Sacramento Area Machine Knitters - Meeting Time Update

Time has been moved to 11-1pm, which actually works really well for our group.  Improves the parking situation.  Now we can park right by the door, which makes carrying a heavy knitting machine better.

Sacramento Area Machine Knitters

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 11am-1pm (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 info has changed as Marilynn (pronounced Mary Lynn) has moved to Colorado.  We wish her all the best.  For more information about the Guild and call Hugh Hall at 916-332-5190.

Hugh's Sacramento Machine Knitter Guild website... http://smkg.nzfreeservers.com/

Sacramento Area Machine Knitters

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 info has changed as Marilynn (pronounced Mary Lynn) has moved to Colorado.  We wish her all the best.  For more information about the Guild and upcoming training topics call Hugh Hall at 916-332-5190.

Hugh's Sacramento Machine Knitter Guild website... http://smkg.nzfreeservers.com/

Machine Knitted Wreath

This was a free hand knitted pattern and I wanted to do it on my machine.  I just loved the colors of the yarn. The pattern called for a garter stitch sections.  I used my garter bar to flip the knitting when I got to that section.  Mine has the texture of the purl side in place of the garter stitch section.

After I got it knitted it took a lot of thinking to turn it into a good looking wreath. I didn't like it stuffed with just filling too floppy and soft.  I got 3" Styrofoam balls and loved the firmer look, but the whole thing was still floppy and hung in an oval on the wall.  My wreath measures 15 1/2 inches.  I got some metal wreath frames, but one was too big and the other was too small.  Thought I might have to make my own metal ring.

I finally thought if I tie some ribbon firmly between the Styrofoam joints it might tighten up the wreath and get rid of the saggy floppy look.  It did just that.  I found keeping the bows small I like it.  It looks cute.  It's finally on my wall and a part of my Christmas decorations.

I got a poinsettia that I liked.  Disassembled and reassembled it a bit to meet my needs.  Then made a big bow to back it and my wreath was done.

Double Rib, English Rib, Fisherman's Rib Oh My!

My daughter asked me to make her a really warm variegated gray colored scarf.  Well, being the holidays I jumped on that.  I remember making myself a super warm scarf a few years ago using a Diana Sullivan video.  It really me got me to thinking did I make Fisherman's Rib or not.  What exactly is Fisherman's Rib.  My manual talks about English Rib and Double Rib.  I made a few phone calls and got all my knitting friends confused, but everyone got to investigating.  I watched several of Diana's videos and we all figured it out about the same time.

Double Ribbing is knitting on every needle on both beds.  Verses 1X1 ribbing where you use every other needle.

English Ribbing (or Half Fisherman's Rib is tucking in one direction on one of the beds.  Doesn't matter if it's the main bed or the ribber.  This is what I did for the scarf.  I can directionally tuck if I use my ribber on my Studio 155.  I might be able to tuck with the main bed, but I'll need to experiment with the stitch dial.  I've been told it can't be done.

Fisherman's Ribbing is tucking in opposite directions on both beds.

When I was confounding my friends with my ribbing questions they both suggested I just make a 2X2 ribbed scarf.  Though lovely in it's own right the English Ribbed scarf I made is so thick, soft and luscious comes to mind.  So, thick, soft and luscious that I don't want to give it away! 

I wondered the first time I made this scarf if a tensioning error created the different look of the knitted stitch on the back of scarf.  No that's English Rib.  Since it's tucking in one direction it creates the different look on the back.  It is quite beautiful too.

I used Red Heart Medley in the Urban color.  The scarf is all washed up and ready to be wrapped.  Every time I walk by it I pick it up and bury my face in it.  It's so soft and warm and smells so good.  If it wasn't going to my daughter I might have had to wash it again.

49er Fever Hits Beanie on a Bulky

 
Using my Team Spirit yarn I've been knitting up some beanies for a 49er party at my house.  This time I wanted to experiment with knitting it in the round.  I knew the ribbing couldn't be done circularly and it reminded me that Diana Sullivan had an easy technique to get this done.  I used the method she demonstrates in her sock video. It can be found on part one of Knitting a Sock on the Standard Machine.

From there I followed the Regular Guy Beanie instructions.  It's a free pattern on Ravelry.  I've written up what I've done.  Of course the instructions make perfect sense to me.  It makes an adult woman sized beanie.  So, you guys give it a try and let me know if you have any questions.

Beanie on a Bulky circularly knit

Yarn Bomb So Good It's Art

I did a yarn bomb a month ago.  I wanted to do something that was fun and in good taste.  Something my little town would enjoy.  I just did it so well people don't know it's a yarn bomb.

I asked my knitting friends to drive by and take a look at it.  They came by for our monthly machine knitting meeting and told me they didn't see it.  I thought how could they not see it.  It's a big round orange and smiling at you.  Finally, one of the gals asked, "I did see a smiling orange.  Did you do that?"  I said, "Yes."  She asked, "Really?!  It looks so official I thought the town put it up."  Then the other gals chimed in it looks so nice we thought it was official too.  We had no idea it was a yarn bomb.  So, my daughter says it's a yarn bomb fail.  I said, "Oh no it's a success if every one thinks it's so nice it belongs there."  My intention was for it to be a work of art all could enjoy and that's what they are doing.

I used Diana Sullivan's baby blanket technique to do the orange.  All other pieces are crocheted.  I used reflective yarn.  It's kind of fun to see it light up at night when the head lights hit it.

Newest Baby in the Neighborhood!

Decided a few years ago if a new baby comes to my stretch of the neighborhood I'm making them a baby blanket.  They've all been neighbors up till now.  The latest baby though is on my route to the gym.  I walk so I get a good look.  New couple moved in and I saw she was pregnant.  I waited till I got to see an actual glimpse of the baby.  Just in case.  Then I began knitting the blanket.  My daughter thought it was strange and that they'd think I was a stalker.  Well, I didn't care.  I wish all stalkers would show up with a handmade blanket and then leave them in peace.  

I do see myself as a kindly old grandmotherly type.  I may be over estimating my appearance even though my age definitely qualifies.  I told my daughter I promised not to snap anyone like a twig with my muscularly toned thighs.  I got the eyeball roll.

Diana Sullivan's Circular baby blanket.

I have to admit I did have a qualm the day I had it all ready to deliver.  My saving grace was I could hang it on their door and they'd find it later.  Wouldn't you know it the very day I'm dropping it off is the only day before or since that their door was open with the screen door.  2 yapping dogs announced my coming and I had to talk to the mom.  I said I just lived down the street.  She said she's seen me walking by every week. So, I wasn't a complete stranger.  I handed her the baby afghan in a gift bag and said I made a little something for the baby.  On a note in the bag I had put my address, so they wouldn't think a complete weirdo had left the gift.  When things started to get a little awkward I announced I had to get to the gym for my 10am class.  Whew!  All true.  All true.  I was suited up and on my way to the gym.

Love the way this blanket turns out.  I'll never get tired of it.

A week later Eileen and baby Lily came by to say thank you for the blanket and gave me a bag of veggies from their garden.  Couldn't have been a better thank you.  Hoping I've made a new friend on the street.

Used Sandee Cherry's roping technique for the edging.  I like the neater look rather than the pie crust edging.

Discovering My Intarsia Carriage

It's been sitting in a box in my craft room for years calling me.  I didn't really know what intarsia was until I hand knitted a hat as a Christmas present for my daughter.  I was having trouble getting the pattern to work and sent a picture to an experienced hand knitter friend.  She sent back "Oh you're doing intarsia you need to twist the yarns."  I looked up videos on what the heck I was supposed to do and it was simpler than I thought.

When I had a bag to do out of the same book as the above hat I thought why couldn't I do it on my knitting machine.  OH!  I have that intarsia carriage let's get it out and see how to use it.  Meanwhile, looking online at a YouTube video of a machine knitting pattern done by a Russian gal I came across a video of her using the intarsia carriage to knit my arch nemesis yarn Sashay.  I was quite excited that I recognized that it was an intarsia carriage and I gave myself a V-8 forehead slap, because why didn't I think of using it myself.  It made making a Filly Scarf on the knitting machine that much easier.  I had gotten it down to 2 hours.  Greatly faster and greatly less frustrating than doing it by hand.  If I could do it faster that would be even better as I had 3 skeins of that stuff left that I was very tempted to throw it in the trash.  Yes, it's aggravated me that much.  So much so that one skein was on my craft room floor.  Every time I saw it there I didn't think "Oh I should pick that up."  I thought, "Oh that's right where you belong."

Today with the intarsia carriage I made peace with Sashay.  In one hour I had knitted a Filly scarf easy.

 I found out the weight I used was too much.  Took it off when scarf was about 12 inches long and the weight of the scarf was plenty.  The needle set up was from the video.  I could easily hang the Sashay skipping every other hole with the needles that far a part.

 Can I refind the video on YouTube?  No!  It's in Russian, so I can't even search for it.  When I come across it again I'll post it.  It gave me such a wonderful idea.

Big thank you to my commenter Misha Moon for giving me the link to the youtube video:  Video Lesson "Curly" scarf.

Fingerless Gloves by Karalyn

Karalyn Rainey came to visit our guild (MKGSFBA) last month and had wonderful projects to teach.  I loved her enthusiasm for machine knitting.  When there were left over patterns I asked if she minded if I shared them with the Sacramento Guild (SMKG).  She said, "No, I love to share."  After I got back to Sacramento and started sharing everyone loved the patterns.  I started getting emails for me to share the patterns.  I felt I should check with Karalyn one more time.  Sharing here in Sacramento is one thing, but putting it on the internet just seemed like something I wanted permission for.  She emailed me back, "Hi, it's fine please share my patterns they are free to all, I just want people to knit and share our love of machine knitting with everyone."  I think I love you Karalyn!  That's exactly what I like to do.  I like empowering machine knitters of all levels with patterns they can be successful with.  Nothing makes one want to knit more than getting a project done that they are proud of.

Here is a picture of Karalyn's fingerless glove on my hand.  Back of glove.  Can you believe she does this on a bulky knitting machine?!

Here is my glove using the double gate peg bind off for more stretch for the fingers.  Bonnie found out that the bind off where the glove goes around your hand is a little tight for her liking.  She felt her fingers were confined.  I tried them on and could see why it would be bothersome.  I didn't mind, but I think my daughter wouldn't like it either.  Carolyn from our guild had an idea to bind off around 2 gate pegs.  I did this on my glove and it does give a stretchier edge.

Cabling requires some concentration for me.  There are a couple places where I've gone wrong.  I've added cheat sheet notes on my pattern to keep me straight.

Here is the pair she gave to our guild member Bonnie.  Bonnie experimented with doing a Bickford seam on the side.  The seams looked great.  Now to weave in the ends.  The Bickford seams create the flattest seams frequently used for socks done on a flat bed machine.  Several tutorials on how to do this online.  One here done by Marg Coe.  Another one here at Knittsings.

Here is Bonnie's glove just getting past the thumbs.  Cable looking beautiful.

Here's my glove off the machine.  See why Karalyn calls it the Cactus glove?

Without further adieu here is Karalyn's pattern.

Cactus Fingerless Glove

Instructor, Karalyn Rainey

2010

Bulky Machine

Tension 6

Lion Brand Wool-Ease 2ozs.

Left Hand

Chain cast on 27 sts (LI3-RI4)

If you are putting a cable, knit 2 rows and twist the first cable

Cable needles are right needles 5,6,7,8, after the first twist you are going

to twist the cable every 4 rows

Knit to row 26 twisting the cable every 4 rows

On row 26 start increasing on both sides every other row (EOR) by

moving one st out and filling up the empty needle with the heal of the

inside st

Continue increasing to row 38 you now have increased 6 sts on each side

COR set the machine to hold, put all st except the 6 st on the right to

hold, knit 7 rows on those 6 st, RC46, bind off, move carriage to the left

COL put the 6 st on the left to work knit 7 rows, bind off

You should only have 27 st left, knit 13 rows don't forget to twist your

cable while you are knitting the 13 rows, bind off

Right Hand

You are going to make another one just like the one you did except cast

on 27 st (L14-R13) and the cable needles are going to be on the

Left side, left needles 5,6,7,8.

Sew up the side seam and the thumb seam.

If you haven't seen the flat seam that we do on the flat sock you need to

have me show you that seam it looks great on the fingerless glove!

Two Completely Different Sizes

Slippers is what I'm talking about.  I knew if I made them on different machines this could happen, but that they'd be so different surprised me.  I made one at the SMKG with my bulky Toyota KS650.  The other I made at home with my bulky Studio MOD. 155.  What a difference!

Now I know when I made the one on the Toyota I didn't change the tension for the outer slipper.  My question to myself is what tension did I use for that slipper?  OK opened up my traveling machine (Toyota) and the tension I used for the inner and outer slipper was 9.

The pattern has three different tensions mentioned, 8, 9, and 10.

The slipper I did at home last night was tension 9 for the inner and 10 for the outer.  So, I'll have to do some unraveling of a slipper in order to get 2 that are the same size.  I'm anxious to try and felt a pair and see what I get.

The slipper on the left is the one I knitted on my Studio MOD. 155 T9 for the inner and T10 for the outer.  The slipper on the right was knitted on my Toyota KS650 T9 for inner and outer.

Karalyn's Machine Knit Felted Clog Slippers

This past weekend at the MKGSFBA guild meeting we had Karalyn Rainey from San Diego come and teach us some of her favorite patterns.  The first one we all just loved was the Clog Slipper.  She made it sound so simple.  Really it's not difficult, but it's just knowing how to do it.  That's the value of these guild meetings.  The pattern can be found at the MKGSD website in their free patterns section.

 

OK first off so sorry for the blurry photo.  Sometimes the photos look so good on the little screen then I get them home on the big computer screen and BLUR!  You get the idea though.  This is what the slipper looks like right off the knitting machine.  I thought it was valuable to know this.  Yes, this is Karalyn Rainey holding the project up fresh off the needles.  She is from the San Diego area and does a lot of machine knitting teaching down there.  Their Guild (MKGSD) can be found here.  We were very lucky to have her for the day at our guild (MKGSFBA) this past weekend. 

 

I took photos of her machine knit slipper in it's prefelted stage and felted.  It makes a size that will fit a woman's size 8 foot.  I'm about that and it was a tiny bit shorter than I'd want.  Karalyn says when felting keep and eye on it.  Different washers and yarns felt differently.  After it's felted like you want shape it to your foot and let it dry.

 I took photos of the slippers thinking I'd never see them again until I made my own.

 To my great surprise Karalyn raffled off many of her machine knit examples.  Guess who won the pair of machine knit slippers?  ME!  Below is a picture of Karalyn's slipper on the left.  My first attempt at following the pattern and my notes is on the right.  I was so surprised at how well I did.  My slipper is pretty rough and had a few mistakes here and there.  I made it at my Sacramento Machine Knitters Guild meeting.  My fellow knitters said not to worry about it that once felted no one would be able to see anything wrong with it.

49er Silly Hats On The Bulky

I bought some Red Heart yarn last year called Team Spirit.  This was the Burgundy/Gold combo that made me say "49ers!" when I saw it.  Then like most fiber artists I forgot all about it, but when the 49ers made it into the Super Bowl I thought "where's that yarn."  Fortunately, it popped right up in my craft room.

 

My first thought was to try the Beanie on a Bulky pattern now that I have a working ribber or so I hoped.  I took my Toyota KS 650 set up down last year as I couldn't figure out why the ribber stopped working.  I got a Studio MOD.155 and ribber for a song off Craiglist.  The machine has been cleaned, tuned and new sponge bar ready for over 6 months, but just never used the ribber. 

 

Since my last Beanie on a Bulky was a bit big I decided to reduce the number of needles in work to 80 and of course it threw the count off on the instructions I had.  I learned a lot doing this pattern a 2nd time.  First off my ribber works great.  Secondly, using my garter bar for doing the decreases was really hard at first.  STEEP learning curve and a bit of what I found out was loud cussing I was able to operate the garter bar for decreases.

 

 

Disappointingly the ribbing wasn't stretchy.  Could be the stiff Red Heart yarn?  Could be that the ribber doesn't do quite as nice ribbing as done by hand.  Don't get me wrong we loved the hat and wore it until the end of the Super Bowl and then some.  I think my daughter still has it on today as she wouldn't return it to me.  I was going to put it away until next football season.

I still had over a skein left of the Team Spirit yarn left and thought why not try and make one more hat.  I wanted to do something that had a completely different look than the first hat.  Something that would show off the color changes.  I really liked the idea of Diana natters on... Short-Rowed Baby Hat.  Could doing it on the bulky make it an adult sized hat without having to do many changes to the pattern?

I cast 26 needles and proceeded just like she says in the video.  When I got to 8 wedges done I measured the hat and thought it would fit.  BUT Each color represented 2 wedges of short rowing.  I would have had to Kitchener a gold wedge to a gold wedge and I didn't like the idea of what that would have looked like.  I didn't like that there would have been a large gold blotch on the back of the hat.  So, I did 10 wedges like Diana's video said to do.  I've been asked did I plan the color changes on the hat?  What kind of math did I use to get the colors to turn out so perfectly.  I'd love to pretend I was that clever in the planning of this hat, but honestly this is how the colors can right out of the skein.  Even I was surprised the color came out this way.  Fortunately, I just love it.

 The band for the hat was 80 needles. I knitted 24 rows no picot edging, because we ain't no babies. :D

My daughter liked the design and made suggestions on what to do for a 2nd hat.  So, my experiment was a success.  I got to thinking today of a hat I think was Diana's hat.  Kind of a beret.  Will have to look around.  I'm computer challenged today and running out of battery power.

49er Faithful!

I'm back and powered up.  It was Diana's Tam.  Not quite the shape I'm looking for at this time, but if you do a search of her site you'll see a lot of fabulous Tams with variegated yarn.

Sashay!

It's a beautiful frilly and frustrating lace yarn.  My machine knitting group ladies are making scarves with it "hand over fist."  What does that mean?  Ahhh it's a nautical term in reference to pulling a rope quickly and continuously.  Well, they are making them quickly and seems like continuously as every time I see them I'll get a report "I've made seven Sashay scarves."

I was told they were very easy and fast to make.  I don't know if it's that I'm a novice hand knitter or I'm easily aggravated, but I couldn't get into knitting one by hand.  The yarn confused me.  I'd get lost in the many different holes and then it all fell right off my needles into my lap.  That was it.  What in the H, E, double toothpicks was I going to do with 4 skeins of Sashay yarn!

I got to thinking I might be able to use my knitting machine to knit up one of these scarves.  I've been working with my garter bar lately and I thought hmmmm I might be able to use it with the pattern for this scarf.  I wouldn't be able to use the carriage and traditionally knit this yarn, but I could use the needles and the garter bar to get the look the pattern calls for.

The pattern calls for casting on 6 stitches and that's what my MK ladies have been doing. I thought the scarf was awfully long. I'm kind of short and it seems to hang pretty low on me.  There is the option of using 10 stitches, but I didn't want it too short. I went for 8 stitches.

I hung 8 holes along the edge skipping every other hole of the Sashay.  That was a tip given to me by every women in my MK group, but one.  The one said every stitch would give a nice filly scarf just fine.  She's kind of bossy, but what she knits is always gorgeous.  After the 3rd lady secretly told me to skip every other stitch I decided to go by the majority.  After Thanksgiving though I'm going to use the every stitch method and just see what the difference would be.

 

Yes, you heard it right I will be making more of these scarves.  Putting them on the knitting machine really helped organize the yarn for me.  I'd hang 8 stitches and then using my transfer tool handle horizontally I'd pull all the stitches through.  Then I used my garter bar to flip the knitting.  Once I got a groove going it went pretty quickly.  I'd say it took me a total of 4 hours to finish the scarf.

 

There is a gal on Ravelry that did not flip the work and even though the scarf had a definite right side/wrong side she said either side was lovely.  I wanted to follow the pattern on the wrapper though and it is one continuous circle to get this frilly scarf.

 

8 stitches was perfect for me.  It measures 46 inches.  It really have a nice frilly feeling, but it has substance.  Not too airy.

 

Looking a bit like a I'm wearing a clown ruff here, but really in person and with the right outfit it's going to be a gorgeous scarf.