Loom Knitting: How to Choose Your First Loom

Types of Knitting Looms

Circular knitting looms - Used to make tubing knit in the round. The bigger the circle, the bigger the tube it makes. The base shape of the loom doesn't have any effect on the knitted item. As long as the pegs are in a continuous row, the item will be a tube. Circle looms can be oblong, circle, octagon, square, and heart shape.

Double-sided rake looms - Also called knitting frames and knitting boards. These looms have two parallel rows of pegs that allow the knitting to fall through the center. Use this loom to create items with double-sides so both sides are the right side.

Single-sided rake looms - These looms have only one row of pegs that are not continuous. Use these looms to create flat panels. However, you can use any loom to make single panels items. You don't have to have a single-sided rake loom.

If you buy a circular loom, you can still use it to create single panels and have it to use for making hats and socks depending on the size of the loom. Remember, just because a loom has a particular name, like sock loom, hat loom, etc. you don't have to use it for just those items.

Circle looms are sometimes called hat looms because you can use them to make hats. But, when you knit on circle looms, you can also use it to make panels for baby sweaters and blankets, scarves, or anything else that you can make piecing panels together.

Knitting Loom Terms

Anchor Peg - The anchor peg is useful to secure your working yarn. By securing your yarn, it keeps it from coming unraveled while you knit. Not all looms have anchor pegs. They're helpful but not essential.

Pegs - When knitting on a loom, you wrap your yarn around the pegs to create your knitting stitches.

Peg groove - It is very helpful for each peg to have a groove in its side just under the cap of the peg. The groove lets you slip your knitting tool in it to make lifting your stitches off the pegs easier. Specialty looms may not have pegs. I recommend you look for looms with grooves when you first begin learning to knit with looms. Once you become a pro, you'll do fine with or without the groove.

Things to consider when buying your first loom:

Durability - It's understandable to not want to spend a lot of money when you first start loom knitting. So for right now, forego the expensive handcrafted wooden looms. It's fine to start with inexpensive plastic looms; just be sure they can hold up to normal use.

Gauge - Pay attention to the gauge of the loom you want to buy. Be sure you can use your favorite weight of yarn with the loom.

Pegs - The pegs on some looms are smooth; others have a little bit of resistance. Which one you choose is your preference but keep in mind that the yarn slips off smooth pegs much easier. If you knit tightly, you might want to choose smooth pegs. If you knit loosely, try pegs with some resistance to keep your knitting for slipping off when you don't want it to.

Also, check about peg replacements. Accidents happen. You or a child may step or your loom. It just happens. Other things to look for in pegs are grooves and a knob to keep the yarn from accidentally slipping off.

Before you go buy your first knitting looms, review this information. If you've already chosen a pattern for your first project, simply look at the pattern and buy the size and type of loom required for the item.

I hope these articles are helping you get an idea about loom knitting and if it's something you would like to try. Next, we'll take a look at understanding knitting loom gauge.