How to Knit the Double-Loop Stitch

How to knit a piece of denser fabric of loops? By using the method that I shared on my previous post - fur stitch, is not dense enough. In fact, I could go with double yarn to double the number of loops but I did not want to do so because it requires two balls of yarn to be ran at the same time and I did not want the two balls of yarn become remainders after a small project. I had been trying out some of the double-loop knitting methods that I found from the internet but could not satisfy my need. The methods that I tried out are able to create a denser loopy fabric but one of the loops of a stitch will get lose when you pull the other loop that created at the same stitch. What I need is a fabric that looks denser and rich but every loop must be securely knitted in place. It had been hard to get a solution  ... Anyway I did not give up and I got my way to create a piece of denser fabric of loops with my own double-loop knitting method at last.

Instruction:

Knit into your desired stitch but do not drop the stitch of your left needle. Bring the working yarn to the front between the two needles and place your thumb on the working yarn. Then, wrap the yarn around your thumb and bring the yarn to the back between the two needles.

Keeping your thumb in the loop and insert your right needle into the same stitch and knit. Once again, do not drop the stitch of your left needle. Then, bring the yarn to the front between the two needles.

Place your thumb on the working yarn and wrap the yarn around your thumb to make the second loop. Then, bring the yarn to the back between the two needles again. Keeping your thumb in the loop and insert your right needle into the same stitch and knit it as usual, this means you can now drop the stitch of you left needle. Now, you have three new stitches and two loops on your right needle.  

Pick up the the second last stitch from the right needle tip and then pass it over the last stitch from the right needle tip. This means one stitch is bound off and the second loop that you made previously is locked and secured in place.

Again, pick up the the second last stitch from the right needle tip and then pass it over the last stitch from the right needle tip. One stitch is bound off and the first loop that you made previously is locked and secured in place too. Photo no.15 shown is a finished double-loop stitch.

If you continue your double-loop knitting to the end of the row, you will get a row of double-loop stitches as shown in the photo above.

How to Knit the Loop Stitch / Fur Stitch

Loop stitch also known as fur stitch. It creates a fluffy and soft fabric. You can use this method for your household furnishing projects such as rugs and sofa covers, you can also use it to make loopy knitted animals or you can even use it to add textured loops instead of fridge on the both ends of a scarf.

There are several knitting methods and variations for making the loops. I am going to share with you the method that I think it is easier to work with.

You can start to knit the loop stitch at your desired row and stitch or you can make the loops on the wrong side and the right side so that you get loops on the both sides. By referring to the photos below, you will find that I start to knit another row of loop stitches from the second stitch on the left needle.

Instruction:

Knit into your desired stitch but do not drop the stitch of your left needle.

Bring the working yarn to the front between the two needles and then place your thumb on the working yarn.

Wrap the yarn around your thumb and bring the yarn to the back between the two needles. Keeping your thumb in the loop and insert your right needle into the same stitch.

After that, knit it as usual so you can drop the stitch of your left needle. Now, you have two new stitches and a loop on your right needle. Pick up the first stitch ( the second last stitch from the right needle tip) and pass it over the second stitch ( the last stitch from the right needle tip).

Photo no. 10 shown is a loop stitch that I have just finished and photo no. 11 shown is two rows of loop stitches.


Note :
If you are using thick yarn, I suggest you to make the loops on every other stitch. With this method you will get a smoother and neater surface for your knitting projects.

Little Blocks Scarf

This scarf is my daughter's first knitting project. Since she was a beginner, I suggested that she started with a simple project. Making a scarf was a good choice.

This scarf is mainly made up of alternating blocks of stocking stitch and reverse stocking stitch that created in a combination of 4 stitches and 6 rows to each block. While, the both ends of the scarf are made by simple rib stitch. Combining simple rib with little blocks would create an interesting knitting pattern, we especially love a long ribbing at both ends of the scarf.

Simple ribs are made up of knit and purl stitches that form verticals. For this scarf, we start the pattern with some rows of Knit-three and Purl-three rib, then continue with the pattern of little blocks until you reach the desired length and again make another rows of Knit-three, Purl-three rib for the other end.


Knitting abbreviations:
K = knit
P  = purl

Materials:
Yarn    : 100%  acrylic, weight 40g 
Needle : single-pointed needle (size 4mm or 4.5mm)



Knitting Pattern :

cast on 108 stitches

[ part one : ribbing ]
1. front row - K3, *( P3, K3), *repeat to the end
2. back row - P3, *(K3, P3), *repeat to the end
Repeat from step 1 to step 2 until you reach a length of 20 rows.

[ part two : start little blocks pattern ]
3. front row - K4, *(P4, K4), *repeat to the end
4. back row - P4, *(K4, P4), *repeat to the end
Repeat from step 3 to step 4 three times so you will get a 4 stitches with 6 rows little blocks. 

5. front row - P4, *(K4, P4), *repeat to the end.
6. back row - K4, *(P4, K4), *repeat to the end 
 Repeat from step 5 to step 6 three times so you will get a 4 stitches with 6 rows little block.

Now you can see a pattern of alternating blocks of stocking stitch and reverse stocking stitch. Repeat from step 3 to step 6 until your desired length.

[ part three : ribbing ]
7. front row - K3, *( P3, K3), *repeat to the end
8. back row - P3, *(K3, P3), *repeat to the end
Repeat from step 7 to step 8 until you reach a length of 20 rows. This part exactly the same with part one.

9. Bind off and weave in ends.

Hanging Hand Towel

I bought many kitchen towels during a big sale at Tesco about a year ago. One day in last week, I found that I lack of  hanging hand towels. Since I don't want to leave too many kitchen towels in my kitchen cabinet, I tried to turn some of them into hanging hand towels.

I urgently needed it, thus I used a very simple method to get it done. This method is very easy and you can finish it in less than 10 minutes.



materials:
1. A piece of kitchen towel
2. Ribbon (13cm - 15cm long with 1.5cm wide)
3. Two pieces of two-hole buttons (the diameter of the buttons should be bigger than the width of the ribbon)
4. Matching thread

 First, make a 1 cm fold towards the wrong side at the both ends of the ribbon and press.

Then, sandwich one of the corner of the towel between the both ends of the ribbon at a 45 degree angle.  

 Sew the ribbon in place as shown in the photo.

Don't cut off the thread, use the same thread and needle to sew the two buttons on the both ends of the ribbon with the "in one-step" method. Place one button at the front and the other at the back of the towel. The two buttons should be placed at the some point and aligned properly so you can insert the needle through the holes at once. This way the two buttons will be sewn in place at the same time.

Repeat the sewing process enough times to make sure the two buttons are securely in place.

Now, make a knot close to the hole where the thread came up. To do this, you have to insert the needle under a few stitches that you made just now and close to the thread, then wrap the thread around the needle tip twice. Pull your needle through until the wrapped region get to the end of the thread and tighten.

A knot is completed and close to the button hole. To hide the knot inside the hole, you have to insert the needle back to the same hole and pull the thread through at the other side of the work until the knot is hidden inside the hold and cut the thread off.

A simple and lovely hanging hand towel is done.