Loom Knit a Ball (Round and Straight Looms)

Check out these in instructions from http://www.bevscountrycottage.com/loomed-ball.html. These instructions are not mine, they are copyright Becky Hardy, 2006. NONE OF THE FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS ARE MINE. I did not create these directions or change them in any way.

Using a Knifty Knitter Newborn Loom (blue loom)

• Using 2 strands of worsted weight, 4 ply yarn held together, e-wrap the loom 3 times around. Leave a 6" tail at the beginning. 
• Double Knit  (2 wraps lifted over 1 wrap) around and around until a ball is formed.
• Remove with the gathering off method. (Like you would for a hat top).
• Gather it tightly.  Stuff with fiberfil.  Then thread the initial 6" yarn tail into a yarn needle, and weave it in and out of each stitch on your initial round.
• Gather tightly and weave ends under several times.  

(The copyrighted stuff ends at this point)

Now you know! This could be used to create a stuffed animal or anything else that takes a sphere. In the picture on the linked page where these directions originally came from, the ball looks to have about 15 rows, 7 or 8 stitches across. If you can count them more accurately, please do comment to us and tell us YOUR number!


You should also be able do this on a straight loom. Same stitch as the above directions.

Knit a rectangle, 8 stitches wide, 5 rows. Tie off regularly. Cut a long string from the ball of yarn and tie on end to on of the top corners. Use a yarn needle (not a knitting needle) and draw the string through the top row of stitches, away from your knot. Gather it and tie it so the top row has become like a corner. Do the same with the bottom (different string). Turn the points towards the inside and sew some of the open side closed. Stuff it with stuffing. Tada!


I tried to do it on a straight loom exactly as the round loom instructions say and I made a cucumber. SO I gave it to my dog as a new toy! :)


If you find it is easier another way, or have better instructions please do comment or email them! Thank you very much!

Virus!!

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July 4th Crafts!

It is the Fourth of July again! The time of year when your poor dogs are scared of the fireworks. D:< ;) But that's another story. Without getting sappy, July 4 is when we honor our freedom that we have in America (don't live in America but still want to make the gloves? I am getting to that)! Here are a few crafts to do in celebration!


Patriotic Fingerless-Gloves
Now, let's get one thing straight: A lot of you don't live in America, so you have absolutely no use for these. That is okay! You can make these in any color; I just needed a July 4 craft, so I used these. ;D

What You Need:

• A rectangular loom at least 20 pegs longways (doesn't matter, but I used the Knifty Knitter set)
• A loom-knitting hook
• Scissors
• Three full balls of yarn in three different colors (you WON'T use all of it, unless you have really big hands)

To Begin:

TIP: Write down the measurements of what you do so you can exactly replicate it to make the second one.

1. Before threading your loom, 'measure' you hands on the loom. Put the widest part of your palm flat on top of the pegs. Count how many pegs it touches (probably 4-6 pegs). Double that (8-12) and maybe add another peg, too make sure it isn't TOO tight (9-13. These are only ideas of what it might be like. Other measurements are fine). If you think it might be too loose, don't add another one. You can take one off, even, if you want. Stretching is better than too loose!... Probably. ;D Just make sure it is an odd number.
2. With the number of pegs you came up with, thread that many pegs (If you got, say 13, then on ONE side, count out 13 and thread up to there). Knit like normal for as many rows at you want. If you want them to cover the entire length of your lower arm, then knit that many. If you want it to fit just like gloves, then knit that many. BUT STOP AT THE VERY BASE OF YOUR THUMB!!!!!!!!!!!  TIP: Begin with any of the three main colors. If you are making your gloves long, you can do any pattern you like. If they are shorter, probably stick with one until you get to the thumb.
3. When you get to (the length it would take to get to) your thumb (for some, after many rows, for others, almost right away), make something called a Non-Placket Button Hole. After you have knitted the last row until your thumb, on the center two pegs (across from each other), take the loop of yarn and move it over to either roy the adjacent pegs (left or right). On the peg across from the center peg, move it in the direction opposite it. (Clarification: Look down on the loom. If you moved one loop to the right, move the other to the left, so they are going in different directions)
4. Next, with the color you were using, thread the pegs again, but this time STOPPING just before the center peg. Bring in another color, and do the same, stopping before the center peg. Knit regularly, but always leaving out the center peg. 
5. Soon there should be a hole in your work where the center pegs are. See if that hole is big enough for your thumb. TIP: Trace down the side of your pointer finger (the edge closest to your thumb). Trace down to your wrist. You will have touched the skin right net to your thumb. That part of your thumb is what you need to make sure fits through the hole. For many, the base of their thumb is probably 2 1/2 to maybe 4 inches. If the hole is not big enough yet, do another row with the two colors, still skipping the center. If you were satisfied with the size of the hole, choose a color to continue with. You could continue with the color you were using just before you began the hole, or you could use the color you added in, or you could use a third color. If you are choosing one you already have on your loom, just cut the other color away, leaving a LONG tail (to make sure it doesn't unravel). If you are adding in another color, cut both leaving a long tail.
6. Whichever you decided to do, thread all of what you had, going over the hole. You still won't be able to knit the middle because it only has one loop over it, but on the next row you will be able to. Continue for however long you want, but keep in mind: Your finger's knuckles aren't that far from the top of the base of your thumb. You might even want to go a few rows over your knuckles. READ THE NEXT STEP BEFORE COMPLETING THIS ONE!
7. You are going to make what is called a placket out of a different color. It is where the edge of something is thicker and stronger than the rest of it. It is where you double the number of loops you use, so you would take two bottom loops over two top loops. When I made these, I actually ran out of that color, so I was only able to do three loops on it, so I took two bottom loops over one top loop, and it worked fine. You can make however many rows plackets you want! :)
8. When you get to the point where you want to stop, tie off as usual. Cut a long tail. Because you switched colors, and if you have a small placket, and if the two tails are on opposite sides, you will tie the placket tail and the previous color's tail together in  knots a few times. NOTE: If the tail are on the same side, that is okay!
9. Thread a large needle (yarn needle) and sew the open side together, forming a tube. Knot all of the tails to stitches near them, do any little touch-ups, all that ending stuff.
10. Now do all of that again! On Step 4, if you used a different color for half of it, don't worry about doing it backwards; since you are using a rectangular loom, you can just fold it the other way and tie it. :)

This project inspired by: http://www.lisaclarke.net/2008/11/01/loom-knitted-fingerless-mitts/ You know, you could use this one just as well! :)

Star Hanger

This is very fast and easy! Also, you can do any shape, but I will just be calling it a star.

What You Need:

• Paper
• Scissors
• Maybe a pencil for tracing
• Tape, glue, or staples

1. Cut out a star shape on two-four sheets of paper.
2. Fold each one in the very center, and tape or glue them together at the center. If you want, tape or glue a folded string to the center to use to hang it. Keep each piece folded towards it's other half.
3. Adjust them so each half are evenly positioned.
4. Now, wherever you look at it, it looks like a star!

Puff-Ball, Pom-Pom Thing

I forget what it is called, but it is sometimes on the top of hats and it is kind of fluffy... Anyway, you can make these really fast and easily and hand them around the house.

What You Need:

• Yarn (red, white, and blue, OR a R.W.&B. multi-color, or any color you like)
• Scissors

1. Wrap yarn around three fingers at least 30 times and cut the yarn from the ball.
2. Cut another string and tie it AROUND the middle of the wraps (not THROUGH the hole, AROUND all of it) VERY TIGHTLY!!!! If you want, just before you do this add in a shorter string and after you tie the other string, you can tie the shorter one to itself to make a hanger for it.
3. Cut through the loops.
4. Cut the strings shorter and fluff them up. Cut the strings so that the ball looks circular.

Hooray!

Enjoy the 4th of July! I hope your pets don't get too scared!

LOT'S OF DOGS RUN AWAY ON THE 4TH OF JULY BECAUSE OF THE SCARY LOUD NOISES. KEEP YOUR DOG'S COLLAR ON THEM TODAY!!!