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!

My Tools

When I'm using my tools I move the set I want standard or bulky and snap the 3 tiers so it's on the top.

I keep it sitting on a little box I'm using as a make shift table.  It's the perfect height for me to reach the tools and yet they are out of the way of the carriage when it's moving.

The bottom is basically miscellaneous items I use and items I seldom use.

Pool The Tools

This is my new game plan after talking to fellow experienced machine knitters.  I got confused, because I have a knitting machine that has no tools.  Yet I also own that same machine with complete tools.  One is my home machine set up with a ribber.  The other I bought to travel to machine knitting meetings.  I often show up forgetting that it has no tools with it.  Then I can't really use it with no tools.  Fellow knitters are very generous and will lend me tools, but I hate bothering them.  So, I started thinking I'd buy tools for it.  Yet I have a complete set of tools for it at home.  Why buy another set?  "Does not compute, does not compute" would often go on in my brain.

I started taking a poll and talking to fellow machine knitters about how they handled their tools.  What I found out is more knitters than not keep their tools in a tool kit rather than keeping a set with each machine.  This idea kind of bothered me too.  I was worried about loosing the tools I have with each machine.  YET the idea of pooling the tools kept coming up.  I decided to give it a go.  I wanted a tool box where I could have an area for standard tools and and area for the bulky tools.  I didn't want to mix them.  I also needed a tool kit that wouldn't be too heavy to carry.  I also told myself I'd use a Sharpie to label the tools with which machine they go to in case I want to put them all back.

I found the above organizer at Target.  It has three levels and is a very good size for the tools.  I labeled the tools and put them into it.  I carried it to my first meeting.  It worked out great.  It wasn't too heavy.  What I found out later was it works great at home.  More than great really.  I'm very clumsy with my tools when I'm working.  I put them onto the lid of the knitting machine as it sits behind the machine on the stand.  Problem is I don't put them down in the same spot.  They get under the yarn.  Under the pattern.  Who knows where they go sometimes.  I spend more times looking for tools than knitting.  Well, at least it feels like that.  With this new organizer I use tools out of it and place them back into it.  I only have to look in a 6"X 9" area.  It's been such a relief to find my tools when I'm concentrating on a machine knitting project.

Easter Egg Dyeing A Sock

I would love to give this a try.  This video follows a sock blank through the dyeing process to an actual sock.  Several interesting machines used that I would love to have.

What Am I Working On

I found 2 adorable ruffled purses on Ravelry.  Fortunately, one listed the pattern and the pattern was easy to find.  It is in Knitwords Winter 2009 #51 the Felt Like Ruffles pattern.

I started reading through the pattern and was completely confused, but how to get started.  I consulted my experienced machine knitter friend Julia and she was able to walk me through it and get me started.  Once I got going the directions made much more sense.  The ruffle detail takes some concentration as you've got two details you're working on.  One is the tuck to make the ruffled look.  The other is the eyelets to give it a lacy flower like look.  So, I'm moving 4 needles in and out every 4 rows.  I'm then also making eyelets on rows 5, 7, and 9.  This goes on for a total of 12 rows.  I did 5 ruffles per side and 10 in all.  I was an expert by the end.  The first 2 or 3 I got a little confused.  Where was I on the 3 row tuck?  Am I doing eyelets now?  Which needles do I do eyelets on according to the chart?

I did this on my Toyota KS 650 bulky machine.  Pattern does not use a ribber.  Pattern says the level is for a beginner, but I'd say an advanced beginner.

Reading a chart was a new experience to me.  I must say that I messed up on 2 ruffles and made a couple extra eyelets.  I didn't know what I was doing.  Quite frankly I was 12 plus rows past the mistake and didn't go back and correct them.  I did stop after I did it the 2nd time and take a minute to figure out what the heck was a doing.  What I was doing was adding extra eyelets.  On rows 5 and 9 one takes a stitch from either side and moves it to the middle.  On row 7 the middle row one takes one stitch and moves it.  I was doing what I did on rows 5 and 9 and moving 2 stitches.  OK I have a new design element.  Thought about doing it on the other side of purse too to make it match.  But I don't particularly like it and decided that will be the BACK of the bag. :)  I am doing this bag out of some cheaper Paton Classic Wool.  When I get some Noro Kureyon I'll be experienced.

I made one side on Friday and the other side on Saturday.  Today I'm going to take the time to sew up the side seams and weave in all the ends.  Next will be the felting.

blogger has rotated my picture.  Just turn your head and you'll get the idea.

To see this bag done in the Noro Kureyon check out this blog.  It is just gorgeous!