CHAPTER 1

General Directions

Begin with the following materials to get started knitting cables on circle looms.

Materials

• Knifty Knitter™ circle- and long-loom series from Provo Craft

• Knitting tool included with loom

• Cable needle

• Crochet hook (for casting on)

• 2 size 5 (3.75mm) double-pointed knitting needles (for holding stitches)

• Yarn needle

• Split-ring stitch markers

• Scissors

• Measuring tape/gauge checker

• Blocking wires (optional)

Pattern Note

All of the patterns are worked in a clockwise direction around the knitting loom (where the first row starts from right to left).

Basic Techniques

Chain Cast On

To cast on, move your loom from left to right. Working yarn should end up on the right side to begin the first row (in order to have the first row start from right to left).

Make a slip knot and place it on the peg. Take the working yarn towards the inside of the loom.

Step 1: Insert crochet hook through the slip knot. Hook working yarn, forming a chain.

Step 2: Place chain on next empty peg to the right.

Step 3: Insert crochet hook through chain just made. Hook working yarn forming a chain.

Step 4: Place chain on next empty peg to the right (Photo A).

Step 5: Repeat Steps 3 and 4 until desired number of stitches have been cast on. Each peg will have 1 loop.

Knit Stitch (k)

The knit stitch is a smooth V-shaped stitch; it is identical to the knit stitch created with knitting needles.

Step 1: Place working yarn in front of the peg and above the loop on the peg.

Step 2: Insert knitting tool from bottom up and catch the working yarn with the tool, thus forming a loop.

Step 3: Hold the newly formed loop (from Step 2) with the knitting tool (Photo B).

Step 4: Pull up on the loop on the tool to take the loop that was originally on the peg, off the peg.

Step 5: Place the loop you are holding (from Step 3) on the peg. Pull on the working yarn to tighten the stitch.

Twisted Knit Stitch (also known as single stitch)

In needle knitting, this stitch is known as the twisted knit stitch or a stitch knit through the back loop.

Step 1: Take the working yarn (yarn coming from the ball of yarn) to the inside of the knitting loom.

Step 2: Moving in a clockwise direction around the knitting loom, encircle the peg counter clockwise with the yarn to form e-wrap (Photo C).

Step 3: Continue to e-wrap all the pegs. Each peg should have 2 loops on it.

Step 4: Using your knitting tool, lift the bottommost loop off the peg, let it fall towards the inside of the knitting loom.

Purl Stitch (p)

The purl stitch is the opposite of the knit stitch. Instead of a smooth V, you will see bumpy fabric.

Step 1: Place working yarn in front of peg and below the loop on the peg.

Step 2: Insert knitting tool from the top down and hook the working yarn with the tool (Photo D).

Step 3: Pull the loop caught with the tool, up through the stitch.

Step 4: Continue to pull up on loop to remove the original loop from the peg.

Step 5: Place the loop you are holding (from Step 3) on the peg. Gently tug on the working yarn to tighten the stitch.

Stockinette Stitch

The stockinette stitch is created by knitting every row.

Garter Stitch

The garter stitch is formed by 2 rows.

Row 1: Knit.

Row 2: Purl.

The combination of these 2 rows creates 1 garter-stitch row and 1 garter-stitch ridge.

Adding Another Skein

To attach a new skein of yarn at beginning of the next row, join the 2 ends of yarn with a slip knot. Knit the first 3 stitches of the row with both yarns together. Drop the old strand and continue knitting with the new strand.

Basic Bind Off (also called flat removal method)

Step 1: Knit the item until you have only 1 loop on each peg. The working yarn is coming from the last peg. Knit the first 2 loops. Move the loop from the 2nd peg over to the first peg. Lift the bottom loop over the top loop and off the peg to bind off first stitch (Photo E). Move the loop from the first peg over to the vacated 2nd peg.

Step 2: Knit the next loop. Move this loop over to the previous peg. Lift bottom loop over and off the peg (2nd stitch bound off).

Step 3: Repeat Step 2 until all stitches have been bound off.

Step 4: When you reach the last peg, cut the working yarn leaving a 5-inch tail. Knit the loop. Remove the stitch from the peg. Pull the yarn tail end through the loop.

Shaping Techniques

Decreases

There are 2 decrease techniques used in this book, the terms used are the same as used in needle knitting.

These decreases take place on 2 pegs. Peg 1 is on the right and Peg 2 is on the left.

K2tog (knit 2 together — slants to the right)

Step 1: Take the loop from Peg 1 and place it on Peg 2.

Step 2: Knit all the pegs as you normally would. When you reach the peg with 2 loops, treat the 2 loops as 1 and knit them together.

Ssk (slip, slip, knit — slants to the left)

Step 1: Take the loop off Peg 1 and hold it. Take loop off Peg 2 and hold it. Place the loop from Peg 1 on Peg 2. Place the loop that was on Peg 2 back on Peg 2. Peg 1 is empty, Peg 2 has 2 loops.

Step 2: Knit all the pegs as you normally would. When you reach the peg with 2 loops, treat the 2 loops as 1 and knit them together.

Increases

M1 (Make 1)

Step 1: Create an empty peg where you need to increase a stitch by moving the loops to the outer pegs.

Step 2: With knitting tool, reach for the ladder that runs from 1 peg to the next, pick it up, twist it and place it on the empty peg.

Step 3: Knit on the knitting loom as usual, when you reach this peg, treat it just as any other peg and work it as per directions in pattern.

Yo (yarn over)

The yo increase is used in conjunction with the k2tog and the ssk decrease techniques.

Step 1: To create a yo, take the yarn towards the inside of the knitting loom.

Step 2: Go around the peg in a counterclockwise direction (e-wrap the peg).

Wrap & Turn Short Rows

When working a sock, the heel is created in 2 parts — a decreasing part and an increasing part.

The decreasing section requires the knowledge of a technique known as Wrap and Turn (W&T). The increasing section requires the knitter to knit over the wrap and the loop together.

Decreasing section

Short row: The term "short row" means that a row is not knit to the end; instead, knit to a certain point and stop. Then turn and knit back in the opposite direction. To avoid creating a hole, use W&T.

To work...