How to Knit on a Loom
Have you ever wondered how to knit on a loom? You've probably seen them before -- bright, colorful plastic wheels in your local craft store near the knitting supplies, a little bit scary looking (like some medieval torture device). Actually, many people find loom knitting much easier than needle knitting, so if you've always wanted to give it a try, why not start now?
Casting On
When you start learning how to knit on a loom, you'll find that many of the terms and procedures are exactly the same. Casting on is no exception. Start out with your basic slip knot and put it on the anchor peg, which is a small peg sticking out from the side of the loom (unlike all the others, which stand up around the top).
From there, pull the yarn straight up and to the inside of the loom. Wrap it around the first peg, winding up on the inside of the loom again. Continue doing this until you get to the first peg again. Be careful not to wrap the yarn too tightly -- it's just like when you learned how to knit and cast on so firmly you couldn't get the needle through the stitch!
Now do a second round. Each peg should have two loops of yarn on it. Secure the yarn by wrapping it around the anchor peg a few times, then grab the hook tool (kind of like a crochet hook bent to a right angle). It's time to "knit off," which just means hooking the lower loop on each peg and pulling it over the top one and off the peg (sort of like casting off in regular knitting).
Garter Stitch
Now that you've cast on (yes, that's all there is to it), it's time to really learn how to knit on your loom. On a loom, the garter stitch results in a fairly loose garment, so keep that in mind. It's an easy stitch. You just continue doing exactly what you did to cast on. Wrap the yarn around each peg, secure it on the anchor, pull the bottom stitch over the top, and continue. That's all there is to the garter stitch.
If you want to learn how to knit a more secure stitch, use the one-over-two method. It works exactly the same as the garter stitch with one small difference. After you cast on, go around the loom twice so you have three stitches on each peg. Pull the bottom ones over and off, leaving two. Go around again so you have three stitches and repeat.
Next time, we'll learn how to knit some fancier stitches -- not to mention how to end your project.
