Knitting Machines

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Knitting Machine Workshop

Instructor: Jesse Seay

3-Part Knitting Machine Workshop

Each class is about 2 hours long, and includes homework.

Materials Fee: $26

  • Note: fee is due one week prior to start of class (thru paypal), and used to buy materials for the workshop. The fee is non-refundable, however, you are welcome to sell your spot to someone else, prior to the first class.

Class size: 4 people.

  • Additional students may be added provided they bring their own machines.

Text: Hand-Manipulated Stitches for Machine Knitters by Susan Guagliumi.

  • Purchase your own or read the PS1 copy by the machines.

Pre-Class Homework

Guagliumi, Ch. 1 pages 1-19.

Class 1 Syllabus

Review parts of machine:

  1. Bed
  2. needles
  3. Carriage
  4. Gate posts
  5. Sinker plate
  6. Tension mast
  7. Clamps
  8. Accessories:
    • Cast on thread
    • Tapestry needle
    • Cast on comb
    • Wax
    • Latch tool
    • Bodkin
    • Weights (and floor mat)
    • Comb

Go over needle positions.

Watch what machine does, w/o sinker plate, for needles in each position.

Everyone practices putting sinker plate and carriage on, off.

Carriage settings: Normal (not Hold), plain knitting.

Thread the machine.

Note: On the 930, there is a metal tab on the back of the tension mast. Yarn must go under this tab to catch properly.

1st Swatch:

Cast on methods:

• Open – knit 5 rows. Remove the cast on comb and see what happens.

• Every other needle – Cast on EON (Guagliumi, p 35). Hang comb. Bring rest of needles into work, and continue knitting.

Knitting

o Tension of yarn on mast – not spaghetti, not guitar string

o Tension of knit on needles – feel the weight on it, move weights every couple of inches

o Can’t change direction once needles have entered the carriage

o Push carriage - firm and steady

o Needles should end in a straight row


Cast off

Gathering Stitch Bind Off (Guagliumi p44)

Once stitches are bound off, remove weights. Run empty carriage over needles to remove knitting from machine.

2nd Swatch

How to determine tension:

Read info on yarn package and

Use Angelika’s yarn chart as a guide: http://www.yarn-store.com/different-yarns-for-different-knitting-machines.html

• Cast On (EON)

• Knit 5 rows.

• Transfer a stitch to mark your place.

• Change the T dial (generally no more than 2 #’s at a time). Write down the new T.

• Knit 10 rows.

• Transfer a stitch. Change the dial. Knit 10 rows.

• Try 2+ more settings.

• Where does the carriage run most easily?

• Bind off and remove swatch from machine. Examine swatch and note the differences between each section.

3rd Swatch

The Tension Swatch

Standard Tension Swatch

  1. EON Cast on: 60 needles
  2. RC= 0
  3. Knit 15 rows
  4. Change to CC
  5. Knit 2 rows
  6. RC=0
  7. Knit 30 rows
  8. Using CC, hand-knit needles 21L and 21R.
  9. Knit 30 more rows with MC
  10. Change to CC
  11. Knit 2 more rows
  12. RC=0, change to MC
  13. Knit 5 rows
  14. Use transfer tool to transfer stitches and mark the tension dial setting.
  15. Knit 10 more rows.
  16. Bind off.

Chunky Tension Swatch

  1. EON Cast on: 40 needles
  2. RC= 0
  3. Knit 10 rows
  4. Change to CC
  5. Knit 2 rows
  6. RC=0
  7. Knit 20 rows
  8. Using CC, hand-knit needles 11L and 11R.
  9. Knit 20 more rows with MC
  10. Change to CC
  11. Knit 2 more rows
  12. RC=0, change to MC
  13. Knit 5 rows
  14. Use transfer tool to transfer stitches and mark the tension dial setting.
  15. Knit 5 more rows.
  16. Bind off.

Abbreviations

  • MC = main color
  • CC = contrast color
  • RC = row counter
  • EON = Every Other Needle


Cast off:

  1. Move T dial up 2 notches
  2. Knit a row of ravel cord.
  3. Leave a length of MC 3x the width, and cut.
  4. Switch to scrap yarn, knit 10 rows.
  5. Remove knitting from machine
  6. Finish later.

Yarn Winding: Winding a center pull cake.

Threading the winder

Winding at least 2x, changing directions

Loose tension, no knots.

Waxing while winding

Class 1 Homework

  • Read Guagliumi.
    • Review Ch. 1.
    • Read Ch. 2 on casting-on and binding off, pages 33-36, 44-48. We will do e-wrap cast-on (p 36) and back-stitch bind off (p 48) next class.
  • Knit two tension swatches.
    • Review the manual before using the machine. Please follow each step in the manual until you have the process memorized.

here.

      • KH930 (standard) section on basic knitting, casting on. pdf pages 20-23
      • KH230 (chunky) section on threading machine, basic knitting. pdf pages 9-13
      • Recommended reading: Brother Knitting Machine Techniques Book. Section on knitting a tension gauge. Pages 72-73. Download here.

Copies of the manuals are available at the space. You can also download the pdf's

Class 2 Syllabus

Machine care

  • Oiling/Cleaning the machine
  • The Sponge Bar
  • Changing needles

Measuring tension swatches

Formula to determine gauge.

  • Number of stitches divided by number of inches = stitches per inch
  • Number of rows divided by number of inches = rows per inch


Review Guagliumi's charts on page 8: formation of slip stitch.

Swatch 1: Slip Stitch & Fairisle

Use a light color solid yarn for your main yarn (MC). EON cast on, across 60 stitches. Hang comb and weights. knit 5-6 rows. Carriage on Left.

  1. Using needle pusher, select eon starting 30L. Select both end needles. (Move selected needles to D).
  2. Put carriage in part. Knit 1 row.
  3. Using needle pusher, select eon starting 30L. Select both end needles.
  4. Knit 1 row.
  5. Put carriage in plain. Knit 2 rows.
  6. Select needles with pusher again, starting at 29L this time. Select both end needles. Knit 1 row.
  7. Select needles with pusher again, starting at 29L. Select both end needles. Knit 1 row.
  8. Put carriage in plain. Knit 2 rows.
  9. Repeat 1-9.

Examine the emerging pattern and note the floats.

Next, we'll do the same thing, this time using 2 different colors of yarn: main color (MC) and contrast color (CC). We'll switch colors every 2 rows.

  1. Knit 2 rows in MC.
  2. Switch to CC.
  3. Using needle pusher, select eon starting 30L. Select both end needles. (Move selected needles to D).
  4. Put carriage in part. Knit 1 row.
  5. Using needle pusher, select eon starting 30L. Select both end needles.
  6. Knit 1 row.
  7. Put carriage in plain. Switch to MC. Knit 2 rows. Switch to CC.
  8. Select needles with pusher again, starting at 29L this time. Select both end needles. Knit 1 row.
  9. Select needles with pusher again, starting at 29L. Select both end needles. Knit 1 row.
  10. Put carriage in plain.
  11. Repeat 1-10.

When you're finished, knit 10 rows in MC, and remove knitting from the machine. Examine both sides of the swatch.

Swatch 2: casting on/off with ravel cord

E wrap cast on
Ravel cord cast on/off, back stitch bind off.

Swatch 3: Shaping

Cast on EON, 60 stitches.

increasing stitches

on carriage side:

  • 1 stitch: add one needle
  • multiple stitches: e wrap
decreasing stitches

opposite the carriage:

  • 1 stitch: transfer to next needle
  • multiple stitches: crotchet off

always move empty needles to A position

Class 2 Homework

  • Knit two tension swatches.
  • Create or find a 2-color image for fairisle knitting: 40 to 60 pixels wide, and about as many pixels high. You may want to keep in mind how long the floats will be. Longer than 5 stitches can be tricky. File format: 1 bit b/w bitmap is ideal.

Reading Homework:

  • Read Guagliumi 49 - 53 on holding stitches. (Suggested additional reading 54-81.)
    • Programming your own patterns, Knitting Patterns: Pdf pages 83 —87. (Suggested reading: Variation Keys 47-56)

Don't worry about the section about the divided neckline on page 4.

If you have a Mac, I suggest installing the software and walking through it per the instructions. FYI, the sequence of button presses is the same as the sequence described in the Brother manual on page 3.

Class 3 Syllabus

Img2Track fairisle.

  1. Connecting the machine
  2. Loading a pattern
  3. Setting up carriage
    1. Cast on
    2. Move carriage left of turn mark
    3. Turn on KC1
    4. Knit one row to select needles
    5. Engage MC (or other patterning buttons.) Load contrast yarn.
    6. Start Knitting


Holding and shaping stitches.

Class 3 Homework

  • Produce a knitted swatch using the img2track software for patterning. Bind off the stitches. Due within 2 weeks of Class 3.


Useful Links

Before you knit

Chart to determine tension dial setting.

Pattern Generator: Cellular Automation and Mazes

Pattern Generator: Cellular Automation and Mazes

Knit Knack Shop: accessories and cone yarn

Pattern for a 4.5 mm knitting machine comb, for producing with the laser cutter and 1/8" acrylic - it may be very hard to see because the stroke is only 0.05 mm or so. Media:Knitting_comb_from_stl.svg [[1]]

After you knit

How to sew two knitted pieces together.

Weaving in the ends.

General Info

Diana Sullivan's Video Tutorials the "Diana Natters On" series.

Ravelry's machine knitting page. The forum is a priceless source of advice and info. Free registration required.

PS:1's Brother_KH-930_Knitting_Machine

Brother Knitting Machine Techniques Book.

Tutorial books (as free PDFs) for Brother Knitting Machines

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