Knitting in the fastlane: June 2012

Knitweave on a Japanese style machine

I was sifting through some old photos last weekend and was reminded of a technique I hadn't used in years. It's called knitweave (a/k/a inlay knit in the industry). It's one way of introducing an exotic yarn into the fabric without using it to knit the entire fabric. Using this method you can also use a bulkier yarn than your machine could possibly knit. This is because the yarn that's used for inlay never passes through the hook of the machine needles; the yarn passes in front of and behind the stitch.

Other than with industrial machines, I thought that this technique could only be used with a Japanese style machine. Recently, however, I've discovered a method for this technique, or similar, that can be used on a Passap. It's described in A Second Resource Book for Machine Knitters (limited availability) by Kathleen Kinder (ETA: on page 101). ~~I'll be sure to add the page number for those of you who have the book, when I come across it again. (Or please let me know if you come across it first!)~~ I'll report back on this technique on the Passap, once I've given it a go.

The sweater below was knitted on my Brother knitting machine. Long floats were left between the actual knitweave needles. The floats were then cut, creating the fringe. I promise to give the details and the stitch pattern I used in a future post.

Anemone, 100% wool

Progressing slowly (cut and sew)

In the midst of planning for the temporary relocation of my studio and other related tasks (See Progressing slowly.), I've managed to work on that long-ago cast-on shell. This project lacks continuity: I work a few minutes here, a few minutes there.

The scope of the work has taken a turn. The shell was always going to be for me, but I failed to complete it in time for the event I was knitting it for. I have since decided to use this sweater as a learning project -- first, as a way to become familiar with some new (to me) knitting software and now to practice cut-and-sew methods for an upcoming project. (See Cut & Sew and Fully Fashioned under "Machine Knitting".) I'm using a zigzag sewing machine. (There is a serger in my future, but not until after all the packing and moving, moving back again and unpacking.)

Almost all the garments I've designed have been fully fashioned knits. I have occasionally steeked a neckline, but honestly, I've never minded knitting a fully fashioned neckline, even on complicated designs.

And so I've practiced. With my numerous swatches I sewed a "t-shirt neckline" and a neck facing as described in Revised Knit, Cut and Sew: Bk. 1by Pam Turbett. It's not impossible without a serger, just challenging. Neither of these treatments are appropriate for my upcoming project and so I came up with a couple more finishes that may work for the upcoming project and another one to use on this shell.

What happened next I can't explain, except to say it was late at night. I got the chance to cut the knitted fabric for my neckband. I ended up cutting the fabric for version 3 of the neckband instead of version 4! Since I'm the one knitting the fabric, I could have reknitted and cut it correctly, but I didn't. I proceeded with the wrong neckband.

Still unbocked and the center is a little stretched out, I'm hoping it will all work out in the blocking. I'm glad this is just a "practice sweater".

In my imagination neckband version 4 would have been perfect. But who knows? I do like the way the style works with the ruffles at the bottom.

Next time I get the chance, I'll be doing the bands for the armscye with yet a different technique. What I have gained is a little more experience with cut and sew methods. And I've learned not to work with scissors past 10:00 PM.

Pushing Passap pushers

This post is for Passap users only.

Do you know what this is? The object to the left of the quarter? If you're a quilter, you probably know. I am not. I don't even know how a quilter would use it, though I can imagine. It's called a Quilter's Finger Guard. I saw it about a month ago in a local fabric shop and it occurred to me that it might be a very good tool for moving Passap pushers in and out from behind the blocking rail and for setting the pushers in work or rest positions.

I was right. I can wear it on my index finger with the long plastic side protecting my finger tip. It's then possible to easily set individual pushers in the desired position. No More Sore Fingertips!

But then I came up with a better solution...

Have you ever noticed that the black 3-prong tool is shorter than the grey 3-prong tool? I always thought it had something to do with using the tools for crossing cables. Perhaps some people find it easier to cross the short tool over the long tool. Or something like that.

Last week I noticed that the black tool handle has a little indentation, a shallow notch of sorts. Turns out that the black tool handle is a most excellent single pusher mover. That little notch fits perfectly in front of or behind the pusher foot. The handle provides leverage. Why did I never discover this before? Why did no one ever tell me?

Lowering the contrast helps only a little bit with the detail of the black tool in this pic. Click to enlarge.

I read a discussion on Ravelry a while ago. Passap knitters were lamenting their sore fingertips. I felt their pain -- literally. Now I have a solution and can't find the discussion thread. Passap knitters want to know. If you ever come across the thread, please provide a link to this post. :)

Progressing slowly

In between meeting and talking and preparing for the major renovations which will soon happen to my building in general and to my living/work space in particular, I managed to squeeze in a bit of knitting last week. Not a lot of knitting, but I managed to get a little familiar with knitting CAD (Designaknit 8), and I knitted the front of "that sweater". The new sweater design is my vehicle for learning some of the many features of this robust program. And yes, that's right. I'm using a vintage, non-electronic Passap DM-80 punchcard machine with state-of-the-art software. Go figure.

Here are some pics of the sweater-in-progress: