How to Use the Long Looms

Loom knitting is growing in popularity across the country. This form of knitting is amongst the oldest in the world. There are illustrations of loom knitting that date back to medieval France. Knitting on a loom makes the craft accessible to people with arthritis or people who have had trouble learning to knit on needles. There are several types of looms, including round looms, square looms and long looms. For knitting bigger projects, such as afghans or sweaters, long looms are recommended. You can knit on the long loom just as if you were knitting on a circular loom or you can use a long loom to double-knit your project.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Long loom
• 2 skeins of worsted yarn
• Loom pick

How to Use the Long Looms

1. Twist the ends of your 2 skeins of worsted yarn together, and form a slip knot. For the purpose of this article, you will keep the threads of the 2 skeins together and use them as a single, thick piece of yarn. Secure the slip knot to the peg on the side of the loom.

2. Bring the thread down between the first and second bottom peg. Wrap the 2 strands of yarn clockwise around the first bottom peg. Bring the thread up between the first and second top peg. Wrap the thread counterclockwise around the first top peg. Bring the thread down between the second and third bottom peg and wrap it clockwise around the second bottom peg. Continue wrapping until you reach the end of the loom. Do not wrap the yarn over the pegs located on the U-shaped end pieces.

3. When you reach the end of the loom, turn the loom, and bring your yarn around the final peg. Then bring your yarn straight across and between the new first and second top peg (formerly the last two bottom pegs).

4. Wrap the yarn counter clockwise around the peg and bring it down between the bottom second and third peg. Then wrap the yarn clockwise around the second peg. Continue wrapping until you reach the end of the long loom. Push the yarn from the first wrapping down to the bottom of the peg to make room for the second wrapping.

5. Secure the yarn by tying the end in a slip knot and securing it on the side peg.

6. Take the knitting rake, and loop it under the first wrapping on the first top peg. Lift this loop of yarn over the second wrapping and off the loop. Do this for each bottom wrapping on each peg.

7. Once you have lifted all wrappings, wrap another row of yarn onto the peg. Then lift the bottom wrapping over the top wrapping and off the peg. As you knit off the loom, your completed knitting will slide out the bottom of the loom.

8. Finish your panel of knitting by "knitting off" the loom. To do this, take a crochet hook and use it to pull your loop that is on the first peg of the top panel off the peg. Then do the same with the first peg of the bottom panel. Loop the first loop through the second one. Repeat this process by moving the second peg on the top panel onto the crochet loop, and pulling the first loop from the bottom panel through it. Continue to knit off the panel until you reach the end. Then pull the tail of string through your last loop.

References

• Loom Knitting.com
• Loom Knitting Help

Resources

• Bev's Country Cottage