Doilies are classics in the needlework field. So I was shocked to not be able to find round doily patterns for the loom. Of course, in modern culture doilies can be a nuisance. I myself have little spare time to dust and little spare room for clutter. But doilies are nice in certain times and places and I wanted to make up a few on a loom. So I decided to make my own round doily patterns.
One of the first questions that I considered was the yarn. The delicate thread often used in crochet doilies wouldn’t work well alone on the loom, though I might try several strands in a future attempt. I used 3 ply yarn in my first 2 projects, then got the idea of adding a strand of thread to the pattern for my 3 rd doily project. The gold strand looks elegant in white. I’ll be interested to see how other colors work.
I also thought about the edges. It seems there are 3 possibilities for the edges to look finished. You can create petals, or points or a simple brim from the 1 st 4 rounds.
I have yet to figure out how to enlarge the doilies. On the 41 peg Knifty Knitter loom I’ve made up to 8 inch doilies. I can’t figure out how to increase them without causing the doily to curl in, like a hat. There may be a larger style loom, but I haven’t gotten one yet.
On the 41 peg loom cast onto 5 pegs, flat knit 3 rows. *Cast onto the next 6 pegs. Flat knit 5 stitches for 3 rows. Repeat from the * around to the end of the round. You will note that this ends with 5 stitches instead of a single stitch. This did not seem to cause problems with the finished pattern so I didn’t let it bother me. This created the rounded petal effect on the outer edge of the doily. Knit 1 round in white. Change colors at the end of the row.
Knit 1 round. In round 4 *knit 3 stitches, knit the next stitch off. Repeat from the * around. Knit all around, over the loom for round 5, picking up the stitches you knitted off in round 4. Knit round 6. Change colors.
Knit 3 rounds in 1 st color. Change yarns and knit 2 rounds in 2 nd color. With a large eyed needle pick off all the stitches and draw them closed. You have a simple doily, about 8 inches in diameter. Because of the petal effect you could do this in floral colors.
The possibilities seem endless. So far I’ve added roses to one of my first attempts. I’m delighted that it’s possible to create round doilies. Good luck creating some of your own!