LK150: 3D printed Adjustable Needle Selector

 I saw a post on fb about a 3D printed adjustable 6.5 ruler for the LK150. Just like the ones I've used on my 5mm pinky Passap for years. 

Link to Thingiverse files

They don't say which type of filament to use. So I had to ask my friend who works with 3D printing. I don't like taking advantage of my friend and I was perfectly happy to order it, but I didn't have a clue which filament I needed for it. He had some left over from a previous job and did one for his LK150 too! He since said he used: 1.75mm thick and I usually get PLA+. There is such a huge selection of colours, thickness, type etc from the retailer he uses, you can see why I had to ask!

He's working on 3D pattern files for selectors for 3.6mm for use with SK fine machines and 4.5mm for our std machines, which will be put into Thingiverse for all. When it's done, I'll come back and edit my post. (And another post on interesting ways to use it)

Here's the 6.5mm in action marking out the ribbing to be relatched. My hint on doing this - cast on, knit one row, relatch that very first row, knit the next xx rows to be relatched then drop then down and off we go. It's much, much easier to stick the prong into the correct stitch when it's already formed.. My tip!

In the meantime, I ordered a nice book - AlterKnit by Andrea Rangel. I bought the Chinese edition from Aliexpress as I was only interested in the motifs. The Kindle edition would be acceptable too, as would the English version, with it's How to Knit etc chapters. I only wanted the interesting motifs. Even though I do have oodles of fair isle pattern books. Well, I'll be using them too. So little time, so much to knit.

Back to the book, the machine and the FI carriage! The FC6 works with the needles in HOLD knitting Col B.  Arrange the needles so Col A knits all the needles in Working Position and Col B will knit all the selected needles in hold, presto. instant fair isle  for LK150/FC6 combo.

Now I'm set - Kris's needle beetle for pattern options it does and adjustable ruler for variety of patterns it doesn't cover. I like the options.

My Spiderman mad grandson was inline for the spider themed jumper. (His brother wanted a Harry Potter jumper for Book Week - done - so there was definitely a spider themed jumper next!)

I did end up marking the bed for the 28s x 17r motif - soooo much easier after my mistakes/remakes. and here's the back. I mucked up the last spider, so I told him he sat on it! I manage to keep the spiders in place with the help of the water based markers on the front. Diana Sullivan said she uses Crayola ones, so I bought those. As far as I can see - use the ones that rub off with water. The marks are already gone!

Pretty close colours.
I like how the spiders don't jump out,
but blend nicely from afar.

Broken Toe Cast On Steps for 8ply-ish on the E6000

This is for the thickish almost 8ply. 250g/100g 

T1/1 1RC

No strippers

Insert comb in V beneath the BB needles add weights - or before either/or.

Remove FB needles, the fastest way was push them all up tap them all down a bit, remove the yarn.

make sure all FB needles are back into WP

Locks haven't moved anywhere

TX (5/5) N/N knit 1 row

TX (6.5/6.5) CX/CX 2 rows

N/N Insert Orange strippers

Put on 7s

RC000

Begin to knit ribbing.

after a few rows, put heel grip on edges

Then again, choose thinner yarn and do a racking cast on.

E6000 Repair, Refurbish, Restore - a gift from Jill Dixon

Some photos of the repairs.

In pieces

 I hadn't realised I hadn't put in an update for when I pulled apart my new e6000 and put in new flow combs. 

Some photos of what I did. It's not so long ago that I don't remember. A month out of my life I didn't get back.

Photos to follow. the back bed was frozen. It's working well.

Needles and pushers removed

The tool to undo all the nuts under

New piece ready to replace the broken one

Getting replaced

Broken eyelet

Cleaning cloths and why doing a swatch is important

 Here's two ideas I found on line:

Eileen Montgomery's Tuck Stitch Dishcloths

Roz Porter's Wash Cloth via way back machine

And one from a well know lady at our club, Joyce, who is no longer knitting, but her "famous" pattern has!

Joyce’s Cleaning Cloth Pattern - (which I haven't tried yet - but it's here if someone wants to)

Card 1 double length. 

Yarn 2 ends Cashmilon 2/28 acrylic 

Set Ribber to H.position for all needle rib. 

Bring 71 needles on main bed to W.P.Bring needles on Ribber to W.P. having end needles on ribber bed. Carriage on right 

T. 0 T. 0 Knit zig zag row right to left, hang cast on comb. T.1 T.1 knit 1 row circular, ie one row each bed. T.3 T.3 set machine to read pattern and to knit on both beds, knit 1 row. 

Set main carriage to slip and Main bed tension to 4 and Ribber bed tension to 2. 

Knit approximately 140 rows , finishing with carriages on right, cancel slip setting . 

Knit one row to left T.4 T.4, set ribber to P position transfer all ribber bed stitches to main bed ,change to H.positon, bring alternate needles on ribber to W.P. M.Bed tension 6 ribber tension 4 knit one row, drop all loops off ribber needles ,. 

Latch tool cast off . Darn in ends. 

====================

So, here I am armed with way, way too many 50g balls of "Crochet and Knitting", Soft etc, you know the ones, individually wrapped in plastic and discontinued a long, long time ago.

And I'm not using their 2, 3 or whatever ends of whatever, noooo, I have a mountain of plastic wrapped space stealers, and did I mention the enormous piece of thick cardboard tubing in the middle? no? well, they all have one - plastic, cardboard and "equiv" 4ply cotton, is you are lucky it says that.

And now I guess people would like some photos. OK here goes:

This photo shows the difference between stitch sizes. I misread my notes and did some on T5 and in the mid section I did 160 rows, but when I re-read the print not my dodgy pencil scribble, I should have done T6, and I did 140 rows. 

Here's my final decision after two didn't make the cut and were rewound, different numbers to double or not...

Single bed 4.5 machine - using card 1 (1x1) elongated

Cast on 60 stitches around the gatepost, exactly as you'd think, (and I weave in the end while I'm at it), 

T7 knit one row then gently tease all the stitches off the gateposts (make sure they are) 

Knit one row back Reset RC 000

Set machine to: TUCK, Double height or elongated.

Knit 20 rows.

RESET machine, SLIP MT+2 (ie T9) TAKE OFF elongated (on the SK, lever back)

Knit 10 rows

RESET machine: TUCK MT (ie T7) select elongated (SK lever forward)

Knit 140 rows

RESET machine to SLIP as above

Knit 10 rows

RESET machine to TUCK as above

KNIT 20 rows

RESET machine to STST (SK0, KH that lever on the left side of the buttons)

Knit 2 rows (to match the start)

Cast/Bind off around the gateposts.

Weave in the end, launder, dry, press, fold and I liked Eileen's idea of a ribbon around the gift.

Also, I did find an interesting thicker waffle pattern on Jane's MK Treasure Chest site, for the bulky KH260+ribber, in 10ply/Aran or double the 4ply cottons, I am waiting for parts for mine, then I might give it a try. Looks interesting, but I doubt they will be for this year. The 260 needs a bit of work to get it back up and running, poor neglected thing.

Diana Sullivan's Midgauge Scrubbie Pattern from her YouTube Video

For those of us who like written instructions, here's what I do.

Buy some scrubby yarn from whoever sells it.

Diana uses her SK860, I'm using my LK150, both 6.5mm machines.

15cm tail is about that is needed each end.

Cast on: 

T1 or higher, it doesn't matter because I think T8 is too loose.

L19/R20 EON

T8

hang comb

bring all needles into work

RC000

knit to RC30

Take off by threading 15cm end through all the loops 

Pull both cast on/off ends and firmly tie the ends together

Sew outsides together, purl side out, to form a circular disk.

Perfect project for any beginner and I'd guess that perhaps working EON on a standard machine MIGHT be doable, but certainly a bulky would do it just fine, but at a lesser stitch size, of course.  Both these alternative would need a tweek. And if I was doing these on the KX350, then I'd maybe, do T7, that sounds about right to me.

If none of that makes any sense to anybody else, Here's Diana's Video with an excellent explanation of all the steps. 

FC6 Fair Isle Carriage on the LK Midgauge Machines

 Fair Isle settings:

• side levers - triangle
• Hold levers - I
• FI lever - F
• Main Yarn - 1
• Contrast - 2
• Yarn in feeder 1 knits B
• Yarn in feeder 2 knits D (make sure all the way out or it mispatterns yarn 1)

Slip settings:

• side levers - solid circle
• Hold levers - II
• FI lever - O
• Main Yarn - 1

Tuck settings

• side levers - triangle
• Hold levers - I
• FI lever - O
• Main Yarn - 1

Short rows in all of the above pattern styles: same as LC2 either take them off or knit back to A.

Short rows in stst - as usual Rusel levers to hold.

There's a Bear In There - Machine Knit Shapely Harry Bear

Berroco has given permission to use their Harry Bear pattern and photo as a base for my machine knit version. The original handknit pattern can be found here https://www.berroco.com/patterns/harry-bear. 

I was trying to find a nice looking teddy bear pattern to machine knit. There are many quick and easy machine knit patterns available. This is not one of them. It is a slow knit and lots to do. I have no complaint about the available bear patterns that you can make in 30 minutes, fine if you want to make one of those. But I didn't.

The pattern has slight adjustments and reworded so it’s easier to knit on the machine. Therefore, it’s not a quick knit, there are increases and W&T in the same row and there is something to do almost every second row, sometimes every row. 

Any machine that will knit the chosen yarn is good to go. I did mine on the LK150 midgauge. T4 on the LK150 with Ice Yarn Eyelash, plated with 2/28 cashmilon, both acrylics. I used safety eyes and noses which I bought from Aliexpress in China, and cut up 2cm squares of felt to put between the eyes/nose and the washer in the inside, so they cannot be pulled through the knitting. 

A .pdf copy of the pattern is available on Ravelry

es = each side. The bear is completely symmetrical. Always the same shaping each side, even the ears, which are worked separately on each side of the head, nonetheless, they are identical. 

RC = the row counter is used to track how many times the carriage trips the row counter. The number on the row counter corresponds to the set of actions until the carriage moves. Also the needles in work are indicated in brackets at the end of each row. Every second RC is LtoR knit unless otherwise stated. 

2PT & 3PT: 2 and 3 prong tool, use either to move edge stitches out one needle (inc) or in one needle (dec), ALWAYS BOTH ENDS, the original pattern has increases on the edge, not a good idea on the machine. Increases are heel of the adjacent stitch, I liked from the centre outwards towards the edges. 

2PT Inc all needs in work

PRE INC are necessary to allow the following row increases to be carried out. (increasing 10 to 18 is tricky) If unable to do all the increases in the designated row, increase in the following row (a little fudge but it works in a pinch). 

2PT Pre inc: Use 2PT to inc to move 1 ndl outwards leaving 3rd needle each edge empty, bring empty needle into work, knit, undo the loop to free up extra yarn for increases that RC. One row has x2, for increasing 10 to 18sts. 

W&T wraps. Written eg 1H, 1n x 3, breaking that down to each component: 

    1H, 2H, 3H etc means 1 or more needles are out to hold 

    1n or 2n etc means how many needles are being wrapped, each short RC

    x1, x2, x3 etc means how many times to repeat the wraps 

Set the carriage to hold, bring out the number of written next to H on the opposite side to the carriage, knit that row, bring the needle next to it out to hold to wrap it and ONCE ONLY bring out the H needle number on the RIGHT, then wrap and turn till done. When finished, W&T 1H, 1n x 3 will have four needles each end out to hold. Finish off, COR, push left needles at opposite side of carriage back to UWP, knit (doing final wrap at the same time) take off hold and continue knitting all needles. 

Knitting off W&T, 4 needles
in UWP knit that row, then
take off hold, knit all sts next row.

Cx INC or DEC 1sts each side. Pull centre needle/s out and increase or decrease each side.

NA: Needle arrangement Arm additions require 9 sts of WY ready to commence arms OR don’t bother and ewrap. Front arms. WY instead of picking up sts from back is up to the knitter. 

BACK 

Legs x 2

Cast on EON 3ndls MT-2 

RC 000 MT 

RC 1: Knit (6 sts) 

RC 2: 2nd and even rows, unless otherwise stated, Knit (6) 

RC 3: NA: 1.1.11.1.1 inc dots (10) 

RC 5: W&T 1H, 1nx1 es (10) 

RC 9 :3PT Dec es (8) 

RC 10 to 16 knit (8) 

RC 17: 2PT Dec es (6) take off on onto far right needles. Make another one, but put on R1 to R6 nds (R2, 4, 6) 

RC19: Joining Row (WS): L7xR6, Inc both edges of centre x (usual heel increases from both) (13) 

BACK BODY 

RC 21: INC 1n each side C3 (15) 

RC 23: NA:111.11111.11111.111 Inc dots from centre (18) 

RC 25: W&T 1H, 1n x 3 (18)

RC 33: DEC 1n each side C4 (16) 

RC 35: NA: 11x11x11111x11x11 Dec x (12) OR 3PT dec x2 es 

RC 37: 3PT dec es (10) 

RC 39 : K 10, Hang WY 9sts (1st arm) (19) 

RC 40: K9 (1st arm), k10, Hang WY 9sts (2nd arm) (28) 

back of bear

RC 41 to 46: Knit (28) 

RC 47: Take off last 9 sts on WY, k to end (19) 

RC 48: Take off last 9 sts on WY K to end (10) 

BACK HEAD 

RC 49: 2PT dec each end (8) 

RC 50: Pre inc 2PT es 

RC 51: NA: 1.1.1111.1.1 inc dots (12) 

RC 52: Pre inc 2PT es 

RC 53: NA: 1.111.1111.111.1 Inc dots, then W&T H3 1n x 2 es (16)

RC 58: Pre Inc 2PT es 

RC 59: NA: 11.111.11111.111.11 Inc dots(20) 

RC 61: K4, +1, k10, +1, k4 (22) 

RC 63: K5, -1, k8, -1, k5 (20) 

RC 65: -1 dec centre sts. then 3PT dec es (17)

RC 67: 2PT dec es then W&T H3 1n x 3(15) 

Ears Prep: 5/5/5 RC 75 slip last 5 to Hold, 5 on WY, 5 sts in WP for 1st ear. K5 (COL) set carriage to hold 

ear increases

EARS 

Row 1 : 1.1.1.11 Inc dots (8) 

Row 2 & 3: Knit (8) 

Row 4: 2PT dec es (6) 

Row 5: 2PT dec es (4) 

Row 6: 1PT dec es. Bind off last 2 sts (I don't to that, I leave last two and graft them to the fronts)

2nd Ear: toddle over the the last 5 sts and.. Work same as the other ear. 

FRONT 

Legs x 2 (second on R ndl 1-6 for ease of join) 

MT-2 Cast on EON 3ndls 

RC 000 MT 

RC 1: (6 sts) 

RC 3: NA: 1.1.11.1.1 inc dots (10) 

RC 5: W&T 1H 1n x 3 (10) 

RC 13: 3PT Dec 3es (8) 

RC 14 to 20: Knit (8) 

RC 21: 2PT dec es (6) take off on 2x3PT and put far right needles and make another one but put ndls 1-6 right (R2,4,6) 

FRONT BODY 

R23: Joining Row: 7.x.6 Cross 2 centre heel increases onto empty ndl (13) 

RC 25: INC 1 each side C1 (15) 

RC26 Pre Inc 2PT es 

RC 27: NA: 1.1111.11111.1111.1 inc dots (19) 

RC 29: W&T H3, 1n x 3 (19)

RC 37: DEC 1 each side C5 (17) 

RC 39: DEC 1 each side C5 (15) 

RC 41: 3PT DEC es (13) 

RC 43: K13, then attach 9 sts from back (1st arm) Right sides together, from WY loops (if this is the first time you’ve knitted it, make a 9st WY, same as the back) (22) 

Picking up the other side

Position on arms

Picking up from back arm cast on

RC 44: K9 (1st arm), k13, then attach 9 sts from back (2nd arm) (31) 

RC 45: DEC 1 each side C3 (29) 

RC 47: Knit (29) 

RC 49: DEC 1 each side C3 (27) 

RC 51: take off last 9 sts k18 (18) 

RC 52: Take off last 9 sts (9) 

FRONT HEAD 

RC 53: 2PT Dec (7) 

RC 54: 2PT PRE INC es 

RC 55: NA: 11.11.1.11 Inc dots(10) 

MT+1 (or a bit more)

RC 56: PRE INC 2PT X 2 ES (10) 

MT 

RC 57: NA: 1.1.1.1.11.1.1.1.1 inc dots, inc from centre (18) 

RC 58: 2PT PRE INC es 

RC 59: NA: 111.1111.11111.1111.111, then W&T: H7 1nx3 (22) 

Front of bear

RC 66: 11X11 pm X for nose BUT I MOVE TWO ROWS DOWN which would be RC64 mid W&T 

RC 67: 1PT X 2 DEC each side of 0, then 2PT INC es (20) 

RC 69: K9, k2 tog, k9 (19) 

RC 71: 3PT DEC es (17) 

RC 71: 6X5X6 pm X for eyes 

RC 73: 2PT Dec, then W&T H3 1n x3 (15) 

Ears Prep: 5/5/5 RC 75 slip last 5 to Hold, 5 on WY, 5 sts in WP for 1st ear. K5 (COL) set carriage to hold. 

Ears: Work same as for back. 

Straight off the machine and after a brush!