My name is Christina Loman, and I run Feel Good Knitting. I learned to knit at age 8 while watching my brother’s swim practices, and began designing in college. In addition to knitting, I teach elementary school and travel every chance I get. You can find me on Ravelry as Redraveler or in my group Feel Good Knits, and on Twitter as @feelgoodknits. You can find me on Google+ via my given name.
Feel Good Knitting works on the philosophy that life should make you feel good, and so should your knitting. Love a challenge? Try something new! I’ll post occasionally about the more advanced techniques in my designs. Prefer the comfort of simple “in front of the tv” knitting? I have patterns for that too!
Feel Good Knitting 
Posted by Karen Berthine on May 9, 2012 at 7:33 pm
I agree: knitting should feel good. 🙂
Posted by feelgoodknitting on May 10, 2012 at 8:07 pm
It doesn’t seem like it would be much fun if it didn’t!
Posted by Sandra Bell Kirchman on July 18, 2012 at 12:55 pm
Hi, Christina, I saw your comment at Girl on the Contrary and thought maybe you could help me. I have three adorable Shih Tzu dogs. Because they are so small, they don’t stand up to cold weather very well. I have tried to get comfortable garments for them to wear inside the house as well as outside (it’s hard to watch your babies shivering their little hearts out, but you can’t turn the heat up much more because of the cost of fuel.
I have probably paid as much as extra fuel would cost trying to find something that fit and was comfortable to wear, but nothing really fulfilled the requirements. So, novice that I am, I decided to knit a sweater for the oldest dog. That way I could measure her as I went along.
I am not following a pattern, since it would be hard for me to measure and adjust, so I am doing a straight knit cuff, plus knit one row purl one row for the sweater part. I can do all that just fine. My problem is I have no idea how to make the holes for the front legs. I want to do the sweater in one piece with a seam up the belly side of it, but am stumped as to how to fashion the leg holes. Can you help me?
Posted by feelgoodknitting on July 18, 2012 at 3:48 pm
Hmm…generally when making a human sweater in the round (it sounds like you’re knitting a tube, but my advice is only slightly different if you’re knitting flat) you bind off enough stitches under the arms to create a hole, and then you knit the front and back separately, flat, with 2 different balls of yarn. At the shoulder you sew the front and back back together. It’s a bit complex to explain in detail in a comment, but http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/chug-puppy-sweater is a free pattern that would describe it in more detail, or you’re welcome to email me (feelgoodknits @ gmail). Of course, you could also knit your pup a cape with a belt. That would be super easy.
Posted by Christa on December 14, 2012 at 1:15 pm
Not sure what you ended up making – wanted to add my two cents. I, too, have a shih tzu. I wanted something to cover her entire back and and under the stomach as well. I ended up using Sally Melville’s Homer’s Vest – http://www.ravelry.com/projects/ChristaCT/homers-vest. It worked beautifully. I made it longer on both top and bottom and added a tab for the snaps.
Posted by sweatyknitter on October 17, 2012 at 5:36 pm
I’m nominating you for the Readers Appreciation Award … my next post …
Posted by kniterly on March 25, 2013 at 8:06 pm
Hi Christina!
Just wanted to let you know I nominated you for the Versatile Blogger Award. Details are on my latest post 🙂
Cheers!
Posted by Sandra Bell Kirchman on April 16, 2013 at 3:15 am
Christina, I didn’t know where to put this and I couldn’t find an email addy for you so here goes. Feel free to delete it after you have read it and dealt with it.
I am a writer. As such I received dozens of press releases every day. Most of them I must discard. A few I work with on my News, Views, and Gurus blog. Very occasionally I come across one that I think would be perfect for someone else. That happened today…reviewing a mystery novel that has a lot about knitting in it. I immediately thought of you.
Here are some of the salient parts of the email I received from the PR agent. Let me know if you are interested and/or have time and give me your email address, and I will let Ginnie know I am passing the material on to you. You will then need to write her and request the review copy of the book (it looks interesting 🙂 ).
Sent: April 15, 2013 5:33 AM
To: sandrakirchman@sasktel.net
Subject: Re: Yarn to Go
Hi Sandra,
Another book that is available for your review – Yarn to Go: A Yarn Retreat Mystery by Betty Hechtman.
Publisher: The Berkley Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Group
Publication Date: July 2013
Let me know if this book interests you and I will gladly ship a copy right away.
About the Book: Popular author of “cozy” craft mysteries, Betty Hechtman, is set to release the first book in her much anticipated new series!
When dessert chef Casey Feldstein finds out that her late aunt’s business, Yarn2Go, has one more yarn retreat scheduled, she decides to go ahead and host the event, despite her complete lack of experience as a knitter. At least the retreat is on the beautiful Monterey Peninsula.
But the idyllic setting is soured when a retreat regular is found murdered in her hotel room. Feeling a sense of responsibility, Casey begins to weave the clues together and detects a pattern which may shed light on her aunt’s suspicious death. Despite the danger, the last thing Casey plans to do is retreat. She’ll catch this killer…or dye trying.
Includes a knitting pattern and a recipe! Yarn to Go seamlessly knits together the passions of those who love to knit with a murder mystery at a seaside California retreat.
About the Author: Betty Hechtman, national bestselling author of If Hooks Could Kill, has a degree in fine arts and since college has studied everything from tap dancing to magic. When she isn’t writing, reading, or crocheting, she’s probably at the gym. She lives in Southern Cali with her family.
Posted by Sandra Bell Kirchman on April 16, 2013 at 3:17 am
I forgot to mention that there is no pay for writing the review, but you do get a free copy of the book 😉
Posted by feelgoodknitting on April 16, 2013 at 4:38 pm
Hey there – I emailed you at the address in this comment. Check you spam folder if it doesn’t show up!
Posted by Sandra Bell Kirchman on April 17, 2013 at 2:49 am
Sent you an email 🙂
Posted by Vix on May 26, 2013 at 7:14 am
Hi!
Just a quick note to let you know I’ve nominated you for a Liebster award! Check out my post here http://vixknits.wordpress.com/2013/05/26/liebster-award/
Vix x