Beginning a new hobby can be overwhelming. What tools will you need? How do you get started? Who's going to join me on this crazy adventure? Oh wait, I may be the only one that thinks that.

After you've purchased your first set of looms you may want to look into some tools to make life easier. I highly suggest buying extra loom hooks. I have a tendency to misplace mine so it's nice to have a few spares. I do not like the Boye looms but I like their hook. I've bent other brands or had the middle come out completely. The Boye hooks are sturdy and can handle constant use.

 

The only negative to this hook is it can make your hand hurt if you use it for an extended time. To help with that you can easily make a grip for it. If your child has a ton of those little rubber bands around the house you can borrow those instead of buying more! Win. Win!

 Once again I'm suggesting LoomaHat for instructions. 

To help keep track of your stitch counts you can get this handy dandy little clicker. 

I always click at the end of a row so I can keep track of the row I'm on. This is useful when the pattern calls for knit and purl stitches or any other combo of stitches. If I don't use the clicker I can't keep things straight. 

To hold my place I like these lock ring markers. 

 Every now and then I'll need to pull a row out of a project. Getting it back on the loom can be tricky. To help with that I put a marker in each stitch of the last row before I remove from the loom. I fix what I need to fix and then put it back on the loom. These counters are also useful when you are working with socks or for when you need to mark the beginning of a row.  If you also crochet and are working in the round I highly suggest these markers.  They have saved me many times. 

I also keep several yarn needles on hang along with scissors. You can never have enough. 

I also have a knitting bag to keep my current project in. I have this bag from Hobby Lobby and I love it!

It may look small but don't let it deceive you.  This baby comes with 6 pockets on the outside and another pocket on the inside! I've had this bag for 2 years and it still looks brand new. It can carry several skeins of yarn, looms, hooks, needles, and whatever else I throw in at the time. It's the perfect size. 

I have some kids in my knitting club that have yarn organizer bags. This helps them keep their yarn from getting tangled. You can find this bag at Herschners.com 

Or this one, on Amazon.

 

If you don't want to purchase a yarn bag, an empty Folgers can works great too! 

Enjoy! 

-Tracy

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The Knit Wit Teacher

If you are interested in beginning looming you have several options ahead of you. What brand to use. What type of loom to begin with. What should my first project be.

My name is Tracy, I have a loom addiction. :) 

Let me share my thoughts with you. I've tried out several looms and started my knitting club kids out on several. One thing that has become clear. We are not a fan of the Boye brand looms. The Boye looms have a little notch to hold your yarn in place. It sounds good in theory, but in actuality it becomes more of a pain than anything. Your yarn gets stuck in the notch and it's a pain to push your yarn down to wrap the next row. 

I recommend the Loops & Threads circuluar loom set from Michaels. (Don't forget if you are a teacher you get a 15% discount at Michaels. Just show your school ID)

My kids and I prefer this brand over the others. 

If you prefer to shop at Amazon Darice has a set that I also like to use. 

For your first project I suggest making a hat. They make great gifts and you can never have enough! I love this video from Melanie Ham. She talks you through how to make a brim and how to use the e-wrap stitch. The e-wrap is the easiest stitch and great for beginners. 

Let me know how it goes! If you make a hat please share your photos for the rest of us to see! You can make hats for everyone using this chart from Loom a Hat. 

After you've mastered the hat you can try scarves. This video is also from LoomaHat.

I hope you enjoy looming as much as I do!!!
-Tracy

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The Knit Wit Teacher

My students always struggle with Plot structure. They take it as summarizing the story. This doesn't carry over so well into their writing. My goal this year was to really make Plot Structure sink in and make since for them. I started with hooking them in.

(Ignore that Climax wasn't a perfect point, I fixed that later.)

I put this blank diagram up in the hallway.  Then I didn't tell them what it was. Everyday students were asking me what this was for. I countered and asked them what they thought. A few said roller coster, others said it was something for math, and still others had crazy ideas. I remained silent for almost 2 weeks! The suspense was driving them crazy!!!  

The day of my lesson I asked my class if they could finger draw the diagram in the hallway. Every kiddo put their finger in the air and drew the diagram.  They won't be forgetting what this looks like for awhile! 

I then took them to the hallway and added the labels. 

While I was explaining each section they were taking notes. 

Once they were done taking notes we went back inside for a Prezi. This is a public Prezi that was created by Tim McNamara. 

            

We had just finished reading HP so this worked out perfectly and saved me some time! I loaded the Prezi in Canvas and each student was able to access it with their iPads. Once everyone was logged in, we went over it together adding any details and answering questions. 

For a take away project they were given a Plot Diagram Choice Board. Glogster is an app that we hadn't used much in class. It's not the friendliest of programs to use, but I wanted to encourage them to try it out again. I also gave pts for any app or project that was more challenging. I want to push my students to try new or harder things without me baby stepping them through the process. 

I only had 2 students draw their diagrams. Every other student picked one of the apps or created it using Keynote. Glogster was tricky for them but they gave it a try and for that I rewarded them. Don't get me wrong, I like Glogster, it just needs some work. 

We continued with Plot through the week and my kiddos finally started carrying it over into their writing. Success!!!! 

-Tracy

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The Knit Wit Teacher

Did you know I'm an introvert? It's true.

 

 I've always been incredibly shy but I am getting better. The Teacher/Blogger Retreat in French Lick is one of my favorite events, but it does make me nervous. My goal is always to introduce myself to new people but it is something I struggle with. I always seem to find myself on the fringe never sure how to proceed. This year I was able to meet some new people and next year I hope to come out of my shell a little more. Third times the charm!! 

One of the highlight events, the Teacher Tool Swap, is an event that I didn't participate in this year. Openings gifts in front of people makes me extremely nervous. When I was pregnant with my twins I almost cancelled my baby shower because the thought of opening gifts made me so nervous! The tool swap is the same way. This year I just watched from the sidelines but I enjoyed seeing all the neat gifts. (Sorry if I seemed rude, that is never my intention)

This is the 4th, 5th, 6th grade swap. Amanda from The Primary Gal is enjoying her gift below.  She's kinda my hero. :) 

(Photo Credit: Joshua Stears) 

I love this retreat because it's refreshing to be around so many like minded people. No one is complaining or grouchy. We are a happy, positive, and excited group of people. And how could we not be with this motto: 

(Photo Credit: Joshua Stears) 

Teaching truly is my passion. It's easy to get discouraged with ISTEP and outdated thinking from the higher ups, but we all need to remember why we took this path. I' never thought of another career growing up. Teaching has always been my passion. I need to make it happen regardless of what's going on outside of my classroom. 

The French Lick Teacher/Blogger Meet Up has some AMAZING sponsors. 

(Photo Credit: Joshua Stears) 

(Wow, I'm short! I'm even wearing heels!)

This year I won a book set from Maria Dismondy. I LOVE it! Her book, Spaghetti in a Hot Dog Bun, is a cute reminder about being who you are. It also teaches showing kindness to others even when they are not showing it to you. A great lesson for kinders and my 4th graders.  Especially this time of year when Girl Drama tends to start! 

Don't you just LOVE this bag. Vera Bradley once again donated bags to every attendee. I love these bags for summertime sports. They are truly fantastic. 

(Photo Credit: Joshua Stears) 

I am a girl that loves the simple things in life. That being said...let me show you my favorite "swag bag" items. 

A giant magnet from TPT and Udderly Smooth lotion. This lotion is phenomenal. Your hands are so smooth after using this! If you haven't tried it, run out and get some. You won't regret it. 

I love these giant magnets because I am a forgetful person. I've found that if I use them to put papers on my classroom doorframe I'm less likely to forget to copy them or take them to the office. They are truly a lifesaver. I also use them to hold work for a student that has been absent. Otherwise I tend to forget what they need to make up. Keeping it on my door gives me the reminder I need. Thanks TPT! 

We had some amazing sponsors that I am truly grateful for. Check it out! 

Kirsta Wallden from Creative Clips and Digi by Amy, you ladies rock. Thank you for the amazing clip art. 

#ABCmouseteachers showed teaches some love with their program. I can't wait to see how Owyn and Gavin do with this program. I also plan to share it with all of our K & 1 teachers. 

I love all the support that these amazing sponsors showed to each one of us. THANK YOU! 

Check back soon for my blog post on the Hue document camera and the PencilGrip company. These are 2 of my favorite products and I want to showcase them specifically. They also love teachers and deserve a major shout out. It's time to show them some love. 

My favorite part of the event? The Round Table Discussions. I was able to visit with Exploring is Elementary, All Things Apple in 2nd,  The Primary Gal, and A Bird in Hand Designs. 

Cindy from Exploring is Elementary showcased NearPod. My group kind of highjacked her presentation and she was kind enough to let us. NearPod is a great tool to use in the classroom and one I definitely plan on looking into more. Cindy is also a Sherlock fan. For that reason alone I will forever be her friend. 

Nicole from All Things Apple did an amazing job of showing how she runs her Lit Circles. She knows what she's doing and I can't wait to try her flaps out in my classroom. 

Amanda was amazing as always. Her school has streamlined their curriculum and made it easy to teach using topics. I hope to visit her classroom soon to gain some more ideas. 

Megan from A Bird in Hands design talked about the importance of having a blog that is mobile compatible. Stay tuned for my new blog design coming in May! I can't wait to see what she comes up with this time. I loved the design for 4th Grade Dynamic Duo and I'm sure this one will be just as fantastic. She does great work! 

All in all, it was an amazing day and I can't wait for next year. 

Holly Ehle and Brittany Banister you ladies are amazing. Thank you for all your hard word. We truly appreciate all you do. To every person that helped organize this event, thank you. I can only imagine all the work that goes into making this event the success that it is. 

Thanks again to all the wonderful sponsors.  (Keep reading for a chance to win a prize pack) 

 

(Photo Credit: Joshua Stears)   

All in all our AMAZINGLY GENEROUS sponsors donated over $15,000 in prizes and giveaways!

We all felt the love! Thank you sponsors!

 

  

 
  

   

     

   

Would you like to connect with more amazing educators from this weekend? Check out the linky below!
-Tracy

An InLinkz Link-up

Want a chance to win a prize pack featuring a HUE document camera, a year subscription to ESGI and more? Enter below! Good luck! a Rafflecopter giveaway

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The Knit Wit Teacher