# Loom Knitting



## nubiesan (Aug 23, 2017)

Not sure if this is the right place, but I have recently purchased two different loom sets, one set of 5 looms, and the knitting board baby set. I am not happy with the results from either set.

I know that the pegs are too far apart on the first set, so I will be returning it. The baby set is another story. The specs claim that the hats it makes are suitable for a 0 - 6 month old baby, but the hat it is making is huge. The stitches are very loose -- you can see space between them. I have tried thin yarn, 2 strands of thin yarn, #4 weight yarn, 2 strands of #4 weight and the results are still not good.

My objective was to make baby hats but right now that is not happening. 

Am I doing something wrong?

I will return the sets if I can't improve the results. This would be a shame since I have a shoulder problem and regular knitting in the round is literally a pain, as is crocheting.


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## KroSha (Oct 25, 2013)

Photos ??? Loom images or links ???


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## Evie RM (Sep 19, 2012)

My daughter looms hats for adults. I don't care for the loomed hats as much as I like knitted ones. I decided I did not want to learn how to loom hats. I am currently knitting hats to donate at the end of this year.


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## silkandwool (Dec 5, 2011)

That is the nature of those looms. The finished project is always loose looking.
Almost any hand knitter can spot a loomed knitted right away because of the loose stitches.
Also the stitches are often twisted.

There is a section here on KP devoted to loom knitting you may want to check out.


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## mamakaren (Aug 9, 2018)

https://www.knittingparadise.com/s-101-1.html

There is a place for loom knitting and these people may be more accepting and helpful.


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## Nila (Jul 18, 2016)

I am not an expert, learned to spool knit (on a spool from sewing thread) in the mid 40's. My DD bought me a set of looms for Christmas. The sts are looser , many people crank out hat after that. It can be great mindless knitting , if sts too loose, try making whole hat twice as long and doubling it. You can also make it ribbed. Nila


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## mathrox (Jun 17, 2019)

My friend only makes loomed hats … and she is fast!

First, there are many different stitches you can do on a loom … you can also make flat pieces such as scarves, where the spaces don’t matter as much.
There are ways to do knit stitch, purl stitch, rib stitches …. 
My friend makes the hats where she turns the bottom up after about 2 inches, puts the bottom loops back on the pegs, looms those pieces together and gets a double thick hat band with a folded edge.
Second, these seem to be designed specifically for chunky yarn … my friend uses a #5 yarn AND mixes it with a second thin yarn, like a sport weight. 
These can’t be done with worsted alone …. WAAAY too loose. Try using two strands of worsted, at least … you can make really nice tweed-look patterns.
Third, www.thecrochetcrowd.com started a video series on looming …. There are also printed instructions about purchasing looms and getting started as the first entry in the series.

Don’t give up yet. Depending one the size of the baby looms (I have never seen those for sale anywhere), they might be good for making Barbie dresses …. The old 18-peg toy mushroom knitter I saved from my children's ‘Beginning to Knit’ kit is a thin, cheap plastic but makes perfect Barbie dresses. I just keep hoping the prongs won’t crack off … the 6 prong spool knitter and the potholder loom all broke. 
Kit came with a foot long straight knitter (they refer to it as ‘the knitting machine’ on the box), the double sided ‘mushroom’ knitter (6 prongs on one end, 18 on the other), potholder loom, 6 inch bendable plastic knitting needles (one is missing) and a plastic darning needle. Came with yarn, loops, instructions … the box is gone but I saved the knitting machine and the mushroom knitter.

I also used to make ‘horse reins’ on a 4 or 6 prong spool knitter with nails in the top …we used bakery string and butcher string on those thin nails …. This was back in Brooklyn in the late 50s and 60s.


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## nubiesan (Aug 23, 2017)

Thanks for all your input.
Looks like I will be returning the sets since I don't want to use bulky yarn and don't like the current results


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## littlewind53 (Apr 25, 2011)

Most looms appear to be either 3/4 inch or 5/8 inch gauge (between the pegs.) They do need heavier weight yarn. Most of my stash is very fine and I tried using 3 strands at a time but it was too difficult for me so I know I would not be able to use 4 strands at a time. I may have to custom order if I can find some place that will make what I want....


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## Eldonna (Sep 12, 2015)

You may need a fine gauge loom. Also, there are different ways to make the knit stitch. 
Loom A Hat on YouTube has an excellent video on the various knit stitches and the size outcomes of each. (I was unable to post a direct link.)


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## aknitter (Jan 25, 2011)

I tried to post a link but got a message that Loom a hat had too much promotion.


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## aknitter (Jan 25, 2011)

Here is a different link.

And there is always Mikey - Crochet Crowd.


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## MaryCarter (Oct 17, 2011)

I have just made a sock on a small circular 16 peg loom. I used 8 ply yarn, and it is very holey, but as I will only use them for bed socks in winter it doesn't matter to me. Maybe you just need different looms? I seem to collect them whenever I find them. I once made a hat and scarf for my father and they didn't turn out holey so I must have doubled the yarn. As some-one else suggested perhaps you could loom the hat longer and double it so it isn't as holey?


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## tilwemeet (Dec 4, 2018)

I purchased a knitting loom & made my 1st hat. I used a strand of worsted #4 & a strand of #3 yarn together. The hat came out good & I have a friend who has been using a loom for a few years & so she helped guide me through the directions. I was quite disappointed in that even though using 2 strands of yarn the hat came out rather thin. Also I didn't really enjoy using the loom as much as I do knitting needles. The quality of the hat compared to making a hat with regular needles was very poor in my opinion. The tightness of the finished product was very loose. I will be returning it to the store I purchased it from. I would love to hear from others if they have used a knitting loom or still continue to use it & their opinion of it. Thanks for reading.


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## evesch (Apr 3, 2011)

nubiesan said:


> Not sure if this is the right place, but I have recently purchased two different loom sets, one set of 5 looms, and the knitting board baby set. I am not happy with the results from either set.
> 
> I know that the pegs are too far apart on the first set, so I will be returning it. The baby set is another story. The specs claim that the hats it makes are suitable for a 0 - 6 month old baby, but the hat it is making is huge. The stitches are very loose -- you can see space between them. I have tried thin yarn, 2 strands of thin yarn, #4 weight yarn, 2 strands of #4 weight and the results are still not good.
> 
> ...


You might want to research different loom brands. Most of the better looms are a bit expensive but sooooo much better that they are really worth it. I am assuming you purchased some of the plastic looms that come in the round sets. Most of those are a very large gauge of knitting. My favorite loom brand is Kiss Looms Home - Kiss Looms they come in a great variety of sizes and gauges. They also provide good support for their looms and lots of videos as their looms are very different from other brands. What you want is a fine gauge loom. One thing to always remember to do to your item after it comes off the knitting board is to stretch the fabric length wise firmly as the stitches are stretched sideways on the loom so you have to reset them, this goes for all the looms. It is very hard to find the smaller gauge looms mostly due to the plastic that they are made out of. It has to be strong enough to use a lot of tension.


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## crafterwantabe (Feb 26, 2013)

I have made blankets on the loom and they are very nice. It takes practice.


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## RachaelRuth (Mar 26, 2011)

nubiesan said:


> Not sure if this is the right place, but I have recently purchased two different loom sets, one set of 5 looms, and the knitting board baby set. I am not happy with the results from either set.
> 
> I know that the pegs are too far apart on the first set, so I will be returning it. The baby set is another story. The specs claim that the hats it makes are suitable for a 0 - 6 month old baby, but the hat it is making is huge. The stitches are very loose -- you can see space between them. I have tried thin yarn, 2 strands of thin yarn, #4 weight yarn, 2 strands of #4 weight and the results are still not good.
> 
> ...


CINDWOOD looms makes smaller gauge round looms that will make nice baby hats


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## Jessica-Jean (Mar 14, 2011)

RachaelRuth said:


> CINDWOOD looms makes smaller gauge round looms that will make nice baby hats


Link: Knitting Looms - Patterns - Cindwood Looms


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