For Your Review: Stick Shuttles

When you buy a loom, it usually comes with a stick shuttle or two. These are basically what they sound like - stick-like things you use to shuttle weft yarn from one side of the loom to the other. Serious weavers will sometimes discount these cool little tools and prefer to use “boat” shuttles. I love boat shuttles, but sometimes only a stick shuttle will do.

Thicker yarns (as in, worsted weight and thicker) and art yarns, for example, sometimes work better for me on a stick shuttle. I started liking stick shuttles a lot more after I learned how to wind yarn onto them in a figure 8 pattern. It makes the shuttle much more flat and easy to use. You can also get a lot more yarn on your shuttle, so you don’t have to stop and wind yarn as often. As always, just have fun! The tools are just there to help you.

Show and Tell: Ballband Dishcloth

Amanda (blackcat95 on Ravelry) made a classic ballband dishcloth (it's a free pattern!) out of 2 skeins of Cascade Yarns Ultra Pima.

This is what she had to say about it:

Don’t be afraid of clashing colors! I think this pattern really shows up any colors really well, and it’s super fun to knit, so if you love two colors but aren’t sure they go together, I’m pretty sure the pattern will make up for anything.

Thanks for sharing, Amanda! Photo is used with her permission.

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For Your Review: Why Use A Stand for Your Loom?

Not every weaver works on a stand. Many prefer tables. If a loom is small enough, it can even rest in your lap. I talked with one weaving teacher who said she uses a TV tray to hold hers.

I decided to go ahead and get a stand. The tiny loom I borrowed from my friend did fit in my lap, and that was nice, but the cats sometimes knocked it off. It was uncomfortable to have to hold my legs still while weaving. Also, sometimes it’s hard to pack in the yarn onto a loom that’s in your lap. (You don’t always have to do this, but when you need to, it’s nice to have a little leverage.)

I am so happy that I got the stand. Schacht stands are really stable and I’ve never heard of one breaking down. It was really easy to put together, too. But, be careful - they include hardware for a bunch of different looms with the stand. It might be helpful to measure each of the bolts before you begin, so you don’t do what I did and use the short bolts where you should have had long ones!

Show and Tell: Dangly Orange

Gail (roadrunnerknitter on Ravelry) made a Dangly Orange out of 2 skeins of Shibui Knits Linen.

This is what she had to say about it:

I think it is a versatile pattern, lending itself to many types of yarn: wool, linen, silk, cotton. I do think it looks better with a larger needle and a yarn weight that can create an open look. That’s what makes it look so lacy and floaty. The pattern does cause the yarn to curl a bit at one end, but I think that adds to the appearance. I and others added beads, and I think it would just fine without any. It’s a very wide shawl relative to its depth, and someone could change the look by doing increases also on the WS, something I might try if I knit it again. They could also just add more stockinette and eyelet rows for more depth.

Thanks for sharing, Gail! Photo is used with her permission.

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Want to share your story? Email me at jessie at stevenbe dot com.

For Your Review: Weaving for Fun and Stashbusting!

I got bit by the weaving bug, hard, just a few weeks ago. A friend of mine loaned me a little rigid heddle loom to try and I was hooked when I finished my first project - two hours later.

Let that sink in. My FIRST project, which was a not-tiny scarf, only took me two hours to weave. Start to finish.

Weaving is a great way to explore color combinations, use up bits of stash yarns, and finally have something to do with that handspun yarn you loved to spin but never “told” you what you should knit with it. It’s fun to weave it, instead!

So, I started researching looms.

I picked a 25-inch Schacht Flip. It’s big enough that I can weave an afghan in just two panels (or a really big one in three), I can add a second heddle later to do double-weave, and it still folds up so that it’s not super-huge and totally taking over the living room all of the time. All from a company I already really love because of my Ladybug wheel. Perfection!

If you’re choosing a loom and can’t decide what you need, this video from Paradise Fibers might help you. It really covers a lot of the factors you should think about.

So, there are a bunch of new words to learn and almost as much new stuff to get! But, it uses up stash yarn!

Show and Tell: Presto Chango

Pat (pattybknitting on Ravelry) made a Presto Chango! out of 2 skeins of Spud & Chloë Sweater.

This is what she had to say about it:

This is quick and easy…Knitting the placket is engaging and choosing the buttons was fun. The yarn is soft and practical for a baby garment…and it’s darling isn’t it?!

Thanks for sharing, Pat! Photo is used with her permission.

Want to buy supplies for something you read about here? Call us! 612-259-7525.

Want to share your story? Email me at jessie at stevenbe dot com.

Show and Tell: A Summer Scarf

Dagmar (Daggi13 on Ravelry) made a scarf she called "Nori" out of 1 skein of Rowan Fine Art.

This is what she had to say about it:
The pattern is from knitty, but I just knitted a little scarf. Increased stitches up to a width of about 18 cm , went on without increasing, and then I decreased the stitches.

And the yarn, Rowan Fine Art is fantastic!

Thanks for sharing, Dagmar! Photo is used with her permission.

Want to buy something you read about here? Call us! 612-259-7525.

Want to share your story? Email me at jessie at stevenbe dot com.