- This is the second part of our beginner overview
with popular question from beginner loom knitters.
Here you'll learn how to pick the loom and yarn
to start using and why.
(upbeat music)
Welcome to GoodKnit Kisses.
We're all about helping you stitch your love
and love your stitches.
First question, can you explain the peg spacing or gauge?
What is that, and why does it matter?
When we talk about spacing,
we mean the spacing between the pegs.
We call this spacing, loom gauge.
The loom gauge determines how big or small
the stitches will knit up, on that loom.
Just like knitting needles come in many sizes, so do looms.
The distance the yarn travels from the middle of one stitch
to the next makes the size of the stitch.
The thickness of the peg actually makes up
the rest of stitch size
because the yarn has to go around it.
The easiest way to express the spacing is to measure
between the center of one peg
to the center of the next peg, with a ruler.
We call this, C2C, or center to center spacing.
Now that only covers part of the distance the yarn travels,
so some standard terms have been set
to express what we call, the loom gauge.
It's an easier way to put a loom in a category
to explain the kind of stitches that can be made
on that loom, instead of always saying a measured fraction.
For example, if you hear large gauge or small gauge,
you know which one is bigger or makes bigger stitches.
So loom gauges are categorized by stitch size,
from extra fine all the way to jumbo.
You don't have to know all these terms and details yet,
but I often hear from beginners later
that they wish they knew some of this when starting out.
And loom gauge is not a swatch or yarn gauge.
This will be in a future lesson 10, to go deeper.
This here gives you a taste of some of the lingo
you may hear on your journey or see written
on loom descriptions or online platforms and forums.
Just knowing the spacing or loom gauge,
along with the yarn you choose,
and the stitch you like to knit all work together
to make the final size of the stitches you make,
which is the final gauge of the knitted fabric.
This is the difference in a sweater that's too small
or a sock that's too big.
In the "Knitting Loom Guide,"
I've compiled a list of loom and brands.
This is a reference book listing over 500 looms
with not only what material it's made from and how many pegs
but also loom gauge and loom types,
as well as sort by brand and gauge.
I wanted to show you part of the book
on the seven common gauge categories for knitting looms.
EFG is extra fine gauge.
FG, fine gauge.
SG, small gauge.
RG, regular gauge.
LG, large gauge.
XLG for extra large gauge and jumbo.
As you can see, it mentions ranges of appropriate yarn
and how many stitches per inch
can be had out each loom, in those yarns.
The link is included in the video description here,
but remember it's a reference book, not a how-to book.
The "Knitting Loom Guide" is set up to
make it easier for you to find an equivalent loom
for any project once you really start getting into
loom knitting and wanna find the right loom
for your project or pattern.
What are looms made of, plastic or wood?
Choosing is a personal preference
and doesn't change the finished project.
Plastic is lightweight and makes for great portability,
but plastic loom can break.
Wooden looms are durable and will last indefinitely,
but they can be heavy to hold.
Most loom use wood only for the base,
while incorporating metal or nylon for the pegs.
They look like plastic pegs.
How do I choose a loom for my project?
The answer depends on three things.
One, the weight of the yarn you're using.
Two, the type of project you're making.
And three, the number of stitches you will need
to make one row around.
All three of these are equally important.
When learning, it's best not to overthink each of these.
Just get started learning, and you'll start
pairing yarn, looms, and patterns better as you go.
We will go over this question in depth in a future lesson,
but for now, let's discuss the fastest way to pick the yarn
for whatever loom you own right now.
This will avoid a project that looks like it has holes in it
or one so tight you can barely knit it.
By the way, this is the gauge,
and we'll chat more about this in a few minutes.
What is yarn weight?
Why all the different yarn weights?
I thought all yarn was the same (chuckles)?
Well yarn weight is the thickness of yarn,
which causes it to be heavier
per measured length than another.
In the U.S., many yarn labels have a rating system
that has a number for the yarn weight.
The Craft Yarn Council is a nonprofit
that determines the standards.
The lightest yarn starts at zero and the heaviest is seven.
If I have a length of a medium-weight yarn,
also labeled as number four or worsted-weight yarn,
it'll be much heavier than something labeled
zero lace-weight, cut to the same length.
Lace-weight is very thin,
as seen in like a doily or delicate lace.
You can get a fast project idea by looking at
the yarn label for a project photo
or the yarn makers website for suggested ones.
How do I know what yarn to use on my loom?
The question can really go down the rabbit hole,
but we aren't gonna go technical here.
That will be in a later lesson.
For now, let's look at a common phrase,
use appropriate yarn.
What does that even mean?
It's making sure that the yarn used
creates a nice even fabric.
Look at your loom.
Place two strands of yarn side by side between the pegs.
How much space is there?
Is is smooched or kissing together?
Is there extra yarn toppling over the peg?
Is there a vast space between the pegs like a tiny yarn
is swimming in the bathtub by itself (chuckles)?
Well now if you wanna create the look of lace,
you can totally do that, but we're talking about
making a nice stitched knit
that could be used for a garment of other project.
You don't wanna create something see through here.
I suggest if the two yarns easily fit between the two pegs
with the yarn lightly touching each other
or a gap smaller than one more strand between them,
that loom should work well for that yarn.
It's a great idea to test yarn on the loom
in a sample called a swatch.
Please, please use a light, neutral color
or pastel when learning.
Trust me.
Don't pick black or dark yarn on your first projects.
You'll thank me later.
(laughs)
Why make a swatch?
Well not only will a swatch show you
what your yarn and stitches will look like with that loom
but you can see how your knitting will behave.
What do you mean behave, Kristen?
Well you can see how stretchy the fabric is,
if it curls or not.
By the way, curling is also determined
by the type of stitch you make.
I've tested a yarn of a swatch before,
I thought would be so pretty,
but it didn't turn out the way I thought.
It saved me a lot of time and money
to switch to another yarn.
Also, with a swatch, you can measure
the size of the stitches,
which is that knitted gauge we touched on before.
Use that information to make the item as big as you want
by adding or subtracting stitches on your full project.
Even if you choose to not make a swatch,
you can still see that yarn starts behaving different
when the knitting gets long enough to start relaxing.
Stitches are stretched out
along the width of a knitting loom as you begin.
The further from the loom the stitches get,
then the yarn starts to relax and become closer to what
the final fabric will look and feel like,
as the stitches come closer pulled together.
You can't determine how wide the project will be
just based upon peg spacing.
That's why making a small sample or swatch
can be really useful in picking your yarn and loom.
And hint, at GoodKnit Kisses,
we have some calculators to help you.
(laughs)
Ready to begin knitting?
For now, concentrate on the loom you have
with appropriate yarn weight for that peg spacing.
You'll want to learn how to get the yarn on the loom,
make stitches, and see what they look like,
and learn to take them off the loom.
To get your yarn on the loom is called casting on.
In our next lesson, I'll show you great cast-ons
for beginners, to get you on your way.
Be sure to click on the next video link the description
and subscribe with notifications for new lessons.
We also have more on our website.
I can't wait to see you in our next lesson.
See you soon. (upbeat music)
Thanks for joining us today,
where we help you stitch your love and love your stitches.
See you again soon.