The Evil Static Monster Strikes Again

Long post----ignore if you don't have a static problem.

In my last post I mentioned that I was having a little static issue.  And if you look carefully at the doggie sweater you can see some pattern errors.   Well, the problem got worse and worse.  None of the tactics I have always used and that always worked before fixed the problem.  Thinking I was the anti-static queen, years ago I did a post that listed several strategies should your machine become infected. I should mention that I recommended an anti-static wrist band that people who work on computers use.  I have since been told that wearing one was worse than useless and would turn you and the machine into a Frankenstein crazy static loop.  However, the other suggestions were useful if your static issue isn't super horrible.

So, I doubled down doing all the things I have done in the past.  Even bought a new sponge bar, thinking the old was causing my issue.  Then I thought the pattern I downloaded to my 970 was faulty or Gasp! the 970 was dying.  Looked at a lot of Youtube videos o the subject, but none exactly fit my particular situation.

I wrote to Michael Becker of Distinctive Knits because he has helped me with other things in the past.  He recommended I construct a grounding cable and connect the machine with  it to the grounding part of an electrical wall outlet.  I replied that I was unreasonably proud of myself when I can successfully change a lightbulb.  No way could I construct one.

Then a machine knitter, Sherry, contacted me about the Doing DAK book I had written.  I told Sherry about the problem I was having and what Michael Becker recommended.  And coincidentally she is super knowledgeable about electricity.  She found a ready-made grounding cable for me on Amazon!!! This is what I purchased.  The same company sells a cheaper one that is 8 ft long, but I figured the longer one would work better for my set-up.

So simple to use. First you push the pointy end into the alligator clip, attach the clip to the mast of your machine, then plug the other end into the wall outlet so that it is grounded.  Voila!!! It works and no more mispatterning. Easier than changing a lightbulb almost. I still spray my yarn with Lori Lynn Yarn spray and use dryer sheets, but my problem seems to be fixed primarily by this cable.  I have since knit several swatches with and without the ribber with NO PROBLEMS. 

Sherry and I have become email friends, which is really fun, and she is in the process of making these cables for the members of her machine knitting club.  Serandipity that this worked out the way it did and I am super grateful to her for researching cables to get me the best one for the knitting machine.

New Year New Dog New Sweater

 

This is Yogi.  He is a BichonFrise/poodle mix.  He is not green or blue around the eyes, but my camera thinks he is.  Weird.  He just got a haircut so is cold without his shaggy long coat.  I'm trying to perfect the right size for the sweater.  One I made last summer was too big, so I'm trying again.  This one is snug but he doesn't seem to mind. Am going to adjust and try again.  After all, a guy can't have too many sweaters.  Seems kind of sissy, but he honestly needs a little help.  My husband would have said, "That's not a real dog!" However, he is here to stay, we just got dumped upon with 15 inches of snow...and he can barely navigate through it.

If you also have about a 15 lb doggie who could use a sweater, here's how I made this one.  This is the DAK design for the sweater back. You certainly could knit it plain, do stripes, design your own instead.

My tension with some sport weight Tamm yarns was 7 stitches and 8  rows to one inch @T10 on my 970 standard Brother machine. I centered the DAK .stp design on the needle bed and only used 84 stitches and 96 rows of it.  If you need more stitches and rows, they are there for you.  If you would like the DAK design, write to me and I will email it to you.

Below are schematics, very not to scale.

DAK notation--at row#, decrease or increase #stitches every so many rows, #times.

Example--at row 5, decrease 1 stitch (both sides) every 5 rows twice (on row5 and 10)

HEMS-bottoms of pieces, use waste yarn and knit some rows. 1 r ravel cord.  Insert main yarn, at tension 6 knit 12 rows, at tension 10 knit one row, at tension 8 knit 12 rows.  Pick up stitches across above waste and hang onto row in work. Use design until top hem. I didn't put a design on the underbelly piece.

For hems on tops of pieces use ravel cord to mark the row you want to hang up. Reverse the tensions.  First T8, 1 r T10, last T6.  Hang stiches and bind off with your favorite method.

My fractions of an inch are not exact, but it shouldn't matter. One hint to make the thing fit better in the armholes is to poof out the back area a little more than the underbellypiece. Otherwise I think it's pretty straight-forward as to how to sew the pieces together.

  As I was knitting this, I had all sorts of problems that I usually do not have. There were dropped stitches and mispatterning.  My aged mind finally figured out that I needed a new sponge bar.  I had a spare that I inserted but it too was not in perfect shape. Since it was a tad better I was able to finish the thing but there were still some pattern errors.  (don't look too closely.) Right away I ordered a new one from Cindy's Knitting Room in Princeton, MN.  I wanted to mention her business because she is so nice, prompt, fair and reasonably priced.  

Write to me if I haven't explained very well.