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/

Lil Punkin Hat... well not quite

Using my bulky Toyota KS650 punchcard machine I tried my hand at making the Lil Punkin hat by Baby Jane Knits.  It's a free pattern if you belong to the "Fun with Big Brother" yahoo group. The group is free too.  So, give it a try.  Look for the pattern under files and look for Baby Jane Knits.

I punched the card suggested, but I don't think the card I have is compatible with my Studio machine.  I had a 1X1 punch card and I lined it up and they just didn't quite match in size and shape. Anyhow the card didn't work.  SO, I decided to use the 1X1.  It still made the most fricking adorable pumpkin hat.

The pattern said it was a pretty small hat and gave instructions on how to make it bigger.  I casted on 60 needles and when it came to the slip rib section I knitted 48 rows.  It still made a pretty small hat.

As luck would have it I was babysitting a 5 year old and was waiting for him to come home from school.  I thought he'd be a perfect model, so I could tell what size the hat should be and how to adjust it.  I was prepared if he fell in love with it to let him have it.

I thought I'd have to coax it on him, because he's all boy ruff and tumble, snip and snails and puppy dog tails.  He's still 5 and instantly fell in love with it and wouldn't take it off.  Made me feel good that he loved it as much as I did.  I did find out it is still a little smaller than I'd like, but for just wearing and having fun it was perfect.

Since I was knitting at someone else's home I didn't have all my manuals with me and as it always is I needed to make an i-cord and didn't know how to set my machine.  I knew it needed to slip in one direction, but I so seldom set my machine to slip anything I need the manual.  I did have my computer and all I could find was how to make i-cord on a brother machine.  I needed Studio.  I came across this handy little video that was perfect and saved the day.  I-Cord by Crystal Sutherland.  It is a manual way of making i-cord using knitting machine needles.  Since I only needed to make a small stem on my hat making i-cord in this manner was still faster than using knitting needles.  I hung 3 stitches from the top of my hat and began.  To get my rhythm going I just remember to always wind in a clockwise manner.

Twisty Shawl

Had some time today and decided to work on Linda Jensen's Twisty Shawl.  Not much of a pattern and I didn't take... well... any notes to clarify Linda's notes.  I've vowed to be a better note taker in the future.  While I'm sitting there watching the demonstration I think, "I got this" and don't take very many if any notes.  Then a few months later when I try the pattern or technique I have so many questions.  So, decided to just jump in and answer my questions as I went.  Like "What do I do if I don't have that pattern for the tuck stitch?"  "What kind of cast on did you use?"  "What kind of yarn works with this pattern?"  I picked a couple punch cards and knitted until a punch card made a pattern I liked.  I e-wrapped since that side is going to be sewn up I figured the edge didn't need to look pretty.  I had a thinner pretty wool and it knitted up nicely.  It's not as drappy as I'd like, but I think it will work out nicely any ways.

Linda gave this pattern out in the class she gave.  I used my bulky machine with a punch card.  It's a rectangle 52 inches long.  I think I might make mine a few inches shorter.  This was falling off my shoulders.  I made this for my mom and I think it will be just right for her.  She's going to love it.

Very Berry Ripple Top

OK got the top done!!  Sewing it together was a breeze.  It fits perfectly and I really like it.  Of course there are a few things I'd change if and when I make another.  I'd like it a bit longer.  I'd like the top ripple to not be quite as revealing as it is.  Being a proper lady (snicker snort) I don't like that one's bra is very visible.  So, I wear a nude colored tank under it. 

 Dear daughter asked me to pose like a model.  Well, shoot I need more practice.

I don't know how she got this shot, but I think it's kind of neat that the top is in focus.

Redeeming Myself, But Not Without A Load of Trouble

When my other half of my ripple top came off the machine last week 10 rows too short I was suggested many ways to fix it.  Make it the front and have it short.  Gather up the long side as you sew the sides.  Make a whole other side and throw this one away.  My only thought was to rip it back and do it right.  I wrestled with this bad boy today.  Throwing it away, became a viable option a few times.

I knew I needed to rip back all the neckline and 7 rows of ripple stitching.  After that was done I realized I need to rip back the 2 rows of underarm decreases too.  That's when I remembered the loop about 10 rows below.  I had originally thought I'd just let it go.  It was close to the side seam.  I'd just tack it down some how.  Since I was already ripping back what the heck let's just rip back and fix this loop too.  Have you heard "No good deed goes unpunished."  Well, that's how my day of knitting went.

It took me 1 1/2 hours to get it on the needles and ready to continue stockinette.  After all the ripping back.  I didn't get it on the correctly numbered needles, but thought that would be OK.  As I started knitting I noticed my row counter wasn't adding correctly.  I had knitted 2 rows and it said 4.  Maybe this is where my trouble began... a faulty row counter?  hmmm.  I corrected the RC and started knitting my 21 rows.  The row counter add correctly while I was watching it like a hawk.  Because I was watching the RC I ended up with knots, loops, dropped stitches during that 21 rows.  I've never ripped back so much in my life.  It was 11:30 am now and my machine knitting meeting is over at noon.  I thought I'll scrap it off and finish another time.  We had a small group today just us regulars.  They encouraged me to keep on knitting that there was no hurry to give up our room or time limit for them to lock up.  I really didn't know how much more time I needed to finish.

So, I'm at the part where the pattern has one making the ripple stitch, which is the beginning of the sleeves.  Now the fact that the knitting isn't on the correct needles has just come back to bite me in the butt.  I scrap it off the machine and rehang on the correct needles.  This pattern uses all my needle bed.  The knitting has to be on the correct needles, so the sleeves can be made.

I begin the ripple stitched sleeves and of course there are some dropped stitches from rehanging doubled stitches back on the machine.  At this point I'm beginning to become brain dead.  I can't figure out how to latch up a dropped stitch.  Duh I know how to do this, but right now I can't figure out from which side the latch hook needs to come to accomplish this.  Thank goodness for my machine knitting friends and their encouragement as they are still here knitting themselves.  I yell, "Becky!  I dropped a stitch and I can't figure out how to fix it."  She tries to teach me and realizes, "Ahh just move over" she fixes my dropped stitch.  I continue on with my ripple stitch chanting to myself "3 forward, 2 back."  I timed myself and it took me 4 minutes to do one row of ripple stitches.  I need to get 7 done.  This is of course if everything goes smoothly.  The knitting is getting hung up on the gate pegs.  More loops of yarn.  Why O why am I having such a hard time today.  It took me more time to do half a sweater than it took me to one whole side.

Becky and Hugh patiently waited for me to complete my ripple sweater.  They were so happy for me as I excitedly pulled the completed side off the machine.  I matched it up with the front side of my sweater and they were the same length.  Hallelujah Amen is all I have to say.  Now to start sewing it up, so I can wear it!

Machine Knitting Bozo!

That's what I felt like yesterday when I found out the other half of the top I was making turned out 10 rows short.  I used the row counter and everything.  How the heck I knitted 60 rows instead of 70 I'll never know.  When I was doing the 70 rows of stockinette it did feel like it went faster than the first time.  Isn't that how things feel normally?  They also feel faster when you inadvertently knit 10 rows less too.  Here's pictures of  the front and the properly row counted piece.

It's beautiful in the picture, but you can't really get the full beauty of this yarn.  In person you just want to drape it on a scoop of vanilla ice cream and eat it with a spoon.  I'm calling this top Very Berry Ripple.  It is a Linda Jensen pattern called Ripple Top.  It's super easy to make and knits up quickly... when you don't have to rip back and correct a mistake.  She's gone pdf so you can get this pattern NOW and be wearing it tomorrow.

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.

Pumpkin Hats!

Using a mock rib technique these adorable hats can be made on a flat bed bulky machine without a ribber. It uses a tuck stitch.

 

 

Bonnie demonstrated the pattern to our group.  She punched the pattern in on her electronic machine.  The pattern comes with a chart to create a punch card if that's the kind of machine you have.

 

She made 2 adorable hats for her Grandkids just in time for Halloween and Thanksgiving.

This pattern can be found at Baby Jane Machine Knits.  It is called "Lil Punkin Hat."

Still Knitting, But Mostly Crocheting

Sorry for the long time between posts.  After my ribber gave me heck I needed to take a break from it.  I had an afghan I had been working on during football seasons the last couple years.  Since the 49ers were doing so well this year I had it nearly finished when they didn't go to the Super Bowl.  OH well, the 49ers played a great season and I couldn't be disappointed they didn't go to the Super Bowl.  With that great attitude and not caring who won the Super Bowl I decided to go ahead and watch it.  I wanted to see if I couldn't get that last 10 inch done on my afghan.  I didn't finish it during the Super Bowl, but I was close.  I kept crocheting until it was done.

Now if I can get my poodle to share I'll get to enjoy it. :)

What I did machine knit was a bust, BUT it opened my eyes to new possibilities.  I've been wanting to make a Dead Fish hat for several years and the pattern just looked too complicated for me.  What I found out was it was difficult to understand, but not complicated.  Using my trusty Toyota Bulky, sans ribber, I went to work on the machine knit pattern for the Dead Fish Hat.

Why was it a bust?  Well, the decreasing and increasing to get the fish shape happen on both sides of the knitted piece.  EXCEPT when you fold it in half to sew up your fish hat all the increases and decreases end on one side.  One ends up with a wonky fish hat.  One ends up with one straight side and one curved side.  A knitter on Ravelry solved this problem by moving the face and fins to center on the straight side making it the top of the fish.  The curved side was now it's belly.  Though it looked like it worked out fine for her.  I really didn't like the idea of the fish lips (can't believe I just said fish lips) being on the sides of the mouth.

What I did like was the yarn.  I decided that trying to make this work wasn't something I wanted to do.  I decided to frog it.  I'm going to make it in 2 pieces.  That way the BOTH sides will have increases and decreases and my fish lips will be in their proper places!

Day 15 of Completion Challenge

My hands are gray and my face is smudged and still no worky.  What I have been doing the last couple days is trying to figure out why my Toyota KS 650 bulky machine and Toyota KR 350 will not do ribbing.  I've done a lot of ribbing on this machine.  It's always worked great.  Suddenly, it just won't work.  I can do stockinette, but I have a hat that needs ribbing.  I hate mock rib.  That's not an option for me.

This problem has gotten me really worked up and after much thought I figured it's in combination with the holidays.  Just too much on my plate.  So, I decided that I need to suspend my challenge until after the holidays.  I feel like I can do no more in regards to getting this machine up and going at this time.  It needs to simmer and I need to talk to a few expert machine knitters.

This is what I have done...

I've rechecked my ribber and carriage setting time and time again.
I've checked the needles for bent needles.
I've checked the carriage for non-working parts.
I've wiped the whole knitting machine down with oil.
I've defuzzed it.
I've wiped the machine and yarn down with a dryer sheet.
I've printed out and checked the ribber bed adjustments.

I'm feeling burned out.  So, I'm going to focus on more fun things.  My upcoming ski trip.  Christmas with my family.  Christmas with DH's family and New Years.  I've wrapping to do.  I've got crochet projects to finish.  Never without anything to do around here.

Day 13 of Completion Challenge

I wanted to finish the stocking challenge from my guild meeting.  I had made a pitiful stocking at the meeting, but I knew I could do better in the quiet of my home.  I don't do things well when people are talking to me.  I tend to lose my train of thought or place in a pattern in that case.  So, in the quiet of my craftroom I attempted the stocking again.  This is when I encountered trouble with doing 1X1 ribbing.  The carriage just wouldn't do it properly.  While trouble shooting I hand knitted from the left and machine knitted from the right.  I needed 12 rows, but after 6 I really wanted to move on and see if the carriage would knit stockinette in my effort to trouble shoot the problem.  Of course it knitted stockinette just fine.  Decided to finish stocking and further trouble shoot when I got it off my needles.

Here's my beautiful stocking knitted on my bulky.  Came out just the size I wanted!

Again in the quiet of my craftroom I kitchenered the toe from the purl side as I like to do and it turned out perfect.

Day 12 of Completion Challenge

I began my day finishing my donkey, pictures to come, and I'll be ending my day trouble shooting my Toyota KS 650 Bulky machine.  Thought I'd get a quick stocking done today only to find out my machine isn't working properly.  I needed 12 rows of 1X1 ribbing.  I would do the zigzag row, hang cast on comb and weights, do the slip row, and then back to stockinette and coming from the left it would stop knitting in the first 10 needles with a "conk."  Nothing would move.  I followed my manual to a T.

First thing I check am I pushing all the right buttons and levers to do 1X1 ribbing according to my manual.  Yes.  How do my needles look?  Any bent?  How are the latches?  Are they doing what they're supposed to do?  I took off both the ribber carriage and knitting carriage wiped them down and oiled them.  Everything is moving as far as I can see.  I ran the ribber carriage back and forth and things were moving fine.  Moved carriage back and started forth "CONK!"  My carriage won't move to the left.

I'm very fortunate to have a 2nd Toyota KS 650 carriage.  My next test will be to run it across and see what happens.  So, today's completion challenge is to complete my trouble shooting and get my bulky up and running.  I need at least one more hat before Christmas.

Day 11 of Completion Challenge

Find my donkey pieces!  While at my Machine Knitters Guild of the San Francisco Bay Area meeting I recalled I had the above mentioned project that I've really wanted to finish for a long time.  I've located my donkey and have been stitching up seams.  Redid a seam that I can't for the life of me figure out why I stitched it so badly years ago.  Then I had to figure out how to make my strip of machine knitting look like a donkey ear.  The instructions were great on telling one how to knit every thing.  As for putting it together it was basically... "Now put it together."  Not much help.  Most pieces are pretty self explanatory, but the ears I just couldn't envision them.  I finally think I hit on how they should be stitched.  I took the 2 toned strip of knitting.  Gather each end, folded them in half width wise and mattress stitched the side seams.  At least they are looking like ears.

These donkeys look nothing like mine, but this was the article that made me want to knit a donkey.  It pointed to a machine knitting pattern in "Machine Knitting Monthly" (pattern on page 48 of the August 2008 magazine (Issue 127)).  I had contacted them in 2010 about getting a back copy, but it took them a long time to get back to me.  By the time they had I had found out that my machine knitting buddy had this issue.  She graciously loaned me her copy.

Why would I want to knit a donkey in the first place you ask?  I have been driving by the cutest miniature fuzzy donkeys 5 days a week for almost 7 years.  They are SO CUTE!  I just want to pinch their little cheeks and chuck them under the chin.  I have a feeling the donkeys AND their owner wouldn't appreciate it that's when I thought I'd make my own.

Day 9 of Completion Challenge

I've been wanting to make a beanie on my knitting machine for a long time.  That's what my daughter wants.  "Nothing fancy just a beanie."  I wanted to make a beanie with a fitted crown.  Not the typical gathered tops I have done.  They just don't look like beanies.  This is based on a hand knit pattern in the round.  I knew I couldn't do it in the round on the machine just yet, but I knew I could do it flat.  That's OK one of my strengths is the mattress stitch.  One can hardly tell there is a seam from the outside when I do it.

I found this beanie pattern on Ravelry it's called "Regular Guy Beanie."  The first example of it I found the gal had knitted it on her knitting machine.  No written conversion, but I decided it was time to quit thinking about it and just give it a go.

I looked up how to do 2X2 ribbing in my manual.  I read the written pattern for the hand knit version to figure out when to do decreases.  What I really liked about this hat was the spiral chains on the crown created by the decreases.

With my plan written on the back of a recycled envelop I dove in.  I am very pleased with how it turned out even though there were problems.  I also forgot to so some plain knitting rows, but it still fits quite nice.

Only thing I kind of don't like, but will keep to myself when my daughter wears it is the row of holes where the ribbing attaches to the stockinet.  I've been told to next time pick up the purl bump on the stitch next to it to avoid the hole.  There were 2 set ups for doing 2X2 ribbing in my manual I'll have to try the 2nd one and see if it makes a better transition.

**Written pattern for the machine (knitted circularly) can be found here.  If you want it on the mainbed only click the link above to the hand knitted pattern.**

Day 8 of Completion Challenge

Wow I can't believe what a big baby I can be.  I fought the urge to put off finishing several parts of this project yesterday.  My attention span I've found can be quite short the minute I want to do something else.

First it was the visor to the cap, but fought through and finished it before I started the scarf.  Next I wanted to take the scarf off on waste yarn and do something else.  I found knitting the scarf until it was 60 inches long to be kind of boring.  Again I fought the urge to move on to something else.  I did this by just knitting a few rows and then taking a break to say do laundry, cook dinner, watch a TV program, play my poodle.  Before I knew it was 60 inches long.  I wanted to add some fringe and once off the knitting machine I wanted to move on again.  I answered this urge by picking up a ruler, scissors and the scarf.  Within a half hour I was completely done with this project.

What a great feeling to have a project done well ahead of Christmas and not up on Christmas Eve hunting for scissors and weaving ends in.

Day 2 of Completion Challenge

Hats!  I had done some more hats.  None had the ends woven in and one needed it's brim finished.  So, that's what I did last night.  The brown hat I made using Hobby Lobby's "I Love This Yarn" Stripes in the High Sierra Stripe color.  I love the color scheme.  Thought it might be a color I would like to wear.  What I don't like is the way this pattern works there are random splotches of color.  Well, I wouldn't mind that so much, but the green splotch in my head doesn't match and I don't like it.  It may grow on me or I may send it off to charity as it is a lovely hat.

Anyhow my problem in finishing the brown hat's brim was what to put in it.  When I made the blue hat I used plastic canvas and that was a bit of a problem.  It having jaggedy edges I needed to wrap it in paper to slide it in.  Then it worked great.  The pattern says to use stiff interfacing.  I just didn't see how this would be any good.  The interfacing just didn't seem stiff enough.  I decided to just go with the stiff interfacing as the pattern suggested and finish the hat.  The interfacing turned out GREAT!  The brim is plenty stiff enough and was easy to pull into the brim.  "Trust the pattern!"  Very seldom have a found a pattern that steers me wrong.  This is what I tell a friend of mine when we work together.  I need to take my own advice.

Another thing I did differently with the brown hat was I made the brim smaller.  Instead of knitting 10 rows before short rowing I knitted 6.  I REALLY like the smaller brim.  It's just enough smaller that it doesn't stick out so far from my forehead that I have that duck billed platypus feeling. :D

I've used several different yarns.  The blue Red Heart knitted a hat that fits perfectly.  The Hobby Lobby "I Love This Yarn" knitted a hat that is slightly smaller and a bit tight.  I used a Softee Pink yarn and it knitted a hat that is looser.  All using the same tension as the pattern asked for.

These 2 hats have no brim.  I did that on purpose to make a beanie with the beautiful wave pattern.

All hats are now finished and ready for a head.

Punch Pin Tuck Lap Blanket

Success!  I found the section in my ribber manual that talked about using the ribber punch card to make Punch Pin Tuck. So, I set up my machine and ribber according to the chart.  I found a thinner yarn to use and it worked great.  My only problem was a bunch of dropped stitches.

I was told to use lots of weight and to keep it consistently near the top edge to avoid any dropped stitches.  This was a pain in the rear since I had to reach under the ribber to do this.  I got my head on straight about the process when I thought how much time I was saving by keeping the stitches from dropping.

To get the size I wanted (20"X30") I used needles 50-0-50 at tension 2.  I knitted 300 rows.  I did this on my bulky machine.

Lap Blanket Turned Experimental Swatch

I want to make a couple lap blankets for charity. The preemie tuck blanket turned out so nice I thought I'd do something similar. I had another idea rolling around in my head. It was using a ribber punch card. I couldn't seem to wrap my brain around how a punch would work with the ribber and yet I have 5 for that very reason. There is no card reader on the ribber. 

I found the section in my ribber manual that talked about using the ribber punch card to make Punch Pin Tuck.  So, I set up my machine and ribber according to the chart.  I did the circular cast one fine.  Once I started knitting the Punch Pin Tuck the tension was way too tight according to the chart.  Tension of 1.  I moved it up to 3 then 5 then 7 then went straight to ten.  After 12 rows of knitting and having to hold my machine in place by spreading my knees out to put pressure on the knitting stand legs I knew there would be no blanket.  After 12 rows I felt like I had taken a 30 minute aerobics class.  

After all that work I didn't want it to go to waste.  I decided to fight through at least 12 more rows to make a swatch big enough to what kind of pattern I had going.  I wanted to know if it would be worth my while to try this again with a smaller yarn.

Needless to say it would be worth my while to try again.  The swatch is just gorgeous!  It's even a good size to make a headband.