Finished items -1

I'm writing today because I wanted to show you all the things I've knitted since last post.

As you may know I have a KR6 Knit Radar for my Knitaster 321 but somehow I never got round using it because I couldn't get the hang of using the graph instead of using written instructions.
I was inspired by Susan's videos about using the Knit Radar, once I understood it now thanks to her I think I'll always use the Knit Radar.

This is my first Knit Radar knitted pullover:

It uses punchcard number 4 from the basic Knitmaster set, in tuck stitch, (don't get angry Susan if I copied it), here's how the pattern looks like:

It's in hot pink, it has borders made in a 1x1 rib. It was fairly easy to make, I got into trouble for the neckband as I had knitted it but I didn't know how to put on the neck with no mistakes, it wasn't easy sewing it either as I'm not an expert on sewing needles, but I got through it. It isn't 'perfect' but it's all right for me.

I also made a pair of socks,I knitted them by hand using 4 needles, (I hate using 5, I never made socks on 5 needles), here's how they look like:

I used a set 4mm sock needles, using 4ply they were obviously knitted in the round with no seams. The have a 2knit-2purl rib:

The cuffs are actually turned over as the leg portion is longer, I wanted them like that as I can leave them long like they are if I want or turn the cuff over and make them shorter, here's how they look with the longer leg portion:




That's all for today, but I do have 2 more finished items that I want to show them to you tomorrow.

Bye for now,

Samantha

Ebay sellers

What's going on with some Ebay sellers lately? I'm writing this because a couple of days ago I wanted to buy some spare needles for the Knitaster 321, and on the auction page there was written that the seller sent items worldwide, but unfortunately there wasn't written the postage price for Italy so, I write to the seller to know the price. And at this moment there is no reply, at first I thought I didn't send the message so I go to the 'My Ebay' page and it was in the 'Sent' folder. Then I go to Susan's blog and I found out that something similar has happened to her too. So what's going on with Ebay sellers lately? I mean just some becuase most of them are very kind and accurate. But there are always those who spoil the whole thing.

Bye for now,

Samantha

My new sewing machine

A couple of posts ago I told you I had bought a sewing machine, as my digital camera wasn't working properly I couldn't show you a picture, well here it is now:




I'm very happy with my new purchase!!!!!


I've bought a new accessory for the sewing machine, Ill tell you about in my next post.....


Bye for now,

Samantha

Who needs a chunky machine!

On Saturday I decided to go yarn shopping, this time I decided to buy some DK as I never tried it before on the Knitmaster 321, well the seller sold me the yarn as DK but it really was chunky, so I thought, what do I do with it now, it didn't want to bother knitting it by hand.

Then I took a look at the manual of the Knitmaster 321 and read that you could actually knit chunky on the machine by knitting the yarn on alternate needles, so I had a browse on my magazines, and found the pattern for a Teenage sweater knitted on alternate needles at tension 8*, at the weekend I so far knitted the back:

My digital camera wasn't working properly, that's why there haven't been much photos lately on the blog, well, I got it fixed now. That is the back, it is striped, I used light blue, brown and dark pink, ten rows for each colour. It has raglan shapings, you can see it better here:

I'll start the front as soon as I have some free time....

Bye for now,


Samantha

I'm back with some news

Here I am again, wow, it's good to be blogging again. Have you missed me.....

I have a lot of this to tell you, where should I start....

Well, I got a new toy last week... It's not a machine knitting accessory but it's related.

It's a sewing machine. I must say that I'm not an expert on sewing... In fact I was wondering, if some of you bloggers will tell me where to start, I'll be very grateful.

I'm really glad I got this gift, in fact there's always some sewing to do, and I think this will be very useful to me.

Before, I had a thought, as you probably know, (the ones who read my previous posts), that I have to get something to make the making up part of my machine knits faster. I was told to look out for a Hague Linker, and I always look on eBay, but the starting prices increase a lot and you also have to consider that the postage price increases too as the item has to be sent to Italy so... it remains a dream for now....

So, will my sewing machine be any good?

Another good thing is that I always wanted to try Cut & Sew necklines, but I couldn't because I couldn't do the zig zag around the neck as I didn't have a sewing machine, well, I can now....


Bye for now,

Samantha

Finished project

On Saturday afteroon I decided I should knit a new sweater from a Modern Knitting magazine, so I used a cheap yellow yarn that I had and on Tuesday morning I had finished it.
Now, the finishing part is taking more time than i thought it would take. But as soon as I finish making it up, I'll post a picture.

Bye for now,

Samantha

The p presser arrived

Today the p presser arrived and I tried pile knitting right away.
Well there wasn't a good result. Well, actually it was my fault, because I should have used a thinner yarn but I didn't have it, I did get some loops on the back though.
I know I promised you a photo of the drive lace but my camera isn't workng very well, I hope I'll get it all right soon.

Bye for now,

Samantha

I'm dishcoth cotton

What kind of yarn are you?

You are Dishcloth Cotton.You are a very hard worker, most at home when you're at home. You are thrifty and seemingly born to clean. You are considered to be a Plain Jane, but you are too practical to notice.
Take this quiz!








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I've got a new toy

Enough suspense, I got the p carriage and I've already tried a drive lace pattern.
I'll post a photo soon...

Bye for now

Samantha

Next: Socks on the ribber

I don't know what happened to the machine. Since the p carriage and the p presser didn't arrive yet, I decided to start a new sweater for my niece, I knitted the stockinet hem, the started using punchcard 10 from the basic pack.
I made a complete pattern then it started dopping a load of stitches here and there.
Why, why did that happen, I tried all the other punchcard from the basic pack I've got and they've all worked. Re knitted the sweater three times with no success, then I gace up.
Instead I thought I would knit a pair of socks form the Mary Weaver ribbing attachment book. I'll give it a try. There are patterns for both seamed and circular socks.
We'll see what happens.

Bye for now,

Samantha

What I would like to do - 2

When the p carriage will arrive I will also want to make mesh knitting which is very similar to the drive lace just using different punchcards:



Bye for now,

Samantha

What I would like to do soon

The day before yesterday I bought a p carriage for my ribber to make drive lace, for you that don't know what drive lace is, here's a video from Susan that explainsyou everything:



I hope the p carriage will arrive soon.

Bye for now,

Samantha

What I'm gonna try tomorrow

Tomorrow, I'm gonna try to make Double jacquard, I'm going to make it with the YC1 colour changer that I bought three months ago.
This video from Susan inspired me:



Bye for now,

Samantha

Homemade knitting machine video

I'm sorry but I couldn't help but post this brilliant video that I just saw on YouTube:


Isn't it great, a homemade knitting machine, yes I know it's slow and "real" knitting machines are way much faster, but it's a great diversification to expensive nowadays machines.

What do you think of it


Bye for now,

Samantha

Something about me, and I'm back

Here I am, posting again after three weeks of strike and I decided that today I would talk about me instead of my knitting.
Well, I should start by talking about my high school years, oh, how great they were, didn't you like your high school, and as a matter of fact I'm a bit curious I'll put a poll up and let me know.
But anyway, as I was saying I loved high school, I attended CPAs school here in Italy, and I loved it mainly because it had many subjects that I liked, such as economy, and we studied some subjects that aren't in use anymore, such as computerized calculation, which didn't have nothing of computer that we use now.
We also studied shorthand which I really really liked, mainly because of our teacher which was so strange but so funny at the same time. You see, she was very old, and although more than 30 years have gone by she's still alive and kicking, anyway, she always looked tired and sleepy but when she went to the black board and wrote those strange signs, I mean she was so fast that I remember saying in mind, her hand, her hand's gonna fall from the wrist!
And are there a lot of you out there that studied shorthand?

More next time,
Was I boring?

Bye for now,

Samantha

Crochet a hat - part three

Here's the last and third part:



Bye for now,

Samantha

Crochet a hat - part two

Here's part two:



Bye for now,

Samantha

Crochet a hat - part one

I already posted a video of how to crochet a hat, I decided to post another video split in three parts, because the person that crochetes the hat is a boy, personally I think that it's ok that males knit or crochet, in fact here in Italy it is fashion that some boys knit simple items like hats or scarves to gain some more pocket money:

Here's part one:



But, you what do you think, do you think it is ok that males knit, I'll put a poll up and feel free to let your opinion be known!


Bye for now,

Samantha

Crochet instructional video - Crochet a hat

Here's one of some crochet instructional videos that I'll post:



If someone decides to give it a try let my know your experience!

Bye for now,

Samantha

Completed crochet project

I decided to start today the crochet project, and although I wanted to I would never convince myself to stop, it's a long time since I crocheted something and I enjoyed it so much that I didn't realise that I had finshed it.

This is how it looks like:


I quite happy of how it turned out.

And you, what do you think of it?

P.S. I've got a question for all you bloggers out there, because I'd like to add on the blog page a folder where I'll put photos of my 2008 finished projects, but I don't understand how to do it.

Any thoughts?

Bye for now,

Samantha

New crochet project - 1

On my first post I promised that in this blog you were going to find something about machine knitting but also something about crochet.



Here's my new crochet project:

Just hope it's going to turn out right!

Bye for now,

Samantha

A machine knitter's wish

I've got a question for knitters out there, which is the most boring part for you when you knit something?
I'll bet it is the sewing part isn't it?
There's a very useful thing that speeds up making up and it makes it much easier: the Hague Linker.
That's what I intend to buy one day as I hate so much sewing up!
You'll know everything when it will happen.


That's my wish,

Bye for now,

Samantha

Man's sweater picture - 2

Here I am posting again after a week, yes I know, I should do this more often but I don't know it's like everyone in my family has to get sick, in fact after me, (I got the flu a couple of weeks ago), my son got the chickenpox, he said that he must've got it from two or three classmates of his that also got sick.
On Monday, I should've knitted the back of the man's sweater but I didn't have time, I actually found time today for doing this.
Here's the photo, but really it looks exactly as the same, so:

I'm off as it is time for medicine for my son!

Bye for now,

Samantha

Man's sweater progress picture

Remember, that I told you that I would make something with the pnchcards I tried a few days ago? I did and I decided to make a Man's pullover, which I'm not sure I'll make the sleeves for it.... we'll see.
It was done with the knit radar, it was the first time I used it. I decided to make a cut ' n sew neckline, but what I didn't think is that I'm not to good at that, what to you know, is it difficult, if someone of you tried it and know how to it could you give me some instrucions please....

Anyway so far I made the front with a diamond pattern, the back will have the diamond pattern too.
The welt was done with a 2x2 rib.

Here's the photo:



The back will be knited tomorrow.....


Bye for now,

Samantha

Gifts from my birthday

Are you wondering about this post's title, well a reader of this blog already knows. It was my birthday yesterday.
I've got some gifts that I really like as they were just what I wanted.
I got a Canon MV900 camcoder that uses camera cassettes, it is a great camera (I think so far), it has a great image-sound quality for being very compact, I can have it in my purse, without problems and it weighs like nothing. It has some sort of cable that you plug into a slot in the VCR so that you can put your video on a blank VHS. Luckly who gave me this gift (my hubbie), also bought a USB capture thingy that I can use to transfer the videos on the computer and edit them with a very basic editing software that came with my computer when I first bought it, and then I can put the video on a DVD-R.
I know, it isn't a lot but I really wanted a video camera as I'm sick and tired of photos, every time something happens I make photos, never, videos, I only have videos from my marriage and my son's baptism,which somebody else did.
So it's time to make videos!!!!

I'm off to practice a little.....

Bye for now,


Samantha

Completed in 2008

Machine knit:





Crochet:




Hand knit:

English rib- instructional video

Here's the video made by Susan, (see previous posts) which shows how to do english rib with and without the SRP-50 ribber, (many thanks to Susan), although in the video is mentioned as fisherman's rib, english rib and fisherman's rib look the same.
She's uses diffrent instructions but either you follow hers or mine, you'll get the same result:



Jennifer, I hope you'll find it useful!

comments on my posts are appreciated!

Bye for now.

Samantha

English rib on KM 321 and SRP-50

Jennifer, here's the instruction that I use on my ribber when doing english rib:



I'll put up a post where you'll find a video which shows how to do English rib with and without the ribber soon.

Talk to you soon.

Samantha

Punchcard test 2 and a sock

I tried another punchcard this afternoon, and it actually became a sock:
Here's a photo of the leg pattern:

Here a photo of the foot which is in plain red:

The other sock will be made this week.

Talk to you in a while.

Samantha

Punchcard test and a new thing, (as always)

Today, I didn't feel like starting a project, so I did a punchcard test instead, you see, Susan, once used a punchcard from the basic set, and it didn't work vey well as there were some dropped stitches here and there, so I decided to ry that punchcard myself and see if the same hing happened on my 321, here's the result of it:
I knitted it with hand knitting 4-ply with no wax at tension 5:

It could become a project, although I'm not sure of using either the knit radar or the Knitware design programme, what do you think I should use?

Talk to you in about an half an hour,

Samantha

Finished item and a new one

Today I finished the hat I made on Sunday, I intended to finish it yesterday, I had a sudden school meeting, I wonder why that happens when you already have plans.
Today I decided I would start on this project, it's done in fisherman's rib, I never done this so, that's why I'm gonna try it:

I'm doing the man's which is supposed to be the larger size (30-inch bust, that's not a very large size is it?). So far I made the rib which is a simple 1x1 rib and then started the fisherman's rib, only made 21 rows!

Tomorrow, I'll tell you about how fisherman rib is done on my machine although Susan and I have the same machines, we do fisherman's rib diffrently, made there's something a little bit diffrent about the ribber, although I don't think so, as if they were diffrent they wouldn't fit the same machine model, they do look alike anyway.

Bye for now.

Samantha

Feeling much better and an almost finished project

Today I felt much better than the past days so, I went to my knitting machine decided to do something.
I did and I made a hat, you wouldn't believe that It took my all morning to make that hat, it was shaped by short-rowing so I had to be very careful of what I was doing and although it sounds stange, I managed to make no mistakes!
I've spent all afternoon finishing it up, and this took a lot of time too. I had to graft some stitches and I did it right, (it's a wonder, I'm no good at grafting), secure the loose ends and make a 2-inch cord that went of top.
There are some things left for me to do, I should have it finished tomorrow and once it's completely finished I'll post a photo.

A lady called Helen, contacted me, and she said that she wanted some information about doing ribs without a ribber, well Helen, firstly it should be something written on your insruction book about hems that can be done without the ribbing attachment:
I think I wouldn't be much clear explaining it in writing so this video from Susan can be of more help, (many thanks to Susan):


Hope this helps.

Bye for now.

Samantha

Double knitting and not much better!

Today, I've put all my energies together, not a lot of energies really as I'm on antibiotics and they wear you out, don't they?

Anyway, I tried double knitting and I did the first thing they tell you to do. To make a full rib with four colours, just to learn how the yarn changer works and it did work properly, in fact the yarns changed every two rows as it should, but to be honest I didn't try the punchcards, I felt too weak to try that, well, that's the next thing to do when I'll feel better. Still I found out that the yarn changer work properly so that's enough for me now.

My sister came visiting me today for help and she asked if I needed something, I said I didn't, and it was true in fact my mam came yesterday and she got me eerything without even asking, my fridge is so full now, I think it's going to explode!

Still there was something I wanted her to do, I never got to get (excuse the choice of words) the Mary Weaver book printed, I had the book on PDF files, and it was time I had it printed,so I gave her my USB drive and told her what she had to do.

Now it does look like a book:

That's all for today!

Bye for now!

Samantha

I've got a new toy and a thing I didn't want

As I expected not many people have voted on the poll, in fact thanks Susan, I'll try it at a diffrent tension and see what will happen!
I see to be getting eerything these days, so I got:

• A YC1 yarn changer.
• An additional yarn mast that actually came with the YC1.
• Spare punchcard clips (the ones I have are almost broken).
• A Close knit bar (it didn't arrive with my ribber).

What I also got on Monday morning, is the flu! Luckly I only had a fever on Monday. Still I don't have much voice, the doctor said it is my tonsils, (I didn't get them out when I was little).

I'm not eating much and I have to spend all the day in bed so I can go to my knitting machine.

Tomorrow I'll try to put all my energies together and see if I can manage to do something.

Bye for now.

Samantha

Machine knitting problem and new toy

Sorry, I haven't been talking with you that much the last few days, but you don't know the week I've had.
Being a teacher in high school, January is a critical month of the school year, you have the parents to meet, join all the grades of my students (68), and write them on their report cards.....
Anyway, moving on, this is a knitting blog, so...
I tried using the side weights on my Mary Weaver project , there shouldn't have been any problems, all the needles would knit properly....
Yeah, right!
It kept doing the same and exact thing, if not worse.
So, not surrending, I tried using the same yarn at a diffrent tension, can you believe it, it worked, but to be honest a I'm so sick of it that I wonder if I should bother finishing it or not. In fact I think I'll put a poll up and see what my few readers think.
Guess what I received yesterday:

A Knitmaster wool winder, as a matter of fact I already have a cone winder, but I hardly ever use it as I have no cones.

I found out that it's better to use this tool before you start knitting, as the yarn runs more freely.

Please do vote on the poll otherwise I won't know what to do, (just kidding).

I'll leave you with a video from my friend Susan, (visit her blog by clicking on "My knitting machines and me" on my sidebar at the right of the blog page).

How to use the cone winder & wool winder:

Bye for now.

Samantha

2x2 rib problem and edge weights

Today, I started knitting the Mary Weaver project that I told you about yesterday and, I had some problems:
It all started at the cast-on, I set the needles, attach the comb with the weights, and start knitting, the stitches on the main machine weren't knitting properly, in fact the groups of two needles would knit as if the were one needle, so what I had was a 1x1 rib with extra loose stitches!
I really don't know how many failed attempts I've made, changing something here and there, but I had the same and exact thing every single time.
But suddenly, I had this thought, one of those that come unexpectedly, I thought: This pattern comes from the Mary Weaver - ribbing attachment book, so since the book is about the ribber, it should say something about my problem, and so it did.
It said that after you set the machine with 2 stitches on main bed and 2 stitches on the ribber, you have to move the swing lever in a certain way so the stitches would knit properly without the two needles working as if they were one.
Can you believe it! It worked! so I start knitting and I had to knit 80 rows, I was about half way there and I realised that the first needles and the beginning and at the end of the row, weren't knitting, they weren't catching the yarn, I thought that the needles were broken, but it wasn't that because it didn't happen all the time.
So my thought is maybe if I put the side weights, (edge weights) on, would that help?
I'm not going to try this evening, I'm going to try tomorrow and I'll tell what happened.....

Bye for now.

Samantha

January project and my videos

Today I decided to start a new project, and since I haven't got a lot of "Modern Knitting" patterns for my 'new' 321, I decided to start a project from the Mary Weaver - Ribbing attachment book:

It's a basic dolman with variation, I'm doing the one at top, with lacy patterned sleeves, and judging from the drawing, the armholes start near the welt.
I'm a You tuber, so I'm going to leave you with the two videos that I have uploaded so far, using a cone winder and knitting a knit stitch english way:

Bye for now,

Samantha

Knitmaster 321 accessories

You remember, when yesterday I talked about the accessories of the Knitmaster 321, the ones I had and the ones I still have to buy? Well, today I'm going to talk about them.

• Knit radar, (KR6): Everything I buy for my knitting machine, comes from eBay, and the KR6 was the first accessory I've bought after the SRP 50 ribber, the knit radar enables you to knit garments, with no need of written instructions, the only thing you have to do is a tension square and choose the pattern paper from the ones that come with it.

Here's a photo of it:

• Liker, (SC1): the liker, enables you to cast off automatically by turning its handle, it also sews up garments, (straight edges on a sweater) on the knitting machine, actually I didn't have much luck with it, because although I think it was attached to the machine correctly, it was stiff to move across the needle bed, so it dropped the stitches and didn't cast off anything! Anyway, I'll try again, I don't surrender that easily.

Here's a photo of it:

• Handy punch, (HP1): the handy punch, is used to punch out blank punchcards and it allows you to create you own stitch patterns and motifs.

Here's a photo of it:

And now what I have to buy:

• Rib transfer carriage, (RT1): it is used to transfer stitches from the ribber to the main bed, but since it can be done with a double eyed transfer tool, this carriage simply makes this action faster to do.

And now I'm going to tell you what happened to me the other day, I was checking my mail and I found an e-mail from eBay which said that an eBay member contacted me, I wasn't selling anything so I was wondering why would a eBayer contact me, but anyway I opened the e-mail and it said that the same seller of the SRP 50 ribber, was wondering which machine model I had because he had a YC1 colour changer, that would fit the Knitmaster 321, at the beginning I wasn't sure so I e-mailed my friend and and she said that at such a low price, (£10), it was worth buying it, and so I did; it should be here, at the beginning of next week.

That's all for now,

Bye,

Samantha

My knitting, my machine and me

This is the first post on my blog, I was convinced by a friend to start one, because aren't a lot of machine knitting blogs, (that's true), so decided I should have given it a try.
In this blog I'll talk about:

• Machine knitting and everything that involves knitting machines.
• Hand knitting
• Crocheting

I've bought my first knitting machine from eBay, and it was a vintage Knitmaster 302 from the mid sixties, it is a standard gauge knitting machine and to create the patterns, it uses push bottons and dials. It's one of the first machines that didn't need to hand-move the needles, to make a pattern. A ribber was made for it but I didn't have it.

Here's a photo of it with0ut the ribber:

My second and current machine, is another of my eBay buys: a Knitmaster 321 from the seventies, I also got for it a SRP 50 ribber. I even bought some more accessories although there are some more I have to buy....

Here's a photo of the 321 and the SRP 50 ribber:

The garments I make come from the patterns in the Modern Knitting magazines that the friend I talked you about at top kindly sends me to time to time.

I hope I wasn't to dull, but,

until next time,

Bye.

Samantha