Mortem's Tricks or Treats: A Looming Feeling + Putting Bats on Things

It's fairly obvious by now that the coming of the winter season has put in high gear the desire for warmer crafts.

Knitting has always been something I have aspired to learn, and it took me a while to teach myself how to do it (I want to say 10 months, but I am never sure-- I'm constantly learning)... though I often wonder if I have too many hats and scarves, by now.

It wasn't till a few months after completing my first project that I found out about looms for knitting...
Boy, the ease of use with these-- I can't help feel like a cheater sometimes! Heheh.

I have two sets, one circular and one rectangular. You can guess from the shape what it essentially produces-- though there are many kinds of looms by now, not nearly as many as were easily available when my younger brother and mother purchased me my sets.
The first project I ever made on a loom was actually posted in the past, though I am still so new to loom knitting even now, that I continually discover new stitches and ways of using the two basic types of looms.

Where there's yarn...

I'm secretly hoping santa brings me a Martha Stewart modular knitting loom set (I know, I'm greedy! I already had presents!)-- it's the only one of its kind currently, and the potential crafts are exciting to say the least.

During my myriad of hospital and clinical appointments for my gallbladder and subsequently my surgery, I was taking my looms with me... but it was apparent I was missing something-- an easy way to carry everything on the go.
And so began the quest for the perfect knitting travel kit.

It first began as a humble altoid tin, but as the need for specific tools increased, so did the need for a little more space and flexibility in a carrying case.

The lining is purple, the zipper teeth are pink and the zip purple! But it was missing something...

I remembered a travel makeup case my mother sent me that I absolutely love, but was missing the final and pleasing element it so desperately needed.

So, I ... put a bat on it!

I betcha it's flying all over the cave....

I don't actually like the show Portlandia, but this skit gets me hollering with laughter quickly-- probably because I do the same with bats...

Everything is made better when you put a bat on it-- fact!

And now, I have an awesome travel knitting case, and I even included the oh so humble altoid tin-- in miniature form!

What's in the bag:

• Mini altoid tin full of handmade stitch markers
• Panda shaped retractable tape measure
• Purple silicone needle tip covers
• Stitch counter
• Stitch and needle gauge
• Cable needle
• Burt's Bees cuticle cream and lip balm-- for chapped lips and fingers!
• Stitch holder
• Mini bamboo crochet hook and darning needle
• Bean shaped mini snip scissors (I attached it to the bag)

Since I don't think I'll be slowing my knitting till spring, and since all my friends and loved ones are covered with gifts, I am going to be making available the purchase of some of my surplus knitted goods.

It would help me raise money for the supplies needed to begin the steps towards making my aspirations for a small craft business come to fruition.

Without further ado, here's the first item up for grabs.

Kawaii Kitty (or bat if you prefer...) Headband

Half loom knit, half needle knit with thick/bulky acrylic yarn. It's super soft and especially warm for the coming winter months. I decorated the ears with a bow and a few acrylic pearls.

I am asking $25.00 U.S. with $3.00 shipping within the U.S.

International buyers, please email me (address located on right side bar) for a shipping quote.

Care Instructions:

Gently handwash, don't wring dry-- gently squeeze excess water, and continue patting with a towel. Do not tumble dry-- air dry flat on a towel.

Mortem's Tricks or Treats: Blue Minds Need Busy Hands

In a last ditch effort to rid myself of the post Halloween blues, I decided I better get crafting!

A couple weeks ago I began a sew along with a friend choosing to do a most coveted pattern Simplicity had to offer, but had put off posting pictures until today:

I was going straight for the coat. However, I really wasn't feeling it as much as I wanted... hence the tissue paper; I was going to redraft/ redesign it a little differently; adding a hood and making the sleeves belled.

This is the mock up (in hideous mock fabric)

Craft rooms are always messy; this is fact.

I had procrastinated working on it and had been inspired the little chilly air we're receiving using it to produce some wintery items, and didn't notice that in my arrogance I thought maybe I had enough velvet to complete the coat... but no, in shame I hang my head... I clearly underestimated how much was needed!

As a note, if you're going to make this in stretch velvet there are two things you should consider: the pile (the direction of the velvet) and the bias (the way it stretches-- 4 way it doesn't matter a whole ton). In cases such as these I prefer to cut my pieces on single layer, lest either of those factors go awry-- either way, what this means is that you'll need to buy more fabric than what is initially suggested, and whether you like it or not, there will probably be a lot more scraps then what you're used to. I was off by about 2 yards... not sure how I calculated such a gross error-- maybe my mind was tired at the time...

I've been feeling blue, and Halloween and other such gaiety helped marginally; coupled with a savage streak of insomnia, I've not been at my best... though I try to keep that smile beaming.

The other projects of wintery inspiration were that of knitted goods.

My mother sent me my looms bought months ago and never used, and I figured it was as good a time as any to try.

First up was my french knitter:

It seems like such an easy concept to grab, but the night I was using it I was getting mighty frustrated that I wasn't achieving the result I wanted... so I tore out the project in anger, only to discover a happy accident.

In tearing out the little tube I had unwittingly created a nifty necklace. The stretched loops with single beads made for a delicate web-like adornment for myself. Oh and as a bonus you get to have a looksie at those vintage frames I've been waiting for:

3-tier

4-tier

Grouped

Next I decided to see how quickly and how much of a change from needle to loom knitting would do to a final project.

Left is loom knit: right is needle knit

It is exponentially quicker to knit on a loom than it is needle knit; both of the scarves shown are 6'2". I'd like to point out that I am not very prolific when it comes to knitting, so the needle knit scarf took me about a week to complete; working on it once a day in 2-3 hour increments. The way I loom knit was using the common twisted stockinette, yielding an interesting and bulky criss-cross look; it took me 2 days in the same hourly increments.

However, I would still probably use needles because I much prefer the exercise in the use of both hands working, unless I find a comfortable way to work with one peg side of the looms; which I hear can create the same look of said needle knitted stockinette stitching.