Loom Knitting a Dog Sweater

It's important to remember that we are not the only one's feeling cold this winter...our furry friends need to stay warm, too! Knitting a dog sweater on a round loom is fairly easy and much cheaper & warmer than buying one at the store. I found the idea online and originally used Joann's pattern. I did slightly modify it when making a sweater for my dog.

Things you will need:

• 31 peg round loom
• Soft yarn (two skeins of skinnier yarn or one bulkier)
• Knitting hook
• Knitting needle
• Scissors

I start knitting on the loom like I do in all of my projects. I like using two different colored yarns at the same time to make the sweaters more colorful (and cheaper!). I knit about 15 or so rows, then pull the bottom loops up over the top, knitting those together. This part is the collar that will be around the dogs neck. Once this step is complete, knit only rows 1-9. Now you have to knit backwards. This part was tricky for me at first, but once you get the hang of it, it's really easy. Make sure the yarn is on the INSIDE of the pegs! If it's on the outside, it knots together and you can't continue on. Knit those rows back and forth for 9 rows. This is creating the front of the sweater and the leg holes. Once this is done, cut off 4-5" of yarn.

Cast on at the 10th peg and knit all pegs 10-31. This is creating the back of the sweater. Knit 9 rows back and forth like you did before.

Once you have your 9 rows completed, move the loop on the 31st peg to the 30th peg, and the 9th peg to the 8th peg. I do this to make bigger arm holes for the sweater. The yarn is stretchy, but I don't want my dog to be constrained.

I am still working on this sweater, but you can see in the picture below how it should look as you go through these steps. Knit all the way around the loom until you have the desired length of sweater. I cast off just as I would with headbands and leg warmers.

Here is a picture of a finished sweater that I have previously knitted.

And..my adorable dog Lulu posing for a front view of the sweater.

Back view.

My dog is about 12 pounds and the sweater fits well. I would say this size sweater would fit most 8-12 pound dogs.

Loom Knitting Headbands & Leg Warmers

Knitting headbands & legwarmers on the loom is just as easy as making a hat! The only difference is at the end when you cast off. For an adult size headband, use the same size loom you would use for a hat. Cast on as you normally would and  knit down about 9 inches (more or less depending on how big you want your headband).

Once you have this done, pull the bottom loops back onto the pegs and knit them together.( Pull the bottom row over the top)

Once you have done this, cut off about a foot and a half of yarn and attach it to your needle. Starting at your first peg, wrap the yarn around and pull the bottom over the top. Then take your needle and put it through the yarn on the peg, releasing it from the peg. Wrap the yarn around the next peg & repeat all the way around, releasing each loop from the peg as you go. 

Once your headband is free from the pegs, sew a knot into the bottom and cut off any extra yarn. Your headband is complete!

I have found that super bulky yarn works the best because it stretches less & fits better because of how thick it is. 

To make leg warmers, use a small 24 peg loom. Knit as normal until they are the desired length. Use the same cast off technique as you would with the headband. I made mine about 14" and they go from my ankle to an inch under my knee. I wear them with leggings and boots; they're really cute and warm!

Loom knitting different color hats

Now that you've mastered the basic loom knit hat, you'll be happy to know that it's easy to jazz them up into different patterns. To add stripes, simply cut your first color of yarn and double knot it onto a new skein of a different color yarn. Knit 3-5 rows, depending on how thick you want the stripes, and alternate until the hat is finished.

For the hat above, I didn't count consistently so the stripes came out uneven. I think it still looks good, but I wish I would have been more precise. 

Using two different colored yarns is also a cool way to make hats unique. For this one I used a bulky purple and then regular Red Heart white. Combining the two makes for a cool pattern. Just tie them together and use the two strands as one.

Using one color for the brim and another color for the top of the hat turns out nicely, too. The top right I used a camouflage yarn on the brim and hunters orange for the top. My dad is a hunter & absolutely loves it!  

This hat I made with the Detroit Lion's colors for a friend. Using multiple colors is a great way to show support for your favorite teams! Have fun and get creative with different colors and yarn types.

Loom Knitting a Beanie Hat

Welcome to my blog! At least once a week, I am going to share loom knitting ideas, wine cork crafts and other fun and easy projects. I just recently started knitting on a loom and I have no other knitting experience. I started right before Thanksgiving, and I ended up making all of my Christmas gifts this year! I have never thought of myself as an "artsy" or overly creative person, but I have found a new hobby that I really enjoy. I have also been taking orders for friends, so I'm getting a little extra cash as well.

For this week, I want to talk about the basics of knitting on a round loom. I bought my set at Michael's for about $10 and it came in a set of four. The beautiful thing about craft stores is that there are ALWAYS coupons! I do have the Michael's and Joann's apps on my phone, but a quick Google search never hurts ( I take this into account no matter where I'm shopping). I got it 40% off at the click of a button on my phone. 

This is the round loom set:

For knitting a beanie style hat for an adult, use the orange one. (36 pegs).  Other materials that you will need include yarn, scissors, plastic knitting needle and a crochet hook. The needle and hook were included in my loom set. I think using bulky or super bulky yarn creates the nicest hats and I also think it is the easiest yarn to use.

The first step is to knot the yarn around the anchor peg. This will keep the yarn in place as you begin to knit. Take the yarn and put it through the circle so that it is inside of the loom. Starting to the left of the anchor peg, wrap the yarn around each peg clockwise. Wrap the yarn a second row until all pegs have two loops on them. It will look like this:

The most important thing is that the yarn is on the inside of loom. If it is not, you will not be able to knit for long! It will knot and get tight and you will be frustrated. Now you simply start at the peg to the right of the anchor and hook the bottom row over the top. Continue clockwise until you have one strand of yarn on the pegs again. That is your first row. Wrapping the yarn and hooking the bottom over the top until you have a few inches of rows completed. Once you have them done, pull the original loops from the bottom and re-hook them onto the pegs. Take the bottom and hook it over the top. This creates a brim for the hat, and you can experiment with different size brims. My first hat I did not make a brim, but the bottom part would continuously roll back anyways. If you don't put a brim on it, the hat will roll back! After the brim is completed, continue on with your rows. Once the knitted rows reach around 7 inches (depending on the size of the hat you want), it's about done!

To close the hat, pull about 15 inches of yarn and cut. Tie the end of it to your knitting needle. Next, take the needle and put it through the first peg, removing it from the peg. Continue on clockwise until the hat is free from the loom.

Once your hat is off the loom, pull it straight up tightening it together. There will be a hole at the top. Place the needle through the hole and turn your hat inside out. Sew back and forth a few times until the hole is gone. Knot off the yarn and trim any left over. 

Congratulations! You now have an awesome homemade hat!