Knifty Knitters!

[Muria]

I just picked up a Knitting boards Tadpole from Joann's a few days ago (75% off because it was missing the knit hook, which I happened to have at home anyway), and have made some decent progress on my first scarf.  I have to say this now though: purling had better get easier, because otherwise, I'm not doing anything on this besides stockingnette. I just did one row of purling, and I'm beat.  Is the only way to accomplish this to hook the yarn from under the row (one at a time)?  It's the only instructions  I've seen for purling, and if there's a better, faster, less yarn-splitting way, I'd love to hear about it.  The biggest issue with purling in regular knitting is moving the yarn back and forth. This... has bigger issues.

[Eliea]

That's the only way I've seen to do it. But I found that it I try changing the angle my pick goes under the yarn that helps sometimes. I don't know it's worth a try.

Also some yarns are WAY splittyer than others. I love simply soft but it's super splitty. And I've had the same issue with the lion brand super bulky wool.

[Muria]

I'm using Lion Brand Wool ease, at the moment.  I tried switching it to needles, and now I can't get stocking stitch to come out. 

While I'm at it, I'd like to gripe about knitting board calling the Tadpole a "fine gauge" knitting loom. I actually thought it might handle something like sock yarn, but it seems to work best with worsted weight.  I know that's finer than the knifty knitters do, but when I see "fine," I don't think size 8 needle equilivalent.  *sigh* 

Anyway, I came across the perfect idea for my son's first grade teacher (atsuko's pencil scarf), but even if I joined the shop swap, I wasn't going to be able to get it in time, so I figured I could make it, and try out my new loom at the same time.  It got complicated. 

[Eliea]

ah gotcha. Have you tried calling or writing the company that made the loom? Typically big companies really value customer feedback and sometimes will give you money back. If you don't want money back then I'd just give feedback in general. They can't make us happy if we don't tell them what we want.
Well I hope you get it figured out!

[LaughingLark]

Hi, I've been following this thread forever, and have it bookmarked. It seems like the place to put this.

I was getting tired of my yarn drying out my fingers (I'm using up some of my acrylics), so I went online to look for the Knifty Knitter weaving tool. I found some, but the thing is I'm broke and impatient. I want to have help with my looming now, and not pay shipping for it. I live far from any real craft store. After looking at the shape of the tools, I got to thinking that some other rigid cylinder might work. I thought of trying a soda straw, but thought it would be too flimsy to last through a whole project. I went to fix a cup of tea, and noticed an old click pen sitting on the counter that I was meaning to throw out. It's one of those bank freebies, and one of my kids put it up there because he didn't want a dead pen in with his school stuff. Since I was thinking about the weaving tool, the solution to my looming problem became obvious:
(click to enlarge)

All I needed was the barrel of the pen, and a thin crochet hook to get the yarn fed through the tube.

It works! I can definitely wrap my pegs faster this way. Later on, when I can make a bunch of rustling noises in the junk drawer without waking up my little guy, I'm going to see if I can find some pen barrels that are more tapered, yet still permit the threading of my yarn.
I don't know if the tools were covered earlier on in the thread, but these are the ones:
http://www.createforless.com/Provo+Knifty+Knitter+Weave+Tool+3pc/pid111986.aspx?utm_source=googlebase&utm_medium=cse

[alwaysinmyroom]

laughing_lark--genius!!  I just dismantled a pen and am excited to try this at home tonight!

The pen I used has a removeable point which I cut with scissors to fit the yarn (yes, I carry yarn to work... )...if I have bulkier yarn, I can just remove the tip all together!

Thanks--such a simple idea that saves money and time!

[LaughingLark]

Thanks, alwaysinmyroom !

I also started another project on my wooden knitting board, and I thought a weaving tool would be great for that as well, so I took apart a cheap no-name ball point pen. The kind that you can pull the writing tip and ink tube out of the front, and pull out the little round stopper on the back, probably from the dollar store before it went to my junk drawer to die. I could not quite get my yarn to go through the whole thing, so I threaded it onto a plastic needle, then shoved the needle down as far as I could. To get the tip of the needle going out the other side, I grabbed my thinnest crochet hook and just used it to push the needle down till I could reach it. Very easy to do with any needle that will hold your yarn. So far, I really like using it. I haven't had much time today, but I know I'll be working on my projects tonight!

I was just thinking, if someone wanted to try this and did not have a yarn needle or a skinny crochet hook, you could fashion a threading tool out of a bit of wire, or maybe even a bent pipe cleaner.

I am really exited about this, and how much it can speed up the weaving of the pegs. 

[alwaysinmyroom]

Here is the pic of the pen I used and an action shot.  It really does keep my hands from drying out and goes super fast!  I always do the "last" and "first" stitches first so I don't have to anchor down the thread--that takes too much time!!

The cheap pen I used had a point, which I cut off to fit the yarn--it is removeable as well so if I have chunkier yarn, I can just take the orange part off!



This is how I hold it to get tension in the yarn:



here it is in action!



ta-da! I love your idea laughing_lark!!!

[cfbandit]

I just picked up a Knitting boards Tadpole from Joann's a few days ago (75% off because it was missing the knit hook, which I happened to have at home anyway), and have made some decent progress on my first scarf.  I have to say this now though: purling had better get easier, because otherwise, I'm not doing anything on this besides stockingnette. I just did one row of purling, and I'm beat.  Is the only way to accomplish this to hook the yarn from under the row (one at a time)?  It's the only instructions  I've seen for purling, and if there's a better, faster, less yarn-splitting way, I'd love to hear about it.  The biggest issue with purling in regular knitting is moving the yarn back and forth. This... has bigger issues.

That's the only way I know. And some people take better to different types of knitting looms. I know I have a different style of doing things with a nail board vs. a peg board.

[Muria]

Thanks!  I know I had an easier time showing my niece how to use a knifty knitter, but I figured it was because the yarn was so much bulkier (Wool ease thick and quick).