Machines

Chunky Knitter Model 155

Hi
I bought this machine about 20 years ago and have never used it. I’d like to get started so I set up the machine and I’m just so intimated that I haven’t been able to get past doing anything else. Can I use regular patterns to make a simple sweater? I’m not sure where to start so please help! I’m an intermediate (but slow) knitter and can read patterns fairly well.
Thanks for any help.

Hi
First don’t be afraid! Chunky machines are great to get started on. Is there a club near you? I would try Google or go to your local library to find one otherwise there are on-line courses as well as courses you can actively go on. I’ve just returned from Hereford with Amy Twigger Holroyd who has beginners’ classes on the Knitmaster Chunky 155. You could also try YouTube. Just put in ‘beginner machine knitting’ and select from the short videos. Some are better than others. Good luck stick with it it’s a great hobby. If you’re near Hertfordshire I could maybe help.
Best wishes
kazbill
2012-09-21 14:29:58
Hi
You don’t say the area you have come from but I’ve just bought a 155 and I’m willing to help if you live in the Lincolnshire area.
rosiewright
2012-09-21 14:29:58
Hi
First don’t be afraid! Chunky machines are great to get started on. Is there a club near you? I would try Google or go to your local library to find one otherwise there are on-line courses as well as courses you can actively go on. I’ve just returned from Hereford with Amy Twigger Holroyd who has beginners’ classes on the Knitmaster Chunky 155. You could also try YouTube. Just put in ‘beginner machine knitting’ and select from the short videos. Some are better than others. Good luck stick with it it’s a great hobby. If you’re near Hertfordshire I could maybe help.
Best wishes
kazbill
2012-09-21 14:29:58
Hi
You don’t say the area you have come from but I’ve just bought a 155 and I’m willing to help if you live in the Lincolnshire area.
rosiewright
2012-09-21 14:29:58

Color changer

Hi Sandra
I’ve just checked on www.metropolitanmachineknitting.co.uk and from the information given the YC5 is for double bed only whereas the YC6 is for either single or double bed. Metropolitan are advertising a secondhand YC5 for £10. Hope this helps
Regards Sue.
Sue P
2013-05-03 11:03:30
Hi Sandra
I have the same model machine and ribber as you and I have a YC6 colour changer as it gives me the option to use the colour changer for Fair Isle or double Jacqard. Hope this is of some help to you.
Best wishes Joy.
dingdongdell
2013-05-03 11:02:44
Hi Sandra
I have had the YC6 for years which I use with the Knitmaster 360. It’s very versatile because you can use it for double bed Jacquard work and for single bed Fair Isle. Hope this is a help to you.
Joy
dingdongdell
2013-05-03 11:04:39
Hi Sandra
I’ve just checked on www.metropolitanmachineknitting.co.uk and from the information given the YC5 is for double bed only whereas the YC6 is for either single or double bed. Metropolitan are advertising a secondhand YC5 for £10. Hope this helps
Regards Sue.
Sue P
2013-05-03 11:03:30
Hi Sandra
I have the same model machine and ribber as you and I have a YC6 colour changer as it gives me the option to use the colour changer for Fair Isle or double Jacqard. Hope this is of some help to you.
Best wishes Joy.
dingdongdell
2013-05-03 11:02:44
Hi Sandra
I have had the YC6 for years which I use with the Knitmaster 360. It’s very versatile because you can use it for double bed Jacquard work and for single bed Fair Isle. Hope this is a help to you.
Joy
dingdongdell
2013-05-03 11:04:39

Brother KH840 and the Garter Carriage

Hello all

I’m recently returning to the machine knitting fold and still re-learning the basics with my first garment nearly finished. I only found Machine Knitting Monthly two months ago and ran down to W H Smith to pick up a copy.

I am very much into having everything for my machine so that I am not limited when it comes to patterns. However one piece of kit that I would really like is a garter carriage, however there appears to be conflicting information on the internet as to if one will work on my machine and was wondering if anyone could provide some sage advise for me at all? So far I have read:
The KG88 and the KG88II will work on my machine
The KG88 or KG89 models will work as long as I have the rails
No garter carriages will work
The KG88 or KG88II will work with modifications (but I can’t find out what these are)

As my birthday is coming up, I would very much like to buy myself a carriage off eBay or the pre-loved website, but do not want the disappointment of having to re-sell it as it is not compatible…

Any help or advise that anyone can provide would be greatly appreciated!

Kind regards.

Justin

Hi Justin

If you go to www.scanthecat.com you will find all sorts of information about Brother machines. According to this website your Brother KH840 cannot be used with a Garter Carriage.

Regards
Sue.

Sue P
2012-05-09 10:32:05
Hello Sue
Thank you for coming back to me I really do appreciate it. I have had a look at this site and a couple of others and I have come to the conclusion that I will wait until I’m more experienced and then possibly look into purchasing a second hand Brother KH950i which I know will definitely take the garter carriage and will be able to produce more complicated patterning.
Kind regards Justin
poitier
2012-05-22 12:26:04
Hi Justin

If you go to www.scanthecat.com you will find all sorts of information about Brother machines. According to this website your Brother KH840 cannot be used with a Garter Carriage.

Regards
Sue.

Sue P
2012-05-09 10:32:05
Hello Sue
Thank you for coming back to me I really do appreciate it. I have had a look at this site and a couple of others and I have come to the conclusion that I will wait until I’m more experienced and then possibly look into purchasing a second hand Brother KH950i which I know will definitely take the garter carriage and will be able to produce more complicated patterning.
Kind regards Justin
poitier
2012-05-22 12:26:04

Toyota machine and ribber

Hi
I have been given a very dirty, old and unloved Toyota KS901 complete with a Toyota KS501 ribber but there are no manuals to go with them. I have no idea how to get this machine back into a decent and running condition. Can anyone help me please?

Hi Glenys

Your machine sounds like mine was when I received it. Giving it a really good clean will stand you in good stead for the future.

If you go to http://www.tphuktrading.com/toyota-knitting-machine-e-manuals-20-c.asp you will be able to buy the manuals for these machines. They are £3.50 each and are sent out by email.

To make a start on cleaning the machine you will need a bottle of Surgical Spirit (not Methylated Spirit) and some sewing/knitting machine oil. Add about a teaspoon of oil to the Surgical Spirit. You will also need a couple of jam jars and some cotton cloth – old t-shirt fabric is good – a 1/2″ paint brush cotton buds and plenty of newspaper!.

First brush all the fluff out from under the carriage then using the paint brush dipped in some of the Surgical Spirit give it a really good clean to remove every last trace of old oil. Wipe dry and apply a thin coating of oil with a cotton bud along all the channels. You can use the Surgical Spirit on the plastic too.

Working on one bed at a time: remove the sponge bar (inside the front of the needle bed) close all the latches on the needles and take out all of the needles by pushing forward lifting the butt and sliding backwards. Closing the latches makes sure you don’t damage the needles. Once they are removed you can take off the numbered strip and wipe it clean.

As you remove them put the needles into a jam jar. Pour in some of the Surgical Spirit and leave to soak whilst you clean the machine. Vacuum out as much fluff as you can. A long stem cleaning brush is very useful for removing gunk from inside the needle bed. You might need to use a needle to hook out any stubborn bits. Then wipe over with some of the Surgical Spirit to remove all the old oil.

You will need to clean the rolling mechanism at the back of the needle bed – I expect it will be very stiff – and oil the ends of each section.

Once the main body of the machine is clean you can return to the needles. Give the jar a good shake to loosen the dirt and take the needles out one at a time. Wipe dry then wipe with a lightly oiled cloth. Open the latch and replace into the needle bed: through the front slot drop into place and slide back.

Check each needle as you go and discard any that are bent and have stiff latches.

Before you replace the sponge bar check the foam on it. I expect it will be very flat if so it will need replacing. Some people recommend replacing the bar with a Silver Reed one as Toyota’s are no longer available but you can replace the foam with draught excluder. You will need the brown foam draught excluder as the white one is too dense. If you decide to replace the foam this way make sure you tape round the ends well so it doesn’t come off.

I hope this does not sound too daunting. If you take it one step at a time you should be O.K. Let me know if you need anything clarified.

Regards
Sue.

Sue P
2012-03-22 13:19:00
Hi Glenys

Your machine sounds like mine was when I received it. Giving it a really good clean will stand you in good stead for the future.

If you go to http://www.tphuktrading.com/toyota-knitting-machine-e-manuals-20-c.asp you will be able to buy the manuals for these machines. They are £3.50 each and are sent out by email.

To make a start on cleaning the machine you will need a bottle of Surgical Spirit (not Methylated Spirit) and some sewing/knitting machine oil. Add about a teaspoon of oil to the Surgical Spirit. You will also need a couple of jam jars and some cotton cloth – old t-shirt fabric is good – a 1/2″ paint brush cotton buds and plenty of newspaper!.

First brush all the fluff out from under the carriage then using the paint brush dipped in some of the Surgical Spirit give it a really good clean to remove every last trace of old oil. Wipe dry and apply a thin coating of oil with a cotton bud along all the channels. You can use the Surgical Spirit on the plastic too.

Working on one bed at a time: remove the sponge bar (inside the front of the needle bed) close all the latches on the needles and take out all of the needles by pushing forward lifting the butt and sliding backwards. Closing the latches makes sure you don’t damage the needles. Once they are removed you can take off the numbered strip and wipe it clean.

As you remove them put the needles into a jam jar. Pour in some of the Surgical Spirit and leave to soak whilst you clean the machine. Vacuum out as much fluff as you can. A long stem cleaning brush is very useful for removing gunk from inside the needle bed. You might need to use a needle to hook out any stubborn bits. Then wipe over with some of the Surgical Spirit to remove all the old oil.

You will need to clean the rolling mechanism at the back of the needle bed – I expect it will be very stiff – and oil the ends of each section.

Once the main body of the machine is clean you can return to the needles. Give the jar a good shake to loosen the dirt and take the needles out one at a time. Wipe dry then wipe with a lightly oiled cloth. Open the latch and replace into the needle bed: through the front slot drop into place and slide back.

Check each needle as you go and discard any that are bent and have stiff latches.

Before you replace the sponge bar check the foam on it. I expect it will be very flat if so it will need replacing. Some people recommend replacing the bar with a Silver Reed one as Toyota’s are no longer available but you can replace the foam with draught excluder. You will need the brown foam draught excluder as the white one is too dense. If you decide to replace the foam this way make sure you tape round the ends well so it doesn’t come off.

I hope this does not sound too daunting. If you take it one step at a time you should be O.K. Let me know if you need anything clarified.

Regards
Sue.

Sue P
2012-03-22 13:19:00

Punchcard graph

Hi
I’m looking for a punchcard design (24 stitches wide by about 30 to 40 rows high) of a slanted guitar, suitable for a toddler’s jumper. Can anybody help please? I’ve looked through all my patterns to no avail.
Thank you in advance.
Janet

Hi Janet
Can I suggest you draw out a graph to suit your tension 24 stitches wide by however many rows you want. For example if your tension was 4 stitches and 6 rows to the inch your graph would measure 6 inches wide by 5 inches deep from top to bottom. (24 sts divided by 4 sts = 6 inches; 30 rows divided by 6 rows = 5 inches).
Draw the lines across and down to represent stitches and rows making individual squares – but use your own tension figures. This will give you an area true to the size of your knitting. Find an image of a guitar to trace or copy onto the graph then blank out all the squares that are at least three quarters covered by the outline. Each square represents a full stitch so don’t use squares where only a tiny corner is covered.
Punch out line by line onto a punchcard. This should give you a good outline of any subject just fill it in knitting with the colours of your choice. The pattern may look elongated when you punch it out on the punchcard but will knit up exactly as it appears on the graph.
It’s a bit complicated I know but worth a try if nothing else turns up.
Hope that helps
Wren
wren
2012-03-28 17:46:18
Hi Janet
Can I suggest you draw out a graph to suit your tension 24 stitches wide by however many rows you want. For example if your tension was 4 stitches and 6 rows to the inch your graph would measure 6 inches wide by 5 inches deep from top to bottom. (24 sts divided by 4 sts = 6 inches; 30 rows divided by 6 rows = 5 inches).
Draw the lines across and down to represent stitches and rows making individual squares – but use your own tension figures. This will give you an area true to the size of your knitting. Find an image of a guitar to trace or copy onto the graph then blank out all the squares that are at least three quarters covered by the outline. Each square represents a full stitch so don’t use squares where only a tiny corner is covered.
Punch out line by line onto a punchcard. This should give you a good outline of any subject just fill it in knitting with the colours of your choice. The pattern may look elongated when you punch it out on the punchcard but will knit up exactly as it appears on the graph.
It’s a bit complicated I know but worth a try if nothing else turns up.
Hope that helps
Wren
wren
2012-03-28 17:46:18

Singer Big Nine

Namely the pairs of white plastic hooked combs, which I believe were meant to do ribbing on the machine. I remember that one was used to pick up alternate stitches from the bed of the machine, – lift, then flip over and clip to it’s ‘pair’ resting on the front slot of the machine bed. But it isn’t quite that simple, I remember there was a ‘fiddly bit’ – which took me ages to grasp at the time, and which now completely escapes my memory. I would now like to get some use out of the machine, and try to get back into knitting generally, now that I have more time.
Can anyone help please? Does anyone have the instructions for using these rib combs?
Many thanks if you can help.
Regards,
Wren

Zippy 90

I am new to machine knitting, and have purchased a cheap Zippy 90 machine, but I am unsure as to whether I have to use balls of wool or have to use cones and also if this is the case where can I buy a wool winder from? I have tried all wool shops in Derby and surrounding area, any help appreciated

Hi Shellbelle

Welcome to machine knitting.

You can use balls of yarn but you will have to rewind them so the yarn feeds through the machine smoothly. For this you will need a winder. Check Metropolitan and BSK for new ones or eBay often has secondhand ones for sale.

It is much easier to use coned yarn as it is prepared especially for knitting machines. There are quite a few places that supply cones. Uppingham Metropolitan Undy BSK Yeoman Texere are a few that come to mind. They all have websites where you can order securely.

Hope this points you in the right direction.
Kind regards Sue.

Sue P
2014-02-26 17:47:55
Hello
Actually you can use any kind of balled or coned yarn with this machine. With balled yarn just try and pull the end from the centre of ball (not the outside) and pull enough off (about three long pulls) to knit one row – depending on the width of the row of course. I’ve been using my little Zippy 90 since the late 80s and it’s great for all kinds of yarn especially mohair.
Are you in Derby City or Derbyshire? I could offer some additional help.
Best wishes
Marilyn
maribob
2014-02-26 17:47:23
Hi Shellbelle

Welcome to machine knitting.

You can use balls of yarn but you will have to rewind them so the yarn feeds through the machine smoothly. For this you will need a winder. Check Metropolitan and BSK for new ones or eBay often has secondhand ones for sale.

It is much easier to use coned yarn as it is prepared especially for knitting machines. There are quite a few places that supply cones. Uppingham Metropolitan Undy BSK Yeoman Texere are a few that come to mind. They all have websites where you can order securely.

Hope this points you in the right direction.
Kind regards Sue.

Sue P
2014-02-26 17:47:55
Hello
Actually you can use any kind of balled or coned yarn with this machine. With balled yarn just try and pull the end from the centre of ball (not the outside) and pull enough off (about three long pulls) to knit one row – depending on the width of the row of course. I’ve been using my little Zippy 90 since the late 80s and it’s great for all kinds of yarn especially mohair.
Are you in Derby City or Derbyshire? I could offer some additional help.
Best wishes
Marilyn
maribob
2014-02-26 17:47:23

Jane

Hi
I’m looking for needle retaining bars for the Knitmaster 360 and the Knitmaster ribber SRP-50, also needles for both. I live in Gravesend, Kent.

Hello Auntie Jane

Check out Trading Post on this website. Silver Reed/Knitmaster accessories are available.

Regards
Sue.

Sue P
2012-02-28 18:45:28
Hello Auntie Jane

Check out Trading Post on this website. Silver Reed/Knitmaster accessories are available.

Regards
Sue.

Sue P
2012-02-28 18:45:28

Cast on comb

Hi Tanna

I use a smallish screwdriver to manipulate them back into place.

Regards
Sue.

Sue P
2012-02-28 18:38:49
Thanks I will try that.
Tanna
2012-03-05 15:51:24
Hi Tanna

I use a smallish screwdriver to manipulate them back into place.

Regards
Sue.

Sue P
2012-02-28 18:38:49
Thanks I will try that.
Tanna
2012-03-05 15:51:24

Knitmaster 700K radar stitch cards

I recently bought a Knitmaster 700K with a built in Knit Radar but the stitch scales that came with the machine are the wrong ones and should be H4-H14 approximately 13½ inches long according to the manual. I have tried all the companies and eBay without success and without the scales I can’t use the Knit Radar. Does anyone have a set please?

Have you tried Metropolitan they stock most things.
ghowes
2012-08-02 17:05:29
Have you tried Metropolitan they stock most things.
ghowes
2012-08-02 17:05:29