A few questions have come up with the pinwheel, I will put them here for all of us to have a quick place to come and read them and hopefully it will help a future loomer.
Q: Can I use the Prayer Shawl Loom to make a larger pinwheel, like an afghan or lapghan?
A: Sure you can. Instead of using only 17 pegs as the dishcloth pattern calls for, use all the pegs on the loom. The Prayer Shawl loom has 63 pegs.
Cast on from peg 63 to peg 1. Working yarn is at peg 1.
Row 1: knit (from peg 1 to peg 63)
Row 2: purl (from peg 63-1)
Row 3: knit to the last 3 stitches (so knit from peg 1 to peg 60.) Wrap
peg 61.
Row 4: Purl (from peg 60-1)
Row 5: knit to the peg before the last peg that your wrapped (or knit to
the last 4sts). Wrap the next peg (peg 60).
Row 6: Purl
Repeat Rows 5 and 6 until your last short-row consists of pegs 1-3. Then
do a consolidation row where you knit to the end of the row and pick up
all the wraps as you go along. Then do a purl row back to peg 1.
Repeat the entire thing from Row 1 for your next wedges. You will need 6
wedges total.
Have fun! It will make a nice big circle!
Q: I finished the 6 wedges but my circle doesn't seem to be long enough to reach to seam it. Should I add 2 more wedges?
A: This particular pattern calls for 6 wedges. Although it may seem like it won't reach or that once seamed the circle is more like a cone, once you sprits it and block it, the circle will lay flat. However, you can always experiment and add 2 more wedges. Remember, it is yarn and you can always, always, always rip back if something doesn't look the way you want.
Here is another idea: once you have completed the 6th wedge, take the stitches and put them on a piece of scrap yarn (so that your stitches are still live). Sprits the fabric with water and steam block it and shape it into a circle, if after blocking you still think that the circle could use 2 more wedges, go ahead and put the stitches back on the loom and work 2 more wedges.
Q: I'm getting ready to seam the dishcloth and am wondering what to do about the center. Do I gather it on the yarn & close it like a drawstring & then seam the wedge sides, or vice-versa, or something else?
A: When you are grafting/kitchener the cast on to the last row, you will use the same yarn to close the center. I didn't have a small hole at the center but if you do have one, simply seam it when you are seaming the side.
Q: Do you have a file on how to do the kitchener stitch/grafting?
A: The file on how to graft is right here: Download Grafting.pdf , hope it helps.
