October Patterns and Loom News

Introducing Triple Z - Z hat, Z cowl & Z ears. One pattern you may wear three ways. Well, actually four, because the hat may be worn as a beanie or slouchy hat. The pattern is written for four gauges: 1/2, 3/8, 3/8 fine and 1/4 fine. 

Triple Z  $4.50 US  

Don't miss out on the new PINK pegs from CinDwood Crafts looms. Purchases during October will benefit breast cancer research. This is a great opportunity to get a beautiful loom and support a wonderful cause. Plus, CinDwood is introducing two new gauges. One is a 1/4 inch fine gauge round sock loom with 56 pegs. The other is a 3/8 fine gauge sock loom with 40 pegs. This second gauge is brand new and not made by any other loom manufacturer. I've been trying it out, and I just love it. If you buy any of my patterns through CinDwood Crafts, 15 percent of the price will also be donated to breast cancer research. 

 The Loom Knitter's Stitch Dictionary and The Stitch Sampler Pattern Collection e-book $24.00 US 

 Loom Knit Shawls III: Romance e-book $12.00 US 




The Cozy Cable Collection e-book $12.00 US

Copyright 2015 by Renee Van Hoy, Invisible Loom. All rights reserved.

Perfect Pegs, Perfect Gauge, Perfect Loom

It’s no secret, I adore CinDwood looms. I’ve been designing patterns using Cindy’s ½ inch gauge looms for five years, and they are my favorites. But, before I fell in love with the ½ inch CinDwood, I designed on the Purple Knifty Knitter Hat loom. Why? It wasn’t the usual ¾ inch gauge loom. It was a 5/8 inch, and that small change in gauge made all the difference. When Provo discontinued the loom, I, along with many other loom knitters, were very sad.

     When CinDwood began making their hat looms in 5/8 inch gauge by special order, I ordered a set immediately. The wonderful design and pegs of a CinDwood loom and my beloved 5/8 inch gauge. What more could a loom knitter want?

     Well, I can answer that question. The perfect loom. A CinDwood 48 inch Universal S Loom – in a 5/8 inch gauge. Loom knitter heaven.

     Why? Well, let me count the ways.

1. Pegs. 254 of them if you are working on a single rake (single sided) project, and 82 pairs for a double rake (double sided) project.

2. Adjustability. The “slider peg” lets you adjust the size of the loom to any size you would like, so you have every size loom possible. You may even work on several projects at the same time on one loom.

3. Color. This amazing loom comes with the pegs in two colors, marking which pegs pairs are used when loom knitting a double rake item. Easy and clever!

4. Gauge. I adore the 5/8 inch gauge, but for this loom it is particularly nice. If you have any trouble with your hands and find working in the S shape a little tricky, the 5/8 inch gauge provides just a little more room, and makes working a large single rake item much easier than smaller gauges.

5. Pegs. CinDwood’s wonderful peg, with their smooth surface and wonderful tops let your yarn slide smoothly over the pegs without the loops falling off the top.

6. Yarn, yarn, yarn. On a 5/8 inch gauge you may use anything from a super bulky weight to a fingering weight yarn. The possibilities are endless. (I’ve even worked with lace weight.)

7. Size. The loom is compact and lightweight. The length is about 18 inches, and the width about 10 inches. It fits easily in your lap. If you have been trying out the Edmunds Stitch Master Stand, it also fits nicely on the stand.

8. Sturdy. The base and pegs on this loom are sturdy and will not bow or bend when you load it up with a heavy afghan. It is not going to break or pull out of shape with a heavy fabric on it.

     There you have it. When we loom knitters talk about our perfect loom, we want adjustability, lots of pegs, sturdiness, a small size and a gauge that works with many yarns. I think the 48 inch 5/8 gauge Universal S loom fits that description. 

Little Scarves: Baktus and Karius for the Loom
A collection of eight patterns  $12.00 US e-book  

Copyright 2014  by Renee Van Hoy, Invisible Loom. All rights to content and photographs reserved. Do not distribute or copy in any form.

The Best Gets Better

It is no secret, I like my Markman adjustable looms. They are all wood, hand made, fully adjustable, and expandable. The only concern, and it has been a small one, has been that when I have a large project on them, sometimes I lose a loop off the top of the straight wooden peg. Well, last weekend, I had a wonderful visitor, Lynn Markman, and she showed me this:

It was a sample size 3/8 inch loom, with little wooden beads glued on to the pegs. I was so excited at this simple solution, Lynn left the little loom with me to try, and gave me a lovely gift of a travel size 1/2 inch gauge loom. 

I tried some plastic pony beads and "fast grab" tacky glue, and was able to modify the little loom in no time. The glue held the beads in place, and  I used a long wooden pick to make sure they were even. I added extra glue down the center of the beads, and now have a wonderful little loom, with no chance of losing the loops off the tops of the pegs. 

Better yet, I can see the pegs better, and have great contrast. I'm thinking of alternating bead colors on the larger looms, to have built in stitch markers for K1, P1 patterns.  Lynn was a wonderful visitor, and we had a lovely afternoon's visit talking everything loomy. It was so nice to meet Lynn after all these years on the net, and learn more about how her beautiful looms are crafted. Talk about inspiration!
Copyright 2012 by Invisible Loom, Renee Van Hoy. All Rights Reserved.