Welcome Sacramento Area Machine Knitters 2015

Welcome Sacramento Area Machine Knitters Just a reminder...

This blog entry is here to assist the Sacramento Area Machine Knitter's Guild in advertising their meetings on the Internet. I hope you will stop by one of our meetings and share your latest project with us!

Meet with local Machine Knitters. Chat and discuss the art of machine knitting. All machines brands users are welcome, from the Studio, Brother, Bond to the Electronic Passap.

We welcome everyone to bring a knitting machine.  Learn how to use, work on a project or learn how to maintenance a knitting machine and get it up and running.

Sacramento Machine Knitters Guild, meets on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays 10am-noon (we meet throughout the summer at our normal days and times if there is enough interest).  We also meet the 3rd Tuesday 10am - 2pm.

We meet at St. Andrews United Methodist Church, 6201 Spruce Avenue, Sacramento, CA (off I-80 at Greenback exit, turn right at first street, up about 2 blocks, bear right at the curve and the church is straight ahead).

Contact Marilynn (pronounced Mary Lynn) Wright at 916-331-2309 for more information about the Guild and upcoming training topics.

Machine Knitting Maintenance

I was feeling badly yesterday that I hadn't knit, but one baby blanket recently.  Then I got to thinking I have done some things to be proud of and should feel very satisfied.  While organizing I found my extra needles for my Toyota KS 650.  I went to put them with the 650 tools then thought does my machine need any needles.  I looked at my needle bed and I was missing 2 on one end and 3 on the other.  Wow have I really been stealing that many needles?  Guess so.  I pulled out my sponge bar.  It was one I refurbished not long ago, but the ribbon was coming off.  So, glued the ribbon on with some better glue.  The new needles needed some oil, so wiped down the whole machine with some oil.  That's when I thought I should be very happy that I'm taking care of my machine.  Some times a half hour of maintenance is as satisfying as a half hour of knitting.

Sponge Bar Refurbish... Do It Yourself

Of course the first thing you do is pull the sponge bar out. Didn't think to photograph that. I know they make these fancy dancy sponge bar removal sticks, but save your money and get a pen or pencil from the drawer. They work equally as well. I like to use a pencil with a nice eraser on it. I put the pencil in the sponge bar slot eraser first and push the sponge bar out the other side just enough so I can grab it. Then I gently slide it out keeping it level with the floor. One doesn't want to bend it or get it caught on any of the needles.

Once it's out I bring it to an area I have covered with newspaper to catch all the creepy old sponge bar mess as you scrap it out. I use a large flat head screw driver. I've done 3 now and they scrape out pretty easily.

If there is any residue left of the sticky strips from the old sponge bar I squeeze in some Goo Gone to soak.

It doesn't have to soak long. I start scraping up the old glue pretty quickly.

Here's the finished cleaned Sponge bar minus the old sponge. After Goo Gone give Sponge Bar a good cleaning as the Goo Gone is oily and you don't want it to stop the new foam from adhering. I use some regular household cleaner. As you can see I'm doing this outside in case the Goo Gone and household cleaner cause any noxious fumes. One can never be too careful mixing chemicals.

I buy Frost King Rubber Foam Weather seal 3/8" X 5/16" at Home Depot. All three of my knitting machines have used the same size. You might measure yours just in case.

Starting at one end remove the waxy strip to reveal the sticky strip and start centering it down the middle of the sponge bar. I like to hold my thumb and forefinger on each side of the sponge bar to assure it is going into the channel and sticking straight. Take your time it goes fairly quickly and you want it on right the first time.

After weather seal is applied glue a strip of ribbon on the exposed side of the weather seal with plain white glue. I used yellow ribbon as it was what I had in my stash.

It is now finished and waiting for glue to dry on the ribbon.

At the very end of the sponge bar on each side. Take a small piece of tape and wrap it around the ends. I usually forget this until I go to push in the sponge bar on the knitting machine and foam starts to peal back. The tape wrapped around the ends keeps it on the sponge bar as you slide it in. Now I just have to clean up my mess.

Any questions feel free to contact me.