Day 23 "25 Days of Diana"

Well, my daughter got out of school for winter break and all my time got sucked up into Christmas festivities.

One fortunately involved machine knitting.  My daughter and her best friend were invited to go on a skiing trip.  First thing *Neighbor said to my daughter was, "We should make matching hats!!"  Then she turns to me, "Neighbor, can we make matching hats?"  I said sure lets go get some yarn.  I love that they think they can knit at a moments notice.  In this day and age of computers and cell phones I really enjoy getting them into something like machine knitting.

They decided to make the hats match, but have their own unique stripe.  Again we learned threading up the machine, weaving cast-on, hanging a hem, taking knitted fabric off on a double eyed needle, and mattress stitch.

After all was said and done they had 2 hats that they truly loved.  2 hats they had made themselves.

I made them smile sweetly for this picture.

Originally, they were smiling like this.

*Affectionate nickname that my daughter and her friend call each other and all of us seeing as we are neighbors.

Day 21 "25 Days of Diana"

I feel like I've learned so much in the past 20 days.  Forcing myself to take some time every day to knit has been so much fun.

Today's project was all about teaching the next generation.  My daughter has been doing some machine knitting, but not a lot.  I help her a lot and today I when she asked to make a hat for her Secret Santa person I thought she's going to do it herself.

We started out watching Diana's threading the machine video.  We moved on to watch the Open Cast on video and Diana's cast-on.  I thought it would be good for her to see that she's not just doing what Mom says, but what other's say on how to operate a knitting machine.

My daughter wanted to make a reversible hat.  I made one a while back and it was really nice.  This pattern is from Knittsings website.

 She did a great job making this hat.  Only had a couple "Mom I don't know what happened here" moments that were easily fixed.  She came out with a hat to be proud to give as a gift.

Evil Plan Times 5

I got a text message on Friday asking if the CCP (Caring for Cancer Patients) group could meet and make more hats.  I said how about Sunday.  So, today at 1:30pm 5 members came.  I was delighted to see some young men too.  I had full confidence that once they saw the knitting machines they'd want to try them out and they did.  It wasn't so much the knitting part, but that a machine was doing the knitting.

Today's session wasn't quite as fruitful as the first meeting.  It wasn't the kid's fault.  I had brought out my most reliable standard gauge machine this time as my extra bulky is now hooked up to my ribber.  My friend Julia and I discussed at the last meeting that it would be easier for them to work on bulkies.  I didn't have the sponge bar finished on the donated machine that is a bulky.  I'm kicking myself for not getting it done in time.  So, we had one standard and one bulky with which to work.  I wasn't worried as this standard machine works great and people are amazed when I bring it to class how well it works.

My reliable standard machine gave us nothing, but trouble today.  Within the first half hour I had 3 bent needles and 2 bent gate pegs.  It was easy to get it all fixed up, but why was my most reliable machine causing such havoc.  When it got to knitting it dropped stitches, looped yarn and just generally made a mess.  I'm so hoping they didn't get discourage.  I finally said we're not going to use this machine as it obviously needed some private time with me to whip it back into shape.

The bulky was working great and 3 hats were made on it.  Working with teenagers is both a joy and aggravation.  I don't know how many times I told the guys to quit putting their hands on the needles when the carriage was moving.  It wasn't until I jokingly said, "Watch out that carriage might saw your fingers right off" that any concern was shown.  I guess because they do kind of make a sawing sound it seem possible.  They like to flip levers, tilt handles and I just use it as a teaching moment.  Like don't pull out the russell levers unless you're planning on doing short rowing.  I asked, "Are you making socks today?"  

The kids worked with making pom poms with the pom pom makers.  They wound yarn with my yarn winder.  There was plenty for them to do.

On top of it all the Yearbook photographer came out and took a few photos.  We all thought that was pretty exciting.  Me, because maybe machine knitting will show up in the yearbook!

Next time 2 bulky machines!

Fortune Cookies

On Friday DH, daughter and I went out to eat Chinese at our favorite restaurant Silver Dragon.  At the end of the meal I opened my fortune cookie and it read "You will receive a gift given freely and gladly."  I thought what a great time for this fortune to come as the next day I was going to a sort of Machine Knitting yard sale at my guild.

I had sort of forgotten about my fortune as the sale went on.  I really didn't see much I wanted to buy as I'm saving my pennies for Christmas gifts.  I bought a $1 cone of some beautiful acrylic yarn.  I bought a linker for $5 for a friend in the Sacramento Machine Knitting Guild.  He had mentioned he wanted a linker at the last meeting.  I bought a couple MK magazines and a cone of beautiful forest green wool from Scotland.  All total I spent about $20.

Where I was sitting and there was a knitting machine that many people were looking at.  It was kind of pitiful.  No tools, no row counter, missing it's cast on comb.  Many of the experienced machine knitters were brought over to consult on whether it would be a good starter machine.  It was getting high praise from everyone.  Still it just sat there.  The sale was pretty much over when the owner of the machine and other things on the table asked if anyone wanted the box on the table.  No one spoke up and she looked at me.  I thought she meant the knitting machine, but she was referring to the knit leader.  She said I don't know if it works, but you're welcome to have it.  I said OK.  Then she pointed to the knit leader.  I thought well it will be interesting to see what this thing is and if it works.

When I went to retrieve the knit leader she then asked what I would do with it.  I told her that I am working with a teenage group at my daughter's school called Caring for Cancer Patients.  That I was teaching these teenagers how to machine knit to make hats for donation to their charities.  Then she said, "Here take the knitting machine too.  Are you really going to use it for charity?"  I told her that I already have pictures on my blog of the teenagers making hats using my machines.  That I thought it would be nice to get a machine for the group to clean and refurbish.  So, they can learn how to take care of a knitting machine and have a machine of their own.

She was happy to donate the machine and not to have to cart it back home.  I was very excited for the group.  Then it occurred to me that my fortune cookie prediction had come true.

My Dream Setup

I now have set up as of tonight a standard knitting machine and ribber and a bulky knitting machine and ribber.  Yahoo!  This is my dream setup.  I just set up the bulky and ribber tonight.

The standard is a Studio 700 with a SRP 60N ribber.  This is working great thanks to my friend Julia coming over and adjusting my ribber to meet the knitting machine.

The bulky is a Toyota 650 with a Toyota KR350 ribber.  First thing I noticed is the ribber needs a new sponge bar.  Why I didn't know ribbers had sponge bars I don't know.  Sounds common sense now, but up until a few weeks ago didn't even occur to me.

Update:  SRP 60N ribbers do not have sponge bars.  They have a solid plastic bar.  Thanks Monique for clearing that up and making me investigate further.

What is neat is the bulky came with a tilt stand.  I've always thought I'd prefer that, but didn't have one so didn't know.  Now I'll get to decide whether I like the knitting machine flat rather than tilted toward the back.  Working with the standard not on a tilt stand I found out it didn't really bother me as much as I thought it would. 

I also have an extra Studio 700 and Toyota 650 knitting machines.  These are my traveling machines.  I go to a machine knitting class twice a month and I enjoy bringing my machines.  One or the other never both.  I learn better when I'm doing.  Rather than just watching and taking notes I can do the pattern and ask questions.

I got the 2 extra machines for 2 reasons.  One I really don't want to take my knitting machine a part from the ribber twice a month.  Also one of the gals at the meeting said she had her machine damaged in transit.  Someone how the innards shifted.  I could see a machine shifting around in a car possibly making this happen.  So, I wanted a cheap machine that I could travel with and if it got damaged I wouldn't be broken hearted.  I'm careful to make sure it's sitting flat and doesn't move around in the back of my car.  So, hoping my traveling machines hold up.

Also these 2 extra machines are an integral part of my evil machine knitting plan. :D

My Evil Machine Knitting Plan In Full Swing!

Some of you may recall my evil plan to convert teenagers into machine knitters.  My plan involved luring them in to make hats for their "Caring for Cancer Patients" group (CCP).

 
Well, Sunday was the first day I got the group over.  It was a meager showing of 3 members.  Honestly, it was a nice size with which to start.  I don't know how many members the group has, but my hope is this start up group will tell the others how much fun they had.  My plan was to not only get the group acquainted with knitting machines, but to feed them yummy food too.

I set up my 2 KS 650 Bulky Toyotas.  Not only are bulky needles easy to see, but my KS 650 bulkys are just easy to use.  I week before our meeting my husband said, "Is Julia coming over?"  Julia is my friend that taught me to machine knit.  I thought what a great idea to have another adult here who knows how to run a knitting machine.  I called up Julia and asked her if she would come and she said, "Yes.  Do you need me to bring a machine?  How about some yarn?"  What a great friend!

Diana the leader of the CCP asked if I needed any money to buy yarn.  I have been given yarn and have bought some very cheaply over the past year.  I decided to let the CCP group have a yarn donation with which to begin.

Julia and I taught the girls how to e-wrap, knit, how to transfer stitches, how to pull the live stitches off on a long yarn tail, and how to sew up the side seam.  My daughter has done a little machine knitting, but the other 2 girls have not done any knitting or crocheting.  They all learned very quickly.  The girls were all amazed at how quickly they could knit up something that looked so beautiful.

At one point the girls had gain more confidence and the carriages on both machines were moving back and forth at a nice clip.  The sounds of both knitting machines in work was music to my ears.

Diana the group leader was in Pennsylvania over the weekend and came home just in time to see the girls handy work.  She was so proud.  One of the gals in the group suggested on several occasions we should get together every 2 weeks to knit hats.

My only comment to that is "Bwah hahahahahaha.  My evil plan was successful!"  We made a date to meet up again during Thanksgiving week.

PS.  I made a yummy appetizer called Chile Relleno Bites.   SO GOOD!

Hook, Line and Sinker!

Remember my evil machine knitting plan I discussed in a previous post.  I didn't know how well my plan to interest teenagers in machine knitting was going to work until 3 days later.  My daughter's friend came over and asked if she could make another hat.  After I said, "Bwah ha ha ha ha" under my breath we got her set up and off she went knitting her 2nd hat.  While running the carriage back and forth she said, "I love machine knitting.  Some day I want a machine of my own."  I nearly fainted with joy.

My daughter modeling her friend's "Happy Hat."  Since the hats were going to siblings we made this one slightly different with a rolled brim.

My Evil Machine Knitting Plan is Underway

*looking over left shoulder... looking over right shoulder... now talking in a whisper*


Yes, I was planning and preparing an evil machine knitting enterprise for this summer.  What it is exactly is to get some teenagers acquainted with machine knitting.  I enjoy machine knitting so much I don't want this art form to die out.  Why I am concerned about this?  Well, I belong to 3 machine knitting groups and I am at the ripe old age of 49 considered one of the young ones.  I actually wish I knew about machine knitting when it was in it's hey day.  I could have been knitting for the last 30 years.  I could have been going to all the cool classes in my area.  Now the teachers have all retired.  I don't blame them.  They are in the 70's and then some.  I'd want to relax too.  That is why I feel younger people need to find out about machine knitting. 

My daughter and her friend have a club at school called "Caring for Cancer Patients."  I machine knit a lot of hats to donate to cancer patients through the year.  I thought wouldn't it be a fast way of making donation hats if they learned to machine knit.  I got to thinking wouldn't it be interesting to have a day invite the club over and teach them how to make a simple hat.  It really is the simplest of projects on a knitting machine.  Knit a rectangle then sew it into a hat.  I have 2 bulky machines.  We'll set a goal depending on the amount of hours they want to spend.  I can have 2 knitting and the rest sewing up the hats since that takes longer.  Then have everyone switch off jobs.  They'll learn to machine knit, they'll learn the mattress stitch and they'll learn how to gather.  They'll learn setting a goal and achieving it.

If only one of them shows interest and some time in their 20's thinks I'd like to machine knit that will be a bonus.

In addition to learning how to machine knit they'll have hats they've made themselves for donation for their club.  I'm hoping they'll love that feeling of accomplishment too.

I haven't gotten the club over yet, but the other night I was cleaning and refurbishing my latest machine.  To test it out I knitted a quick little hat.  My daughter and her friend were watching a movie.  As I walked past the living room on my way to the craft room I tossed the hat at them to look at. 

I was on my computer when my craft room door opened.  It was 11 pm and I thought my husband had woken up.  He had laid down for a nap earlier and you know how that goes.   Nope it was my daughter and her friend.  They both stood in front of me with a giggly expression and my daughter blurts out, "Diana wants to knit a hat."  My daughter has knitted a couple things and is learning to cast on and cast off.  She probably told Diana no problem we can knit up a hat really quick.  It was 11pm, but they are out of school now, so I thought why not.  They are here.  They are willing.  My evil plan can begin tonight.

After she picked out some yarn; I went ahead and cast on and then let Diana do the knitting.  As she knitted I told her what to look for, how to hold the carriage, how to make sure everything is knitting properly each row.  Told her to keep an eye on the row counter.  It really was a crash course.  She hung live stitches to make the brim.  She threaded a needle with a long tail through the last row.  She then learned the mattress stitch and stitched the hat up herself.  As she was stitching the seam she asks, "Can we write something on the hat?"  It's approaching midnight now.  I'm thinking any other mother on the planet would have said no, but I just happen to know how to embroider.  I did it a lot as a teenager.  I knew I could do a quick little back stitch and it would look fine.  So, I said yes and she wanted me to write "SMILE" on the hat.  It was for a 5 year old cousin of a friend of hers.  By midnight the hat was complete.