Easy Loom Knit Flower Earrings

Instructions

1. Gather materials.

2. To begin you need to put yarn loops onto the loom. This is called casting on. The abbreviation is CO. To start, secure the yarn to the anchor peg with a Slipknot. Place the slipknot on the anchor peg and tighten gently. Do not make it too tight because later you will release the slipknot after you have knitted a few rounds.

3. Next you will put a series of loops on the loom to begin knitting. The basic cast on method for loom knitting is called the E-wrap Cast On. Move the working yarn to the inside of the loom between the first and last pegs. Wrap the yarn around the first peg in a clockwise direction. Repeat for the second peg and all the way around the loom. Make sure you don’t wrap the yarn too tight because if you do, it will make it difficult to remove the loops as you work. This technique is called E-wrap cast on because the wrapped pegs resemble a series of cursive lower case “e’s”. NOTE: The pegs being wrapped in a clockwise motion with the loom being worked in a counter-clockwise direction. In most cases it doesn’t matter which direction you work or how you hold the loom. Work however it is most comfortable for you unless a pattern calls for a specific technique.

4. Push the loops near bottom of the pegs. Wrap all pegs a second time starting with the first peg and ending with the last peg. Make sure you wrap in the same direction as you did the first time. You are now ready to begin knitting.

5. Beginning with the last peg wrapped, use your loom tool to lift the bottom loop over the top loop and knit off the loop. (There is a groove in each peg that helps to guide the hook.) Continue around the loom by working peg 1, peg 2, etc. When all the pegs are worked you will again have only one loop on each peg. Each stitch is now "knit over".

6. Row 1: Wrap the working yarn around the loom above the pegs and hold the working yarn with the same hand that is holding the loom (or you can temporarily secure it to the anchor peg); this keeps the yarn in place as you make a tighter knit.  This stitch is called a "flat knit"; It is tighter and less stretchy then the e-wrap. For this flower pattern wrap only 1 row and knit over, release the beginning slipknot from the anchor peg.

7. Flat knit only peg 1 once more.

8. Gathered Bind Off: Wrap your working yarn around the loom 1 1/2 times and cut the working yarn. Using your loom hook to guide the yarn through the loops as below. Starting with peg 2, insert the hook below the loop and pull the yarn through; grabbing the working yarn from above the loop. Repeat on the next peg. Repeat and work yarn through the loops on all pegs until all have yarn through them. Insert the hook into the loop on peg 2 again to make sure there is no gap.

9. Remove the loops from the pegs. Being careful not to twist the knitting into the circle, pull the yarn tail until the opening is completely closed. Using a yarn needle tie a knot near the center to keep it closed. Weave the tail to the edge of the flower to the beginning tail. Tie tails in a knot.

10. Earrings: Add 1 earring blank through one tail and tie tails in a secure knot. Weave tails back into flower center and tie in knot. Trim yarn tails, but not too short.

11. Make 2nd earring.