How to Make Squares for an Afghan With a Loom
Loom knitting allows you to produce many of the same items that a needle knitter can make, including hats, gloves and scarves. You can even do many of the same stitch patterns that needle knitters can, from garter stitch, which creates a corrugated fabric, to knit and purl shapes like diamonds, squares and even lace or cables. Making squares in various stitch patterns and then connecting them into an afghan will help you learn the various stitch patterns and the techniques required to loom-knit them.
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Things You'll Need
- Round loom
- Worsted weight yarn in compatible colors
- Crochet hook
- Scissors
- Embroidery needle
Instructions
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Garter Stitch Block
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1
Hold two strands of your yarn and tie a slip knot in the end of the doubled strand. Slip this knot over the first peg to the left of the anchor peg, which is the peg that extends from the side of the loom.
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2
Crochet cast-on 30 stitches. Pull your doubled yarn strands around the outside of your loom pegs. Next, pull the strands between the first peg and the peg to its left, which is Peg Two, between the pegs to the inside of the loom with a crochet hook. Carry the loop on your crochet hook around the back of Peg Two. Slip the hook under the yarn strands on the outside of the loom between Peg Two and Three, pull it through the loop already on your crochet hook and drop that first loop off the hook and let it lie across the back of the peg. It will form a circle around the base of the peg with the yarn that you've carried around front. Repeat around until you have 30 stitches.
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3
Bring the yarn back around to the outside of the loom and begin knitting your stitches across. To knit a stitch off, lay the yarn against the peg above the loop already on it. Do not wrap it around because that would give your knit stitches greater tension and a slight twist. Use your tool to pick up the bottom loop of yarn and pass it over the other loop and the top of the peg. Drop the loop to the inside of the loom. Continue across until you have knit all 30 stitches.
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4
Purl back across by laying the yarn back over the last peg you just knitted, above the loop on the peg. Reach under your top loop, grab the bottom loop and pull it up through the top loop of yarn and over the top of the peg. Drop it to the back toward the inside of your loom and repeat back across the row.
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5
Alternate knit and purl rows until you have a square 12 inches long. Cast off by removing the loop on the first peg you worked on your last row. If you are at the left of the loom, start at the right end, and vice versa. Slide it onto the peg next to it. Lift the loop already on that peg up and over the new loop and the top of the peg, then move the loop that is left on that peg to the next peg in row. Repeat until you have one loop left. Cut the yarn 6 inches from the loom, remove the loop from its peg, thread the yarn tail through and pull to secure.
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6
Now that you have mastered the technique, choose knit and purl stitch patterns and make multiple squares of the same dimensions as your garter stitch square. Change colors if desired. Make 30 squares for a 5-foot by 6-foot blanket, alternating stitch patterns, color or both.
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7
Sew your squares together using a mattress stitch. Lay two squares side by side, pattern side up. Thread your embroidery needle with yarn in a color that coordinates with the color of your squares. Slide the needle tip through the yarn connecting the edge stitch to the stitch next to it. It looks like a horizontal bar. Pull your yarn through, leaving 6 inches hanging out, and then slide the tip of your needle through the horizontal edge stitch on the second block in the corresponding row of stitches. Crisscross your way up the sides of the squares, stitching the first square then the second then back to the first again, for about 1 inch or 2 inches. Gently tug on the ends of your seaming yarn in the direction of your seam, which is straight up and down, to tighten the stitches.
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References
Resources
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