Elmo Earflap Hat - Loom Knit

Elmo Earflap Hat

I've been working on some kid's earflap hats. I've been using a method very similar to the one in the video. She does an amazing job of explaining the process and marking the pegs for the earflaps.

I used the red round loom for an infant/toddler to make an Elmo hat. I used 2 strands of Red Heart red yarn and 1 strand of fun fur. I made the earflaps using 5 pegs on each side of the loom.

One thing I do slightly differently than the video, is after I knit the first earflap, I wrap across to the next one. After I've knitted it, I wrap back to the first earflap, so I end with one loop on the entire loom, rather than only where the earflaps are located. This prevents me from ever having to cut the yarn.

Anyway, here are photos of my Elmo hat in progress. I still need to add his face and the braids to the side of the earflaps. When I'm done with him, I have hopes of starting Cookie Monster. We love Sesame Street.

Earflap

Second Earflap

Elmo Hat Off the Loom

Knifty Knitter Elmo hat

I used strands of yarn cut to about 12 inches. I thread 3 strands through each of the 3 "holes" on the earflap. (The holes are really just gaps in the stitches.) After you feed the strands through, they are folded in half, so they hang down 6 inches. I took each of the 3 yarn sections and braided them. Around the bottom of the braid, I wrapped and tied a piece of yarn to secure the braid.

For the eyes, I used 2 strands of worsted weight white yarn and knitted 6 rows on the large end of the spool loom. I stuffed each eye with 3 cotton balls. I pulled both ends of the eye closed by sewing through each loop in the row and pulling the yarn tight. Next, I sewed on black felt for the mouth and center of each eye.

For the nose, I e wrapped and knitted 7 rows from the large end of the spool loom again. I used 2 strands of worsted weight orange yarn. I did it much the same as the eyes, accept I only stuffed it with one cotton ball to give it a more elongated appearance.

I used red yarn to stitch the eyes and nose to the hat, working from the inside so the stitching doesn't show. I used black thread to stitch the felt mouth and eye centers on.

My granddaughter is not quite 2 years old, she's 22 months as I write this. The hat done on the red loom fit her, but it was a little snug. The next earflap hat that I make for her (Cookie Monster) will be knitted on the green loom, so she will have room to grow into it.

Loom Knitting Stitches - Flat vs. Twisted Stockinette

If you've ever tried to compare loom knitting stitches to those made with traditional knitting needles, you will find that the stockinette stitch is the basic "knit" stitch. In loom knitting, we sometimes call the stitches by the method we use to wrap them.

For example, the twisted stockinette stitch is called the "e wrap" stitch, because you form a cursive letter "e" around each peg as you wrap the loom. So, "e wrap" = twisted stockinette stitch.

The other type of stockinette stitch is the flat stockinette. I refer to the flat stockinette stitch as the "no wrap" stitch, because you don't have to wrap the loom at all as you make it. There is a method of making the flat stockinette stitch called the "u wrap" method. It is the same as the "no wrap" stitch, but the working yarn is moved as if it's making a "u turn" around the working peg while knitting. This is supposed to prevent the knit from becoming too tight as you work. Instead of using the "u wrap," I just give each of my stitches a little tug with my hook after I've knitted them to prevent them from becoming too tight on the loom. So, "no wrap" = flat stockinette stitch. Also, "u wrap"  = flat stockinette stitch too.

The photo above compares the "e wrap" and the "no wrap" stitches, or should I say, "twisted stockinette" and "flat stockinette" stitches. If you look closely at the no wrap knit, you can see small open spaces, also the finished knit isn't as wide. The e wrap knit is wider and looks a bit bulkier. You can't see any open spaces in the e wrap knit.

There it is! Everything you ever wanted to know about making the stockinette (knit) stitch on a loom... and more!