Bumble Bee Sweater

Bumble Bee Sweater by Scarlett Royale

What is Being Made

The Bumble Bee Sweater is a knitted pullover garment designed by independent designer Scarlett Royale. This project uses loom knitting techniques to create a finished sweater suitable for intermediate-level crafters. The design requires approximately 500 yards of yarn to complete.

Craft and Equipment

This sweater is created using loom knitting, a fiber arts technique that differs from traditional needle knitting. The project utilizes two pegged looms: a 70-peg loom and a 54-peg loom, both with 1/2" gauge spacing. Loom knitting is an accessible method for creating structured garments, as the pegs hold stitches in place while you work, making it ideal for intermediate crafters developing their skills.

Materials Required

To complete the Bumble Bee Sweater, you will need:

• 70-peg loom with 1/2" gauge
• 54-peg loom with 1/2" gauge
• Bulky weight yarn, approximately 500 yards total
• Looming hook for manipulating stitches
• Crafters needle for finishing and weaving in ends
• Stitch holders for securing active stitches

Stitches and Techniques Used

The Bumble Bee Sweater employs several fundamental loom knitting stitches and techniques:

• E-Wrap Cast On (EW CO): The foundation technique where working yarn is wrapped around the back of each peg, to the front, and back around to the back to create the initial row of stitches.
• Flat Knit (K): The basic stitch process of tossing the bottom loop over the top loop on each peg.
• Knit 2 Together (K2tog): A decrease technique where two loops are tossed over the top working strand simultaneously, reducing stitch count.
• Purl (P): A textured stitch created by pulling the working yarn from the bottom of the stitch through to the top, removing the existing stitch, and placing the new stitch on the peg.
• Decreasing (D): The process of placing a stitch onto the next working peg, with directional arrows indicating the decrease direction.
• Wrap and Turn (WT): A technique for creating shaped sections by wrapping the working yarn around the next peg from back to front, then knitting in the opposite direction.
• Skip/Slip (Sk/SL): A technique where you skip a peg from behind and work the next peg, useful for creating pattern variations.
• Modified Bind Off (MBO): The finishing technique used to secure the final row of stitches and complete the sweater edges.

Yarn Weight and Difficulty

This project uses chunky weight yarn, which creates a thick, warm fabric that works up quickly on the larger looms. The intermediate difficulty level makes the Bumble Bee Sweater suitable for crafters who have basic loom knitting experience and are ready to tackle garment construction with shaping techniques like wraps and turns.