Letters

Dear Anne

I love every design you publish by Alison Dupernex. She likes sideways knitting and so do I. So, I think it’s worth reminding readers about a method of casting on that you shared back in the mists of time. I think it’s very good, especially for casting on when sideways knitting, but obviously has lots more uses. Crochet a chain in main yarn with as many chains as you need stitches, then place them on the same number of needles. Next pull the needles out to holding position to help the needles slide back and knit a row. It helps to pull the needles out to hold and knit a row twice more. It’s then easy to knit normally without any problems and the chain edge gets lost in the making up. Best wishes, Annabelle

Hi Anne

Thank you very much for the extra copy of MKM that arrived today. In future, I have decided to download the digital copy of the magazine. Partly as it will be cheaper but also because, for me, it will be more convenient. In June, I go to France for three months and look forward to being able to read your magazine as soon as it’s available, instead of having to wait until I return in September. Also, for the rest of the year, I divide my time between two places and get cross when I want to try a pattern but find I’ve left my magazine in the other place. A digital copy will be so useful, as it will always be with me and not take up any room. Once again, thanks for the magazine. I appreciate your thoughtfulness and, although I haven’t renewed my subscription, I’m not leaving you. Best wishes, Christine

Dear Anne

I’ve a 2015 copy of the magazine that lists a Pusher Aligning Tool that can be bought from Mrs Alice E Wilmshurst by sending a cheque to her address in the Forest of Dean. I wonder if you could advise whether Alice is still providing this product? Or if you have an email address for her that I could use? Many thanks, Claire

Thanks for asking Claire and Alice died in September 2016, so your only option is to find a second-hand PAT tool.

Dear Anne

I’m looking to buy a Silver Reed SK280, but would like a machine to do DK and Aran, too. Can you convert hand-knitting patterns for this machine. Thanks, Matt

The LK150 is a great choice as a complementary machine alongside the standard gauge SK280. Knitting on the LK-150 gives tensions almost the same as hand knitting, certainly with stocking stitch. We don’t want to say ‘100% identical every time’ but you’ll not be far out. You need the Tension Dial around 4 for decent DK on the LK-150 and here’s a scan from Page 6 of the instruction manual. This way of showing things is never great, but gives the best idea of the capabilities. Knit everything from fine lace weight to 4-ply on the SK-280, then use the LK150 for heavier yarn.

Hi Anne

I’ve just had a big shock! I had to take my lace carriage for repair, because it had seized up and wouldn’t transfer stitches any longer. When I went to collect it, I was asked: “How often do you clean your machine?”.

“After every two or three garments, I suppose, or if I’ve used dark yarn and want to knit something light”, I replied.

“Do you oil your machine and knitting carriage?” was the next question.

“Yes, it gets a wipe with an oily rag, when I brush off the fluff”. By now I was getting a bit annoyed, because the problem was my lace carriage – but then came the crunch.

“When did you last clean and oil your lace carriage?”.

Gulp! What a fool I’ve been. I wipe round the rails when I clean the machine and my lace carriage sits on the rails, waiting to slide into action. As it doesn’t actually knit, I’d not touched the carriage, nor had it seen a drop of oil. My advice to every reader is… don’t forget your lace carriage. If any part of your machine moves, oil it! The only problem with my lace carriage was that it was crying out for a clean and drop of oil. First name only please, Anne, to spare my blushes. Best wishes, Fiona

Request granted Fiona and, I suspect this is a wakeup call for many of us!

Dear Anne

I have a question for you. Whether you are knitting a ‘V’ neck or a round neck, we are often told to shape by tension. You have to decrease the stitch size as you work towards the fold line, knit the fold line at MT+1, +2 or even +3 and then increase the tension for the other half of the band. But, if you think about it, you know that a neckband ought to pull in the neck opening slightly. So when I come to the fold line, I knit at least one whole stitch size tighter at MT-1, not looser at MT+1. Surely it makes sense doesn’t it? A permanently tight fold line? Once the neckband is sewn in place, I thread a nylon cord through it and pull rather tightly. Again, it pulls the neckband in, to sit nicely around the neck. I steam it lightly and it stays pulled in. I take the cord out when the garment is quite dry. As I said, it’s just a thought! Kind regards, Phyllis

Dear Anne

I’ve come back to machine knitting after very many years. I was surprised to find out that all the magazines I remember for machine knitting have disappeared. I was even more surprised to see patterns in MKM for something you call ‘mid gauge machines’. I have Brother 838, 881 and 950i, so are they mid gauge? In between times I’ve been hand knitting and I’ve loads of double knitting, so can I use it? Best regards, Maureen

Thanks for asking and all your Brother machines are standard gauge models. You can knit soft DK yarn at high tensions (Tension Dial 10+) on standard gauge machines and low tensions on chunky machines (Tension Dial down at 1 or 2). Mid gauge machines are absolutely ideal for this weight of yarn. Whilst we’ve all been beavering away, often on our obsolete machines, a new generation of knitters has become hooked on machine knitting. The LK150 has been marketed as the ideal machine for hand knitters who would like to try out machine knitting for the first time. It knits yarns from DK to super thick weight over 150 needles with manual needle selection. To make a start, I suggest you clean your Brother machines, replace the sponge bars and buy a cone or two of decent quality 4-ply. Get back into the swing of machine knitting and then discover how much tolerance you have at the top end of the tension dial range. You may be surprised at the all-round performance of an old steel bed machine.

Hi Anne

When we’re knitting Fair Isle, we have to do something with long floats and hooking them up is convenient. I always use a tip from years ago to hook the float on a needle above it, putting it on a stitch of the same colour. So, if the float is in the second colour and it’s red, put it on a needle with a red stitch on it. It then stops any ‘show through’ of the first colour! Kind regards, Lynne

Dear Anne

I’m a very lapsed machine knitter, trying to get going again. I knitted like crazy back in the 90s, then sold everything when I had to go back to work full time. I recently saw an old Knitmaster machine propped up in a corner of my local charity shop. They were pleased to see me looking at it and said a small donation would be fine, so I bought it. (I think they just wanted to get rid of it all!) There’s a machine and ribber, with lots of bits and pieces. I’m trying to get going again and it all seems to be here, but there’s no close knit bar. Should I have one and what does it look like? If I find it, what do I do with it? I’d be pleased for some help. Yours sincerely, Sheila

Welcome back to the fold, Sheila and a close knit bar is a long, thin piece of plastic. When a ribber is bought new, it’s often attached to the packing and more often than not, thrown away by mistake. Let’s suppose we’re using a 3-ply or 4-ply yarn and knitting on both beds, with cast on comb and weights attached. As the carriages are taken across, needles come forward and stitches are formed with no problem. If we use a 2-ply or finer yarn, the weight needed on the cast on comb can make it tight for needles go in the carriages at the right angle and stitches don’t knit off cleanly. Increasing the tension often gives us a fabric that’s too loose. If we push the close knit bar under the main bed needles, it lifts them very slightly. So, as the carriages are taken across, the needles are in the correct position to knit cleanly off the needles. When we’re using fine yarn, if some of the stitches stay on top of the needles, it’s a sure sign we need the close knit bar in place. A separate swatch is needed, as the tension will be different with and without the bar. Also, when we’ve finished knitting, the close knit bar must be removed. It shouldn’t be kept in position for all knitting. The bar lifts the needles to accommodate fine yarn, so it does the carriage no good to use it unless necessary. Spares are available for old Knitmaster machines and close knit bars aren’t expensive. Go to any dealer and we also have them in Mini Mart.