Machine Knitting Abbreviations

Two people recently asked what the machine knit abbreviations mean.  Typically they are listed in most machine knit patterns, but I usually forget to add them to mine.  Here is a list of the most common ones used for almost all machine brands.  (Passap has its own.)   Hope it helps.

Using DAK to print graph paper

Perhaps you seasoned DAK users realized this a long time ago, but it just dawned on me.  I wanted to create my own lace patterns to use with my new-ish LK150---hand manipulated lace, of course.  There are some really nice projects on Ravelry in the Mid-gauge Machine Knitters group.  I'm especially inspired by hookmeup's lace.  http://www.ravelry.com/people/HookMeUp   Check out his projects.

Anyway, you can use a free program on the internet for creating knitter's graph paper, or use an Excel spreadsheet too.  This is just another easy way.

I tried using a basic graph and typing in the symbols typically used in hand knitting lace patterns.  Probably due to my ignorance, I couldn't get the symbols to print dark enough.  So I decided plain graph paper would work fine and I would draw in my own symbols by hand.  

Here's how to get some nice graph paper;

1.  Open Stitch Designer.  

2.  Accept the 40 st x 40 row default or add/subtract stitches and rows to suit your purpose.

3.  Use the paint bucket to dump white into the work space.

4.  Under Options, change your tension to 4 stitches and 5 rows to the inch so that the grid is large.  You may be able to control the size of the grid by just adjusting in the print options (#6 below) regardless of the tension your file is set at.  Haven't tried it.

5.  File...print.  Save as graphpaper  in a place you can find it again.  I have a misc file for that purpose.

6.  You have some options--- before actually printing--- under Available Formats.  Choose stitch pattern picture,  under page setup choose portrait for vertical lace and landscape for horizontal repeats.  Choose 100% or larger.  You can choose which way the rows and stitches are numbered.  I asked for darker color demarcation, but it didn't seem to make a difference when I printed it out different ways.

7.  DAK may use several pages to print out what you have specified.  I chose the one that made the most sense for the design I planned to do and printed out only that page. (The one starting in the lower right corner for stitches and rows made the most sense to me.) Fianally, click Print.  If you don't get exactly what you want, fiddle around with the settings.

Hope this helps someone.  I'm going to a knit-in in Princeton on Saturday and wanted a chart for a project I want to try.  If it turns out, I'll report.

Machine Knit Pocket Doll

Still fooling around.....................

 

Pocket Doll Directions  Another fun machine knit toy to make.  Nice to accompany a baby gift or give to charity. 

Any machine, any yarn---Tension to match yarn

Directions

Body  Main yarn, cast on so that you have 6 inches in width.  Knit 5 inches.  Change to skin color of choice.  Knit 1 ½ inches.  Bind off.  No need to shape the top of the head.

Arms – Cast on 2 inches worth in width.  Leave a yarn tail.  Knit 2 inches.  Take off with a large-eyed needle and cinch in for the hand end. Seam up the arm and stuff it.  Wrap yarn around to make hand.  

Hat  -  Ewrap cast on with main or contrasting color the number of stitches in the head plus 4 stitches.  Knit  1 ½ inches.  Decrease by half across, rehang on every needle, knit 2 rows.  Continue decreasing until you have about 5- 6 stitches left.  K for 1” more, bind off.  Tie a knot in the top of the hat.  Seam hat.  Seam the head, stuff the head then hand sew hat to head just under the roll.  Neck- hand sew in and out of stitches where head meets body.  Cinch in for neck and knot.  Stuff the body and seam up back and bottom.  Seam around arms as you attach to the body.  Leave arms sticking out or secure to the belly.  Embroider two tiny eyes with dark yarn going sideways over just one stitch each eye..   Hide all yarn ends inside body.  Dip a q-tip in some blush and make cheeks.

Good beginner project ===  fast, easy, learn how to use your gauge, easy to modify.

Machine Knit Lutin

Sometimes I like to just fool around on my knitting machines with no big goal in mind.  I found this little guy on Ravelry and converted it to a machine knit toy.  I thought it was as cute as a bug's ear.  With no embroidery on the face and no stuffing except for the head, he looks vintage to me.  I tweaked the original pattern a little, especially the extremities because I found it really hard to tie the knots with the fabric doubled.  Otherwise all credit goes to Phildar.

I tried taking pictures of him without a flash and consequently, got weird folds and dark shadows.  He's  really a nice clean baby blue.  Honest!

I built the schematic in DesignaKnit and sometimes the program puts the even numbers on the left and the odd numbers on the right----opposite to where you want your carriage to be.  So, I suggest you ignore one side and just do the same on the other side since the sides are a mirror image. I knit him on a standard gauge machine but you could do your math and redo the pattern to fit a midgauge or bulky.  Lutin is knit in 3 pieces.  Two identical bodies and one hat. He measures about 10" tall and 8" wide.  Good for an extra baby gift, charity or yourself (no diaper changing involved.)

I hope you can read my directions----Blogger reduced the size a little.  If you click on the diagram you will get a slightly larger picture.  Then you can right click and save the image to your Paint program (or any other image processing program.)  It should enlarge a little and be easier to read.

April Fools

Methinks Mother Nature is playing jokes on us.  Supposed to be spring, right?  Tell that to the skies over Minnesota  A look out my front door:

It's times like this that I am so glad to have a hobby (machine knitting) where I can stay in, stay warm and stay occupied. 

Hope it's warmer where you live.  In contrast, here's my little guy at the ocean:

Love the little wet butt.

2002 Winter Olympics Salt Lake City Dale of Norway Sweater

I finally finished my nephew's Salt Lake City Dale of Norway cardigan.  I purchased the hand knitting pattern, scanned the graph into DAK and changed it into a stitch pattern.   I modified it to fit on my Brother 970 machine and changed the colors to just black and white, as requested.  I used Schuss Plus worsted wool, which was a real workout on the standard machine.  It made a wonderfully sturdy fabric, though, and will be like a jacket for him.  For the first time, I used a full needle rib for the buttonhole and button plackets and was really pleased with how much body they had compared to the 1x1 ribbing.  Don't know why I hadn't done that before.

Whew, am I glad to get that sweater done.  From request to completion was about 3 years.  Knitting time about 2 weeks.  He promised a picture of himself wearing it, but that is yet to be forthcoming.  I think it will be a while before I knit another one.  Too much concentration and too much work!  I think over the years I have knit 32 of these Norwegian sweaters for family members.    But anyway, with that promise fulfilled, I can move on to other things.

Lightening Fast Baby Hats for Charity/Hospitals

I went to a club meeting last Saturday at Cindy's Knitting Room in Princeton.  One of the gals showed a baby hat she had knit on her midgauge machine that I thought was soooooooooo nifty, not to mention awfully fast to do.The hospitals have told us they'd like  pink or blue hats that are 11-12 inches wide (circumference) by 6 inches tall.  Using any machine you can get your gauge and do a little math.  If they come out a little big, you can donate them to a different agency.  The  yarn I had on hand is suitable for the standard gauge machine.  (Mary Lou's Symphony.)  So, I allowed a few more stitches for the roll at the bottom and a couple of rows extra for the top.  I got 7 stitches and 10 rows to the inch with the tension dial about 7.  So I knit them 50 stitches by 124 rows, allowing a little extra width and length.  You can fiddle and eventually get the size you are satisfied with.

What is fast is this.  They are knit lengthwise so the number of stitches is the height of the hat and the length is the circumference.  You start each hat and end each with waste yarn.  Leave a long tail of the main yarn at the beginning of each hat that will be used for seaming and cinching the top.   Fold with the purl side facing you and kitchener stitch the edges together.  Then remove waste yarn.  With the same yarn tail, finish the top of the hat.  The top can be done in a couple of ways.  If you do a short running stitch with the purl side facing you, about 2 stitches down and cinch it tight, it ends up looking like a little flower.  If you do an in and out running  stitch on just every other edge stitch with the wrong (knit) side facing you, cinch it tight, it gathers like most hats are done.  If there is a hole, you can sew north and south, east and west, and it covers up the hole nicely. The knitting naturally rolls to the purl side.  I like it for a change.  And with kitchener stitch there is no seam for the baby's tender head to rest on.

Here's a diagram if that helps visualize the construction better:

What made them super fast for me is the diagram on the right.  I started out with 20 rows of waste yarn, knit the hat, then 20 rows of waste yarn, etc. until I had 10 hats in a long snake-like piece of knitting, ending with the waste yarn.  20 rows of waste yarn was sufficient to have enough space to cut them apart.  Not having to cast on repeatedly, saves a lot of time.  I made 18 of them yesterday in a couple of hours and then spent some time finishing them while watching a movie.  I still need to wash and dry them but that won't take long.

Wanted to share in case you are into charity knitting.  I just thought this was cool and cute and am always happy to find something that goes so fast.  Thanks to Pat!