How to Make Dishcloths on a Loom

Making dishcloths on a loom is not difficult. You need only a few basic loom knitting supplies and a pattern. Loom knit dishcloths can be ornate, with stitched-in designs, or simple, with one basic stitch used from beginning to end. Once you know the basic idea of making dishcloths, you can look for more complex patterns or even design your own.

E-wrap each peg on one side of your long loom. You can use any size long loom, but to make your dishcloth a handy size, use a loom that is about 18 inches long. If you are using a large gauge loom, use two strands of yarn together for best results.

To E-wrap, anchor your yarn to the outside peg of your loom. Bring your working yarn strand toward the inside of the two rows of pegs. Wrap the first peg by going between peg one and peg two and around peg one toward the outside of the loom and back to the inside of the loom. Keep going across and around each peg until you get to the other side of the loom.

Reverse and go back the other direction. To do this, slip one stitch. Slipping a stitch means skipping a peg in loom knitting. Starting on the second peg, knit one stitch and on the third peg purl one stitch. On the next row, start with a purl. Each row, you alternate, starting with knit and purl. When you keep repeating these steps, it creates a seed stitch pattern which works up quickly and has a nice textured look.

To make a knit stitch, hold your working strand of yarn just above the existing loop on the peg. Take your pick tool and pull the working yarn down and through the loop already on the peg to create a new loop. Use your pick tool to pull the original loop over and off the peg toward the inside of the loom. The new loop will remain on the peg.

To create a purl stitch, hold your working strand of yarn just below the existing loop. From just above the existing loop, use your pick tool to pull the working yarn up through the existing loop. Use your pick tool to pull the original loop up and off the peg toward the center of the loom.

Repeat the pattern as follows until your dishcloth reaches the desired length. The first peg of every row is a slip stitch, knit one, purl one across to the last peg. Alternate starting with knit or purl. If you are using a 20-peg loom, it should take about 40 rows to create an average-size dishcloth.

Bind off your loom using the flat bind-off method. To do this, move the loop on the second peg to the first peg and then the bottom loop over the top. Move the loop that is left to peg two. Move the loop on peg three to peg two. Lift the bottom loop over the top loop. Move the loop that is left to peg three. Keep repeating this pattern until you have just one loop left. Use your working yarn to E-wrap the last peg with a loop. Lift the bottom loop over the top and pull to make a secure knot. Cut the working yarn from the skein.

Use a plastic upholstery needle to weave in the anchor yarn and the tail left from binding off.