[Belfrybat]

I didn't want to hijack Timberr's sock thread, so thought I'd start another.

I've always thought of knitting looms being for children until I found the thread on using a sock loom. I'm not interested in knitting socks, but would love to knit some scarves.

I tried to teach myself to knit this summer, and it was a painfully slow process, even after I sped up I felt the process was way too slow. Crocheting goes so much faster, but uses much more yarn. Overall, is loom knitting faster than traditional knitting?

Also, I note there are round and rectangular looms. Is one easier to use than the other? What about brands for a beginner. Walmart carries the round ones, but the pegs look far apart. I want to use regular 4 ply yarn in a single strand.

What book would you recommend for a beginner to learn the various stitches?

 

[Dixie Bee Acres]

I have made a couple scarves on the Boye brand looms from Walmart.
To each his or her own, but to me, the round ones are easier to use.
I learned most everything I know about them from YouTube.
You can make slippers, scarves, blankets, hats, I imagine even sweaters on them.

 

[Pearl B]

I started out on knifty knitter looms I got at Walmart.
You can do just as much on the round ones, as the rectangular ones.

I think its probably faster for a beginner to use a loom. Its awkward to
hold knitting needles & takes some getting use to.

I stopped using the looms cause I wanted to use different sizes of needles & gauges
of yarn. With the loom your pretty much stuck with one size.

I learned about all the various stitches on youtube!

 

[Wind in Her Hair]

I have a couple of handheld looms - a long rectangular wooden one picked up at an estate sale, a small wooden "frame-type" loom and I have a lovely peg loom.

I have (sadly) yet to carve out the time and inclination to figure out the first two but I have the peg loom down, LOVE it. I am looking forward to learning more about hand-held looms.

 

[KansasFarmgirl]

On an earlier thread I remember someone (Chickenista?) saying they loved their Martha Stewart loom. It's on my list of things I want to buy now. The MS loom set gives you a lot of options of making different sizes and shapes of looms. I priced it at my Walmart for $30, I think it was.

Here's a link to patterns for the MS loom. They will tell you exactly how to set up your loom and cast on and all that good stuff a beginner would need to know.

http://www.lionbrand.com/cgi-bin/patternList.fcgi?tXX=1&s=loom&l=1

Since I haven't got around to getting one yet, I can't tell you much about them, but just this is my beginner weaver plans for maybe this winter. I would love to get started on this too!

 

[Dixie Bee Acres]

Good link, too bad I have no idea how to read those patterns.

 

[Pearl B]

The Martha Stewert Loom looks interesting. At least the one I saw. You could arrange the pieces into different sizes & shapes. I think you can do a couple of different types of projects, knitting & weaving. Not positive about that though.
The Walmart had a few different ones. One was a big master type kit affair

 

[chickenista]

Yep. It was me!

And I still love my MS looms.
You just have more options and choices and they are of better construction than those brightly colored ones.
The bright ones have a tendency to bend and the pegs snap off and then it's just ruined.

I can use a fingering weight with the smaller pegs or a bulkier yarn with the larger pegs spaced farther apart.
Or I can get funky and place them both in a pattern.
That makes for some interesting effects.
And I can configure the looms into circles or very long rakes etc..
Whatever I need.
And I do dearly love the weaving (I use single strand weave) configuration for washcloths.

Yep.. when you pry it from my cold, dead hands.

 

[Belfrybat]

I looked at the MS loom on Amazon and it doesn't have very high ratings. Apparently one problem is the pieces don't line up well when assembles. Have you have that problem, Chickenista? At $36.00 it isn't terribly expensive considering I could do shawl widths on it (24+").
The other one I looked at that would do wider than 16", is the S shaped one for about the same price -- that will do up to 60" wide. I'm not interested in doing hats, so am looking for one I can do flat pieces that are large enough to be useable.

I need to ponder this some more.

 

[Dixie Bee Acres]

The Boye brand rectangle looms can be opened up. I.e. 12 inch rectangle can make a 24 inch long rake loom.

 

[chickenista]

I bought 2 when they were on sale for $19.99 last year.
I have had no problems at all with them in any way.
They line up well, the pegs are all fine etc..
Can't find a bad thing to say about them.

Oh.. except the tool is total carp.
It is flimsy and weak.
I use my other tools instead.

And look for them on sale or use a Michael's coupon or something.
No need to pay that outrageous price.
I looked.. Walmart has them for $26, but I am sure that they can be found even lower.

But for the big projects you really need a Serenity loom, which is the curvy one.
But you can configure a Martha Stewart loom in that way.. sorta..

My issue with the other looms is that you are stuck with only one gauge.
I like the MS looms because I get at least 2 choices for gauge.

 

[Belfrybat]

Thank you. I ordered the MS loom from Walmart.com for $20.00. Hopefully it will work well for me. I really failed at traditional knitting, although I can crochet. Go figure!

 

[chickenista]

I can't keep my tension the same from day to day on needles, no matter how hard I try.
I don't have that problem with the loom.

 

[hotzcatz]

Somehow I keep thinking that a few bits of square sticks and pile of some big cotter pins and a drill press and you'd be able to have any size of peg loom you wanted. Doesn't look like it'd be rocket science to build one.

 

[Dixie Bee Acres]

Somehow I keep thinking that a few bits of square sticks and pile of some big cotter pins and a drill press and you'd be able to have any size of peg loom you wanted. Doesn't look like it'd be rocket science to build one.

Exactly. I made one out of fitter pins. Fitter pin looms are all over eBay.