Plaid Pattern For Punchcard Or Electronic

Had a few emails already asking for the pattern.  The below can be entered into an electronic, drawn on a mylar sheet or punched.

It's 48 rows long and 24 stitches wide.  Electronic owners would not have to enter all 48 rows, just one pattern repeat (there are two on below) or 24 rows.

Please share and enjoy!

Plaid Fairisle Pattern

Playing With Plaid

It's freezing here tonight, temperature dropping to 24°F (-4.5°C), NOT what we usually experience.  I still have lemons on my trees, really should have taken them all in.

Because of the cold I felt like knitting something warm and have been wanting to "play with plaid" for a while; tonight was the night.

Here are two swatches I came up with, I like the gray/blue one best.  If you would like the pattern, let me know!

Gray/Blue

Blue/Blue

Have you noticed all the fairisle in the yarn catalogs and plenty of tuck stitch items too!  That's the advantage to being a machine knitter, we can do fairisle and tuck in no time flat with perfect results.

Now, what to knit in this plaid...

More From Brother 270 Issue Helen Is Having

My last couple of posts have been about Helen's 270 issue when isolating a Stitchworld tuck stitch pattern.  Here is her latest email in reply to your help:

Yes, the tuck needles are in D position, the non tuck needles are automatically put in B position when isolating.Already changed the end needle to be in work under the carriage.   Tuck does not work in D position.  Reverse button puts the needles in position for slip stitch.

Helen's 270 Problem Continues..

Thanks for the messages regarding Helen's issue with her 270 (see my post below).  I sent her your replies and she appreciates the help so much.  Here is her reply about the isolation:

"I am isolating the tuck just like one does to isolate a single motif in fairisle. For example. one cat in the middle of the sweater instead of cats all across the front of the sweater. I want only one tuck motif in the center with stockinette on either side."

If anyone has an idea for her to try out please post.  Thanks so very much!

Machine Knitters are truly a tight knit bunch!

A Knitting Machine Friends Projects

Helen, who I met a little over a year ago when she wrote for some advice on her Brother 910 became a quick email friend.  Not only a vey nice lady but a great machine knitter.  Below are some of her recent projects.  She incorporates hand knitting with her machine knitting.

She needs some help too.  Her Brother 270 is acting up and she has tried just about everything to knit Stitchworld pattern # 82.  The needles that are supposed to be knitting are just forming loops not knitting.  She adjusted the Fabric Presser/Sinker Plate and had a bit of luck for a little while then wrote:

"Well, evidently the sinker plate was not the problem.  As long as I knit a tuck stitch across all the needles, the machine tucks properly, but when I try to isolate a tuck stitch, the yarn floats on either side of the isolated tuck stitches.  The isolated tuck stitches knit properly, but the stockinette stitches just float on top."

I am out of suggestions.  Not seeing it in person makes it hard to really diagnose this type of problem.  Has anyone had this happen?  What did you do to fix it?  Please share your thoughts to help out a fellow machine knitter.

Thanks and here are her great looking projects...

Easy & Much Appreciated Gift item!

Nice, Sideways Knit!

I Really Love This Childs Sweater Set

Machine Knitting Italian Style!

Or in Italian it would be: Macchina che lavora a maglia stile italiano!

If you want to watch a skilled machine knitter this is the place to watch.  Her styles are beautiful and techniques are fantastic.  Vanda finishes all garments impeccably.  I must admit, she makes me proud to say I'm Italian!

This is her latest post:

Vanda's Baby Booties!

Watch the video, even if you don't speak Italian.  You can see her confident hands moving along (glad I am not the only one who moves the carriage by holding the fabric presser - on occasion) and you can visually learn a new technique.

Click here for her YouTube demo:

Vanda's YouTube Baby Bootie Technique 

Vanda siete il la cosa migliore! 

Dog Sweater Pattern - Mikeys!

Here is my pattern for the dog sweater (pictured below - CLICK) I made for Mikey:

Info:
Tuck Stitch
Yarn: Worsted Weight 4 ply
Machine: Bulky (9mm)
Tension: T6 and Rib T4
Gauge: 3.53 sts & 7.27 rows per inch

His Measurements:
Base of tail to base of neck: 19"
Leg length: 11"
Chest circumference: 23" (widest area)
Width between two front legs: 4" (widest area)

BODY
T0, begin with rib on 67 needles zig-zag row.  Set machine to T1 and complete circular rows (3).

RC000, T4, knit 8 rows.  Transfer stitches to main bed, decrease end stitch on carriage side (66 needles).

T6, set machine to hold, bring out 23 needles to hold opposite carriage.  K1 row and wrap yarn of first needle in hold.  Bring 23 needles opposite carriage out to hold and K1 row, wrap.

Push 3 needles opposite carriage back to FWP and K 1 row, wrap.  Continue until all needles are back in work.  Make sure you weight the short rowing as you move along.  On the last two rows you will have less than 3 needles to move back into FWP, treat them in the same way until all needles are in work.

Note:  Depending on your dogs anatomy, you can sharpen the shape when doing short rows by changing the 3 needles (back to FWP) up or down.

Hang weight evenly across knitting.  Set and release tuck stitch pattern and K to RC092 (this is just behind the front leg openings) if you need to adjust the length this is the place to do it.

RC000, cast off 6 sts and K 1 row, cast off 6 sts, K1 row.  K in pattern to RC026.

RC000, E-wrap on 6 sts, hang weight on the e-wraps, K1 row.  repeat the e-wrap of 6 sts and hang weight on them. K to RC026.  Remove on WY.

CHEST/STOMACH PIECE
T4, RC000, circular cast on as before on 14 needles.  K8 rows rib. Transfer needles to MB.

T6, RC000, set to pattern knitting, K85 rows (adjust length here if needed).  Remove on WY.

COLLAR
With wrong side (knit side) facing, rehang neck stitches from body and chest pieces decrease by hanging 2 sts on every 3rd needle.

T4, K1 row.  Transfer stitches for rib.

RC000, K25 rows.  Change to T8, K1 row.  Bind off using the loop through a loop method.

SLEEVES (both the same)
T6, RC000, rehang leg opening sts (center on machine for pattern) with wrong side facing and K1 row.  Remove on garter bar or WY, turn work (tuck sts facing you) and rehang sts.  Change to tuck pattern and K23 rows (this made mid leg length for the sweater I did) you can adjust length as you like.

T4, RC000, transfer sts for rib, K11 rows (again your choice length of ribbing).  Bind off same manner you did for collar.

Join seams, hide ends.  Here is the finished shape - CLICK

This I adapted/changed from an old photo copy of someone's notes that I found tucked in a book I purchased.  It was originally designed for the standard machine and with GC. Wish I could give credit for it's original roots.  

Mikey In His Sweater!

Mikey was in the mood for a nice walk today.  So on went his sweater and out came the camera.  Las Vegas which is known for it's scorching hot temperatures does get cold in winter, today's high was 52° F or 11° C.

Let's Go, I'm Waiting!

His long "Silky Terrier" hair hid the crew neck collar in this picture but as you can see it's a perfect fit, he loved it!

I'll post my pattern (for the 9mm machine) this weekend.

Tuck Stitch Crew Neck Sweater...For Mikey

Last year when my dog Mikey was still a 6 month old puppy I made him a few sweaters on my standard electronic, he loved them!

Now that he is 1-1/2 years old he has outgrown them and time for new ones.

The other evening I wanted to make something fast for him, so I went to my bulky machine and created the below tuck stitch sweater for him; it's just over 4 ounces of worsted weight yarn.

Mikey is about 30 pounds, a Terrier & Sheltie mix and my best friend.  Notice it is anatomically correct too!  Some of the dog sweaters I have seen use straps, elastic or the back is some sort of flap that just sits on top of the dogs back.  Not liking those, I made this in true pullover fashion.

I have all my notes, gauge and etc. that I will type up later in the week and send to those who may like to make one too.

Folded In Half -  How It Will Look On Mikey

Underside Back

 Now, to get Mikey to pose for a picture...

Growth For All Of Us...

Wishing You A Blessed New Year