I have! I am not crafty at all and I learned this quickly. Last year everyone got scarves for Christmas. I have been making hats all year for a mission project at our church. So easy!

~Lynda

I bought one last year after Christmas at Walgreens for 1 dollar! Sad to say it's still in the package....LOL!

I saw then the other day...looks like their just for larger yarns.
I often use a round needle, I can't figure out how one of those things would be faster.

A dollar? I paid about $8 for the set at Hobby Lobby, it was $11.99 on sale with 30% off. A dollar is a deal. You should try it, CR. Take Lynda's word for it, they're fun. There's a book there I may buy for Mum if she takes to this, I just didn't feel like investing another $10 in something I'm not positive she'll like, but I will if she does!

Lynda, have you made anything else like the stockings or purses? I bet whoever receives one of your hats will be so happy!

Monica, I think they're for people who don't (like to, maybe) or can't knit with needles. I can't knit to save my life, or crochet. I could do one of these, though, if I was inclined. I'm not, I'd rather sew, but lots of people seem to think they're great. And Rayna was using eyelash yarn to make scarves, that's pretty fine stuff. I think it's pretty flexible as far as types of yarn.

My daughter has one.

I told her it looked like a giant version of the "spool knitting" that we did back when I was a kid.

Yup, silverdove, that is exactly what they are.

Flamey, I dare you to take some knitting lessons from me! I dare you! I bet, I can teach you!

Moni.. who likes "real" knitting.

Mingo, I have only made the hats & scarves. I am not real great at trying to read a pattern. My DS wanted be to make him some socks. Maybe after Christmas I will see if Hobby Lobby is offering a class. I can make a hat in an evening while watching TV. The scarves are a little more time consuming but fun! I did get one of the rectangular looms and made a scarf on it but I liked the round ones better.

I use the Knifty Knitter looms.

I saw one of these just this past week. A lady was using it at Michael's. She may have been getting ready for a presentation or instructional class. Looked a lot like what I used to make hot pads out of in the 70's.

I bet your Mum will love those Flamey.

I have one and love it! I'm an okay knitter, but have a hard time with knitting in the round, so I'm not ashamed to say I've made many, many hats for friends and my boyfriend on my loom!:) It's so easy to use, easier than braiding even. I still regularly knit all my scarves.

I have tried it, but I am too quick. I get dizzy going round and round! For those that might be a bit more normal (snork snork!) I think it would be fine. The round ones make "tubes". So a hat is a tube with one end closed, and so on.

Some have a long flat shape and you go back and forth instead of around, so you and make flat pieces. I think you can even do advanced things on it depending on how you wrap or flip the yarn - purl stitches for example.

And it is the same as those little spool thingies, just bigger.

I looked at one of these at Michael's, it looked kind of complicated. But now I'm interested. They have classes every month,I may sign up. I'm a fairly good knitter with two (even three) needles.

If you can already knit, this is a cinch! If I can pick it up anyone can! LOL!

My DS broke his foot and was complaining that his toes were cold. Cleaver me, I knitted him a foot hat! I made a simple hat on the 2nd smallest loom (doubled) and added some elastic to keep it on. HeHe! He loved it! It has been 6 weeks and he is supposed to get the cast off tomorrow, then be in a walking boot for another month.

Seems to me, you should be able to make squares. All you need to do, is don't go around in the circle! Go back and forth. Might need to leave one peg empty, to "really see" where the turn around is.

Moni

I remember the thread spool knitters too Silverdove. They were a wooden spool with 4 nails pounded into the top, and you made a long skinny thingie which came out the bottom. It was easy and fun.

Believe it or not, the kids at my elementary school do something similar but just using their fingers!

i got them but can't get the hang of it I need hands on training maybe someday.

I saw them and was very tempted to try it,but i didn't.I also used to knit on a thread spool with 4 nails as a kid.In fact i thought of trying it again,but all the thread spools now are plastic/foam and i don't think they would hold the nails.I think it would make nice co-ordinated cording for my cross stitch projects that i want to make into ornaments.
Kathi

My 10 yo and 15 yo daughters use these all the time. Yes, if you do go all the way around, but leave the last peg empty, then turn and go the other way, you can make squares. The woman I first saw demonstrate these said the large hoop is supposed to be large enough to make a baby blanket, but we haven't tried it. The girls have too much fun with hats and tubular scarves.

At Hobby Lobby, in the same aisle, were the wooden spool things with the 4 pegs/nails in the top! There must be quite a market for this kind of thing as they had many different styles and models of them. A lady stopped to encourage me to buy the ones I did and we had a really nice conversation about the looms and what you can make. I didn't know about leaving one unwrapped and going back and forth- that's a great tip!

Thanks, everybody! I'll report on what the Mumster thinks about this after her birthday on the 22nd.

Don't worry about buying a book. Just go to Google and do a search for Knifty Knitter patterns. There's plenty of free inspiration online. Just print some out and give them to your Mom when you give her the looms.

I have the set,But I enjoy working on my big floor loom,It makes afagans or I could just make a scarf.Its big,jacquard loom.

Thanks, Yarnlover! I appreciate that tip. I wish her birthday was today. lol She's going to love this, I think. I wonder if she could make scrubbies using netting instead of yarn on the smallest loom? I saw one pattern for a change purse that used strips of fabric, that was interesting. I may have to try this myself. I like fabrics better than yarns, I think because I'm sure a failure with the yarn arts! lol

I never did get one to try but I had knitting lessons from people here at the KT and at our little mini KT get together with Moni and Zipper I learned alot...I made 3 scarves last week and finishing up a afagan today...when I get home Moni doesn't know it but she is going to put aside a day for ME and teach me socks and hats LOL.....(I hope anyways) Stacy

LOL, Stacy, all it takes for you to come over!!! :)

Moni