Loz Socks

I've been experimenting with heel flap style single bed socks for my daughter's KX350. Some call it slip stitch heel flap in machine knitting circles, or so I've been told.

You see... I had an idea. I've written it up for her to try...

If I've explained it properly, I'll finish it off and put up the PDF on Ravelry.

Wildhoney's Machine Knit Shawl "Kate"

Over on Ravely, we asked wildhoney - aka Natalia, how she made her Shawl "Kate", she was kind enough to write it out in English for us, which is excellent, our Russian isn't very good. This is what she wrote:

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I’m sorry, my language is not very well.
You asked about the shawl? there are shot rows, they make a half of the circle. There are 8 wedges (or triangles) and a ruffle.

I’ll try to describe…

Cast on 200 st and make 2 rows. Turn on a shot-rows mode on a carriage, (1)put forward in position D 3 st. Repeat from (1) every 2nd row till 4st in work. Turn off the shot-rows mode and make 2 rows. = it is 1 triangle. Repeat it 8 times (or more, if your gauge is different)

The ruffle: cast on 20st. and make 10 rows by some different thread and 1 row of main thread (the carriage is on right side). put the edge st of the shawl on the last left needle (there two sts on needle now, ruffle has 20 sts always! do not increase!), make 1 row and move the carriage on right. (4) Do 20 rows (10 edge sts in work) and make a triangle: (2)Turn on a shot-rows mode on a carriage.
put forward in position D 2 (or 4) sts. on left. Repeat from (2) every 2nd row till 4st in work (on right side). (3)Push 2st in position B. Repeat from (3) every 2nd row. Turn off the shot-rows mode and work like from (4)

Hope, I’m not too silly to explain :) If you have questions, I’ll try to answer with pleasure.

This pattern is based on the pattern by Olga Igumnova and ruffles are by Anna (Annabox from Osinka.ru)

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Some of our newer knitters wanted a more detailed instructions, and here it is for them:

The Shawl:

Cast on 200 sts (Natalia says she used 410g of yarn) with waste yarn.

Knit 2 rows

(1) Set machine to Hold for short rows.

** put 3 needles into HP (bring them all the way out), knit 2 rows** (either wrap needle or make an eyelet, choose whichever you like best - Diana Sullivan's sock youtube tutorial describes this very well - move the marker to about the 6 minute mark - but we are only doing short rows on one side, so we make a nice wedge)

Repeat from ** to ** until 4 sts remain.

Take machine off Hold, knit 2 rows. (2)

This sequence makes one triangle. Repeat from (1) to (2) at least 8 more times, depending on the thickness of the yarn.

The Ruffle:

Cast on 20 sts on waste yarn and knit about 10 rows. Change to main yarn. Carriage on Right (COR)

Put the edge of the shawl on the last needle (using Sew As You Go Technique - link to Diana Sullivan's youtube lesson - which explains this very well). There will be two stitches on this needle, the last needle's stitch and the first loop on the shawl. DO NOT INCREASE STITCH COUNT.

(3) *Knit 2 rows, put a bar from the edge of the shawl onto the last needle*

Repeat from * to * 10 times (20 rows and 10 edge stitches have been made)

Set machine to Hold for short rows.

++put 2 or 4 needles into HP on left, knit 2 rows ++ Repeat from ++ to ++ until 4 sts remain.

+ push 2 or 4 needles into UWP (Upper working position - take care not to push them in too far, about 2cm or 3/4" of needle hanging past the gatepegs is about right), knit 2 rows +. Repeat from + to + until all needles are in WP. (4) (choosing 2 sts will produce a lot of ruffle!)

Repeat from (3) to (4), but omit one set of knit 2 rows—so only 2 rows are knitted between sets not 4. Always 2 rows between actions - either putting on the edging or doing the short rows.

Finish and embellish as you refer. Choosing a beautiful yarn is probably the best thing to do for the first one before fiddling with beads etc.

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There you are girls, I hope you can follow the instructions.

Machine Dutch Heel

Sandy, slisen on Ravelry, found a delightful pattern for machine knit Dutch heel socks. Well, you know me and socks - had to try them out, didn't I?


Very interesting construction. I really liked how they turned out. I haven't worn them yet, but the day is still young. I may just need to wear them today.


I followed the instructions as written, on the Passap, I've put all the std gauge machines away, so dropped the front bed and worked the rows on Miss Pinky.

I decided to put a little bit of padding to the mini flap rows.

My numbers are:
C/O72, T3.5, 2.2 IR ribbing 16R
T4.75, CX/CX 170R
*GX/BX 1.1, right arrow, 1 row, end pushers WP.
GX/N 1 row, bring outside pushers to WP*
Repeat * to * for 24 R
GX/N, Heel divide: 11/14/11 (follow original instructions) RC000
CX/CX T4.75 30R NO reset, change to T4.5, to 150R
Toes - Dec 1 sts all four edges on RC 150, 158, 164, 17o, 174, 178, 182, 186 then ev round till 8 sts remain.

Sock Day at Epping

I ran a sock day at Epping for NSW Machknit. It was a hands on type of day. Lots of machines for people to try out the different techniques.

Kris Basta from kriskrafter.com gave permission for us to use her felted slippers pattern and Cathie Sanders from northtipton.com have permission for us to use Gerta Sitt's machine Dutch Heel.

A big thank you to both ladies for allowing me to include the patterns in our hand out notes.

Hallo Sweetie

"Hallo Sweetie!" says River Song, just as kitty walked past.

Kitty rushes up to television and says "hallo" right back.

Then rushes over to me and says "hallo"... soooo pleased with herself...

I give her lots of pats as she purrs her silly head off and told her yes, the tele did say hallo to her, and didn't shatter her happiness, I just kept watching the Dr Who rerun of last season's finale...

Never a dull moment around here....

Lace Carriage Notes

I've made some notes for me for the lace carriage, with pictures.

Kitty, as always, is right on hand to help.

Dont move the needles beyond the needle bed.
Use ravel cord to hold stitches, (this works really well).
Take time to do it right.

Use the lace carriage to do the stocking stitch.
Yarn in the feeder, side levers forward and no punchard.

It knits at a looser stitch than the main carriage.

Inserted lace card

To tell the carriage where the pattern goes (starting from the back) :

bring the white lever next to the card forward.
Set the edge pins.
on the carriage flick the side levers forward, and the dial to transfer.

When ready to start, move both levers back and the centre dial down.

Increase and decreases can be done as normal, just move the edge pins to their new position and take the needle out of work (for decreases). All the pins do is stop the carriage from doing anything.





Just do your increase/decrease and move the edge pins. then knit. If there's a needle, it will knit, if not it doesn't, so it doesn't matter where the edge pins are, all they do is stop patterning. Just remember to move them and take the needle out of work.

Also hold new ball under the feeder until it takes up.

Make sure to pass BOTH edge pins AND the drums need to clear the punchcard assembly AND the row counter.


 Sometimes the edgepins moved and jammed under the carriage, push it back.





Causes of jams are, the edgepins becomes dislodged, push it back.

No Chat Day

I've been having no chat, just knit days on Ravelry to get a good run on some challenging projects. I think I spend too much time chatting and not enough time knitting, doing housework, sewing, reading etc.

I'm learning to use the Silver Reed machines this year and decided to rework the Apres Surf Hoodie, from the Summer 08 Interweave Knits mag, using Lace Card 10, rather than hand manipulate all the lace. I wasn't really interested in duplicating the lace as written, rather enough to do working the darn machine. It's the little things I've decided, something so simple as working the prong tools, totally different technique, I kept jamming them.


Another wonderful thing is I managed to do the decreases before the lace with the garter bar. Now for the problem. My darling cat used to be a wild thing. She decided that the garter bar box was dangerous, not to be trusted and spent an anxious hour working up enough courage to sniff it. Then decided to sit on me, then lay next to me, just in case it turned evil.

It reminded me of when she was new, and plastic bags were the most scary things. I decided to well and truly kill them for her. threw them on the ground and jumped up and down on them till she was happy they were no longer a threat. So we don't mind them now, even attacks her own paper bags now - all by herself. She has her ways...

Now back to my back - I. Have. Finished. It. And on the way, I've learnt -
to do fashion lace with the punchcard,
how to increase and decrease,
use the garter bar to do decreases over the work.
do a better roll hem
undo four rows without messing up where I was on the punch card
Remember to take out the yarn and put it back in

Phew: Ta Da: