Basic Stitches for Knitting on Looms

Written by: Anne Bipes

Author’s email: anne@loomknitting.com

Author's website: http://www.LoomKnitting.com

Credits: Anne Bipes and Allegra Bipes

Introduction: When most people think of knitting, they think of needles.  But, for hundreds of years, people have also used looms to create knit fabric.  Each peg of the loom is akin to a segment of a knitting needle, and one stitch gets created on each peg.

Advantages of using looms for knitting include an even knitting gauge, no mysteriously appearing or disappearing stitches, rarely dropping stitches, and ease of use for those with arthritis or carpal tunnel syndrome.

Looms come in a variety of shapes and sizes, the most common being circular and rectangular.  Round looms can be used to create knit tubes, just as a set of circular needles can be used.  They can also be used to create flat knit pieces.  Rectangular looms can have a single row or a double row of pegs, and can be used to create flat knit pieces of single and double thicknesses respectively.  Some rectangular looms have one or more pegs at the ends, which allow them to also be used as circular looms.

Many commercially produced looms are made of various types of ABS plastic in a large gauge.  Pegs are 1/8” – 3/8” in diameter, and 1/2” – 3/4” apart.  These allow you to knit with bulky and super bulky yarns, or with multiple strands of worsted or finer gauge yarns together.  Pieces knit on large gauge looms knit up quickly, and give a feeling of accomplishment in a short time.  Specialty wooden looms abound, mostly made with wood bases and having pegs of wood, nails, cotter pins, plastic, and other materials.  These looms are available in a variety of small, fine and extra fine gauges, and often come with a straw-like wrapping tool to help guide the yarn around the pegs, since the pegs are too small and close together to easily wrap with your fingers.

To knit with a loom, you will need the loom, yarn, and a hook tool.  Other handy accessories include a wrapping tool, scissors, a crochet hook, and a tapestry needle.

E-wrap Cast On

To begin using a loom, you will need to cast on.  A common basic cast on method is the e-wrap cast on, which consists of wrapping each peg as if you were making a lower case cursive ‘e’ around it.  Start by securing your yarn on the anchor peg with a slip knot or a half hitch knot, leaving a 6” tail that will get woven in later.  (Figure 1)  Bring the working yarn to the inside of the loom.  The diagrams show the cast on and knitting working from right to left.  (Figure 2)  Bring the yarn past the first peg to the outside of the loom.  (Figure 3)  Continue around the peg until the yarn is on the inside of the loom again.  (Figure 4)  Wrap the loom in this manner until there is one e-wrap loop on each peg.

Figure 1:	Figure 2:
Figure 3:	Figure 4:

The e-wrap cast on method creates a loopy beginning edge to the knitting.  This is desirable when the cast on edge won’t show, such as when it will be turned up for a brim or hem, if the edge will be curled, if the edge will be seamed, or if you are attaching fringe or tassels to the edge.

Crochet Cast On

The crochet cast on method gives a chain stitch or braided look to the starting edge.  It still has stretch to it, but doesn’t have the loopy characteristic of the e-wrap cast on.

To begin the crochet cast on, make a slipknot leaving a 6” tail.  Insert a crochet hook into the slipknot and lay the slipknot between two pegs on the loom.  Bring the working yarn around the outside of the peg to the inside of the loom.  (Figure 5)  Catch the working yarn with the crochet hook and pull it through the loop already on the crochet hook  (Figure 6).  Continue crocheting around the pegs until there is one loop on each peg.  The remaining loop still on the crochet hook goes onto the first peg.  (Figure 7)  With the hook tool, bring the first (bottom) loom on that peg over the second (top) loop and off the peg to close the cast-on circle.

Figure 5:	Figure 6:
Figure 7:

E-wrap Stitch

The e-wrap stitch is the equivalent of the twisted stockinette stitch when using needles.  Wrap the loom in the same way as with the e-wrap cast on, putting a second loop onto each peg.  The second loop should be closer to the top of each peg than the first loop.  (Figure 8)  When all the pegs are wrapped, knit off the last peg first.  This is to secure the yarn so it doesn’t come unwrapped from all the other pegs.  To ‘knit off’ is to use the hook tool to bring the bottom loop over the top loop and off the peg.  (Figure 9)  Pull the bottom loop away from the loom before bringing it up and over the peg.  Continue around the loom and knit off all the pegs, bringing the bottom loops over the top loops and off the pegs to the inside of the loom.

Figure 8:

Figure 9:

Flat stitch

The flat stitch is the equivalent of the stockinette stitch when using needles.  This stitch is created by working one peg at a time, not by wrapping the entire loom before knitting each stitch.  Also, the working yarn stays on the outside of the loom.  Lay the yarn flat across the peg above the existing loop.  (Figure 10)  Knit off by bringing the loop over the working yarn and off the peg.  Make sure the new loop that is created on the peg is loose enough to wrap around three sides of the peg like a U.  (Figure 11)  If needed, you can pull on the new loop with the hook tool to draw some slack from the working yarn.  You can also wrap the working yarn around the peg in an L or a U shape before knitting off (Figure 12) as a way to ensure the resulting stitch is not too tight. 

Figure 10:	Figure 11:
Figure 12:	Figure 13:

The flat stitch will look funny or wrong (Figure 13) until the knitting has emerged several inches from the loom.  Then you can pull down on the knit fabric, and the stitches will fall into place.  This stitch creates a narrower piece of knit fabric than does the e-wrap stitch using the same number of pegs.

Purl Stitch

The purl stitch on the loom is the same as the purl stitch when using needles – the reverse of the stockinette stitch.  This stitch is also created by working one peg at a time.  Lay the yarn flat across the peg below the existing loop.  Bring the hook tool through the existing loop and over the working yarn (Figure 14).  Turn the hook tool towards the peg, catch the working yarn, and pull the working yarn into a new loop.  (Figure 15)  Remove the old loop from the peg (Figure 16) and put the new loop on the peg (Figure 17).  Pull on the working yarn to adjust the tension and size of the purl stitch on the peg.

Figure 14:	Figure 15:
Figure 16:	Figure 17:

Gathered Bind Off

The gathered bind off method is used to create the tops of hats, toe ends of socks and slippers, and as a decorative finish to scarves and belts.  Cut your working yarn, leaving a 6” ending tail.  Thread a length of yarn equal to twice the diameter of the loom onto a blunt tapestry needle.  (A contrast color yarn is shown in the illustrations for clarity.)  Starting with the first peg, bring the needle through the loop from bottom to top.  (Figure 18)  Pull the yarn through the loop, leaving a 6” tail below the loop.  Continue with the remaining loops, in order.  When you have completed working your way around the loom, run the needle through the first loop again.  (Figure 19)  Remove all the loops from the loom.  Turn your knitting inside out, making sure you bring through both ends of the gathering yarn and the ending tail.  (Figure 20)  Pull both ends of the gathering yarn strand.  (Figure 21)  Pull the yarn snug to close the hole and tie the yarn ends.  Include the ending tail and tie again.  Trim the yarn tails about 1/2” from the knit fabric.

Figure 18:	Figure 19:
Figure 20:	Figure 21:

Flat Bind Off

The flat bind off method is used for a smooth, finished ending edge to the knit fabric.  When knitting the last row, make the loops left on the pegs large enough to be able to touch the neighboring peg without stretching.  If necessary, make the last loop very large and distribute the excess slack among all the loops in the row.  The working yarn will be at the last peg of the row; you will start with the first peg of that row.  Remove the loops from the first and second pegs.  (Figure 22)  Put the first loop onto the second peg.  (Figure 23)  Then put the second loop back onto its peg  (Figure 24).  Knit off the peg, leaving a single loop.  Repeat, using this loop and the next loop.  Continue until there is one loop left on the loom.  Wrap the yarn around that peg and knit off.  Cut the working yarn, leaving a 6” tail.  Wrap the yarn around that peg and knit off again.  Pull on the loop until the cut end comes through.  Pull the knot snug against the fabric.

Figure 22:	Figure 23:
Figure 24:

First Projects

Round looms are readily available in craft stores, and hats are a simple and quick first project.  Click here to learn how to make a hat and scarf, which will allow you to practice the e-wrap cast on, the e-wrap stitch and the gathered removal method.  The matching tube scarf will allow you to practice the crochet cast-on, e-wrap stitch, and flat bind off. 

When you’re ready to tackle more, use the purl stitch by making the lacy shawl.  By alternating knit and purl rows, you will be knitting the garter stitch pattern.  The combination of knit and purl stitches prevents curled edges and ends.

By knowing how to cast on, bind off, and knit these basic stitches, you are well on your way to knitting just about anything you want using looms.  Have fun!

Meet the Author:

Anne lives in Plymouth MN with her husband and daughter, 4 cats, a rabbit, and a rotating variety of animals needing foster care. She writes instructions and designs patterns for knitting looms which can be found at http://www.loomknitting.com. She chronicles her adventures with the looms at http://LoomKnittingBlog.blogspot.com. Her book, Learn New Stitches on Circle Looms was published in December 2006 by American School of Needlework.