knitting | The Angel Forever

Category Archives knitting

Kids and Knitting Looms

Posted on July 23, 2013 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

My youngest son adores arts and crafts of all kinds. If there is the opportunity to create something, he will jump at it. JSL also likes to sit and watch me knit or crochet. He helped me with my fist big crochet project that I was working on many times. He was my model to help me share how big it was getting and then determine which pattern to connect the granny squares in. JSL wants to learn how to knit or crochet, but I thought just six is a bit young for this. Since the coordination needed is high, I did not want him to be too frustrated. So, for his birthday in May, I bought him a knitting loom to try.

When I gave JSL the present, part of the deal was we would go to a store and purchase yarn together. We did this and then we never had the chance to really try the loom together. The heat wave changed this. While trying to keep cool inside, I took the loom and yarn out and we got started.

Yes, that is the color that the kiddo wanted when we went to the store. He wanted rainbow style and so we bought some to get started. The instructions for the Boye knitting loom was really easy to follow. I started the process by weaving the yarn around the first time. Then, I showed JSL how to move the circle around. What we both really liked was the top of the loom that had an area to catch the yarn as you were pulling the other strand over. This was missing on another loom that I had at home and it was frustrating to him when the yarn would pop off. There was also a ridge down the middle to help grab the yarn to pull over with the loom hook.

At first, JSL had a hard time figuring out how to hold the loom, the yarn, and the loom hook to work. With some trial and error, we found something that worked well for him. While it may look a little awkward, it was working quite nicely for JSL.

After a little while, JSL had gone around the loom and was ready to take a break. Insert silly six year old knitting loom humor. I do believe this photo pretty much sums it up.

More updates coming as JSL continues with his knitting loom learning. If you have used a knitting loom with kids, I would love to hear advice or project suggestions to do with my little guy.

It's Me

Categories:
arts and crafts knitting

Crochet Granny Square Invasion

Posted on May 24, 2013 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

I have a confession. I have not picked up my knitting needles since March. It isn’t that my life long love of knitting has gone away. I simply have a new yarn passion. I now consider myself a hooker… –er crocheter. Most evenings, I find myself with my hook in hand working on a project with yarn to decompress at the end of a busy day. Crocheting does not bothering my wrist injury, so it seems to be a better fit in my life right now.

What started as learning how to get a rhythm with crochet and trying a granny square, has warped into a large project that keeps on growing. At first, I used some recycled yarn from another project. Then, I kept adding new colors. To date, I have used eight colors and made 62 squares. Each of the squares is about 7 1/2 inches. I have 10 more squares to make with the colors currently in my house. Here is a peek of what I have done.

As you can see in the photo on the bottom right, the patch work granny square afghan was not big enough. That’s when I went out to add the two new colors seen in the bottom middle. Just to share all of the colors, I put them in a semi-rainbow order to display. I know I am adding a deeper yellow/orange color to the mix and may add a lighter peach/coral color in before connecting them together.

So yes, aside from three small dish cloths, this is my first crochet project. It is a large one, but it will be fun to see finished. Now I just have to get all of the squares set, figure out a pattern, and actually connect them. Oh and that is another debate.

What will my next project be? Well, my little guy has requested a Pete the Cat doll that I found online. If you have any suggestions, I would love to hear patterns that you love. Meanwhile I need to decide, should I make the textured single crochet connect in gray or black?

It's Me

Categories:
arts and crafts crocheting knitting me moments

Making Time to Crochet

Posted on March 7, 2013 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

A week ago, I decided that I wanted to try to really crochet again. I knew the basics, but it never really worked out for me. I always had troubles holding the hook, moving the yarn, and getting even tension. Being a long time knitter seemed to complicate things a bit. Thanks to some amazing YouTube tutorials out there, I figured out what I had been doing wrong before. My hook started to fly over the yarn. Once I did practice stitches, I tried the cloths that ColoradoMoms made a video for.

This used Half Double crochet and I fell in love. I used an entire skein of Lily yarn to make three quick cloths to work on some items.

Then, I wanted to try more. I went to YouTube again and decided to tackle granny squares. After I got the hang of it with some cotton yarn, I pulled out some softer yarn that I stopped using on an old project (crazy colors I know and more will be added). I decided to try more granny squares. The rest is history.

Yes, I owe a big thank you to Emily at ColoradoMoms.com and also to Connie at MiscFinds4U.com for their inspiration. Their posts about crocheting really pushed me to try something new for me time.

If you crochet and have patterns that you love, please let me know. I am definitely looking for more items to try now that I have the hang of this.

It's Me

Categories:
knitting me moments

Knitting or Crocheting

Posted on March 1, 2013 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

It is no secret that I like to knit. Just sitting there and hearing the clicking of my knitting needles relaxes me. The more mindless the pattern, the better. Sometimes, I work on long term projects where I can just sit and knit, and knit, and knit.

Yes, I put that on the bunk bed ladder to show how long an edge it. It is almost as tall as I am already. Of course, sometimes I knit something a little different to keep my neck warm.

While I love to knit, I am super jealous of my friends who are crochet masters. It really intrigues me. I have learned to crochet in the past, but it did not stick. I knew that I really needed to watch a video, get some yarn, and my hook and learn that way. Thanks to Emily at ColoradoMom, I used her tutorial for a refresher (see the pin below).

Source: coloradomoms.com via TheAngelForever on Pinterest

So, I tried to crochet again while listening to Emily. After a bit of trouble with my hands being used to a knitting position, I kind of figured things out.

At this point, I am going to keep practicing single crochet and then move forward. Then, I will ease into learning patterns and more. Who knows where this will go.

Do you crochet or knit? I would love to see what you have made if you have photos or patterns to share.

It's Me

Categories:
knitting me moments

In Need of Relaxation

Posted on November 18, 2012 10:00 am by TheAngelForever

The last few weeks have been very stressful. Time spent worrying about an extremely important meeting. Even while worrying, TechyDad and I had to prepare for said meeting. Then, after all of the worries, waiting, and preparing, we had to deal with the aftermath of the meeting. The stress has taken a toll on me. My body is stressed and trying to fight off a cold that is quickly making breathing hard. Asthma after the flu a few years ago has not been kind.

I know what I want to be doing right now. Since reading with a head cold can be hard, I would put the books aside and knit. Of course, multi-tasking while knitting is easier. I would love to go curl up on the couch under a blanket to watch a movie and knit.

Of course, this is the real world. Brave will have to wait to be watched later in the week. There is freelance writing to be done, legal documents to read over, and investigations to be made about Couch to 5K apps. Yes, while sick I joined a group to tackle something I have been longing to try for quite some time. I know it’s crazy to attempt it in the winter in New York for the first time, but I will not let that be an excuse. So just add the need for running shoes to my list of items for the week.

If you have any Couch to 5K words of advice, I would love to hear them now. I am doing this to get moving, help ME feel better, hopefully drop some pounds, and prove to myself that I am worth the time.

It's Me

P.S. A special prayer to my friends and family in Israel. Worry for all of you grows each day with news spreading about the new normal in your lives.