Beautiful & Neat Ribber Cast On

This ribber cast on is similar to a more common one where you cast on on with WY and ravel cord then knit a zig zag row and drop the ribber stitches.  I've tried that one and thought the edge was a bit too loose.  This one I really like.

I am not the creator of this, a friend sent me some notes she made years ago.  We both had to try it out and I think it's terrific!  No bulky edge, no split "Y's" on the edge, it lays flat, nice stretch and so simple to do.

I took some photos today on the bulky so you can follow along.  I have a description under each step by step photo.  Give it a try.

Park MY in between beds on left side.  T0/0 cast on with ravel cord from right to left - hang ribber comb and weight as usual - remove ravel cord from ribber arm and replace with MY.

Set ribber carriage to hold.  On my Brother 260 it is the silver tabs down.

Place all ribber needles to E position (hold).

With MY knit one row left to right.  Only the main bed will knit, ribber will place yarn around needles in hold.

Take ribber carriage out of hold and set main bed to knit circular right to left and ribber carriage to knit circular left to right.  Knit one row right to left (ribber will not knit).

Knit second circular row left to right (only ribber bed will knit).

Set tension on both beds to your ribbing tension, set machine to knit rib (cancel any part buttons) and away you go!

Just off the cast on comb.

Ravel cord removed.  Look at the nice edge stitches!  Snug and flat.

Here is the swatch stretched out over the gate pegs.

Note:  To do this on 2x2 (2x1 arrangement), follow the steps for cast on and knitting first row left to right.  Before you take ribber out of hold and knit the first circular row, place all of the main bed needles that are out of work into B position.  Knit the first row right to left then drop the stitches on the needles you just put into work and place needles out of work.  Continue as above.

Easy Fingerless Mitts

A friend who is a machine knitter asked if I had a pattern for fingerless mitts, I did and off it went to her.  She was kind enough to test knit a pair and helped clear up my instructions.  When I make notes sometimes there are several versions and I sent her a little from this and a little from that.  She was kind enough to help me get it sorted out.  This is for the bulky machine, I use a 260E but this will work on any bulky.

Here are the instructions and step by step photos (at the bottom) to guide you through.  The thumb is short row increased onto the mitt.  My hand measures 8-1/2 inches around widest part of the palm.  You can add fair isle, intarsia and etc.

Bulky Fingerless Mitts

Worsted Yarn (No. 4 med)

RB T-3; MB T-5

32 stitches, H2 racking

MB 16L-16R

RB 15L-14R

Hand

T-0, H2 racking, Slider I

MB 16L-16R

RB 15L-14R, bring into work purl stitch 17L (for cast on only)

Cast on for rib in 2x2 (2x1); hang comb and weights

COL, T-1, Slider II, set part buttons for both carriages to knit selvage

Knit 3 circular rows

COR, H3 racking, T-3, Slider I, release part buttons

Transfer left end ribber stitch 17L to main bed needle L16 and return empty needle to A 

K26 rows rib

RC 26

P2 racking

Transfer RB stitches to MB to knit stockinette (or any pattern)

T-5

K to RC 32

Place marker on each end for thumb

K to RC 44

Place second marker on each end for thumb

K to RC 50

Transfer stitches for 1x1 rib, decreasing one stitch (or left two stitches remain on MB)

T-3

K in rib to RC 56

K1 row (R to L) at T10

RC 57, COL

Transfer ribber stitches to main bed

Loose chain bind off (loop through loop from R to L)

Thumb

Hang edge of thumb between markers - 8L-1L (for left side).  Then hang right side 1L to R7 (two stitches on 1L to prevent hole)

All needles in E position, start short row inc, wrap first needle ( 2R) as well as needle on carriage side.  Inc 2 sts each row (opp carriage), wrap needle on carriage side every row, on last row you will have 3 sts to increase.

K3R

Transfer stitches for 1x1 ribbing.

K4R

K1R right to left at T10, chain bind off.  Sew seams.

Note needle arrangement for 2x2 (2x1) and the left end needle on the ribber needed to cast on

Zig-zag row - note needle 17L on ribber

Have problems with a transfer needle?  Use the transfer tool instead!  Three  circular rows done, transferring needle 17 on ribber to main bed.

2x2 ribbing completed.

After transferring stitches to main bed for hand, knit stockinette.  Here I placed the first marker for thumb gore.

Second thumb marker added.   

All stockinette completed, transferring sts for 1x1 rib.

Hand done.  The red markers are the beginning of thumb gore.

With private side facing hang right side of mitt first on needles 8L-1L.

The ribbing facing you is the top of the mitt, the cuff is toward the back of the machine.  Hang left side of mitt on needles 1L-7R hanging the 8th stitch on needle 1L (prevents a hole forming).  Note two red markers are on same needle - (start of bottom thumb gore).

Needles 1L & 1R in FWP.

Yarn comes from carriage and over the needles in hold between needles 1 & 2R.

One row knit.  Wrap needle 2R with yarn tail.  Wrap needle 2L.

After short row increasing K3R.

Thumb stitches transferred for ribbing.

Thumb completed.

Tidy up your cast on by running a needle through the edge and pull stitched into alignment.  This makes the edge neat.

Seamed and ready to wear.

Download From Your Computer To Your KM

I've been a bit busy playing with img2trk which enables us to take any image and download into our knitting machines. The programs (there are 3 to use) work with the 930, 940 and 950i.    It's not "hacking" your knitting machine.  Your computer will take the place of a PPD all in just a few minutes not hours (entering one stitch at a time).

It's really very simple to do, no really!  You need a cable (I bought mine online) that has the same end as a PPD has on it's cable (FTDI pin plug), the other end is a USB.  You download the software (3 minutes at most) and you are ready.

Once you open the program you simply select your image and in seconds your knitting chart appears.  You plug into the knitting machine, turn it on and enter the pattern just as you would from a PPD, that's it.  The program gives you the option to play with stitches and rows (pixels) and allows you to program up to 6 colors.  The below image is a picture of my best friend "Mikey" and was 131 rows in the one track.  If images are larger it will automatically create the different tracks.  My studio is next to my office where I have my mac.  I needed 35 feet of usb cable.  I purchased 5, 10' cables ($7) and simply plugged one into the other.

Think of the possibilities!

Mikey's Picture

My Mikey In Knit!