Early Knitting Loom Results

I have had several days now to play with my knitting loom. This wrap is my first finished project in alpaca. I can't tell you the technical term for the wrap -- it's a very wide scarf or a rectangular shawl or … whatever. Anyhow, it's alpaca, it's knit, it's open, and it ought to be warm. The yarn is Classic Alpaca from America's Alpaca, known to alpaca breeders as AFCNA Classic. It's DK weight and the color is Annapolis Navy. I created the wrap using the largest size round (yellow) Knifty Knitter knitting loom. Instead of working in a circular pattern as in making a hat, I worked back and forth around the loom to make a flat fabric.

As I suggested in an earlier entry, the Knifty Knitter calls for super-bulky yarn and suggests holding sport-weight yarns double. I thought I could achieve a very nice, open, alpaca garment using a DK weight yarn held single, and that's exactly what I achieved.



The piece still needs to be blocked. I haven't figured out how to block an item this large yet. I'm not going to try Yarn Harlot's mattress pad technique and our carpet is in no condition to touch clean, hand-knit alpaca. I guess I might try the towel over the carpet trick, but I'm going to have to think things through.

I need to fringe the wrap -- well -- I think I want to fringe the wrap, but I'm not sure. I'm also not sure if the proper technique is to fringe the wrap before or after blocking it. Given my uncertainty, I think I'm going to wait a couple days before I do anything to see if my readers offer wise advice or comment. If I hear nothing, I will probably block the wrap and then look at it carefully to decide if I want a fringe.

I have decided I really like my knitting looms simply because they don't require the counting and attention that needles require. They don't offer the flexibility of sticks and I suspect I will encounter limitations very quickly. Until then, however, I think they're a wonderful way to make simple pieces fairly quickly. Because I spin and have the capability of creating interest in the spinning process, I think I can do well creating simple, open, garments on knitting looms.