How To Fix The Jog For Loom Knitters

Hello loom knitters and welcome to our color series! 

Color is everywhere...it affects our mood, inspires us and makes us feel more creative!

This is the 2nd in a series of blog posts and accompanying videos discussing different methods of using color in your loom knitting. This topic was squeezed in on request from one of my favorite loom knitters (Leisa, you know who you are girl!) Check back for future articles or subscribe to our mailing list to be the first notified of the new posts in this series. This post will teach you how to fix the jog when knitting stripes in the round.

The series will include

• Topic 1: Beginners! Simple Colorwork on the loom including, self-striping, variegated yarn, stripes and color changes, vertical and horizontal colorwork
• Topic 2:  How to fix the jog when knitting stripes.
• Topic 3:  Fair Isle loom knitting
• Topic 4:  Intarsia on the loom
• Topic 5:  Mosaic & Skip/slip Stitch Loom Knitting
• Topic 6:  Finding color inspiration
• All the topics will include video links where applicable.

Are you tired of the Jog when knitting in the round?
Do the back/sides of your striped hats, stockings and socks look terrible?
How do the pros have such neat color changes, even on the back of their loom knits?
Today I'm going to let you in on a secret!Here's how!

First, why does the jog happen?

Most knitters believe that their rows of stitches are stacking perfectly one on top of the other. The truth is, they are not. If you can visualize it, when knitting in the round you are knitting in an endless spiral, your stitches are not truly stacking. See image below.

How do we interrupt this?

We eliminate a stitch by doing a skip1, this will pull up your row of stitches when doing it correctly.

• Everytime you change colors, skip the 1st stitch of the 2nd row of color. Place your working yarn behind peg 1 and move on to peg 2.
• Always place the non-working yarn on top of the working yarn at the beginning of the first two rounds of a color change, pull the yarn snug to lift the row of stitches and prevent holes in your knitting.
• Your 2nd round would read like this if it was written in a pattern (assuming you are knitting in stockinette):  Skip1 wyib, knit to the end of round.

Here's an example, using the chart below, assuming the color changes every 4 rows:

Rnds 1-4:  Knit in red.

Rnd 5:  Knit in white. (at the beginning of rnd, place the non-working yarn (red) on top of the working yarn (white) pull snug after knitting 1 stitch to pull up row of sts)

Rnd 6:  Skip1 wyib, knit to the end of rnd. (at beginning of rnd, place the non-working yarn (red) on top of the working yarn (white) pull snug to pull up row of sts)

Rnds 7 and 8:  Knit in white.

Rnd 9:  Knit in red (at the beginning of rnd, place the non-working yarn (white) on top of the working yarn (red) pull snug to pull up row of sts)

Rnd 10:  Skip1 wyib, knit to end of rnd.  (at the beginning of rnd, place the non-working yarn (white) on top of the working yarn (red) pull snug to pull up row of sts)

Rnds 11 and 12:  Knit in red.

Continue in this manner.

This will be your result!

I hope I'm your favorite loom knitter today for fixing this problem, (lol). Please leave a comment below if this tutorial has helped you or if you have any other questions. Here is a video link for how to fix the jog:  VIDEO I'm sorry for the technical problems in this video, the camera fell a couple of times. I pieced the video together as best as possible.

Have a great day!