A bit more on beads

I chose uneven subtle beads

I'm working on a beaded scarf, a version of prethreaded beads, strung between stitches, rather than what I've done previously, which is attaching to the stitch - \o/ - it's legs as it were, while knitting the stitches, with a crochet hook - my preferred method.

However back to the Ravellenic (prev Ravelympics) knitting olympics which I do like to find something I've always wanted to try.

So. I started out on the machine, but quickly decided, after a couple of rows, to do this on 4.00 needles and try my hand at doing a two stitch garter strip up both sides.

Time for some pictures:

curling rather nicely on the edge

Light isn't the best but here they all are. in the background, on the left, is the other end, ready to go

I measured out both ends of the yarn so I didn't have to do a join in the middle. Plus a bit and when I came to the big knot, I stopped knitting, took it off and finish it off on 4.00mm.

So. having decided to give that technique a miss, I decided to see the best way to to the two stitch garter edge. And what I liked the best was:
Set the carriage to hold on the left.
bring out the two last needles both sides,
with the latch tool, take off the first stitch and manually form a stitch and put it back, same with the second.
knit one row - last two stitches didn't nit
take off the second last with the latch tool, knit a new stitch and put it back.
then the same on the last stitch
knit one row.
It's not too slow going, although it was for the first couple of rows till I worked out that that was the best way for me to do it.

It will need a press, to assist with the sides, then it will be ready to use - it's been a cold winter..

Finished my Spiral Jumper

I've finished it and here it is. Phyllo Yoke Sweater from the Knitting Nature book.


It worked out very well. The only odd thing was the chart instructions. Of course every second round is knitted, but nowhere did it actually say to do that. Plenty of blather about seashells. I think less seashells and more attention to correctly writing out the instructions would be better all round. Never mind, here is a closer look as the yoke:

I like how the KX350, with the wobbly tension mast, makes the stocking stitch sections a little bit uneven, just enough to add a nice look to it. Very pleased. I'm sure when the weather cools down it will be my fav jumper.

A Book, a Bag, a Machine and an Afternoon

This is what an afternoon spent knitting at a machine looks like. The book "Knitting Nature", which has the Phyllo Yoked Jumper I'm making, an empty bag of Paton's Washed Haze, a Brother KX350 and an afternoon of getting stuck into it. Working on projects is not a pretty activity, there's mess - tools, workbook, cleaning cloth, weights, end of balls dangling, empty ball bands, waste yarn strewn where it landed. So here is a photo of the end of the day's work. It's not a pretty picture, but I decided work never is.

By the time I got to the 14th ball, I had made the front, back and sleeves, all up to the armhole ready for me to hand knit the yoke.

I changed the pattern a little bit, I did a rolled hem, first one ever, put in a couple of stitches waist shaping and short rows not 2tog on the neckline.

T6 gave 19S/26R = 10cm, which closely matches 4.5mm wood knitpics circs.

Now it's on it's way, I'm up to the first row of the chart.

....And I have tidied up! I've finished the projects I'd lined up for the KX350.

No Boring Bits Machine and Hand Knit Projects

I'm interested in putting some hand knit panels onto the machine and getting the machine to do the boring bits.


I know there are many ways to do this already. Tried and true, but I thought I'd like to see which one I liked best.


The most obvious one is to sew the pieces together with mattress stitch, but I didn't want to do that, mostly because I thought it would pull in an unpleasant way along the bustline.


Firstly, daughter decided to try our hand at a Drops dress/tunic pattern and I decided to do Climbing Vines, both have a varying stitch count over a number of rows and is too much of a pain to do on the machine.


On this one, daughter hand knitted the bands on the train to and from work, and joined the "bar" up on the KX350 Brother machine. As best described in Diana Sullivan's single bed sock tutorial. However, this is excellent for thinner sock wool, on this 8ply yarn, it's not quite so good.


Next bright idea we had was to pick up the "bump" not the "bar". As Best described as being the bit between the bar, very each to pick up on thick work.


This brings me to my second project that I've been trying to figure out the best way of making, the Climbing Vines Jumper.


So I decided to knit up the leaf panel on 4.00mm needles, but first I did the ribbing on the Passap, cause it's quick and easy. Then onto the plastic KX350:

Here is a pretty clear shot of the "bump" that we decided may give a tighter "seam"

I used the single prong to get the stitch and put it back onto the machine.

And put it onto the needle, which is done every second row and really worked well.

Crochet over Stocking Stitch Edging

I've done the Crochet style hem, described in Susan Guagliumi's book Hand Manipulated Stitches for Machine Knitters, page 46; Chapter 2. 10: Alternative Crochet Cast on. Please refer to the book for further details.

The method I used to do the neck isn't covered in the book and this is what I worked out to best match the hem.

Of course I could have tried to put it back onto the machine and managed it that way, but getting the V neck right is way above my ability.

How I Pick Up Neck Stitches: (Just read this bit)
Pick up stitches from the saved ones on the back - I don't cast them off; pick up stitches along the neckline - I do two of the little loops and then the big loop in the middle , ie every third is the big loop, that's my method of picking up neck stitches.

I use knit pics or pro as they are called now, with a 5.00 on the right end and 3.00 on the left end, and a 5.00mm crochet hook.

This is what I did:
Before I picked up the front neck stitches, I did a row of crochet between the stitches on the holder,
I "park" the last loop from the crochet round on the knitting needle,
but could have a stitch marker or scrap of yarn to stop it unravelling,
then picked up and knitted the front edge stitches and knitted across the back,
one round completed.

Photos:
Doing the knit one round:
Picking up the last "parked" crochet loop from the prev crochet round.
putting the loop from the prev crochet round onto the hook:


Crocheting between the stitches knitted on the previous knit row, having the thinner needle and cable make it a lot easier, it also works with the 5.00 end, but it's a lot tighter.

Doing the crochet one round between each stitch on the cable cord:The pick up round is a bit untidy so I did another round into it when I've finished the other.When I finished the neck band I went back and filled in the gaps with another line of crochet stitches, I think it looks better:
I decided to make the V a feature, so I made a centre stitch from the tail, crocheted behind it on that round with one chain behind it so it didn't pull. Every second round I did 3 together... umm. put 2 togther onto the right needle and picked the third behind it and knitted off all 3 tog.

Hopefully, I haven't forgotten anything, (I'll come back and edit anything I've messed up)!

A Gathering of Gathered Jumpers

Sooo... I made myself a long awaited Gathered Pullover on my KX350. Experimented with different techniques and I've had a lot of admiring. It was an easy knit. Really! Mostly done on the machine, with about 40 rows of the panel done on 5.00mm needles.

Well my friend Shelley decided that she Must Have one too, and would I make her one and would I accept some Bendi Harmony as payment. Why yes I do believe I would!

Sooo.. daughter #2 came to visit last weekend, bringing her delightful newish boyf, her knitting, HIS knitting, they were making laptop covers intending to felt them. Well the boyf had already mastered a ribbed beanie on the Passap and wore his beanie all winter. Now he decided to knit his laptop cover on the Plastic Fantastic. Of course I had Shelley's half made Gathered Pullover along with mine for reference. She loved the jumper, tried mine on - of course too big and to long, but none the less, could I make her one too?

She hasn't asked me to knit her a jumper before so I thought I'd be nice and do one for her too.

Here is a picture of the front, and below it is being put back onto the machine, ready to knit the rest of the front. there isn't very much difference between T5 and the 5.00 mm needles I knitted the motif on.

Here is the photo of the neck band, which I get asked about a lot: seen is it's original, as written curling stocking stitch neck, with the crochet between each stitch being done. It's a single crochet, on a 5.00mm hook.

Working Bendi Harmony on the KX 350

Working Notes on the 350 with Harmony cotton blend.

Bendigo Woollen Mills Harmony 8ply
Swatched shown is:
Crocheted edge with latch tool
T6 40R : 18S & 32R /10cm
T5 20R : 20S & 30R /10cm
T4 20R : 22S & 28R /10cm

I wanted to try the crocheted edge as described in Susan Guaglium's Hand Manipulated Stitches for Machine Knitters: 5.00mm crochet hook worked best. The latch tool was too tight and uneven.

I'm making Gathered Pullover from IK Winter 07, but flat not in the round. The beginning of the pattern says: This sweater is worked in a much larger gauge than the yarn calls for to create a fabric with drape and fluidity.
With that in mind, I went with the T5, almost the same tension as the original design. The crocheted edge, a little bit of shaping and the cable panel will add a little bit of interest while I learn how to use the machine.

Notes for the Back
Cast on 100, 6 crocheted back rows, straight for a bit, dec 1 st each side every 4th row, about 30 rows straight, inc 1 st each side every 6th row, but to 98 sts, work straight till 40cm, work armhole shaping, taking off the extra side stitch, do the decreases as written, work 64 rows, do shortrow shaping for the shoulders: hold 5 sts each end till 20 are held each side, work rows to have one complete row taken off the machine.

Notes for the Sleeves:
CO 50, 6 crochet back rows, T5, inc ev 8 rows to 78. to RC 150, dec as written but with a few more rows in the cap, 50 incl last rows T10, which I used to cast off.

Notes for the Front.
Work as for back to RC76, where the fun started. Ok I tried to do the cables, where more experienced machiners would know better. I managed one. the came to a grinding (yes literally grinding) halt. So, off the machine it came, to see what I could do. I was all set to rip it back and redesign a simple panel - however I really liked the single cable and partial second cross I'd managed before the wheels fell of (Ok no they didn't but there was some groaning). The Plan was to knit up the panel, but with an extra stitch at the end of the panel have a purl though the whole motif, put it back on the machine knit up both sides, combine and keep going. however... the 5.00mm needles work so well, no noticeable difference between where the machine stopped and I started, so I knitted the motif on the 5.00s. The other thing I changed was to start the neck divide after the armhole shaping had been completed.

Neckband notes:
Decided to put the crotched edge around the neck. Using 5.00mm circs, picked up the stitches and knitted 4 rounds in total, on the centre front I did 3 tog each round. I put rows of crochet through the pick up row and the next 3 rows. The one on top of the pick up round was done after the event, but the other rows were done between the stitches on the circ cable, which was much quicker, but the next row was a bit tight but doable. Cast off normally.

Things I learnt:

• it's easier to use than the Passap
• taking off the machine with a small circ needle, fixing the problem works best
• I can't use the latch tool and get an even stitch.
• picking up stitches to rehanging is very easy
• the cast on comb and claw weights are excellent and doesn't need any other weight.
• not to lean on the plastic machine
• make sure that the yarn doesn't get out of position when doing short rows - or it ends up in a heap on the floor.
• when you flip the H lever cam thingy to N, it just knits up all the stitches without me having to put them back on the hooks, love this feature.
• when ripping back, put the undone stuff in a pile and put it through the second whisker until it's taken it all back up again, then unthread and off we go. saves heaps of time.
• T10 on the last row them crochet off make an excellent cast off.
• You can't do more than one set of 4x4 cables and only just do one at that.
• I don't think this machine has been used before.

Very happy with the first thing I made on this quiet little achiever.