Sweet!
Today I read a comment from someone new! The very cool Canadian Kansas let me know that there is a freshly invented new ezine for loom knitters, its first issue was just posted this month. Who knew! And good GRIEF, look at the STUFF they can make! I am seriously all agog! Aside from their greatness, creative Kansas makes some wicked cool stove scrubbies among other things. Me and my glass-topped stove are suddenly feeling needy. Do check her out, and the Loom Circle folks as well.
Now that I’ve been re-revved on the topic of loom knitting, I must tell you about my current project. Well, it’s a project that I didn’t choose, but it’s coming together… Now that so many people see Mac knitting, myriad people want to donate yarn. This would be so great if the majority of the donations weren’t:
a.) ancient, dusty yarn from the 60’s and 70’s, when everyone loved macramé
b.) mostly scratchy wool or plastic-y feeling synthetics
c.) mostly truly glarish colors (yes – garish + glaring = glarish.)
I’m learning something, though. First, just the idea that there are “people out there” still knitting encourages a host of people to KEEP their yarn. It’s actually really funny – a lot of people promise to bring their yard to me, and then weeks later say, “Well, you know, you’ve just got me thinking, so I picked up the needles again, and…” You know what, folks? More power to you!!! Power to the knitting people!!!
The second thing I’ve learned through all of this is that there’s not a whole lot of yarn that’s really awful once you knit it up and find a use for it. (Now, wait, before you panic, I DO read Ms. Stitchy McYarnpants –I know the evil that knitting can do. I meant a REAL use, not some awful fashion disaster, okay?) Example: I have some 100% woollen yarn in a baby poop-esque shade of greeny yellowish brown that I’m knitting up into the base of a bag. I will follow this horrific shade with a rich chocolate brown, then a cream, and another wide stripe of brown, and then I’ll felt it, and voilá and behold – a bag. Line it with dark material, attach a leather strap, and it’s something that will go well with autumn colors – boots, scrunching leaves, ponchos, an armload of books. I’m leaving the worst color on the bottom, so if the bag gets set down… well, the color can only improve, no?
And, since it’s all-wool, it will dye nicely, if need be, but really, I think it’ll turn out to be okay.
Every once in awhile, I got blog-hopping, and I click from one to another to another, and end up someplace radically different. Today hop-scotching from the loomfolk, I found Knit Unto Others. It’s a place where you can donate your knitware to charity. After disasters, warm, handknit clothing is a precious gift. There are organizations in frigid Mongolia that are always in need of hats and socks. So there’s your mitzpah for today – visit Knit Unto Others where you will find a host of places to donate your warmth. 
In looking at these board looms, rake looms, long looms and whatever other names they go by, I am reminded of those grade school projects with nails driven into a board, upon which we looped thread to create pictures… I can see I’m going to bankrupt myself trying out new looms. I’ll be homeless, but I’ll always have blankets…
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Wow 3 cheers for you! I’m glad I renewed your interest in loom knitting 🙂
Well, weaving doesn’t need the big floor loom, cuz as I was saying over at my place, you can do some amazing things with interesting colours and textures without all the fancy weaving patterns. Simplicity….less is more……and it’s still a cool outcome.
I really look forward to seeing what can be done on a bigger loom, though!
I agree – less IS more with these things. I’m always pleasantly surprised by how nicely things turn out… can hardly believe they’ve been done by… me!