving your child with creating a mobile using a coat hanger and some string, to hang the stars and make them seem as if they are floating in the child’s room. Along with the firefly I posted last month, your child’s room will be full of glowing nighttime novelties in no time!

Naturally, the camera was not steady for such a long exposure to capture the glow effect.