Archive for February, 2009

Now I know that we’ve all been told that money is what’s needed most but frankly – I don’t subscribe to that point of view.  Craftsters who make handmade items really enjoy what they do but most of all – enjoy giving them to others.  They love the feeling of satisfaction that comes from making something with their own hands and seeing (or just knowing) the joy it brings to the recipient.

I personally think money is important – but so are things and things are what these people need as well – useful things such as clothing, blankets, toys, household goods.  Handmade items are so much more personal than commercially-made ones plus you have the added benefit of the love put into each one.

So, reject this idea that money is the most important thing you can give these people and donate some handmade items to the appeal.  If you have a blog or website, you can put a button (just like the one below) on it to show support.  Just visit http://handmadehelpsout.blogspot.com for details on what to donate, where to drop your items off and who to contact.

Come on Aussies!  Come on and donate handmade!

On the weekend, I purchased my first knitting machine – an Empisal KH680L.  For those unitiated, see pics below.  It was purchased from Myer, Fortitude Valley, Brisbane in March 1975 (I still have the original box with the sales stickers on it).

It is a lovely machine – they don’t make Empisals anymore – the company was taken over by Brother in the 1980s.  Brother doesn’t make knitting machines anymore either.  The only machines still in production are Silver Reed.

The only things my machine didn’t have was the clamps to attach it to its table (duh?)  and the instruction book (double duh!).  I managed to download one from www.2instructions.com at a cost of US$40.  Hmmmm…. – a necessary evil, I’m afraid.

The sponge bar needs replacing, but as it’s such an old machine, I couldn’t find a replacement so I found a fantastic tutorial on how to make your own sponge bar – which I will be doing this weekend.

So!  I finally got around to setting it up today, but darn it – couldn’t get it to cast on.  So, in desperation, I rang the Queensland Machine Knitter’s Guild for some help/advice.  Joan is coming around later today to help.

Here are some pics I took with descriptions below each one:

This is a close-up of the top of the case – closed.

The Empisal with its table.

The instruction book (the downloaded copy).

Close-up of the carriage without the handle or roller plate assembly.  Showing the tension dial in the centre and the knitting type selector buttons underneath.

The carriage with the handle and the roller plate assembly installed.

Tools, Top row – from L to R – carriage lock, (not sure what this is), set lever, machine oil bottle

Middle row, L to R – handle, needle cutter tool, wax roll

Bottom row, L to R – handle, two weights, row counter

Left Row, Top to bottom – transfer handle – 2 x 1, transfer handle – 3 x 1, transfer handle – 3 x 2, latchet hook, work hook

Right Row – top to bottom – spare needles, nylon thread (used to hold together 2 pieces of knitted fabric to enable a continuation of knitting without removing the first panel from the knitter)

Underside of carriage and roller assembly unit

Peaches and Creme coned yarn threaded into rear yarn tension unit – this was just for display as this Empisal does not deal with worsted weight yarns – the highest you can really go is DK weight (8 ply).

No rust on the needles.

Pattern selector buttons.

Row counter showing the tripper at top-left.

Top yarn tension unit showing tension dial.

This very popular pattern was re-released by AA last year and can be bought via the website, BUT the catch is you have to have a US shipping address.  If you don’t, you can buy it through Priceusa.com.au – an Aussie lady who has her US buyer purchase the item and ship it to you.

I sell the yarn to make the afghan – Red Heart Super Saver in the colours stipulated, but if you like the pattern, but don’t like the colours used, you can substitute for your own scheme.  Whilst trawling the net the other day I came across a colouring-in page to help you do that – http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3143/2626514790_7b20267040.jpg

Simply play around with the colours you like and how they fit into the pattern.  Makes a great kids colouring-in too!  Helps them to learn to stay within the lines.