We are having a Loom A Long hosted by Kelly Jones with her fun Butterfly intarsia design.  Join Kelly on Wednesday, June 17 as she works with all knitters to create this intarsia Butterfly design. This Wednesday Kelly will be available with lots of helpful hints at knittingboards yahoo group. Just post your questions for Kelly. The pattern is also in the “files” folder at the yahoo group. Here’s the link:  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Knittingboards/ 

Butterfly Intarsia Block

This butterfly intarsia pattern can be used for a number of different things.  You can use it as a wall hanging, afghan block or make a back and sew it together for a pillow.  You could even adjust the main color rows to make placemats, or use cotton yarn for a dishcloth or pot holder, or use wool and felt it for a bag front.

I really hope you enjoy knitting this up!  Intarsia designs are a great use of “extra” yarn.

Supplies: 18”or 28” small gauge Authentic Knitting Board using 36 pegs, spacers set at ½”.

Yarn: One skein (approximately 400 yards) #3 or #4 weight yarn, single stranded for background color.  Small balls of yarn are all you need for the contrasting colors, use double strands for all contrast colors to make it a little fuller. 

Stitch: Stockinette cast-on and stitch used throughout. 

Finished Size: approximately 10” x 10”

Cast on using main color in stockinette stitch 36 pegs, count cast on row as first row of pattern.  Lay anchor yarn. 

Row 2-5: stockinette stitch in main color.

Row 6: start with contrast color (double stranded) and place slip knot on peg 17 (top or bottom of board doesn’t matter) work to peg 19 in stockinette stitch.  Skip over to peg 25 and continue to 27 in stockinette, turn and work back over remaining contrast color pegs.   You’ll place the working yarn across the top of the main color.  If you ended with the working yarn on the top of peg 19 you start peg 25 at the bottom of the board (it’ll form an “x” over the main color - see photo).  Make sure you leave the yarn a little loose in the “x”, or it will pull the design to the middle on the finished project.  Knit off.  Lay contrast color 1 down after knitting off and pick up main color.  Knit in stockinette stitch skipping over the contrast color one pegs.

 Repeat pattern from chart.  Make sure you start each row with contrast colors and knit those off before going to the main color.

When you finish with a contrasting color cut the yarn leaving a 2”-3” tail and lay it across the center, you can tuck some of it under the “x” from the main color to hold it in place. When you finish with contrast color 1 in row 16, cut and “lay-in” tail.  Restart color with a slip knot on row 19, peg 9.  Make sure slip knot is snug. Continue with pattern from chart.

Bind off and tuck in all tails!

Hi Knitters,
The small project contest was very fun for us, as we had some awesome entries. And, once again, it was very difficult judging them. I think, our next contest, we will let everyone cast a vote for their favorite. We want to thank everyone for entering and showing us your designs.
Drum roll, Please!

The winners are……..

1st place goes to Faith Schmidt with the Cable and Lace Scarf. 
Faith did a very thorough job of writting her pattern and her detailed photos were just super. Congratulations, Faith.

And, we have a 3-way tie for second place.   Kelly Jones submits a great Bunny design, Ella Roby knits a beautiful Patrtiotic Bag , and  Sue  Kreitzer shows a unique Scarf with a pocket.  Check them all out!

Congratulations to all our winners on a job well done!!!

Hi to all loom knitters,  

The new year has begun and  you are probably all  eager to  discover some new patterns and learn some new techniques.   We are also  eager for a fun new year and are making  plans for a big year with lots of fun projects.   To do this, we will be attending the 2009 CHA trade show in Anaheim, CA.   We will be at booth #2025.   The show starts on January 25 and runs thru January 28.  

We will be out of the offices January  22 through February 2 to attend show.   We will be shipping your knitting  boards on February 3 for any orders placed after this Thursday, Jan 22.   We really appreciate your patience on this.

We have a new exciting product to introduce soon.  

Kim and Pat  

We would like to say “Hi” and Happy Holidays to everyone from all of us  at the Virginia warehouse.   Today we were wrapping some knitted hats, scarves, and afghans to send to one of our favorite children’s homes in North Dakota.   We love preparing all  of your  packages, and we sincerely hope you all have a great Holiday Season.

We will be closing at 3:00, Friday, Dec 19 and will be closed until Monday, December 29.   We will, however,  mail  all pending orders on Tuesday, Dec 23.  

Pat(not in Pic), Michele, Sallie, Sue (not in pic), Shirley, and Regina.

AFGHAN CONTEST WINNERS!!

 As promised, we would like to share photos and stories, and patterns of the beautiful afghans submitted to us for the Afghan Contest.   Judging is hard work!    All entries  are   unique in the skills and original ideas  used.   So, let me share with everyone what we have based our decisions on. We have awarded points to each knitter in the following categories:

• The look of the Afghan-is it something that everyone would love to knit and own?
• Were the photos submitted clear and well planned?
• Were the instructions complete, clear, easy to follow?   Did the knitter share enough to assist each knitter to repeat the design.   In some cases, it may be necessary for a new knitter to learn new techniques.
• Is the design an original concept and idea of the knitter?
• Did the knitter take a concept and expand on it to give their afghan that special, unique extra?

 We have a total of 7 entries.   They are all winners, so special and unique!

First Place goes to Connie Mauger for her AJ’s Baby Blanket.   Congratulations!

Second Place has resulted in a tie.   Congratulations to: Annette Roa with a beautiful Kitty Afghan for her 4 year old niece, and Ella Roby with a unique design  with vertical stripes called”Stripes Afghan“.      

Connie Mauger’s AJ’s Baby Blanket is a  blanket that any little tot would love to curl up in.   Connie has used some wonderful techniques including the double 8 caston, cross over stitches, and beautiful crochet edges.   Her instructions contain lots of diagrams for following the stitch pattern that is repeated in each strip of the Afghan.

Annette Roa knit for her little 4 year old niece.   What child would not love all the adorable little kitties on this beautiful afghan.   It is knit with one repeated design completed 4 times in each of the 3 strips.   Each kitty is unique just by the choice of leftover yarn used.   This entry also has a beautiful crochet edge.

Ella Roby calls her afghan simply “Stripes”. We love this one because of the unique way that the vertical stripes were worked with the weaving of the different colors.   Ella does a great job of explaining the concept  with much detail.   The instructions are very well done!

Great El Paso Afghan was knit by Jacque Darra.   What a wonderful job on all counts.   Jacque uses 2 different stitches to create the warm look of this one along with lots of great fringe.   We also love that it was knit on a 38″ heavy duty board for a nice warm afghan with a lot of texture in just one piece.   The instructions are very easy to follow and this is important for all knitters.

Sue Kreitzer has once again come up with a wonderful afghan in unique  squares- The Fall Christmas Afghan.   What is so very special about Sue’s afghan is the theme that surrounds the whole design.   It represents  Christmas in the pretty red and green colors of the outer strips; Snow with the fleur de lis patterns on the green; and the     center strip  represents the season of Fall with the colors of the fallen leaves.   Thank you, Sue for your offer to donate your afghan to our Christmas donation box.

Ella Roby knit up another great one.   This one is called the Winter Afghan.   It is a pretty combination of stripes with the unique technique of vertical stripes.   Pretty winter colors make it feel very special.   Great job, Ella.

Another beautiful design by Annette Roa  was  a wedding gift with a rose pattern knit right into the afghan.   This one is knit in large squares with some of them showing the pretty rose pattern.  

All AFGHAN PATTERNS  will be shown in the “files” catagory of www.groups.yahoo.com/group/knittingboards

Great Job by everyone and thank you all for sharing your afghan photos and ideas with all of us.   May you all have a wonderful Holiday Season.   Stay warm and keep the ideas coming for the new year.  

If you are one of the winners please email Kim at kim@knittingboard.com with your address information.  All entries will recieve a one time 30% off discount on Knittingboard.com.  Please email for coupon ID.

Thank You—-to everyone that has submitted an entry to our contest.   Oh, you  will all be so enlightened when you see all the great afghans created on knitting boards.   Remember your entries will be judged on originality of creation, clarity of the instructions, and your photos.  

We will announce the winners on Saturday, Dec 6 which is one day later than planned to assist some of the knitters.   We will be posting all the photos and instructions so that everyone will be able to get one or two knit up during the holidays.   If anyone, submitting an entry, does not want their instructions to appear, please notify us right away.   We would need to remove the entry from the contest.

So, get ready for a delightful Afghan Saturday afternoon.

Thanks to all, Kim and Pat