5 Places To Donate Your Knit Goods

 I only have 1 grandchild, a little boy who I absolutely adore!  I can only knit so many hats for him before my daughter is rolling her eyes and tsking at me.  I enjoy making hats, so what do I do with these hats that have no babies attached to them? Donate Them!!

This is a great reason to get your girlfriends together every week or even once a month.  You can even teach each other at these get-togethers. If that's not your cup of tea, you can knit and donate on your own.  Either way, its an act of kindness; and kindness will not only raise the spirits of the receiver, it changes raises the spirits of the giver.



Kindness, have you ever really thought about kindness?  It's amazing how a random act of kindness changes a moment in time, changes a mood, can change a life.  I try hard to be a kind person; the more I try, the more joy I experience in my every day life.



If you decide to donate your knit goods, I encourage you to check out your local hospitals and community schools. They may accept donations for patients and students.  Neonatal hospitals usually accept preemie and newborn knit hats. Elementary Schools usually accept hats, scarves, and mittens for their students; kids lose those items all the time during the winter months.

Knots of Love accepts knit caps for patients who struggle with hair loss due to medical treatment. They are distributed free of charge to hospitals and treatment centers throughout the country.  Also, Knots of Love accepts Neonatal blankets fragile babies surviving in incubators.

Knit For Kids accepts knit blankets, baby caps, and sweaters for children living in poverty.  Its a chance at better health, protection and warmth.







Warmth For Warriors accepts knit hats for active soldiers and lap blankets for our veterans. These are greatly appreciated and are great reminders that we respect them and their sacrifices.

Please check with each donation program. They all have certain requirements and patterns.

I would love to see some pics of your donations!!  And stop by and see my creations in my shop!!

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How To Loom Knit A Baby Hat

When I received my loom set and sat down to open it, I was extremely excited. On a side note, I always get overly excited/happy, deeply sad, or raging angry...there is no in-between regarding my emotions.  OK, back to loom knitting.  Upon opening the set, I wanted to loom knit something immediately and I wanted it to result in a perfectly knitted item. You can laugh, I laughed thinking about that day; there was no way the end result would be perfect, but I was going to try my hardest.  I parked myself in my favorite spot on the couch, grabbed my kindle and dove into YouTube.


I'm not the type of person who can watch a video, and give my project a try; nope, I have to watch a minimum of 10 videos to check out technique, yarn usage, and pattern differences.  Once I decided on the video tutorial that I wanted to use, I grabbed my little blue 24 peg loom, and wrapped pegs like it was my job.

The video that I chose, taught me to do a simple cast on, the e-wrap knit stitch, how to create a brim, and lastly how to complete my little hat with a drawstring cast off.
I was hooked, pun intended, on loom knitting.  I fell in love with the little hat, and proceeded to make dozens of them for practice.


I'm slightly ashamed to admit that I have yet to master the skill of creating a YouTube tutorial video, but I really want to share a tutorial video with you.  The following video, is that first video that I followed to make my first ever baby hat.

I would love to see your baby hat creations, and hear about your loom knitting experiences; my Facebook page is a great place to share your pictures with me.
You can also find me on Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram, and Youtube.

Please leave me a comment with your thoughts, suggestions, or pictures.

Crafts and Addiction

Today is 23 days since I smoked my last cigarette.  I have had great support and lots of cheer-leaders rooting me on.  I feel strange when I tell people that it has been much easier than I ever expected; and I quit cold-turkey.

My daughter and son-in-law gave birth to my first grandchild in January, a boy, named Soren Everrett...and I am completely head over heels in love with this little person.  I haven't even met him yet and just thinking of him fills my whole body with a sense of love. All during my daughter's pregnancy, she continually told me that if I continued to smoke, I would not be able to have a relationship with my grandchild.  At first I was extremely offended by this; but, once I considered her not as my daughter, but as a mother-to-be, I understood.  She is protecting her son, she is setting healthy boundaries, she is mothering and adulting.  I am proud of her.

That's a great inspiring story to quit a nasty addiction, but what does it have to do with crafts??  I'm getting there.
You all know that right now I am into loom knitting, and loom knitting has become one of my coping mechanisms, one of my saving graces in getting through the cravings and irritability.





I took my large yellow, 41 peg round loom that I only use for a couple of regular projects and started a blanket on it.  I have kept it out in the open and on one of my side tables, in view.  When those difficult feelings start to surface, I grab hold of that loom and yarn and I start loom knitting.  Sometimes I put it down when the feelings pass, sometimes I forget and keep going.  Either way, I get through the moment, I pat myself on the back, and put a grin of satisfaction on my face.

Crafting, such as knitting, crocheting, and needlepoint, is known to have a meditative effect on people.  I believe this is how it's working for me.  My hands are busy, so the muscle memory of hand to mouth is being replaced slowly.  My mind is focused on the stitches, so I am not obsessing about the cigarette I want to light.


Studies have shown that yarn crafting and needle crafting have wonderful benefits for people.  These crafts, actually all crafts, decrease stress, anxiety, depression, addiction; and increase self confidence, self esteem, social interactions.


I live with Borderline Personality Disorder, which is a horrible disease that affects the mind and perceptions of reality and the inability to self-regulate emotions. Loom knitting has been a huge help this winter in not only keeping my mind busy, but in helping me through the emotional moments that I have had trouble radically accepting as part of my life.  It has helped me when I felt I was being abandoned by those I love, it helped me get through my father's death without  hurting myself physically.  I have received lots of compliments for my work, I have gained courage to share my completed pieces, I have learned to take criticism without making it personal.

I also, leaned on the Lord.  I prayed and we had many conversations.  I reached out to my sisters in Christ for support and encouragement.  I contribute my success with quitting to the help of God; He always has my back!

God is with her, she will not fall.
     ~Psalm 46:5

This Psalm has become my mantra throughout this journey of getting through this addiction.




If you are currently a smoker, I encourage you to give that up. You won't believe the tastes and smells you are missing out on.  Give up the shame of being a smoker among your non-smoker friends; the smell of your clothes and breath.  If I could express to you how disgusting it smells once you quit.....
Give it a shot; there are tons of resources to help you, and once you get through about 5 days, the feeling of accomplishment is wonderful!

Pick up a loom, say some prayers, and become a non-smoker! You'll thank yourself at about 21 days into the process...I guarantee it!




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What Makes Up A Work-Area?

I really pondered my work area this week.  When I consider what a work area for a crafter should look like, I think of lots of cubbies and shelves to organize all the different colors, textures, or type of stash items. Something like this:

This craft area/work space, is absolutely stunning.  Just looking at this space makes me want to create beautiful things.  I love the white furniture, the soft sea-green wall, the large window with the sitting bench; and let's not pretend that we don't see that vintage chandelier. I absolutely love this work area.

I would probably rarely work in this space, though. First, I wouldn't want to destroy it with my hoarding, unorganized mess of a craft-stash...or as my fiance calls it: my crap-stash.


I want to share with you my work area.  I have 2, but today I'm going to share with you where I do my loom knitting.  Its small and cozy; I get to watch television, I get to engage in conversations with my fiance and I don't feel separated from my living space.
A few years ago, when the children grew up and moved out, I took a room (or 2, or 3) over as a craft space.  I rarely used the space though,  because I continually felt separated from where everyone else was; or where they would be if they were there. I hope that makes some type of sense.  Either way, I've apparently got some separation anxiety issue; let's move on.

I have managed to weedle my craft space down to one little spot. Sometimes I start to get out of hand; my crafty tendrils begin to find their way around the living room, and into the dining room. Then I am forced to organize and reign in my creativity outbursts


I feel I need to make it clear that I don't only use this space to loom knit, I also use this space to read and to journal.

Do you consider your work space/craft-area, a sacred space? I spend most of my time alone, and I find that I view that little space as sacred to me, as mine (even though I have an entire house to claim as mine).  It's where I sit quietly in the early morning, drinking my coffee and reading the Scripture.  It's where I journal my inter-most thoughts and prayers. It's where I calm my mind and pour my love into my loom knitted projects.

You can see my projects in my shop.
Please, come leave me a message on my Facebook page. I would love to hear your thoughts.

THE Name: Authentic Notions

About 3 years ago, I was making jewelry and I considered starting a brand; I sat down and considered a name. What's in a name? A name that describes me in a nut-shell, a name that can grow with me, a name that sits well with my mind: Authentic Notions.

AUTHENTIC: adjective; meaning: genuine.
NOTIONS: noun; meaning: impulse or desire

I am the type of person that never seems settled. I jump from one task to another, one project to another, one book to another, one hobby to another, and so on and so on.  They are genuine impulses to create.  Some will argue that this lifestyle of jumping around is caused by my illness; I will argue that I was gifted with authentic notions, genuine desires to create beauty in the world around me.

Even, my style of dress jumps around in sporadic ways; I've left the house looking silly to others, but feeling like a million bucks!

Last year, I was a self-proclaimed mixed media artist! I created beautiful altered bottles. I really enjoyed the creative process of altered art. The problem that I had with being a mixed media artist is the stash vs room issue. I have 2 flaws that make mixed media a nightmare for those around me: disorganization and hoarding. Just sit with that for a minute and feel my fiance's pain.  I had 3 rooms filled with what I called my craft-stash.


This year is the year of The Loom! I do not have a job, so besides my bible study group and donating time to the church I attend, I have lots of time to loom knit.  I have only just mastered the round looms; but believe me, there are plenty of cool patterns.  I really like the variety that the round looms offer.  I can do round and I can do flat panel.
I did recently order a long loom, but have been having so much fun with the round ones, that I have yet to pick it up.











The loom set that I use to make my lovely creations is:

Creative Hobbies® Round Knitting Loom Complete Set w/ 4 Looms, Needle, Hook & Instructions

This set includes all that you need to get started besides the yarn.

Here's To New Beginnings

I found myself starting a new bible study group through The Vineyard, the church I attend.  A group of women, we meet together weekly to pray, learn, and support each other.

I'm not completely sure of the discussion that brought up the topic of loom knitting, I think it may have been community service ideas.  A few of the women loom knit hats for a local elementary school.  I joined the discussion and mentioned that I loved the idea and within 5 minutes a brand new loom set with 3 skeins of yarn was dropped into my lap.  My friend said "I knew God brought this to me for someone!"

I drove home, thrilled with my gift!  I immediately pulled up youtube and began researching how to loom knit.  I found various tutorials. The best one I found for a beginner was a tutorial loom-a-long for a preemie baby hat.
In 45 minutes I had completed my first loom knit project and oh boy, was a proud of myself.  I practiced this new found skill by completing 8-10 more preemie baby hats.  I didn't have a preemie baby available to me to gift these tiny hats to, so I donated them to my local hospital's neonatal unit.  They really appreciated them.  I've continued to make about a dozen a month, purely for donation.

From here I have moved onto bigger projects, such as: baby snuggly sac sets, warm, thick cowls, adult mock crochet hats, and custom created leg warmers.
I received so many compliments on my creations, that I gained enough confidence to open my own Etsy shop.

Introductions First

My name is Christy L Salas and I am a self-taught loom knitter.

I live in Upstate NY, with my fiance and our 7 pets.

We have 4 grown children and 1 amazingly handsome grandson.

I am disabled by mental illness and have found that loom knitting not only calms my demons, it has increased my confidence and self esteem.  It works as a therapeutic mediation technique for me to cope with the race-track of my mind.

Throw on some up-beat tunes, loops some rows of stitches, add my medications and I have become a more functional adult.

If you struggle with any type of mental condition, I encourage you to try your hand at some type of needle work; its amazing how a simple craft can affect your mind.

My creations can be viewed at

my Etsy shop!

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