New recruit to machine knitting

As arthritic fingers make hand knitting a bit of a pain I find that casting on by hand and doing the rib is fine. I then add some waste knitting and put it on the machine. Have you any suggestions for websites that may be able to help? Many thanks for your interesting magazine and I find the Starting Over articles very helpful Cheers, Christine Steptoe

Hi Christine

Welcome to machine knitting.

You will need to look for patterns which use a thicker yarn than 4ply to accommodate the size you want to knit.

This website has many patterns for different gauge machines: http://needlesofsteel.org.uk/index.html

The patterns are sorted according to gauge mid-gauge being marked with an M. Some of the patterns for bulky/chunky may also knit up well on your machine.

Once you have become used to the tensions and sizing you will be able to adapt patterns by knitting a tension swatch and using the measurements from the diagrams printed in MKM to work out how mny stitches and rows you need to knit.

Kind regards Sue

Sue P
2016-08-23 13:50:28
Hi Christine

Regarding the 4ply patterns needing more needles than you have you could knit the back in two halves and join them with mattress stitch for an invisible join.

Hope this helps Sue

Sue P
2016-08-26 15:30:03

Toyota needles

Does anyone know if any standard gauge needles will fit it? Thanks for any help. Linda

Hi Linda

You might find some on Ebay. BSK often list machine needles there.

Also some people have tried Brother standard gauge needles in their Toyota 901 machines and find they make a good substitute.

Hope this helps Sue

Sue P
2016-08-23 13:53:47

Single motifs

I have recently brought my Knitmaster 321 out of retirement and wish to re-educate myself on the art of single motifs. Is there a knitting club or someone in the Croydon area who could help, please?

This might help: http://myknittingmachinesandme.wordpress.com/2007/04/22/practicing-on-the-knitmaster-321/

Also check ‘Clubs’ in ‘Directory’ under ‘Contents’ above; there might be a club you could contact that is not too far away from where you live.

Kind regards
Sue

Sue P
2016-06-24 08:16:18

Making up a sideways cardigan

Hi
I’ve knitted the beautiful stripped sideways cardigan from the May issue. However, I’m really struggling to make sense of the making up. Is anyone able to help me? Many thanks in advance.

Start by laying the piece out flat right side uppermost then fold the cast on and cast off edges in towards the centre at the armhole shaping. This will show you where to stitch for the shoulders. Now stitch the ends of the rows on the widest parts together for the collar. Stitch the collar to the back neck you will have to stretch it to make it fit. Sew the sleeve seams pin into the armholes and stitch in place.
Hope this helps fit ‘the jigsaw’ together Sue
Sue P
2016-05-26 17:26:16
That’s fantastic thank you.
kim3
2016-05-26 18:50:00

Tension problem

On a tension square which produces 20 stitches to 20 cm, which scale should I use in the KL-116 – or is it not possible? Any help would be gratefully received.
Thanks, Lesley

The Brother chunky KH 260 came with a set of scales for use with the Knitleader. If you do not have them try the advertisers in MKM or sometimes they are advertised on eBay.
Sue
Sue P
2016-05-13 19:09:28

Knitmaster Needles

Hello fellow knitters
I have been given a Knitmaster 700 and the needles all seem to have a deposit on them from the ancient ‘manky’ sponge bar. It doesn’t seem like rust and is only where they touched the sponge bar. I’ve tried the surgical spirit and oil soak and spraying them with Gunk degreaser (seen on Xena’s website). If I had many hours and patience I might be able to scrape it off all 200 needles, but would rather use a solvent if possible. Any ideas? Thanks for any help, Lyn

Hi Lyn

Petrol might do it but don’t bring it indoors! You might have to resort to doing each needle individually as when they are clean you need to wipe each one with a cloth with couple of drops of oil on it and check all the latches.

Hope you manage to clean them all

Sue

Sue P
2016-01-09 13:53:22
Thanks Sue I’ll try that. I’d like to sort it out so I can pass it on in good condition. I have cleaned up the needles from an old Knitmaster 360 machine I started restoring last year which will fit it in the meantime so I can check everything else is working. Lyn
Moogie1947
2016-01-09 15:52:56

Garter carriage problem

I recently purchased a garter carriage for use with my Brother KH-965 electronic machine. I wasn’t sure if it was compatible, as some sites said it would be and others said it wouldn’t. I found that it would knit if I applied gentle pressure to the top of it, so I added the magnetic rail on top of my built-in rail to raise it and then it totally stopped co-operating. I next tried it on my KH-891 on the magnetic rail using the correct punchcard for 1×1 rib and it purls one stitch then drops one stitch. I’m now at my wits end and unsure what to try next. I hope someone can help and any help would be very much appreciated.
Thanks, Katrina

Hi Katrina
Sorry to hear you are having problems. Which garter carriage do you have?
The fact that it is dropping the plain stitches on the 891 suggests that there is either no needle in the garter carriage or it is not locked into position. When you open the front flap there is a lever which fits into the groove in the white end of the needle. If this is not locked into position the needle won’t move properly and the stitches will not knit.
When using the garter carriage the main bed needles still knit the purl stitches and the garter carriage knits the plain ones.
Hope this helps Sue
Sue P
2015-11-19 16:07:53

Help please with an E8000

Hello Anne
Could you please print a letter in your magazine, because I am looking for someone to help me with my Passap E8000. I have only just acquired it and the first thing I need is some help with the control unit. I live on the east coast of Lincolnshire and hope your magazine could put me in touch with someone who knows about this machine. Thank you for any help, Hilary

Hello Hilary
Would this website be of any help? http://www.passapcanada.com/E-8000/PAGES/E-8000.htm
Maybe you could also email them for some help. Best wishes Sue
Sue P
2016-02-18 20:58:01
Hello Hilary
Hopefully you have already sorted your machine out but if you still need assistance there is a Yahoo group dedicated to the E8000. You’ll find it at https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/PassapE8000/info

The list owner seemed to be from UK but I know little else as I don’t belong to the group myself. Hope this helps Tuija

Tuija
2016-02-18 20:57:23