Polo Frenzie

Hmmm, I have been absent for a while haven't I?  Catching up with the spring projects, mostly outside and of course long work days.  But, yes have been knitting!

I just finished a tweed polo in blue shades, I refuse to sew up the tedious seams until I have the part in need for my linker.  It was shipped from UK and will take a while.  So on to the next!

Diana Sullivan just released her Knit Leader Course <(click there).  Last night I watched her DVD's then re-read my instruction book; did a swatch.  This morning I mapped out my polo on the knit leader mylar sheet.  Was planning to use a men's sewing pattern for a dress shirt but there is way too much ease in a men's dress shirt.

What to do?  I took a favorite polo shirt and simply traced directly from the shirt!  Keep in mind when you knit you are using a very small seam allowance; sewing patterns us a 5/8" or 1.5 cm allowance.  So tracing a favorite garment is practical indeed.

Take a look below, off to put a new pond pump in before it gets too hot outside.

Polo Shirt

P.S.  Diana Sullivan is working on a great book for machine knitting, no DVD's with this one.  She has asked me to to proof read it, make suggestions and what photo's I think are needed.  Diana wants me to be brutally honest.  Another very fun thing, always like working/testing with her and on her projects!

My Spring Cotton Polo Finished

Seeing all the snow across North America in May is odd indeed.  Originally from the North Eastern US it is not the norm for sure.

Having relocated to the desert southwest it's spring for us, warm and toasty, shorts and t-shirt weather.  Our temperatures have been in the 80's and even 90's already.  In one corner of my yard, I have a bit of desert landscape;  here is the first cactus to bloom this year:

For All Of You In Snow

Back to the polo...

This was done in a Yeoman cotton/acrylic.  I rearranged the buttonholes as I never button the top button so why bother having it?  This was a bit troublesome to knit as it has a hard twist and no give as you knit.  What I like about the yarn is a quick wash and lay flat to dry.  All stitches evened up and the fabric looks great.

Soft Salmon

The photo design is not the best but, you can see the exact color as it was a bit tricky to capture!  Now for the buttons.

The Buzz Has Started...

If you haven't checked out these knitting machine tables you should.

KNITTING MACHINE TABLES BY WOODWERKS

Where else can you find them?  You can't.  I see so many knitters using odd things to clamp their machines onto.  If you are looking for a piece of furniture instead of just a stand then this is the way to go.

I have no financial affiliation with these tables or the company, I just love 'em!  There will be a piece in the June issue of Machine Knitting Monthly about these!

Brian's Been Having Fun!

Brian up in Canada is keeping his promise and keeping me updated on his new hobby, learning knitting machines!

He just purchased a White/Superba 1602 and is anxiously waiting for it (along with some spring weather).

Brain included the photos below of his latest venture and included this note:

"Our local "Burlington Machine Knitters Guild" put on a yarn dying event last month.  It was so much fun dying my own 50/50 silk & merino yarn.  I am saving it for something special, not sure what as yet."

Don't worry Brian there is always something you can make with that great yarn.  I tempted Brian to try Kool-Aid dying next!

Ribber Hint

I have started a new polo in a a nice shade of salmon by Yeoman, it's a 50/50 cotton/acrylic.

I wanted the waist ribbing to not pull in and have some body to it. A 2x2 ribbing knit in the 2x1 needle arrangement would be great.  With this yarn I find both ends of the ribber after a few rows were starting to loop and not knit.  Then toward the middle (row 18) all needles were getting loopy.

Easy fix, just pull up the ribber needles to hold position then knit across the row.  Yes, a bit more work to pull up all the needles on the ribber each row but worth the effort.  Take a look:

End Needles Pulled All The Way Out

Now The Entire Row Pulled Out

Worth The Extra Step (still on the comb)!

Beautiful & Functional Hand Made Knitting Machine Tables

Through blogging and Machine Knitting Monthly I've met some wonderful people from all over the world.

One of the people I've met is Katherine, we have become friends and share many of the same interests.  Her husband, Steve, is truly a woodworking craftsman and has created absolutely beautiful and perfect knitting machine tables.

Katherine kept me abreast of the progress Steve was making with emails and pictures.  I was truly honored when Steve sent me the photos and asked if I had questions and or input.

There are tilting tables and non tilting tables, single and double bed tables with lots of room for all of you gadgets and yarn.

No worries about the quality, they are solid maple and Russian birch made and finished with impeccable craftsmanship.  Prices and shipping are excellent!  Check out their website, lots of details, measurements, photos and their bios!  Did I mention they are wonderful people?  They are!

Here is the link: Knitting Machine Table Woodwerks

Or: http://www.knittingmachinetables.com/index.html

The One I will Buy Soon!

It's Spring, Do You Know If Your Beds Are Aligned?

Spring is a good time to check your Main Bed and Ribber Bed for proper alignment.

Has your Transfer Carriage been not quite right?  Have you had ribber stitches look mis-shapen?

Even if not, Spring is a good time to check your machine alignment (clean them too if you need to).

I have done thousands and thousands of rows of knitting over the winter and my machines need a deep cleaning (the big clean) but, I thought, when did I check my alignment last?  We need to do this periodically as the movement of the carriage (especially after a lot of cotton yarn tuck rows) and repeated raising and lowering the Ribber Bed will eventually misalign the beds.

So I took 15 minutes tonight and checked it all.  My standard was our of alignment!  From side to side a bit off, height a bit low and distance from the main bed was off on one side.

I like most have some great printed info on making adjustments.   But, if you don't here is the link to the Desert Machine Knitters website, they have instructions and diagrams posted to get you back in alignment.

Happy Spring!

Spring Fever Project

Have you ever had a project make you insane?  Bet the answer is yes.

I have some really nice 5/2 cotton (color is "currant") which I am using to make a warm weather tuck stitch vest.  Everything that could go wrong has.  Dropped EO stitch when knitting, broken yarn (right under a needle), forgetting to knit the last row of each shoulder piece in stockinette (you ever rehang tuck stitches then pull them through other tuck stitches to then knit a row?), needles not selecting when I turned the machine back on, not enough weight on the ends, loop on the end, yarn caught on a gate peg, did chain cast off after joining a shoulder to only find I missed one of the tucks....you get the idea.  I must admit, these were all my fault (except the broken yarn).

Maybe it's "spring fever?"

Below is a 20 second video clip (I sent to a friend) of decreasing as I was doing one of the armholes in tuck stitch.

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HAPPY EASTER

Machine Knitting Videos

Planned on knitting tonight as I'm 1/2 way through a cotton vest.  Needed a break from doing another 500+ rows.  I watched knitting videos tonight.

Found some great detailed HD videos from Nyann Goro.  Up close techniques that are worth time watching.  There is no music or narrative, they aren't needed.

Follow the link to her video (below) on YouTube then once there you can click on "more from" on the right side.

Nyann Goro Videos