Random Knitting Thoughts and Another Hat

I've been knitting so much these days that I find when I try and go to sleep at night, I end up knitting in my head.  I am thinking about patterns and how I could change them.  I am moving the yarn around the loom in my head.  I do this for an hour or longer unable to sleep.  Does this happen to anyone else?  

 My husband told me the other day that I need to make myself a hat.  The thing is that every time I've made a hat that fits me, I either want to sell it or I give it someone in my family.  I have a hard time keeping things that I make for myself.  
As a stay-at-home mom I obviously am not able to contribute to the family financially.  I love that etsy has made it easy for people who enjoy making crafts to have a place to sell what they are making without ridiculous fees.  This fall I decided to add some of my knit creations to our shop and I have sold a few of the things I have added.  It's exciting to sign on and find out that someone has bought something or even added an item to their favorite items.  I even got "fan mail" the other day from someone telling me she loved a hat that I made and how unique it was.  
The only things I have kept are things with flaws.  So, for now I have an infinity scarf and a purple ear-warmer.  The flaws are minor, but I still would never be able to sell them or even give them as gifts.  


 I don't think I posted on this blog, but I made a goal to make something every week.  52 Projects for 2011.  I've done really good keeping this goal and for this week I made a panda hat.  Another project from the book "I Can't Believe I'm Loom Knitting".  I followed the pattern somewhat, but made my own changes to it and will be making another bear hat soon with even more changes.  My daughter has already taken this hat as her own and now my son would like one too. 

 

 

I have no plans right now for what I will be putting on the loom next.  I made a scarflet that just needs some buttons.  Maybe, just a simple hat with some fun yarn I bought weeks ago and have not done anything with yet. 

Ridged Lace Hat

I finished the ridged lace hat on Saturday.  I started it and just kept on going, so it only took me a few hours to complete this hat.  My fingers were so sore after making this hat!  And I am surprised I did not break my pick.  The pattern is easy to follow, but there are some things that I did different when making this hat. 

I do not have the round purple loom with 48 pegs, so I had to use the green loom with 36 pegs.  When I went to pull up the beginning row to make the brim it was very difficult.  I am not really sure why, but it felt like the pegs were going to break!  

The other thing that I had to change is round 8.  In the book "I Can't Believe I'm Loom Knitting", it says that for round 8 to pick up the peg after the skipped peg with your fingers.  I could not get that to work for me.  The yarn ended up too tight and I almost lost the stitch.  I had to take the yarn from the first peg with my fingers and lift the second peg up with my pick.  Doing this round also took the longest.  I think the first time I had to do round 8 it took me 20 minutes.  By the 3rd time I finally got it down to about 10-12 minutes.

Ridged Lace Hat

I LOVE the way the hat looks and need to get the purple round loom to make it for an adult.  I tried to use the green long loom to make the hat for an adult, but cannot get the brim to pull up.  I am not sure what I am going to do with the yarn that is already on the loom.  Maybe I will keep going and just not do a brim and just come up with something different.  Maybe I will just take it off and start something else.  Not sure yet.  

Here is the listing for the hat on etsy. 

Working My Way Through "I Can't Believe I'm Loom Knitting"

In November I bought the book "I Can't Believe I'm Loom Knitting" by Kathy Norris as a birthday gift for myself.  I found it at Hobby Lobby and had a 40% off coupon, so I got the book for around $7.  It was $7 very well spent.  This book is great.  The pictures in the book are helpful, her directions are clear, and the patterns she includes in the book are very creative.  I have been working my way through her book and have been happy with everything I've made so far.  I definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves loom knitting. 

The lattice hat I made last week was a Kathy Norris pattern.  She doesn't include a pattern for a lattice hat in the book though.   I posted in one of the yahoo groups if anyone knew how to turn her flat panel into a hat and guess who responded to my question?  Kathy Norris!!  The author of the book.  It was around Christmas and she even sent me a response to my personal e-mail!  I couldn't believe that she took her time to get back to me and then she even posted the pattern for the hat in the group.  If you are a member of the decoraccentsinc loom knitting group on yahoo you can find the pattern in the files section.  


Last night I made the ridged lace hat from the book.  My fingers are so sore from this pattern!  I will post later today with a picture and some of my notes about making this hat. 

My Favorite Models

My son has an e-wrap hat that I did one peg with green and one peg with blue and continued that pattern around the loom.

My daughter in a basic e-wrap hat with some really fun yarn for the brim.  

 

 

 

Both of my children get a lot of compliments on their hats when we are out and I love that they get to say "my mom made them".  :)

It's Finally Finished - Lattice Knit Hat

I finally finished that lattice knit hat that I have been working on for two weeks.  It was a pretty easy pattern, but still took a while to work on.  I am very happy with the way that it turned out.  Here are pictures of the finished hat. 

Close up of the pattern.

Here is the etsy listing for the hat Lattice Hat

Lattice Hat

 These are pictures of the lattice hat I am currently working on. 

Knitting Blog

I am starting this blog to keep up with projects I am working on and completed projects.  I have been loom knitting for 2 years now and I really enjoy it.  I have not been able to come up with any of my own patterns, but I have loved searching blogs and craft sites for new ways to use my looms.  

This is a link to my etsy shop .  I am trying to add something new to the shop at least twice a month.  

I am currently working on a lattice pattern hat.  I am using bright colors and hopefully I will post pictures soon.  I should be done tonight or maybe tomorrow.  

I finished an earwarmer/headband today.  I was planning to list it on etsy, but it didn't turn out perfect, so I will keep it for myself.  I am not complaining though, because I have been wanting one, but I always have a hard time keeping what I make for myself. 

I hope that if you have found my blog that you enjoy it.  :)