Machine Knit Tuck Scarf

I have been in a machine knitting slump lately and decided to do an easy project on my standard gauge machine.  I tend to try and do most things on my bulky.  My bulky and I are great friends.  My standard wants to be my friend, but I've been a bit resistant and I've decided to stop that.

I picked out Patricia Tan's "Tuck and Enjoy" pattern for a scarf.  It took a few minutes to understand how the needle placement should go.  The below picture shows what I finally decided.  It helped me a lot to look back on my own pattern for a tuck scarf to figure it out.  Since they were very similar.

What I found is you need to use lots of weight.  One also needs to be vigilante about moving it up.  This pattern goes quickly and before I knew it the weights were behind the ribber and that's too low.

I also experimented with russel levers on russel lever off.  On a Studio 700 the russel levers allow for needle to be all the way out and in nonworking position (NWP).  This creates the tuck.  In the past I manually pushed needles back into WP.  This time I turned off the russel levers each time.  I did find it saved a bit of time even if it was for 2 rows of the pattern.  I only forgot to pull them back on once and that was when I was knitting late at night.  I know better.  Usually after I make a series of mistakes (my russel levers being the last straw that night) I'll stop knitting.

In the end I made this beautiful scarf.  I used one skein of Tosca Light.  The scarf came to 47 inches.  I decided to try the Twisted Fringe idea for the ends.  (Another Twisted Fringe) I had run out of the Tosca Light and bought some Lion Brand Amazing in a matching color for the fringe.  I just love love love the twisted fringe.

Good Words of Machine Knitting Wisdom

I love this article at "Needles to say..." blog.  She is talking about what advice she had for new machine knitters.  I have to say I agreed with all of it.  I especially loved #4.   "Make the same pattern over again a few times."  When I find a pattern I like I make it a few times.  I usually do it at least twice as the first one had a problem or two.  Then I'll do it maybe a 3rd or 4th time, because it has a technique I need to practice.

Knitting Machine Museum?!... I'm in heaven

I was over checking out the Woollen Yarns blog and Andrea had this link on her blog.

Welcome to the Virtual Knitting Machine Museum

How cool is that! I don't have a lot of time to check it out head to toe right now, but wanted to make sure Andrea's find gets around to us Machine Knitters.

Have fun!