Felted Pants Almost Done!

Here are the felted pants, almost done!

You can read about my previous progress with these pants here:

http://loomdude.blogspot.com/2011/04/felted-pants-and-other-things.html

http://loomdude.blogspot.com/2011/04/loom-knit-felted-pants-part-2.html

For the entire project I used Lion Brand Fisherman's Wool Natural color, 2 skeins (though I didn't use the whole second skein). For the legs I knit 1 over 2 stockinette stitch on the red round loom for 134 rows per leg. For the torso I knit 1 over 2 stockinette stitch on the long blue loom (using both corner pegs). To start, I knit off 3 rows on the 8 center pegs, then I knit off the entire loom for 64 rows.

I arranged the three pieces together,

then sewed them together. They measure 12.5" x 30.5".

After knotting every tail, I turned the pants inside out,

and felted them in the washing machine for 5 minutes, checking to make sure they didn't shrink too much. Finally I carefully wrung them out, shaped and blocked them. I knew once I felted them that the curl caused by the stockinette stitch would tighten up and flatten out, so I wasn't really that concerned about it. I also "guessed" that the shrinking process would straighten out the top of the pants also. I figured whatever the shrinking didn't fix I could fix when I blocked and shaped them.

I shaped and blocked them a little more after taking this picture. After felting they now measure 9.75" x 26.5". They won't truly be complete until later this year, when my daughter tries them on and I alter them for her size. At first I was going to add some felted flowers to the pants, but they look nice the way they are without any decoration, so we'll see. I'm thinking about adding an elastic lining instead of a belt, though a nice ribbon belt would probably work too. Once I fit and alter them I will add a light fabric lining on the inside so they won't be scratchy, and try not to panic if she spills anything on them. I can always make another pair!

An Easter Cross

My second Easter project this year was something I had planned to do last year, but I couldn't find the right frame last year. I had made the cross with lily in 2010 (see http://loomdude.blogspot.com/2010/03/easter-projects-cross-with-lily.html ) . This time I found the frame I wanted at Michael's Craft Store, and it was 40% off! A 9x20 shadow box. It came with a black velour backing, which I had no intention of using. The cross I had made didn't look good against the black, so I decided I would get some fabric the cover it up. I finally decided on a green fabric with a textured vine print on it, which matched quite well with the color of the cross.

I cut the fabric and wrapped the backing with it, using some archival document repair tape to secure it to the back of the backing.

I also used the archival tape to attach the cross to the fabric. Next I created a little Scripture card to go underneath the cross

(I am the resurrection and the life. - John 11:25). I printed it on a blank business card that I had, and used glue dots to attach the card to a piece of foam core, which I cut out around the card. I then used archival tape to attach the card to the fabric.

Finally I put everything in the frame, and it was done! I was happy with how it turned out.

Happy Easter to one and all!

Hot Cross Buns, Hot Cross Buns

I was thinking to myself, what could I create on the loom that would be different than the usual Easter bunnies, chicks, eggs, and lamb projects? And then it hit me: how about hot cross buns? I don't recall having seen them knit before, so why not give it a shot? So here they are, fresh from the oven:

A sweet treat, just in time for Easter!

I just made up the pattern based on how I thought a knitted hot cross bun might look. I used the Knifty Knitter green straight loom with the corner pegs in, casting on all pegs with a 1 over 2 stockinette stitch. I started out with some leftover cream colored yarn to make the sides of the bun. I knit off 5 rows, snipped the cream yarn, then began a combination of the cream yarn and Loops & Threads Impeccable Worsted Topaz yarn. I kept the cream yarn on 9 pegs at both corners of the loom (including the corner peg) and used the Topaz for the rest of the pegs. The Topaz is the top and bottom color of the bun. I knit off 60 rows like this and then snipped the Topaz so I could knit off 5 rows on the entire loom of just the cream yarn.

Once I cast off, I carefully thread Topaz yarn through the inside of the brown stitches to create the different bun sections.

Then I sewed together one side of the piece. I cinched the Topaz yarn a bit that I had threaded through the stitches and knotted it. Then I turned the piece inside out and stuffed it with batting. After shaping the piece, I sewed the other end shut.

I then knit 5 I-cords using some white yarn I had around, and carefully sewed them to the top of the piece. Voila!

Top:

Side:

Bottom:

I will try this pattern again, and next time I plan to use less cream yarn on the corners so that more of the brown bun will be showing. And the bottom could even be a lighter color yarn than the Topaz. I had thought about adding a few specks of raisins and fruit to the sides and top, but decided against it. When I try the pattern again maybe I'll add it just to see how it would look.

Loom Knit Felted Pants Part 2

Here's the latest progress on the pair of pants I'm loom knitting: So far: two pants legs, and I'm working on the torso using all the pegs on the blue straight loom, 1 over 2 stockinette stitch. This is still an experiment for me, and I hope it will work out. I won't know until I put everything together and felt it. I feel pretty good about how it's turning out so far. Someone suggested that I line the inside of the pants to prevent them from geing scratchy, which is an excellent idea. I will start shopping for some extra soft fabric to line them with. But the only problem is I just glanced at the calendar today and I noticed that Easter is next weekend already! Where did the time go? So I will post my two Easter projects next week, and then post the finished results for the pants the week after Easter. Plus, next week I'll be posting a portion of an interview I had with someone who is a loom knitting phenomenon! Hope you'll check it out!

Felted Pants and other things

Now that I've learned how to felt, I'm going to try something a little ambitious: I'm going to make a piar of felted pants for my daughter! I'm using the round red loom for the pants legs, and I'm using fisherman's wool natural color for the yarn, since I got such great results from using it to loom knit a pair of felted mittens. So far I have knit one pants leg using a 1 over 2 stockinette stitch for 134 rows:

It measures about 20" without the curls at the end. It's too late for her to wear them this season since the warmth of Springtime is finally kicking in. I'm trying to estimate how much I think she might grow by next season, and allow for the shrinking process during felting. I've already started the next pants leg, and I'm making up the pattern as I go along, so if it doesn't come out quite right I'll try again and make corrections. Hopefully they won't be too itchy for her; the mittens I made for someone else weren't itchy at all. Once the pants are felted I plan to make some little felted flowers to decorate them with.

As a result of being given the Stylish Blogger award (thanks to Sharon of Sharon's Eclectic Retreat blog), I would like to present 7 things you probably didn't know about Loom Dude:

1. I enjoy rollerblading and ice skating when I get the chance.

2. I am a great cook (most of the time).

3. I like watching the Weather Channel (even before they started having more variety programming).

4. Christmas is my favorite holiday.

5. I used to make my own ice cream when I was a kid (using an ice cream maker).

6. I have more creative projects than I have time to do them all!

7. Magenta is one of my favorite colors.

That was fun; now tell me one thing about you!

P.S. - I added a bunch of new blog links to my website at http://www.loomdude.com/. Click on the links page and take a look!

Two New Hats

On Saturday I took my daughter to a birthday party for one of her friends at Michael's craft store. It was nice, and she enjoyed it a lot. The staff led the children to make two take home crafts during the party: a birdhouse and a magnetic wooden notepad holder-thingy. But it wasn't until I got to our next destination after the party that I realized I had left my hat at the store! It was the loom knit hat that I had made over a year ago. I was a little bummed out about it, but of course it was the perfect excuse to make a new hat to replace it.

I planned to make another blue one, but I had been wanting a brown one to match a brown coat that I wear every winter. I made the brown hat first, using the round green loom and Hometown USA Billings Chocolate, which I double stranded with Sugar 'n Cream Warm Brown. This was a good combination because the colors are so similar. The Hometown USA is super bulky acrylic and the Sugar 'n Cream is Medium (4) Worsted Cotton. I knit the two strands together using a 1 over 1 stockinette stitch for 12 rows, then added the brim. Then I knit for another 19 rows, cast off with a yarn needle and cinched it closed.

Done in about 1.5 hours, but it took a little longer because I stayed up late watching the 1968 movie musical Oliver!, which used to be one of my favorite movies. It was the letterbox version with all the intermission and extra music included. I wore the hat to church the next day, with the brown coat.

On Sunday I decided I didn't want to wear my nice brown hat as an everyday hat, so I rummaged through my stuff and found my Hometown USA San Diego Navy yarn, mixing it with some dark blue yarn I had in the stash. This time I completed the hat in about 1.5 hours, and have been wearing it every day since.

Just as well, since the warm Spring weather is taking its time about getting here this year!

Sweet Pink Shrug is Finished!

Here is the completed shrug, worn by my daughter, sweet as cotton candy:

I used the blue straight loom to make the body, and the blue round loom for the sleeves, with Bernat Baby Coordinates yarn. I knit 1 over 1 on 48 pegs (using the anchor peg and a loom clip). At the bottom of the shrug, I alternated knit and purl stitches for 8 rows, then completed the body using stockinette stitches.

For the arm holes, I simply removed the yarn from the corner pegs and put it on the peg next to it, and knit off. Then separately I knit each "panel" between the arm holes, cutting the working yarn when I knit off 60 rows. After 60 rows I e-wrapped all the pegs with the working yarn and knit off 6 rows, alternating knit and purl stitches to make the neckline.

I made the arm holes too big, so I am going to make the shrug again to get more exact directions before I post detailed directions on how to make it. Also, I ran out of the yarn after completing one of the sleeves. When I bought another skein, I noticed that the gauge was slightly thinner than the shein I had used to knit the shrug with, but I didn't realize this until after I had completed most of the second sleeve and had to frog it. To make the sleeves fit better, I simply "turned" the top rows of the sleeve, as if I were knitting the heel of a sock. At first I wasn't sure if this would work; I thought it might not fit my daughter very well. But when she tried it on it fit perfectly.

The finished body of the shrug measures 10.5x11; the sleeves are 16" each. Naturally, since I used the stockinette stitch, the cuffs on the sleeves curl, and the chest panels curl also; but I don't mind that. That isn't a dropped stitch on her shoulder; that's where I made a knot in the yarn when I joined the sleeve to the body. I need to tuck that on the inside to hide it better.

I decided to knit the entire piece 1 over 1 because she would be wearing it to keep the chill off during dance class. My wife thinks it will go well with her Sunday dress on Easter. I agree.