Knitting loom made with toilet paper

Material

• Cardboard roll (toilet paper roll, paper towel roll, food wrap roll, etc.)
• Two popsicle sticks
• Hot glue gun
• Tape

Steps

1. With the children, cut or break 2 popsicle sticks in half and place the 4 pieces evenly around your roll of cardboard.
2. Then, using a hot glue gun, glue them in place leaving about 3 cm protruding at the end of the cardboard roll.
3. Cover the roll with tape.

Optional

• Use your new loom to knit. You will need yarn, a child-friendly sewing needle and scissors.
• Steps to get started. Lay the end of your yarn in the center of the cardboard roll, letting a 4 to 5 inch yarn hang down from the bottom. Gently hold this piece of yarn as you begin to stitch. Starting from the ball of yarn, wrap the yarn once around one stick clockwise, then move on to the second stick, wrapping it once clockwise. Switch to the third and fourth stick in the same way, wrapping the yarn around them once clockwise. Push the yarn to the bottom of the stick and start knitting.
• Steps to continue. Lay your yarn on the first stick, just above the stitch you made. Using your fingers or a wooden skewer, crochet the bottom stitch and gently pull it over the top stitch until it falls off the stick. Pull gently on the end of the thread to tighten the stitch a little. Continue working around your loom, doing the same with each stick: lay the yarn across, pull the bottom stitch up, over the top yarn and out of the end of the stick. Don’t forget to tug on the end of the thread from time to time to tighten the stitches. Continue with this form of French knitting until your project reaches the length that works for you.
• Steps to finish. When you get to the end of your project, you need to sink your stitches in a way that secures them and prevents your project from unravelling. Cut your thread, leaving a thread at least 15 cm long. Thread a sewing needle with this thread. There should only be one stitch left on each of your sticks, and these stitches will form small loops when removed from the sticks. Slip the sewing needle under one of the stitches and slide the loop off the batting. Work around the loom until all the stitches (loops) are removed from the loom and placed over the thread of your sewing needle. Gently pull the tail and close the curls, then tie a knot near the curls to hold everything in place. Tie a similar knot at the opposite end of your knitting.

French Knitting for Kids (with a Toilet Roll Loom)