Archive for the ‘Machine Knitting’ Category

I believe every fibre artist should have a seminal project by which they are defined.  Because I dabble in crochet, machine-knitting and spinning, I have a seminal project for each.  These projects may take years, I plan to exhibit them and blog about my progress making each one, and they will become (hopefully!) treasured family heirlooms.

For crochet, I actually have two projects.  One is a filet crochet afghan in pure wool, the other is an evening gown in alpaca silk, from Blue Sky Alpacas.  Both are bagged up, with pattern, ready for me to start.

Tonight I found my machine-knitting project:

Machine-Knitted wedding dress in 3 ply wool, knitted on Singer Memomatic 321, 322, 323 only

I found it in a pattern book I bought off EBay last week – Memomatic Pattern Book Number 23.

It reminds me of the dress my mother wore at her wedding in 1972.  I just love it!  I won’t have any need to wear one (I’m already married!) but I just want to knit it for the challenge – I want to knit it and exhibit it and have people ‘oo’ and ‘aahh’ over it.  Conceited?  Maybe…  Crazy?  Maybe…  but it sure will be a lot of fun!

Anyone for a KAL??

Here are some pics of my most recent machine-knitted project – a pair of pants for my 5 year old daughter:

Machine-knitted kid's pants, size 6 - merino superwash

I knitted them on my Empisal KH680L machine back in March but it has taken me this long to get them finished!  I used some Cleckheaton baby merino superwash wool in a red multi and solid red, that I got from Spotlight for $2 a ball a couple of years ago.  The wool is very soft, but it was a major pain to weave in all those ends from the ball changes!  (Each ball is only 25g).

I used the pattern from my Empisal pattern book – pants and skirts and it went okay.  I had a little trouble with the short rows, but eventually worked it out.  The short rows at the bum mean that the rise on the pants is higher at the back, which is what you want.  I did a simple folded hem at the base of each leg and then sewed up the waist on my Singer sewing machine using a stitch for knitted/stretchy fabrics, which I am particularly pleased with.  I knitted the size 6 as I wanted to get a coupple of years out of them – they are too long, but the rise seems to be okay.   I sewed up the legs on my Bellinky linker, with sewing thread, which I won’t do again as the thread was too fine.  I managed to get some cheap fine cotton cones at the Qld Spinners open day on Sunday (just gone) so will use that next time.

Now that I have the hang of pants, my next project is making a pair for me!  After I finish my husband’s vest, and a friend’s baby blanket, and another blanket, and another skirt…… (sigh)  The list is endless!

My own label

Back view of pants

Here are some pics of my new Bellinky Baby Linker:

Bellinky Baby Linker

I call her ‘Binky’.  Welcome to the family Binky!  May you bring us many happy years of fuss-free making-up and of neat, perfectly seamed garments in record time.

Note that Binky is straight – makes for quick, easy seaming! Straight linkers are quite unusual, I am told….

One leg finished

The other day I FINALLY found the time to knit with a punchcard on my Singer memomatic 322!  I chose a lace card as I wanted to knit a scarf for my sister from some Bendigo 4 ply cotton which I was given in the sale of another machine I bought.

Turned out beautifully!  The whole project took 3 hours from start to finish and the cotton required minimal blocking and hardly curled at all which was great! In the pictures, you are looking at the wrong side of the knitting.  Didn’t get a chance to take pics of the finished product due to the fact that I had to post the scarf off realy quick (my sister lives in London).

Looking down at the scarf hanging between main bed and ribber

Closeup showing needle spacers - designed to keep edges straight and prevent dropped stitches in lace designs

Closeup of punchcard in action

Close-up of back of scarf (wrong side)

Here are pictures of my new Empisal Knitmaster Chunky – there is a ribber too but haven’t set it up yet:

Chunky Ribber SR150

SK151 Chunky Carriage

Chunky Setup

Chunky Knitting

Knitting close-up - hand- purled stitches at each side

It came super-well wrapped and no damage at all!

Needlebed so shiny and new - no rust, no bent beedles!

The chunky baby knits 8, 10 and 12 ply with ease as well as mhoair and chunky specialty yarns.  So pleased!  Will knit  some cable scarves on it and post pics when done.

Here is a pic of a simple skirt I did for my daughter on my Empisal KH680 -

Machine-knitted skirt - 5 ply Cleckheaton Baby Merino

I used two balls of red and two blue – 25g balls of Cleckheaton baby merino that I found at Spotlight for $2 a ball last winter.  It is VERY soft and drapes well and is not itchy.  Such a super-fast pattern – thanks to my friend Chantelle for the Empisal pattern book of skirts and pants.

The skirt was started at the bottom with a simple folded hem, then slowly decreased.  I did a simple bind-off and then sewed elastic into the waistband after I had sewn up the sides with mattress stitch.  The knitting of it took 2 hours and the sewing up, another hour.

I bought this beautiful machine a year ago, but have been so busy with ‘stuff’ and ‘life’ that I haven’t had a chance to photograph it yet and share with you all what a wonderful find it is!

I bought from an Ebay seller here in Brisbane (he is an estate sale merchant).  I paid $300 for this machine which literally, had never been used!  It is circa 1979, making it over 30 years old.  Some of you seasoned machine knitters might remark that I am crazy, BUT I think I got a wonderful machine for my money, as you will soon see why…  (Click on the pictures for a description which explains why it is a ‘new’ machine).

The name plate on the front of the hard case

Everything is still covered in plastic or has the packing materials – the cardboard box has styrofoam supports (still okay by the way!)  The original (now yellowed) packing paper was still there, as was the protective foam insert in the accessories box and the cardboard protectors inside the hard case.

Singer 322 - Tension Dial

Even the tension dial still had its clear vinyl covering!

The Singer 322 Knit radar

The 322 has an in-built Knit Radar.  On previous and subsequent models, it was an optional extra.  Comes with some really cool paper patterns for men, women and children – even cute little knitted pants and dresses for toddlers!

The pristine needle bed

Not a drop of oil, dust, dirt or fibres to be found!

Singer 322 accessories box

Everything is here – the oil bottle has never been cut – everything is still in its plastic!

The needle retainer bar (sponge bar) has had it and I will have to get it replaced.  I have given everything an oil and clean as per the instruction book.

I am really looking forward to knitting my first garment on my machine!  So excited!

I sit here dejected.  Why??  I started off knitting some pants for my 4 year old on my Bond Ultimate Sweater Machine from a pattern I bought on the net.  Instructions were great, even if the number of cast-on stitches was off.  Got half-way through one leg and just after I did the short rows (I don’t know why I need them – she’s not in nappies anymore – next time I will skip that step), I was on the continuing row of the pattern and my bl*&^dy machine knitted off all the stitches!!  Aaarrrggghhh!!!

So, I thought, don’t panic, just rehang the piece and continue on – no such luck – stitches started to unravel, so I thought, “Okay, just re-hang after the ribbing and away you go!”

But noooooo,  managed to rehang after the ribbing, but then my bl*&^dy machine knitted the piece off again!  Double ARRRRGGGGHHHH!!!!

It gets worse.  Gave up – and frogged back to the beginning.  Only now, I can’t get the e-wrap cast-on to work – the carriage keeps knitting the stitches off so the piece just falls to the floor.  I am sure it has to do with my tension and not letting the needles catch properly at the beginning of the row.  Have given up – will try again tomorrow.

I WILL get these pants done if its the last thing I do!!

Thanks so much Chanti for helping me make my machine-knitted string bag!  We did it together on my Empisal KH680 using some 5 ply cotton with a metallic thread that I got from the bargain bin at Spotlight – and we only used 1.5 x 50g balls!  Wow!

I’m going to make some more using Lily Sugar ‘n Cream on my Bond Ultimate Sweater Machine.  I’ll let you know how that goes.  Merry Christmas!

I actually FINALLY finished my first proper projects on my shop display Bond Ultimate Sweater Machine. I got it to cast one beautifully, and despite only a few dropped stitches (rookie mistakes!) I completed not one, but TWO projects in two evenings:

1.  Pram Blanket in Caron Simply Soft ‘Dark Country Blue’ and ‘Soft Blue’, with crocheted picot edging.

This is the blanket on the machine.

This is the finished blanket.

The simply soft just glides through the carriage – very easy to work with.

2.  Novelty Yarn shrug

This was knit with one of those multi novelty yarns that were in Spotlight this year -

Moda Vera ‘Millefoglie’ – different textured and coloured novelty yarns on the one ball.

I started off knitting a scarf, but cast off (stupidly) after only one ball, so thought “What can I do with such a short piece??”  Then it hit me!  A shrug, of course!

So I sewed along from the wrist end of the piece, a third of the way along and then from the other end, a third of the way along.

The only thing I found hard with this yarn was the suede part of the yarn ball – very thick – a bit thick even for my mid-gauge Bond.

Anyway, sorry there’s no pics of the finished shrug – it’s getting dark and not time to take a picture – besides I’m hungry and want to finish this post!