Saturday, October 22, 2011

Knifty Knitter Types of Knit

For those new to loom knitting, it's often confusing. There are really 3 different methods, or types of knit that can be made on the Knifty Knitter looms. They are:
  1. Single Panel Knit
  2. Circular Knit
  3. Double Panel Knit
 Circular knitting works by spiraling around a loom (round or long). Single panel knitting requires that you knit back and forth across the length of one side of the loom, reversing direction at each end. Double panel knit is just like single panel knitting, but there is a special way of wrapping the long looms to make it thicker.

Here is a photo representation:
To learn how to make different types of knit on the round or long Knifty Knitter looms, check out these instructions.

Monday, February 7, 2011

Knifty Knitter Sizes

Knifty Knitter looms are sold individually, or in sets. The sets of round looms and long looms each come with 4 looms. Each set also comes with a Knifty Knitter hook. Here are the loom sizes that you will be getting if you purchase the sets instead of the individual looms:

Round Loom/ Hook ToolKnifty Knitter Long Loom SetLong Looms
10" Wide
14" Wide
18" Wide
22" Wide

Round Looms
5" Wide
7" Wide
9" Wide
11" Wide
Flexiloom - Mitten Loom SetProvo Craft, the manufacturer of Knifty Knitter looms, also sells these looms individually. They also sell hat, mitten, and flower looms separately.
                                      
Knifty Knitter 4-1/2 Inch Flower Loom  Knifty Knitter Adult Hat Loom Set: Purple

Making a Half Hitch on the Knifty Knitter Loom

A half hitch is the term used to describe the loop used to secure the working yarn. You can use it when you want to stop and push the yarn down on the pegs, knit off, or when you need to leave your work for a while. To make a half hitch, you simple make a loop with the yarn. Turn it to ensure that the working yarn is toward you. Place the loop around the anchor peg on the end of the loom and pull it tight. That's it!

Monday, January 31, 2011

Multicolored Figure 8 Stitch Scarf on the 9.5 inch Knifty Knitter Loom


My latest Knifty Knitter project was this multicolored scarf done on the 9.5 inch long loom. I used the figure 8 stitch with one strand of Red Heart Super Saver yarn. I published the full instructions for the scarf patterns here:


Free Figure Eight Stitch Scarf Pattern

The colors remind me of jelly beans. It looks good with a denim jacket.

Blue scarf on the 9.5 inch long Knifty Knitter loom

This scarf was done on the Knifty Knitter 9.5 inch long loom. The stitch used was the honeycomb stitch. I used Red Heart Super Saver acrylic yarn in blue.

I wrote up the instructions for the scarf here:

How to Knit a Scarf in the Honeycomb Stitch

I've mentioned this before but, the best thing about this stitch is that the sides of the scarf will not roll. It creates a dense heavy knit perfect for winter. Here are some more photos:

How to Knit a Scarf on the Knifty Knitter Round Loom


I get a lot of questions as to whether it is possible to knit a scarf on a round loom. It is indeed possible. What you will end up with is a tube of knit that lays flat into two layers. You sew the ends together with a whip stitch. Long looms lend themselves to knitting scarves because there are more stitches you can do on them, however, it is possible to knit a scarf on a round loom too. It can be done with the e-wrap stitch or the no wrap stitch.

Another option is to knit the scarf around the loom using 12 pegs and then stopping and reversing direction, knitting back and forth on the loom rather than all the way around it. This will create a flat, single layer scarf. Doing it this way, the knit will be prone to rolling at the sides and you will have to block it.

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Scarf Patterns on the Provo Craft Website


I was browsing scarf patterns on the Provo craft website today. I found many that I wanted to try (like this one), but for the most part, their instructions are extremely vague. The one that I wanted to make explained the stitch to be knitted like this: "Start wrapping the yarn around loom pegs in a figure-eight pattern as shown in the instructions that come with the loom." My loom set came with no instructions!  However, I believe the stitch they are referring to looks like this when wrapping the loom. I surfed around and found it on the Provo Craft site as well:



When you circle back to wrap the loom the second time, just go around the last peg once, like this:





To make the figure 8 stitch wrap across the width of the loom making a figure 8 as you go. When you get to the end, simply trace the yarn pattern back exactly as you made it the first time. You know have two loops on the loom, knit off bringing the bottom loop over the top loop with the Knifty Knitter hook. You now have one loop on each peg of the loom. Wrap the loom once using the figure 8 stitch pattern. Knit off again. Continue wrapping once and knitting off until your scarf is the desired length.



When finished, it looks a lot like the one over one stitch, except it is looser and it ends up being a flat panel rather than a circular tube knit. 



The figure 8 is in the photo below. I used wrapped and knitted off 15 or so rows, so that you could see what it looks like with one strand of Red Heart Super Saver acrylic yarn.



That would make a perfect light weight scarf for spring. If I were going to make a winter scarf with the figure 8 stitch, I would use 2 strands of yarn as one to make the finished knit more dense. If I were going to use a natural fiber, like cotton that doesn't have the loftiness, I would use 3 strands of yarn at once.



The figure 8 stitch (or any stitch knitted across the width of the loom such as the ribbed or honeycomb) actually does work well for scarves because it looks the same on both sides and does NOT roll like a knit stitch does. The problem with knit stitches (ewrap or no wrap) is that they roll on the edges when knitting a flat panel.



Monday, January 24, 2011

What do you do if you want to change colors?

If you want to change colors, simply use a square knot to tie on a new color at the beginning of a row. Depending on the stitch you are using, the loose ends where you tied it on may, or may not, show. If they do show, use a yarn needle to weave them into the stitches.

If you run out of yarn and need to tie on new yarn, be careful to match the yarn exactly. A brand of new yarn in the same color may not match exactly the same brand and color bought 2 years prior. Colors fade and can vary from skein to skein. Try to ensure you have enough yarn, purchased at the same time, to complete the entire project before you start knitting on your Knifty Knitter.

How to Purl Stitch on the Knifty Knitter

If you've been wondering how to purl stitch on the Knifty Knitter loom, here is a quick and easy tutorial showing how its done courtesy of the Provo craft website.
  1. You push the loops on your loom up so that you can run the working yarn under these loops.
  2. Lay the working yarn below the loops on the loom.
  3. Use your Knifty Knitter hook to pull the working yarn through the loops on the pegs. Yes, the loops on the pegs! :)
  4. Knit off pulling the loop off the peg and replacing it with the one that was pulled through.

You can see the YouTube video of how to purl stitch here: YouTube Video

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Photobucket 
A quick post to show the sachet I just finished with the smallest round loom. I've been making them this weekend and I am thrilled with the outcome. Here are the instructions and another photo.


How to Make a Sachet on the Smallest Knifty Knitter Round Loom


I'm off to try them in more colors. A soft blue will be nice, don't you think? 
Happy Knifty Knitting!
~Heather

Friday, January 14, 2011

The Latest Knifty Knitter Project - Honeycomb Stitch Scarf













The scarf was made with acrylic yarn. I prefer natural fibers like cotton and wool, but natural fibers do not work as well on knitting looms as synthetic fibers, such as polyester and acrylic.

Here are the instructions to make this scarf on the Knifty Knitter loom.

Patterns You Might Like: