Cowl, infinity scarf in project, fun new stitches for knitting looms thanks to The Invisible Loom’s Stitch Dictionary (for loom knitters) Bob

This year, cowls and infinity scarves are really trendy. I’ve never really knit them much before. I’ve frogged a few scarves because I just got bored of the repeats. So I find cowls and infinity scarves much easier to do, because there aren’t so many repeats, and I can finish them fast. I showed off my Tunisian Rib Stitch in an earlier entry, a mobius cowl I had made. Now I’ve got three more projects to share. But first, go check out The Loom Knitters Stitch Dictionary. It is worth it’s weight in gold, over 100 pages, detailed instructions, easy to read, every stitch imaginable and more.

Little Tents Infinity Scarf in Pumpkin

First is an infinity scarf (well, a small one) or a cowl (a big one). It can’t be doubled up, I knit it to about 40 inches. I used Little Tents from the Stitch Dictionary, one repeat over 17 pegs, with a peg at each end for a slip stitch (when starting a row) and a half stitch (to finish the row) I do this because it gives really nice edges. I didn’t use a provisional cast on because the pattern shows on the reverse side, and it would have been done on the wrong side.

I used my 66 peg CinDwood loom which is also worth its weight in gold. It’s perfect to fit over my knees while I knit and I can do 2 or more projects on it at once. It’s also great for shawls, which generally use around 60 pegs at the 1/2″ peg spacing. It’s one loom I definitely use. The yarn is called “Pumpkin” and is a good fall colour. It’s a little more brown in person, not so bright, but my lighting sucks at night when I take pics.

It’s a super easy stitch once you read it through, and looks decent in reverse, although I didn’t do a mobius cowl because I love the texture of the stitch itself. This stitch is on page 71 of the dictionary and can be done in the round or as a flat panel and doesn’t need a border.

Funky Chunky Double Woven Cowl in Pastels

Next is the Double Woven Chunky Cowl I started working on. The stitch is on page 69 and looks really cool. It’s super fast and super easy, too. I used 16 pegs on my 66 peg CinDwood loom (same as above) and I love the stitch. You do it in multiples of 4, +2. So basically, you take a number, divide it by 4, and add 2, to determine the number of pegs used. This can be confusing at times, but if you’re okay with simple math, it’s not bad.

I always double check the pattern before casting on and make sure the stitches are all going to fit. It sucks when you miscalculate and have too many or too few pegs and have to frog and start over. So I used 16 pegs, but peg’s 1 and 16 are for the slip and half stitch, so 14 pegs for the pattern (14-2 = 12, 12/4 = 3, see, it’s simple!) It’s definitely going to need to be blocked. The stitch is beautiful and so simple, but watch out for snagging.

Wobbly Bobble Cowl in Earth Tones

The other project I’m working on right now is this chevron patterned cowl done by using a bobble stitch. What’s a bobble stitch? I do it differently than in the book, and there are a few methods. Bobbles are fun and can go anywhere. The pic to the left is from the dictionary. The bobbles appear on the front of your yarn.

How to bobble stitch (Craftasaurus way) 

1. First, pick the peg you want the bobble on. E-wrap it, and knit over. You’ve just knit the peg.
2. Take the loop you just knit and take the loop off the peg and put it on a holder, like a cable holder, crochet hook, pen, anything. I actually just move it to the peg beside it rather than fiddling around with extra stuff. It will be moved back.
3. E-wrap the empty peg twice, and knit the bottom loop over the top. This is like a double e-wrap cast on.
4. E-wrap the peg again, knit over, and do this 5 times (e-wrap, knit over. e-wrap, knit over) or until the bobble is the size you want it to be.
5. Move the original peg that you knit (that’s on the other peg, or a holder) back to the peg you just bobbled. There are now two loops on the peg.
6. Choices, choices. What I did was purled the peg using the 2 loops on it as one, or you can e-wrap it and knit the two loops over. You’re done!

So this is how far I’ve gotten. I’m on repeat 6, I think 12-14 repeats will do it. It goes fast after you get used to the pattern. The yarn is Impeccable Chunky Ombre in Earth. The stitch is a specialty stitch found on page 78. I used 2 repeats (11 pegs per repeat) plus a slip at the start of each row and a half stitch at the end of each row. So I’ve got 24 pegs cast on. It’s on the same loom as the double woven infinity scarf, multitasking!

Winter is coming, which is why I’m knitting so much. I’m from Southern Ontario, Canada, and it gets nasty and cold out here. I was taking a break from knitting on the weekend a couple weeks ago, mid-October, and it bloody snowed that day. One city lost power and everything shut down, like 7 inches of snow. Fortunately, that was far north of me. When I started knitting more and more, the temperature gradually went up. It was in the low 20’s (Celsius) or approx 68-74 Fahrenheit out yesterday.  So the more I prepare for winter, the more it’s going to go away!

40 Row Super Comfy Chunky Cowl

I made this cowl in about an hour using super chunky wool.

It’s really easy. Here are step by step directions.

I did this on the 41 peg Boye loom. I used very chunky yarn, e-wrap and purl stitches. A large gauge works better for this project,

E-wrap Cast on 41 pegs, but don’t join in the round yet. Half is done in a flat panel.

Knit 1 row
Purl 1 row
Do this 10 times (20 rows total)

Join in the round
Knit 1 row
Purl 1 row
Do this 10 times (20 rows total)

Bind off any way you choose. Add more rows if you aren’t using chunky yarn, or hold 2 strands as one.

Big, warm, loom knit hooded cowl

I wanted a hooded cowl, it gets cold up here. I found a pattern in The Big Book of Loom Knitting and followed it, my first time using this book. I did it all in one piece and then sewed it together. Here’s what it looked like just off the loom. I used the Boye 41 peg loom (used 40 pegs) and did it in garter stitch, using the trick I found to make it take half the time.

Nothing too terribly special about that

Here it is after sewing the seam together. You just fold the original in half and sew it (on the wrong side, but since its garter stitch, there is no wrong side) all the way on the long end. The book shows it with a button, but I decided to sew the front together because it is quite big, and I’m small.

 

Here is the finished project! It will keep me warm on the cold days we’ve been having up here. I could also try doubling up on the cowl, as its rather loose on me. It’s warm and cozy. I like it. Very simple knit, it took me 2 days to do, knitting off and on.

 

One Two Three Stitch Cowl/Neckwarmer with Tutorial

This is a new stitch for me, the one-two-three stitch. I found it here and I’ll post the video for you to see, as well as my tutorial. This was a quick knit. Here it is finished,

The Pattern

What you need

Round loom of any size. I used 36 pegs because I’m small. 41 or 48, or more, can be used. I recommend a loom with an even number of pegs.

Tapestry needle or crochet hook depending on how you want to cast off. I used the crochet cast off and made that the bottom of my cowl.

100 yards of yarn of any weight, whatever you want to work with. A thinner yarn shows off the stitch better.

The Three Step Stitch

This is how it’s done.

First, where the working yarn currently is, is peg 2, and will always be peg 2. To the left is peg 1 and to the right is peg 3.

This is how you start off.

Next, you take the working yarn behind and to the front of peg 1 and knit over, using the flat knit stitch. The flat knit stitch is where the yarn is over the peg, not wrapped, and knit over. See the picture to see what it looks like.

Knit over by taking the bottom loop and knitting it over the top.

Next, wrap pegs 1 and 2 in the same fashion – front back to front, and knit over. Don’t e-wrap the pegs, just put the yarn over.

Next do the same thing but with peg’s 1, 2 and 3 with yarn over.

In the picture you see the yarn isn’t wrapped, it’s simply set over the pegs. Peg 3 will become Peg 2 and you continue this in the round.

Pattern

Row 1, 3, 5 Knit (e-wrap)

Row 2, 4 Purl

Row 6 1, 2, 3 stitch

Row 7 Knit (e-wrap)

Row 8 Purl

Repeat rows 6-8, finishing on Row 6.

Row 9, 11, 13 Knit

Row 10, 12 Purl

Cast off in your chosen method. It’s done!