Raven is responsible for my new obsession for knitting, crocheting, and collecting way too much yarn since Thanksgiving, when she discovered the
Knifty Knitter looms, and together, we knitted some funky scarves and hats that only a mother could love. After a few weeks, our techniques improved, and with better yarns, we actually have cool scarves and warm hats. The looms are a fun, fast, and easy way to knit, especially for kids, but they have their limits.
My curiosity for all yarn crafts grew, and I splurged on books, yarn, and tools. After a few long nights with my Susan Bates Knitting Made Easy Kit, I taught myself to knit! I couldn't stop there, so with my
Ultimate Sourcebook of Knitting and Crochet Stitches, I learned to crochet! Since none of my friends share my excitement, I started cruising Hobby Lobby and Michaels looking for yarn buddies. Most crafters love to chat about their work, so sometimes the chats turn into mini-conferences in the middle of the needlecraft section.
Lately, I've had dreams of knitting beautiful fuzzy sweaters and hip little tops. I was even struck with the urge to make my own needles. I got a few hardwood dowels, brought them back to the factory where I work, and then cut, sanded, glued, and polished little works of functional beauty. They knit great for me, but before I can gloat, I must find some veteran knitters to give them a test drive.
Even though I can knit comfortably with needles, I still like to knit loom projects. They are super-fast, sort of like a manual knitting machine. Knitting on looms preceeded needle knitting, and the result is essentially the same. Think of a knitting loom, or knitting frame, as a needle cut into pieces.
In a couple of hours, I whipped up these slipper socks. I designed the pattern myself, roughly adapting from traditional needle patterns. The result is more of a slipper than a sock, because with these looms, you must use bulky yarns. However, there are other looms out there that are capable of knitting sock weight yarns.
