Meet and Make: Kristen Mangus

Today’s Meet and Make designer is Kristen Mangus.

Kristen is an interior designer, crafter, loom knitter, and the face behind GoodKnitKisses.

Let’s meet Kristen!

12 Fun Facts About Kristen Mangus:

1. I’m random singing girl.  Try me, you’ll always be entertained.
2. I’m transparent & long-winded. Just ask and I’ll write you book on it or leave an enormous voicemail.
3. I am not a morning person; simply cannot get to bed before midnight most days. Most of my You Tube videos are shot & edited between 9 p.m. and 1 a.m.
4. Truly I love to help people by making YouTube videos or finding the best way for them to express their own creativity. Many who craft choose to create for people in need; but I think it is their own therapy as well.  I like to help those who help others and give back!
5. My kids are now 1, 3, and 5 years old.  All of their birthdays are in August!
6. I love boxing and shooting games at the arcade. I will kick your patootie! Did I mention I’m super competitive and love games?
7. Besides crafts, loom knitting & Design, I enjoy meeting with friends, movies and swimming.
8. I was a Music Major for a time studying Opera & Musical Theater. I secretly want to sing for Disney or be on Broadway.  Sometimes you can catch me in a small role at a local theater like you will this Christmas. My day job is an Interior Designer.
9. Some of my favorite movies have got to be Princess Bride, Back to the Future, Sound of Music & White Christmas. Did I mention I sing them randomly?
10. Although I love crafting and being creative I have plans to scrapbook and never do; but I keep adding to the memory box for it all the same. One of my next blogs will be digital scrapbooking and getting my mess cleaned up!
11. I would love to write a children’s story, loom book, have a songwriter use my lyrics, or invent something super cool that much of the proceeds go to a favorite charity like my church’s many local and worldwide ministries or Autism Speaks, which I support every year.
12. Currently I am juicing.  Sometimes I’ll blog my diet journey and some tasty recipes along the way.

Here’s Kristen’s Project: Granny Round

Hello friends! Are you ready to make a Granny Round?!

Granny Round by Kristen at GoodKnitKisses
For Green Round loom or Knifty Knitter 36 peg
Skill Level: Easy, Quick Knit

Uses: Stitch circles together for a funky blanket, use as a base to a cylinder bag, large coaster for large mugs or small plant or a potholder. Many uses! MAKES 1 Solid Circle 6 ½” wide in 3 strands #4 Medium Worsted

Materials:

• 3 balls of color (any) medium worsted weight yarn OR 1 strand of Super Bulky #6 yarn.  Note: if using for potholder use cotton (great for scrap yarn!)
• Loom knitting hook
• Crochet hook (J or K)
• Round 36 peg loom (I used the Knifty Knitter or KK in green for adults)

We will use the E-wrap or Twisted Knit Stitch (also called TBL through the back loop) for all stitches plus 1 row of purl. Feel free to change the stitches and make it your own. I’m keeping it basic but adding the banding for fun and non-curl.

SPECIAL NOTE: Keep your stitches loose.  When wrapping before decrease be loose with your stitches especially if using more than one strand, as it can become too tight to pick off the peg and move.

Abbreviations:
KO = Knit off
EW = E-wrap
P = Purl

CAST ON:
1. Cast on to KK with all 3 strands in the E-wrap method or crochet cast on. Place your slipknot on peg 1 and let the tail fall inside the loom. (Weave this in last to edge of circle. Cast on wraps all pegs one time all the way around the loom and then wrap around again. Knit off (KO) which is lifting the bottom 3 loops over the top 3 loops (the 3 strands together at one time over the newly wrapped 3 together or 1 over 1 if using the super bulky yarn). Your cast on row is round 1 or row 1.

MAIN CIRCLE BODY:
2. Row 2: P
3. Rows 3-5: EW

DECREASE & CAST OFF:
4. We are going to divide our loom visually into 6 sections (6 pegs in each section for a 36 peg loom). In round 1 of this section we will move the 2nd peg loop over to the 1st peg. Do not KO at this time. Move to the next section and do this again. Repeat 5 more times. Now KO. Wrap all remaining pegs again & KO. This completes hat Row 6. (You should have 30 pegs remaining).
5. Now take peg 4 over to peg 3 and wait to KO. Repeat for all sections. KO all 6 pegs. Wrap all remaining pegs & KO. This complete Row 7. (You should have 24 pegs remaining).
6. Now take peg 6 over to peg 5 and wait to KO. Repeat for all sections. KO all 6 pegs. Wrap all remaining pegs & KO. This complete Row 8. (You should have 18 pegs remaining).
7. CAST OFF with draw string method. I don’t use a tapestry needle here but you can. Leave the balls of yarn attached & wrap the loom 2 times all the way around. Cut off the strands from the balls of yarn.
8. Start to the left of the peg where the working yarn is coming out of; Leaving the yarn attached take your working yarn under the loop on the peg & with your loom tool reach under the loop & scoop out the working yarns (like a purl) continue pulling all the extra yarn through the loop. LEAVE the loop on the peg. WEAVING IN THE LOOSE YARNS TO MAKE A

DRAWSTRING.
9. Move to the next loop to the left and pull the working yarns through again and leave loop on the peg. Continue until ALL pegs have the working strands woven through, including the beginning loom the strands came out of.
10. Take all loops off of the loom & pull the drawstring. Feed the extra through the top & turn your circle upside down. Using a crochet hook loop the extra through a few spots tying off to secure. Weave the excess.
11. Weave in all loose strands from end (or any color changes made).

CONNECTING THE PIECES (OPTIONAL): Once you make several granny rounds, you can connect them to create a funky afghan.  Here’s how!

12. Single crochet to join rounds together in an accent yarn. Rounds are 6-7 1/2″ depending on materials and stitch. Change row 4 to purl for a flatter garter look; this technique works well for single circles used as coasters (see below).

©2011 GoodKnit Kisses.

For additional instruction, check out Kristen’s free video tutorial on how to make a Granny Round:

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