Letters

Organized knitting space

I’m sure I’m not alone in working in the guest room, squeezing in a few knitters, sewing and serging (overlocking) equipment, yarn, threads and accessories. I’d also like some information on how to start and operate a home based machine knitting business, cottage industry and or work as a non-profitable organisation. Any help would be great and thanks for listening!
Petra
PetraKnits in Vancouver, WA, USA

Hi Petra
Here’s just a thought for you. I had my knitting machine and attachments in our sun room taking up lots of space. My husband converted part of our attic into a room for me specifically for my knitting and sewing machine. I now have my own room with TV heater and lots of space. It didn’t cost a great deal but he was able to do it himself. I too would be interested to hear from anybody with ideas on starting a home based knitting business. Happy New Year to you and yours.
Mary
scary007
2011-03-31 18:14:27
Hi
I had a double garage made for my studio where I have my wool carders and stock supply for the markets I attend. I have several knitting machines but as yet have to update my skills with them. As they say Rome wasn’t built in a day’. I eventually hope to use some of my hand spun yarns on them. I started with markets but have now extended to an on-line shop. I still need to get out there for advertising.
Cheers Colleen
Colleen’s Crafts
www.colleenscraftsstore.com
http://craftycolleen.blogspot.com
collarn
2011-03-31 18:13:11
Hi Petra
It sounds like you’re well on your way to using the guest room. If you like working in that room then don’t use it as a guest room – keep it for your work room! If you still have a bed in there then remove it to make more room for floor to ceiling shelving for your stash paint the walls plain white and have extra lighting installed. I too was in the guest room when I started out. I simply told people they could no longer stay over and that was it. I worked in that room for two years before getting my studio. My studio is in our mill it’s a room off to the side and has wonderful cedar walls so while I’m working in there I’m breathing in all the wonderful cedar aroma! I then changed the room back into a guest room now everyone’s happy.
All the best to you!
Qiviut-queen
qiviut-queen
2011-07-04 19:46:54
Hello all
I agree with Petra that many of us knit out of a guest room. Sadly I don’t have a garage or sufficient attic space to move out of my guest room. I would love to see some ideas on how others have organized this space to be suitable for both. My room is a meagre 12′ x 15′ and needs to accommodate a queen size bed desk small sewing table and bulky knitting machine along with the yarn and bag storage. The closet is small. HELP!
Thanks Phyllis
phyl1knit2
2011-07-04 19:46:54
Hi all !

Thanks for sharing! I’m there with you and it’s great for the ones who have been able to expand their creative space in their home. Like Sally says we’re not all so fortunate and have to make do with sometimes untenable situations to pursue our beloved craft.

We should unite and pressure MKM to bring out a series of articles on how to use our space creatively. I think this would be a win win for us because we might learn how to reorganize our stuff and various machines and for MKM because not only is it one of the few knitting machine magazines left but also it would be the only magazine to address this issue. Other mags focus on crafting space but to my knowledge machine knitters have never been included.

All the best Petra

PetraKnits
2011-07-04 19:46:54

email and url addresses

In one of the knitting yahoo groups to which I belong I read the frustration (and second it heartily) about not being able to order from Nina Miklin because no e-mail and/or a direct link to order on-line is provided. Her books are popular in our circles and we’d love to be able to order them on-line. Can anyone help?

Help, new to machine knitting

Unfortunately it didn’t come with any patterns or punchcards. As I’m new to machine knitting I would be very grateful if anyone could point me in the right direction as I’m struggling to find any 18 stitch patterns or punchcards.
Thanks

Try ebay.
oggi47
2011-03-15 11:09:45
Hi
There are some sets of the original punchcards for this machine on eBay.com. The item No. is 370385415929 they are in Australia and the seller ships worldwide.
Hope this helps
Sue
Sue P
2011-03-15 11:09:45
Hi
There are some punchcards – new – on eBay UK item No. 150577901013.
Regards Sue.
Sue P
2011-03-21 20:53:20

FC6 Fair Isle carriage wanted

Many thanks.
Barbara

Barbara If you have not yet located an FC6 carriage I have a friend who has a brand new one and looking to sell.

Donna

Donna L
2013-08-09 15:10:47
Looking for FC6 as well. Donna does your friend still have hers for sale?
Hatgirl
2013-08-09 15:11:09
I would love to purchase a FC6 Fairisle Carriage for my LK150. If you have one available or know of one available for sale please contact me. Thank you so much!

Regards Nancy

npenn135
2013-08-09 15:10:33

Toyota parts for free

Hi – I have found the ribber knitting carriage and the wool mast for a Toyota knitting machine. If anyone wants it, please send me a message and you can have it for free.

Sweater Pattern

I want regular sleeves and the rounded (sort of) sides. There’s one in the January 2007 issue that is similar to what I’m looking for. I would like it to come down to the hips not the waist as this one seems to do. Does anyone know if there’s a pattern for a sweater like this?
Thanks so much for your help. Keep up the great work with your magazine.
Best wishes
Marilyn in Ontario, Canada

Hi Marilyn
Do you have a charting device? You could draw the pattern to the length you require using the other measurements on the diagram as a guide.
If you do not have a charter you could use the pattern as a guide knitting extra rows where the pattern says to knit to RC 48. Once you have knitted your tension swatch in the yarn you will be using you will be able to work out how many stitches and rows you will need for the measurements you want. If you have a green rule you will be able to see how many stitches and rows there are to 10 cm. Divide these figures by 10 e.g. 27sts to 10 cm gives you 2.7 sts to 1 cm.
It might seem a bit daunting to start with but if you work with the measurements given on the pattern diagram for the size you need and multiply them by the number of stitches or rows to 1cm you will arrive at the number of stitches and rows that you need and will end up with the garment you desire.
Hope this helps.
Kind regards
Sue.
Sue P
2011-01-07 20:40:28

Fair Isle sweater

Can you please advise me on this as I’m not following any pattern, I’m working from my tension swatch.

Thank you

Hello Barbara
If you want to avoid having the top thicker than the body you could knit the main part in a 1×1 or similar alternating Fair Isle using your main yarn in both feeders. If you decide to do this knit a new tension swatch as the stitches and rows will probably be different than stocking stitch.
Hope your sweater is a success.
Regards
Sue.
Sue P
2010-12-30 15:25:17
You could try knitting 2 tension squares using a full number difference between the two. ie say tension for fairisle is 7 try the stocking stitch at tension 6. Unless you the full jumper as described in the first comment it may be difficult to achieve the same feel to the garment but should be able to achieve a resonable tension comparison. hope it goes well
kind regards
Min
Min1
2011-01-03 12:54:01

Adult pants pattern

I am also looking for a knitting pattern for adult pants. Any luck?
RChilds661
2011-03-15 11:09:45
Hi
I have a pattern for a knitted top and leggings. I’m not sure if it is a standard knitting pattern or a machine knitting one. Shouldn’t really matter though, it’s easy to adapt the two. I will try to find it if you want to e-mail me at makyrie3699@yahoo.com I will send it to you when I find it.
Ronny
2011-07-20 12:56:23

Toyota K65-1 Transfer Carriage

I have just purchased the above model transfer carriage but cannot get it to work.

The transfer carriage totally refuses to transfer stitches from the ribber to the main bed, but does drop a few (so it is definitely doing something if not the right thing!). I have a feeling it might be something to do with following instruction 2 in the manual. It states move ribber sideways by half pitch lever or racking handle”.

If I use the half pitch lever the ribber bed just moves half a point.

If I follow the instructions and use the racking handle it tells me to turn the handle two full pitches to right and one to left. This gives a completely different placement of the ribber bed than when using the half pitch lever.

Also when using the racking handle

Knitting machine problems

I have been looking to see if I can but another knitting machine and ribber similar to mine, but cannot find anywhere that sells them. I am now retired and cannot afford to spend a fortune on a new machine, but would really like to return to knitting on a machine. I gained such a sense of achievement. Could anyone please advise where I can get help with this. I now live in the Thanet area of Kent.

Hello Bridget,
Sorry to hear you are having problems with your machine. You do not say what exactly is wrong with it, does it just need the sponge bar replacing or is it worse than that?
If it is unusable and you want to replace it, I would suggest the best place to look is eBay. There are usually some Toyota machines advertised at reasonable prices as well as machines from Brother and Knitmaster.
Otherwise there are some dealers who advertise in MKM and although their machines would cost a bit more they will have been serviced and have a few months warranty.
Hoping you find what you are looking for,
Sue.
Sue P
2010-11-24 21:41:56