Crochet verses Loom Knitting

I was on Facebook today and my good friend Mikesmail posed a very good question to his followers as I am one of his biggest fans. (WINK WINK) Anyhoo, He asked all of us what do you like better crochet or loom knitting?

In my opinion I enjoy both. I was taught how to crochet by my biggest mentor , my Nonna Rosa (grandmother in Italian) at an early age I would say 8 years of age. I was always curious to know why she would filet crochet every where and why she would mostly do it in the front seat of the car where my Nonno Tommaso would be driving. She was and still addicted to the craft. SHe would crochet in the car to keep herself calm and her attention away from the way my grandfather was driving fast and dominating the road. I laugh every time she would tell me this story because I remember being in the back seat of their car as a young girl and my nonno driving and my nonna crocheting.

So filet crochet you can say was in my blood. LOL! I only new how to filet crochet from blue prints and charts and still do till this day. I have read patterns and still take time understanding them. I feel that with crochet you can work numerous, thousands of lace patterns, textures and detailed garments, blankets, and curtains. The sky is the limit. The way the project grows is faster, lighter and can be carried almost anywhere. Such as a car as mentioned before. It doesn't require you to carry many hooks, yarn and extra objects.

As for loom knitting, there is not a lot of variety of textures, patterns or portability. I got into loom knitting because I had severe post partum depression and I was against taking drug. I already took a drug cocktail to get pregnant and killed my body. Since I tried for many years to take knitting classes at school, stores and through friends, I just could not needle knit to save my life. I was at a Michael's here in Newmarket and wanted to learn something new. I came across a set of 4 long looms for $29.99 CDN. I picked it up because it said that I would be able to knit quickly and easily. Hence my craze for loom knitting began and I knit my depression away with time.

As per which craft I prefer? It really depends on my mood, time and creative energy. I highly suggest both crafts. You can knit a project and crochet edging, button holes or decorative detail to the item.

All that matters is that you have a great time doing it, getting your creative energy satisfied and nothing feels better than gifting your projects to others.

So I ask you my veiwers and followers : Which do you prefer and why? Leave me a comment.

BOOTIE CALL! (Baby Botties)

BOOTIE CALL BABY BOOTIES

These precious little booties were loom knitted in less than 1 hour each bottie.

I used the Yellow kniffty knitter circular loom to do these. 2 x 4 ply yarns were used, two of different colours. One in pink and another in purple.

What I did was I loomed the shape of the pattern first and then sewed the booties all together to create the form and completion of the booties with a yarn plastic needle that you can purchase for cheap at Wal- Mart.

I started with the cuff and casted on 16 pegs and used the knit stitch only and worked my way down to 14 rows as a flat panel. You will find that the cuff of the booties will curl and that is the effect you want. At this point you will need to add/ increase 6 stitches per side (left and right) for a total of 28 stitches. This is to create the foot part of the booties. You will continue to used the knit stitch down 11 rows.

For the bottom of the booties you now cast off/decrease of either side of the booties by 12 pegs ....So 12 pegs on the left and 12 pegs on the right. This decrease will leave you with 4 working/ remaining pegs to create the bottom of the booties. AT this point you will then knit as a flat panel 15 rows. what will happen now is fully cast off all pegs from the loom.

With my needle I used one yarn and sewed the bottom panels to the side of the piece and then sewed all pieces together to form the booties. I then took 1 piece from each yarn colour and created laces. These laces are not functional they just look good.

Have fun with this easy project. These are great gifts for any new baby.

Easy Bake Cookies

Basket Weave neck warmer or toddler poncho

This is my basket weave neck warmer or can be used as a toddler poncho.

I used the red knifty knitter which is the circular loom. I cast on 20 pegs and knit as a flat

panel with a garter stitch

fashion of one row knit and one row purl until I reached 7 rows in length. After that , I divided my 20 pegs into 4 pegs each. the first 4 pegs I knit and the next 4 I purled and the next 4 I knit and the next 4 I purls and the last roe I knit. I repeated this coming back making sure where I knit I knit and where I purled I purled. I repeated this for 8 rows in length. Then I did the opposite of the first 8 rows. Where I knit I purled and where I purled I knit for up to 8 rows in length. I did this until I reached my desired neck wrap length. At this point I kept the 20 pegs divided into 4 where I treated and worked each group of 4 pegs in a knit stitch as a flat panel about 20 rows in length.

After that I bind off all 5 groups of 4 pegs from the loom. I then weaved by hand the small flat panels as a basket weave one row over and under the other. I then took my ends and placed them back on the loom so the weave would stay in place. I continued in a garter stitch fashion for about 7-8 rows and then bind off in a crochet bind off. I added a collar by crocheting around and voila a neck warmer was born.

"Eat My shorts" - Bart Simpson

I have to write out what I feel or I will lose it soon. I am really angry at the fact that my life just took a nose dive into shit. I have to let my emotions out sorry. Those of you that know I was laid off with 900 others at the Big Telecommunications Company Rogers. I am so Angry that it changed my entire life. I was planning to become pregnant again in January. I can't get pregnant on my own and needed to do fertility treatments which cost money. I can't go to Cuba with my family and enjoy a vacation that I waited 6 years for. So with this job loss my priorities have changed. I have to watch what I spend and we can't do the things that we always did.

Yes I got a new job, but it is starting back at the bottom and working my way up again. I lose my 3 week vacation, salary and my monday to Friday shifts. My husband looks at me in a funny way saying that I am being selfish and that I should be lucky to have found a new job so fast. I am lucky don't get me wrong. But when will I live a calm secure life and not worry anymore?That's what I hate the most. I want to feel selfish now because I never in 35 years had the chance to feel selfish. Now is my time to sulk.