Shawl Every Day 2021 - Day 58 - Knitting vs Crochet - Which is easier?
I get asked all the time when people are wanting to start either knitting or crochet: Which is easier?
Well, it depends.
The actual first question you need to consider is what sort of items do you want to make? Some things are more easily made via crochet and some are more easily made via knitting. Cute little plushies for example, are way easier with crochet, so if that’s what you want to end up with, then crochet would be better for you. Something like a hat or scarf could be done with either craft. Sweaters and socks are better suited for knitting.
Shawl Every Day 2021 - Day 57 - How to make a slip knot
There are many ways to make a slip knot, but here is the way I learned.
Shawl Every Day 2021 - Day 27 - Yarn Weights
Yarn comes in 8 official “weights” which refers to how thick around the yarn is. It ranges from size 0 to 7. The most common beginner weight is 4, which is also called medium or worsted weight. Another common weight is 1, also called super fine or fingering weight, which is used most often for socks and light shawls.
Shawl Every Day 2021 - Day 25 - Holiday Gift Guide: Mental Health
Here at Loops of Gray, I try to be as much of a mental health advocate as I can. I’ve got a ton of resources on my site and I’m always willing to talk and share about mental health with the hopes of reducing stigma and encouraging people to share their own stories.
Shawl Every Day 2021 - Day 22 - Holiday Gift Guide: Knitters and Crocheters
Getting gifts for makers can be tough. They often already have everything they need or what they do need is really specific and it can be hard to buy the right thing. So this week I’ll be offering my tips for what to get (and not to get!). First up: knitters and crocheters.
Shawl Every Day 2021 - Day 21 - Crochet vocab
Crochet, like knitting, uses a lot of specific words and phrases, so here’s a round up of some of the common ones you might see or hear.
Shawl Every Day 2021 - Day 15 - Ravelry
Ravelry is the absolute go-to website for knitters and crochet-ers. It is mainly a database of downloadable patterns (both free and paid) and yarn brands, but it is also a great way to keep track of your projects and connect with other crafters.
Shawl Every Day 2021 - Day 3 - How to tell knitting from crochet
I do both knitting and crochet and a lot of people have a hard time telling the difference between the two, so here’s a brief overview
Five For Friday 4/9/21
I had bought this yarn for a different project, but it didn’t work out, so it’s been sitting in my stash for a long time. I finally decided to try out a mandala pattern and I think it turned out pretty cool!
Five For Friday 4/2/21
I spent a day putting pockets in all my favorite dresses because more things need pockets. This also lets me have my insulin pump in the pocket without needing to wear shorts underneath the dress. I lined the purple dress and the patterned dress with black fabric from a tank top that no longer fit. The black dress pictured plus another black dress got pockets made with taco fabric. :D
Five For Friday 3/26/21
I had been trying to figure out a good way to store all my quilting rulers and finally a friend came up with a great idea to do pegboard on the back of my door. Space is at a premium in my studio, so this was a great idea!
Five For Friday 3/19/21
I currently call this blanket “the blob” because it sure doesn’t look like a star at the moment. I had a couple projects I bought yarn for that I didn’t like knitting, so I frogged them. I was able to combine the yarn from those projects plus a couple additional skeins to have enough for this blanket. I’m super enjoying knitting it so far, but we’ll see how it goes once I get further out towards the edge.
Five For Friday 3/12/21
I saw this Daily Mindful Lettering book from Hand Lettered Design as an ad on Facebook, and bought it on a whim. I’ve dabbled in some hand lettering in the past, and at the very least, I love me some good typography. What caught my eye is that each day has its own mantra and by writing it multiple times really helps you believe it.
Five For Friday 3/5/21
Angela Walters from Quilting is my Therapy is running a cool block of the month club called Build a Quilt. I went with the colorway “Inked” and this is block #4. The way she did this club is really cool.
Five For Friday 2/19/21
This month I decided to label my precut pieces, and it has made a world of difference. No more figuring out if it is the 1 1/2” wide block or the 1 3/4” wide block. I just look for the block with the right letter on it! So obvious, but I can’t believe I didn’t do this on the first block.
Five For Friday 2/12/21
This is the first post in my new series called Five For Friday, where every Friday I share 5 things that I think are interesting or things that are going on in the Loops of Gray world. It’s going to cover a variety of topics including knitting, quilting, crochet, design, mental health, food, and probably a good dose of hockey as well. Hope you check out some of the things and let me know what you think!
MtMW 2020 - Shop Small
Shopping at a small business supports a maker directly. The money I get from selling my hats, cowls, shawls, and other goodies goes directly back into the economy when I use it to by groceries, more knitting patterns (supporting yet another small business!), pet supplies, etc. I get so much joy in sharing my work with other people and I love to hear how they use the item or see pictures of them wearing it. You don't give that joy to people when you buy from a big box store.
MtMW 2020 - Silver Linings
One of the silver linings about 2020 is that in our new house, I got expanded studio space. I'm able to fit 2 extra bookshelves, a record player stand, a cat tower, plus I have the whole closet to hang my shawls and store my stash of handknits.
Meet the Maker Week 2020 - Say Hello
Hello there! Loops of Gray is a single-woman shop run by me - Melissa! I am based in St. Louis, MO and have lived there my entire life. I make all sorts of things, but my specialties are handknit shawls, quilts, and 3D printed stuff. I can also crochet, embroider, cross-stitch, and do some general sewing.
Shawl Everyday 2020 Day 1: Whisk/Poptimism
For several years now, I have participated in a self-imposed challenge to wear a different handmade shawl or cowl every day until I run out. Last year, I started on January 1st and included new information about mental health. This year, I will be wearing and posting a new shawl every day in the month of April and showcase a local business I love. I will encourage you to patronize them if you can or donate to the Gateway Resilience Fund, which is providing help to local businesses who are affected by COVID-19.