Blending Weaving and Knitting!
Blending easy weaving with some knitted edges can create great home décor. You can weave separate place mats for the table or connect several pieces to create a table runner as long as needed. Here, we have created two sections and connected with one-color panel of knit.
Loom: 28” knitting board + peg extenders, set up as a rectangular loom using both 20-peg extenders
Yarn: Elite Verde, Sprout, 100% Organic Cotton, machine wash, lay flat to dry. Each hank is aprox 100 grams or 109 yards. Colors used are #4378 Brown (1 hank), #4325 Pink, (1 hank), and #4316 Cream (1 hank).
Notions needed: Knit hook, Crochet hook #4-5, 12” long wooden crochet hook, and darning needle
Size finished: 9 X 56 inches (each section is aprox. 28” long). Work as many as needed.
Instructions:
Choose the color that you want as the base. Here we have used the brown yarn (yarn #1). Start with a loop knot and place it on the first peg on the long side of the loom. You are working across from one long board to the other. Weave across all pegs. End with another loop knot. Keep the yarn taut, but with enough stretch so the size is maintained once off the loom. Do not use the 4 corner pegs of the loom. Your base yarn is set up.
Now, place a loop knot on the first peg of the extender using yarn 2, pink. Use the long crochet hook in 3 sections to move the yarn across the base yarn and down to the opposite extender on first peg. This is one continuous flow of the yarn of each color. Work 4 pegs of pink yarn.
Once the pink yarn is complete, cut yarn and tie on the brown yarn to the pink yarn tail at peg. Work 2 rows of brown yarn. Cut brown, tie on the yarn #3 Cream at next peg. Work 8 pegs back and forth in the cream yarn. Do not be concerned with all the yarn tails.
Change back to the brown yarn for another 2 rows. Cut and tie to the pink yarn.
Work last 4 pegs with pink to match the opposite side. Knot the pink upon completion
by tying to the last peg or use a loop knot for easy removal.
Edges (linear) along the long boards: Choose the yarn color for the edges. We decided to keep using the brown yarn. Use the short crochet hook and keep the weaving on the loom as you work. Do not remove at this time.
Start at one end of the long boards. Pick up the loop, from top to bottom, on the first peg and grab the working yarn.
Make one more chain stitch on the hook. Move the crochet hook to front of board and twist the hook so that the loop on it is twisted. Pick up next loop and repeat.
Continue down the board until all pegs are secured with the crochet edge. The edge will be on the outside of the loom. Knot the yarn on last peg to secure or use loop knot.
Repeat the same edge on the other side of the loom so that both sides are completed. Your woven piece should still be on all pegs. The only open pegs are the ones at 4 corners of the loom.
Completing the ends with knitting: Once the long sides are complete and secure, you can work the short ends. You may do this with knit and purl stitches on the loom, or move the loops to a #10.5 long knitting needle. You will want to carefully remove the side edges off the pegs being careful not to remove the end loops until they are completed. However you choose to knit off the ends, work with knit and purl rows. Tie on the yarn at one end peg of a short side. Add a stitch to the end pegs at beginning and at end of loom. You will be working on 22 pegs. Work 2 rows in knit stitch, 1 purl row. Repeat 3 times ending with a knit row. This is aprox 10 rows of knitting. Bind off. If you want it done in all knit stitches or all purl stitches, this can be a matter of choice. Once complete, draw in all yarn tails into the same color section and trim.
On the 2nd panel, you can just knit the one side edge. The other end will be joined to the first panel and can be a bind off with the crochet hook. If you choose to knit this edge also, you will create a wider middle section by sewing the 2 knit ends together. If you have chosen to make place mats, be sure to knit off both ends. As mentioned, you may have a longer table that you want your runner to fit. You may work up as many woven panels as desired. If you plan to do a 3rd panel, be sure to purchase a 2nd hank of the yarn that you are using for your base and edges. 3 panels will make a runner aprox 84” long.
You may want to block lightly, the knit sections, for nice even edges with the weaving.
Weaving is just another way to create home décor, tote bags, and scarves. You can also experiment with many different types of media other than yarn. Try cord, jute, and fabric yarn.
