Kumihimo

I have seen this mentioned on a knitting loom group and got interested in checking it out. I watched a U-tube video on the process and have checked out some different sites for this type of work. I think it is so neat, but wow the prices for these braiding looms. You'd think they were covered in gold plating for the amounts I have found them for.

So when you want something, just to give it a try, then do it yourself. I now have one small loom built. It has been made from an old plant stand. The stand has a top and bottom and legs. I turned bottom around to be the top, and the hubby drilled the center hole that is necessary for the braid to go through. Now I just have to sand the thing so it is smooth and won't catch at the thread and snag it and I will have a simple little marudai stand to work with. I will be working at that sanding over this next weekend. It is a small little thing but I am only wanting to give this a try.

For the tama, I will just use some of the old fashioned clothes pins that look like this Clothes Pins . I certainly have enough of them in my crafting box to use them for this with plenty left over. I have them for those little crocheted angels that fit over the clothes pins and are so darn cute.

I haven't figured out the weights yet but that is simple enough, a bag and something to match the weight of the tama (clothes pins) (not the exact weight but the half weight). Then I will be able to play. That is as soon as I have the extra time to do so. I figure I will start with some of that massive amount of threads I have built up over the years. I have some really neat threads in all types of material.

Then I am also working at putting together a little hand held loom. I have the center hole drilled and the hubby is going to notch the edges for me. That too will need some sanding to make it smooth. So I have a lot of sanding to look forward too. Gee it has been a while since I worked any wood projects.

So if I decide that I like this, I have the material for a larger sized loom. I found the top and bottom and have some wood pieces I have been hanging on to that would make really neat legs, but before I put in the extra work on that one I want to give this a little try. Need those looms finished first.

My hubby also showed me yesterday that he got me some MDF material to make some knitting looms. They are not really long but wide and deep enough to make an adjustable loom. Some time we will have to get around to working on those.

Oh all these projects and so little time to play getting them finished.

A

Happy

Mothers

Day

To

All

Working on knitting

I finally managed to get a longer span of time to work on the ripple piece on my loom. I think I have mentioned (if not here then in groups), that I have had a problem with a gap in a section of the ripple. The gap has to do with the hills sections of the ripple where the K1f&b or K1b&f is done. I had to work to solve this problem. Now as I am knitting I still see this gap but not that the piece is longer this gap no longer exists. The stitches are setting themselves and the gap closes. I am using a large gauged loom with two strands of worsted weight yarn, with six colors. Oh is it pretty. I am just doing a small piece and there is a lot of shrinkage to the piece but it will still be large enough for a small size of baby ghan.

I just need a few more days (but that tends to be up to the whims of my family and job, LOL) to get this piece done and figure out the best cast off for this ghan. I have a sample piece that I did and when I cast it off it lost the ripple effect for the cast off row. At first I thought I would keep it as an example but decided to frog several rows and get it back on the loom to play with the cast off. I want the ripple effect to show over both ends of the piece, not just one.

Then I have also played with two, no three ways to make this ghan. Each creates a slightly different type of look and texture to the piece and each is very nice. I just haven't decided which I like best. I still have another method of doing this to try before I move on to a couple of other afghan patterns I want to play with.

It is just too bad that I have to stop to do things like housework, laundry, dinners (I don't do them all that is a shared family thing, with the hubby doing most of that, yummy meals, LOL he's an ex-cook). Then work tends to take up most of my time, during the day. That too is a bummer, but work keeps the funds coming in to purchase the crafting material. So I guess I cannot have everything. ROFLOL

We had some beautiful weather yesterday and I stayed out most of the day, besides the running to do dinner and some laundry. Oh there was the sweeping early and putting things away, like the just cleaned dishes (sis did the washing of them).

I did have the two grands that are brothers all afternoon, but one was watching a Harry Potter DVD, and the other went back and forth from house to outside with me. After the movie both boys came outside to help PaPa with his above the ground pond building. They took little rocks and place them at various places. A chore making for grandma and papa as they had to be removed after the boys left. Some, ah, accidentally fell in the water, yea, accidentally. LOL You know though it was so much fun watching them decorate with the rocks. Papa said the missed the pile of agates he had sitting to the side. They would have made much prettier addition (and easier to see on pick up time) then the plain old rocks they were using.

We did tell the boys not to put the rocks in the water as that changes the water level. The youngest did it several times again and his brother told him he was not suppose to put the rocks in the water. The youngest looked at his brother and calmly said, I am allowed. ROFLOL Where he got that idea we will never know but it was one of those laugh till you drop with the way he said it and the serious look on his face.

That youngest is usually quite the mover, yesterday was no different, but he display something new to us. I was drinking some water and swallowed wrong. That caused me to cough a little. Carter looked and me and said "What's wrong with you grandma". I couldn't figure out what he was talking about and told him nothing was wrong, but he insisted that I tell him what was wrong with me. So I asked him why he thought something was wrong. He said, "I heard you cough". I have never seen this child as serious as he was right then. He had such a worried little look on his face. I am thinking that we are beginning to see the result of the loss of his baby brother and we will have to watch him to make sure he does OK. Up to now he has had little reaction to the loss except that he tells us that Noah comes to play with him. He always goes to his room to show Noah his new things.

Well off to get ready for work. I hope you all have a wonderful day and that your just over weekend was as wonderful as mine was.

Beaded Knitting

I don't have many of the beaded knit purses I have done on display, in this blog, but I did put up a couple. Most I gave away without remembering to take pictures first.

This is the kind of knitting I am talking about:




Today I want to talk a little about doing beaded knitting. The reason why today is because of a video I watched in the last hour. People say oh that is so beautiful, it must have been hard to do. I say thanks but no it wasn't hard at all. The hardest part is the stringing of all the beads. The rest is simple knitting and in some cases purling. What can be harder. You string the beads, you use the knit stitch (or purl) and you pull up beads as you knit. Those beads sit on the strand between stitches. Not hard at all if you know how to knit. Still even when I tell people it is not hard they don't believe me. They say something like, well maybe for you it isn't but for me I could never do it.

Now those little purses pictured here are needle knitted. To date I have not found a knitting loom with a small enough gauge between the pegs to do these same little purses with thread and seed beads, but you never know what the future can bring. I keep a watch for something to come along.

In the meantime, there are other larger beads that can be used to add a little something extra to your loom knitted projects. For instance beads in the brim of a hat, or all through the hat if that is your choice. Beads for the bottom of a sweater or tank top to add that additional flair that will set you out in a crowd.

If you should think that you would love to knit some of the tiny beaded bags, like you needed another stash of goods (well why not), then you should check out this video that I watched. Cat shows you just how easy it is to do beaded knitting. It is a wonderful addition to the world of learning and it is here:
Let's Knit 2gether

While you are visiting here check out some of her other videos. The one on spinning is really great.

The video shows stringing the beads one at a time for the little project that she is doing the demo on but with some of the beaded knitted bags you might consider a bead spinner. There are spinners for sale but if you have someone who can help or you can do it yourself, you can make a quite nice spinner with little expense. Check out my March 2006 archives to see the bead spinners my husband made for me. Oh can I get those beads on the thread fast now.

I wanted to add that my favorite beads are not all that expensive when purchased in bulk. I have bought a lot of them from here:
Mill Hill Beads

By going online you can find beads for much better prices then you get by going to most local stores.

Time Change

It's awful. I have a body schedule. It says sleep here, wake there. I have to retrain this body twice a year to sleep there and wake in this other place. As the years go by, this training takes longer and longer and gets harder and harder to make happen. Time change, yuck. It just isn't healthy to do this sort of thing over and over to your poor bodies and minds. At least not in the book being read by my body.

Little has gotten done since the "time change". I added a few links to one group. Knitted a couple of rows on that project, wrote a few lines in this file, and almost completed one hat pattern file. I have mostly been up moving around. If I sit too long this old body says hey, naptime. ROFLOL

You Are 72% Brutally Honest

Most of the time, you tell it like it is. Even if it's hard for people to hear. Sometimes you hold back though, because you never want your honesty to be hurtful.

How Brutally Honest Are You?

TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF - The Survey
Name:	Mary
Birthday:	October
Birthplace:	California
Current Location:	Oregon
Eye Color:	Brown
Hair Color:	Silver
Height:	5'2"
Right Handed or Left Handed:	Right
Your Heritage:	Mixture
The Shoes You Wore Today:	Sandals
Your Weakness:	Chocolate covered orange slices
Your Fears:	Losing family
Your Perfect Pizza:	Taco
Goal You Would Like To Achieve This Year:	More crafting
Your Most Overused Phrase On an instant messenger:	Rarely use those
Thoughts First Waking Up:	Get up carefully
Your Best Physical Feature:	Hair
Your Bedtime:	11pm
Your Most Missed Memory:	Noah
Pepsi or Coke:	Pepsi
MacDonalds or Burger King:	Both
Single or Group Dates:	None, I'm happily married
Lipton Ice Tea or Nestea:	Nestea
Chocolate or Vanilla:	Chocolate
Cappuccino or Coffee:	Coffee
Do you Smoke:	My bad habit
Do you Swear:	Are kids around?
Do you Sing:	Yes, badly but I do it
Have you Been in Love:	Am now
Do you want to go to College:	Been wouldn't mind going back
Do you want to get Married:	Am for 26 years
Do you belive in yourself:	Yes
Do you get Motion Sickness:	Yes
Do you think you are Attractive:	No much, getting old
Are you a Health Freak:	No, but I use natural herbs
Do you get along with your Parents:	Both passed on
Do you like Thunderstorms:	Sometimes
Do you play an Instrument:	No
In the past month have you Drank Alcohol:	Yes
In the past month have you Smoked:	Yes
In the past month have you been on Drugs:	Yes, presciption
In the past month have you gone on a Date:	I am on a lifelong date
In the past month have you gone to a Mall:	Yes, for lunch
In the past month have you eaten a box of Oreos:	No
In the past month have you eaten Sushi:	Never
In the past month have you been on Stage:	Not me
In the past month have you been Dumped:	No, but my trash can has
In the past month have you gone Skinny Dipping:	Not for a very long time
In the past month have you Stolen Anything:	Nope, that's not nice
Ever been Drunk:	Yes
Ever been called a Tease:	Once upon a time, just say no
Ever been Beaten up:	Been hit, not beaten
Ever Shoplifted:	Nope, refer back to stealing stuff
How do you want to Die:	I don't want to
What do you want to be when you Grow Up:	I got it, mommy and grandma
What country would you most like to Visit:	Japan
CREATE YOUR OWN! - or - GET PAID TO TAKE SURVEYS!

You are a Brainy Girl!

Whether you're an official student or a casual learner, you enjoy hitting the books. You know a little bit about everything, and you're always dying to know more. For a guy to win your heart, he's got to share some of your intellectual interests. A awesome book collection of his own doesn't hurt either!

What Kind of Girl Are You?

Your Animal Personality

Your Power Animal: Eagle Animal You Were in a Past Life: Whale You are active, a challenger, and optimistic. Hard-working, you are always working towards a set goal.

The Animal Personality Test

Your Personality Profile

You are elegant, withdrawn, and brilliant. Your mind is a weapon, able to solve any puzzle. You are also great at poking holes in arguments and common beliefs. For you, comfort and calm are very important. You tend to thrive on your own and shrug off most affection. You prefer to protect your emotions and stay strong.

The World's Shortest Personality Test

Quizes

I found these quizes on Concetta's myspace and they were a welcome distraction from working this morning. I had to work all day into the night yesterday doing some catch up, then again this morning. Wed was spent in a trip to Klamath Falls to get my sisters dependent id renewed at Kingsley Field Air Base. Wow, such a long drive for 10 minutes to redo the id. I was really supprised that security was a lax as it was. They checked my sis's id, my hubbies ODL and that was it. We were in and gone in that 10 minutes. Leaving the post persoanl only waved at us. I thought we would have to go through more to get in. I was wrong.

Well, I did manage to do a bit of shopping when I got back to Medford. Mostly grocery, but I did get a knitting book, Big Book of Knitting by Katharina Buss. Pretty neat book. Has some things in it I would like to learn. I picked it up at JoAnn's but probably could have gotten it over at Barnes & Noble, I just didn't want the extra stop since we were all so tired. That drive to Klamath Falls was not only long, there is tons of road work that slows the drive. At least we only had one 15 minute delay waiting for a pilot car going over, but coming back we only had to wait about 5 minutes.

This is the first time I have ever been to Klamath Falls. Wow, we went Hwy 140, and when you crest the hill, the view of the lake is so beautiful. I love big bodies of water. We only have the little old Rogue River here, but that is still pretty.

Well it is back to work. I have to get into the shop to do draw day for everyone, but need to finish a few things here first.

Oh we got some pictures of the lake and I will try to get a chance to post one later.

Birth Month

Your Birth Month is October

You are a natural leader who is able to stand up when no one else can. Strong and powerful, you tend to overshadow those around you. Your soul reflects: Gratitude, comfort, and true love Your gemstone: Tourmaline Your flower: Cosmos Your colors: White and yellow

What Does Your Birth Month Mean?

Cute Animal Quiz

You Are A: Turtle!

These reptiles, famous for their hard outer shells, spent their days roaming for food and relaxing in the water. As a turtle you are not very speedy, nor are you soft and cuddly. You aren't much of a sprinter, but you are quite tough. You also happen to be as cute as you are fascinating.

You were almost a: Bear Cub or a Pony
You are least like a: Chipmunk or a SquirrelCute Animal Quiz!

How Evil Are You?

You Are 28% Evil

A bit of evil lurks in your heart, but you hide it well. In some ways, you are the most dangerous kind of evil.

How Evil Are You?

Cat or Dog

You Are: 30% Dog, 70% Cat

You and cats have a lot in common. You're both smart and in charge - with a good amount of attitude. However, you do have a very playful side that occasionally comes out!

Are You More Cat or Dog?

Your Brains Pattern

Your Brain's Pattern

You have a dreamy mind, full of fancy and fantasy. You have the ability to stay forever entertained with your thoughts. People may say you're hard to read, but that's because you're so internally focused. But when you do share what you're thinking, people are impressed with your imagination.

What Pattern Is Your Brain?

I found this through a group I joined and had to check it out. Wow, I do believe they have me pegged. They sure hooked me into continuing when I first read about what this was, but I wasn't a bit needled by the answer I got. LOL

What flower are you?

You are an Iris:

You are logical, analytical, dignified, and wise.

You are studious by nature and may prefer

books to people. You tend to be a serious

person but are capable of making others laugh

with your dry sense of humor. Friends always

benefit from your advice.

Symbolism: Over the centuries the iris has come to

symbolize faith, wisdom, hope, and promise in

love.


Which Flower are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

Well, this was a supprise to me, but then again...... ROFLOL