Sometimes the old tools work the best

So how many of you have seen one of these before?  If it hadn't been for Gramma, I wouldn't even know this useful device existed.  It's a vintage money counter and Gramma used to use it when she went shopping to keep track of her grocery bill so she stayed within her budget.  I remember going shopping with her as a little girl, and sometimes she'd even let me tally up the dollars and cents, which is a big deal to a 5 year old!  Amazingly this thing still works well and I now use it as a row counter when I'm knitting.  Before I rediscovered this handy tool while sorting through Gramma's things I used to keep track of my rows on a piece of paper, which was a bit of a pain.  This is so much easier!

Right now I working on a blue knit kangaroo like this one for a customer in Australia.

 

I really enjoy knitting, especially cute critters like this one, and not having to stress about how many rows I've knit makes the process that much more enjoyable.  

I have all sorts of vintage tools in my craft arsenal, many of which were never intended to be used the way I use them now- LOL.  I do find that many of those vintage items work a lot better than some of the tools you purchase today.  Back then, things were built to last!  I think Gramma has had this Handy Counter since the '70s, and she used it all the time, yet it's still in perfect working order.  I have tools I bought a year ago that are already broken.  Sorta makes you wonder what ever happen to quality craftsmanship.  I know when I make an item I make it as durable as possible.  This kangaroo, for example, is knit with a very tight stitch using high quality yarn and is sewn together very securely and stuffed with soft non-bunching fiberfil.  I want my sculptures, stuffed animals, jewelry, and home decor to be around for years to come!

So if you come across a vintage item and are thinking of getting rid of it, give a second look and see if you can't find a use for it ;)

Thanks for stopping by!

~Michelle of CreativeCritters

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Leopold the Loom Knit Lion

Today I want to introduce Leopold the Lion, one of many stuffed animals I knit using round looms.  I created my own pattern for this cute lion as I went along, making him a one of a kind creation.  I discovered loom knitting a few years ago and have had a lot of fun making a variety of stuffed creatures with the looms.  Using the round looms makes the knitting go a lot faster, and I find it very relaxing.  I plan on writing an e-book on how to make stuffed animals using round looms, and Leopold the Lion will be one of the projects in that book.  Some of my loom knit critters available at CreativeCritters include this cute unicorn

 

this whimsical monkey

 

 

And of course Leopold the Lion

 

 

With some of my animals I use a combination of loom knit pieces and traditionally knit pieces, depending on the shapes I need.  Figuring out how to turn a ball of yarn into an adorable animal with lots of personality is challenging and enjoyable for me.  And I want to be able to share that enjoyment with others, which is why I decided to start working on a How To Make Loom Knit Animals e-book.  My own book shelves are filled with How To books on all sorts of crafts, and now I'm ready to write some of own.  I've honed my skills over the last several years and am ready to share what I've learned.  So not only will you be able to purchase these cute stuffed animals from my shop, you'll be able to make your very own.  These toys are wonderful for children, since they're very soft and cuddly, and just the right size for hugging.  As always, be sure to keep your child's safety in mind when purchasing any toy.  Some of my creations have eyes which are sewn on very securely, but very small children may still try to pull off.  

Stay tuned for future updates on new stuffed animals and the progress of my e-book!  Thanks for stopping by! :-)

-Michelle of CreativeCritters

How To Knit Using a Round Loom

Loom knitting is fun and easy.  All sorts of things can be created using looms, including hats, sweaters, doll clothes, and stuffed animals.  I made this How To video to show beginners how to use these looms.  Different sized looms make different sized tubes.  Many of the knit stuffed animals found in CreativeCritters were made using various sized knitting looms.

When I first got my looms I had a hard time finding a good tutorial on exactly how to use them, which is why I made this video.  I hope it can help others learn this fun variation on knitting!
-Michelle of CreativeCritters

Loom knit stuffed animals, Christmas ornaments, and catnip toys

A few months ago I was looking for a quicker way to knit stuffed animals.  I decided to try my hand at some of the knitting looms I've seen in the craft store. These are circles of various diameters (mine are plastic) with evenly spaced pegs around which you wrap your yarn.  The looms allow you to create a knit tube with no seams.  I started with a very small loom, and slowly added to my collection.  The smallest ones are great for tails and similar long, thin cords.  As the circles increase in diameter they can create arms, legs, bodies, hats, sweaters, and more.  Some of the first items I created with the looms were catnip toys, which I stuff with my own organic catnip.
I used my two smallest looms to create the head, body, tails, and ears on my catnip dog, cat, and bunny.  I've also found loom knitting to progress a bit faster than flat knitting, and it's a little easier on my hands.  I used the small loom to create tiny hats for some of my Christmas ornaments (I knit the scarves in the regular manner).  And the purple stockings (which hold some adorable polymer clay kittens) were knit with a small loom as well.
Very recently I've been knitting teddy bears.  These stuffed toys are very soft and cuddly- great for children and adults alike.  I think everybody should have at least one teddy bear.  I made the little purple bear first, with Valentine's Day in mind.  This is the sort of gift I would love to get.  When I saw how well he turned out, I thought I'd try my hand at larger bears.  All of these were created with my own patterns.  When my cream and gold bear turned out so nicely, I figured I'd do a slightly different bear in red, pink, and white (another good one for Valentine's Day).  In my opinion, she's even cuter than the gold bear (although he's quite adorable himself!). 


I hope you enjoyed all my loom knit creations.  There will certainly be more to come.  I'm mulling over ideas for a knit dragon, among other creatures, so be sure to stop back often.  You never know what you'll find at CreativeCritters!
-Michelle of CreativeCritters