Knitting for a Cause

How is it already the 19th of August?  A couple weeks ago, I volunteered to knit some door prize donations for Victoria Zumba Fitness' annual Cops for Cancer fundraiser.  In my mind, I had all the time in the world and then it dawned on me last week that I had to start knitting, and FAST!

I'm proud to say that I managed to donate three items: Gina's Brioche Cowl (Purl Bee), Julie Tarsha's Thermal Boot Cuffs (Simply Notable), and a machine knit variation of Xandy Peter's Color Theory Cowl.


I made the boot cuffs and color theory cowl last week.  Both were fast knits.  The brioche cowl, however, was knit almost two years ago.  I was fascinated by two colour brioche knitting and had to give it a try.  I ended up making two and gifted one to my friend Karina.  I honestly forgot about the second cowl and only rediscovered it two weeks ago when I was doing a deep clean of our closets.  So it was meant to be! I hope the lucky winners enjoy using the items.

I am really pleased with my new Mason Row self-inking knitting stamp. My sister found a Groupon deal and we both ended up ordering 3-in-1 stamps.  I ordered a plate for knitting, one for my home address, and one for my work.  All three designs have an artsy twist to them.  I think they are a stylish upgrade to my previous stamp (which was more cute than stylish).

So what to knit next? Well I stocked up at Michaels' last week, although I didn't get the discount that I went for.  It's a long story....  Short version: I made the mistake of going to Michaels' with my 2 and 5 year old.  After an exhausting 20 minutes of chasing them around the store and repeatedly telling them, "Don't touch that!" we finally got back to the car.  I was literally sweating and angry at the kids.  It wasn't until they were strapped into their car seats when I noticed that I had only received a 15% discount instead of 30%.  Arghhh....  I couldn't bear the thought of going back inside with the boys and it was too hot to leave them in the car for a few minutes.  So, we drove away. 

So having knit the boot cuffs, I'm thinking I want to make leg warmers.  Or fingerless opera length gloves.  It's time to design!

Lining the Hudson's Bay Inspired Blanket

Full disclosure: I often cheat when it comes to blocking projects.  If I can get away with it, I will skip blocking. What can I say?  I'm impatient and always ready to move on to the next project.  But in the case of this HBC inspired blanket, I ended up blocking it... twice.  Ugghhh...

First, I wet block the blanket.  I carefully soaked it and then rolled it in towels and drained out the excess water.  I even lay it out flat and let it air dry for an afternoon in the sun.  However, I didn't take the time to pin it in place.  I halfheartedly looked for my interlocking foam mats but could only find two of them.  So, I let the blanket dry naturally and it ended up a wonky shape.   

I was really tempted to accept the not-quite-rectangle and gift the off-kilter shape of the blanket.  Would my sister really care?  But then I decided to line the blanket with a chenille micro-fleece.  That's when I realized the dimensions of the blanket had to be more exact so that I could align the fleece to the knit blanket.  

For anyone else, I wouldn't have bothered with lining it.  But this blanket is special. I made this lap blanket especially for my sister who is starting 6 months of chemotherapy treatments this week.  She is only 35 and she recently discovered that she has breast cancer.  I wanted to make her something that would provide comfort and coziness during a tough time.

So, I re-blocked the blanket.  This time I pinned it to my sewing cutting board to get exact measurements and sprayed it with water.  Next came preparing the fleece.  

The chenille fleece was tricky because it was both slippery and stretchy.  I had a heck of a time trying to align it to the blanket and I didn't want to mess up.  So this is what I did:

1. To be safe, I cut the fabric much larger than I needed.  
2. I machine stitched a 1/2" hem on two sides (one long and one short, mitered at the connecting corner) 
3. I hand stitched the hemmed sides of the fleece to the blanket.  I referred to TECHknitting for how to hand stitch a lining to knitting.
4. Laying the blanket and lining flat on the board, I trimmed down the third side (long edge) leaving about an inch allowance, folded it over and machine hemmed the lining, being very careful not to accidentally run the knitted blanket through the machine.  
5. I hand stitched the third side.  
6. Finally, I trimmed the final edge leaving an inch allowance and hand stitched it to close off the lining.  I did not machine hem the fourth side.

I certainly won't be winning any awards for efficiency - the whole process took 4 hours but the final product was beautiful.  My sister loves it and it for that, lining the blanket was totally worth it.

The Bay Blanket - Made with Love for My Sister

I decided to keep it simple for my first project on my knitting machine - a blanket.  After all, it's just a rectangle - no shaping involved.  Easy peasy, right?  Of course, because I am who I am, I had to make it much more complicated.  Enter Purl Bee's Hudson's Bay Inspired Crib Blanket.  My grandfather had an original heavy wool HBC blanket and the Purl Bee pattern inspired some nostalgia.  The design is so simple yet meaningful.  My sister is starting a lengthy bout of medical treatments this week and I'm hoping that this cozy lap blanket will provide her some comfort during a potentially unpleasant process.

On knitting needles, making this blanket is a breeze.  It's pure garter stitch.  On the machine, I had to make some changes.

First, my knitting machine cannot do garter stitch.  But, that's o.k. because I actually prefer the look of stockinette stitch.  I love the uniformity of the perfectly aligned columns of little "V"s (I'm such a knitting nerd).  But stockinette stitch poses problems as well - the dreaded curl...

After watching a number of videos on YouTube, I discovered a clever trick posted by Diana Sullivan (a generous guru of machine knitting).  Her lesson on decorative no-roll edges provides an easy yet visually appealing solution to stopping panels of stockinette from curling. In the picture of my blanket (left) you can see how the direction of the border is 45 degrees offset from the stockinette stitch.  I used a three-prong transfer tool every second row to achieve this effect on both edges.  The technique itself is not difficult to master.  However, it was my first time ever using a transfer tool, so perhaps not exactly the best starting point for me.  A note to others: start by learning how to use a single-prong transfer tool before a multi-prong tool.

The second challenge I faced was the curl at each end.  There is a way to do ribbing on the machine by undoing stitches and then using a latch tool to do the reverse stitch.  That proved much too onerous for me.  So, I hand knit a garter border on each end.  I have discovered that I quite enjoy using a provisional cast-on and finishing projects by hand.

The third challenge was learning how to switch colours on the knitting machine.  I learned a difficult lesson while making this blanket.  If you forget to put yarn into the yarn feeder and run the carriage across your work, all the stitches will be released and your project will fall to the ground.  Sadly, this happened to me four times and I was forced to restart this project each time.  I did attempt to reattach the stitches to the machine but it looked sloppy and I could tell where the join was.

When I finished all the knitting, I was quite pleased with the look of the blanket.  The iconic stripes were striking.  However, once the knitting was complete, I spent quite a bit of time completing the finishing touches.  Why does the final 10% of a project always take the longest?  And of course, I decided to line the blanket with micro fleece.  More about that in my next post.

Here is the modified pattern for a knitting machine:

1. Using a provisional cast-on technique of choice (I crocheted a chain and then used a transfer tool to place it on my needle bed), cast-on the number of stitches to get your desired width.  For the Brother KH 260 (a chunky gauge machine), I cast on 110 stitches of worsted-weight yarn.
2. Note: On the even rows, use the three prong tool to create a decorative no-roll edge.  See video for Diana Sullivan's instructions.

• knit 30 rows of cream
• knit 12 rows of blue
• knit 12 rows of cream
• knit 12 rows of yellow
• knit 12 rows of cream
• knit 12 rows of red
• knit 12 rows of cream
• knit 12 rows of green
• knit 48 rows of cream
• knit 12 rows of green
• knit 12 rows of cream
• knit 12 rows of red
• knit 12 rows of cream
• knit 12 rows of yellow
• knit 12 rows of cream
• knit 12 rows of blue
• knit 30 rows of cream
• using waste yarn knit two rows and then release stitches from the knitting machine - do not bind off

Working one end at a time, pull out waste yarn (or crocheted chain) and transfer live loops to a long circular knitting needle.  Knit 8 rows and bind off.   Tuck in all the loose ends and block.

December Stripes - Time to Start Christmas Projects

This summer, we've experienced an exceptionally hot summer.   Victoria (the city in which I live) is normally fairly mild in the summer and rarely sees temperatures in the high 20s low 30s. But this summer, the sun has been relentless. This heat has made it difficult for me to plan out Christmas knitting projects but now that it is August, it is time.

Even more motivation, the Michaels flyer this week is offering a 30% coupon on an entire purchase for all regular priced items. I've been waiting for this coupon and it is finally here. 

One of the projects on my long list is Elinor Brown's December Stripes hat (published in Exercise Before Knitting).  I made one for my nephew James (pictured above) two years ago and it was his favourite.  He has long outgrown it, but I'm planning to make James and his younger brother, matching hats this year.

The pattern is a phenomenal stash buster and I used left-over bits and pieces of worsted weight yarn.  Knit in the round, what makes this pattern particularly special is the braided edge. It is a sophisticated change from a garter border or a rolled stockinette border.

Although it's hard to think about cozy hats and scarves this time of year as we are all donning tank tops and shorts, these sweet hats will definitely be a welcome staple once the weather changes.

Now off to make my Christmas projects list and make a trip to Michaels!

What You Need to Know Before Buying a Knitting Machine

As someone who had never machine knit before, I discovered many key things along the way during my search for the right machine. I relied heavily on the internet and speaking with machine knitters. Here is a list that will hopefully help you if you are considering purchasing a knitting machine and have never used one before.

The Machines Themselves: 

1. Unlike hand knitting, where you can easily change the size of the needle to accommodate different thicknesses of yarn, a knitting machine has a set gauge. What this means is that a machine that uses fine yarn cannot use chunky yarns. If you want to machine knit with both types of yarn you will need to purchase two different machines. This explains why many avid machine knitters own multiple machines. Decide what you will most often make on your knitting machine. I went with a chunky gauge machine which can handle sport weight to a light bulky weight yarn. I most often work with worsted weight yarn as it is the most economical and readily available in the city that I live. 
2. Aside from Bond (which produces the Ultimate Sweater Machine), the only company that is producing knitting machines is Studio and they carry the Silver Reed line. They offer a wide range of machines for both beginners and advanced knitters. My research on the Silver Reed LK 150 reveals that it is highly desirable for beginners and they are in demand if you later decide to sell it. 
3. If you can afford to pay more, do not buy the Ultimate Sweater Machine. For every positive review there appears to be five (extremely) negative reviews. It also has a narrow needle bed so if you want to make blankets, you need to buy an extension package which just adds to the cost. 
4. The Silver Reed LK 150 is lightweight and portable. It is made of a durable plastic and can handle sport weight and worsted yarn. Machine knitters seem to love it and for the price difference, it is far superior to the Ultimate Sweater Machine. It is an ideal device for hobby knitters who enjoy hand manipulation of stitches to create patterns. 
5. Why I didn’t purchase the LK 150: I ended up purchasing the Brother KH 260 because I would eventually like to create knitwear and accessories for sale. The Brother KH 260 is made of metal instead of plastic and is more durable in the long run. It also has a punch card system which will allow me to do automatic patterning (textures and two-coloured fair isle) without having to do the manual manipulation. This feature will certainly speed up the production process which means I can make more in less time. 
6. Parts are available for used machines. While Brother is not manufacturing spare parts, there are warehouses that sell spare parts. Unfortunately, once they run out there will be no more. Knitting machines come with several parts and accessories. 
7. Although they are not complicated to use, unless you know what to look for, it is best not to buy a used machine from a garage or estate sale unless you are allowed to look at the manual and can check to see if all the parts and accessories are included. If the machine is missing a part, you will not be able to use it. Instead, you will end up having to scour the internet for used replacement parts. 

Will You Enjoy Machine Knitting? 
The best way to find this out is to try it. Unfortunately, for most people, it’s hard to find someone who owns a machine. Here is a list of things to consider:

1. Do you have a strong background in hand knitting? The learning curve for machine knitting will be much easier for those who are intermediate to advanced hand knitters. Strong knitters already know how to read patterns, understand the importance of gauge, understand terminology, and can envision what each panel should look like. They also understand the mechanics behind special stitches like increasing and decreasing. If you have a strong background in knitting, you can focus more on learning the mechanics of the machine. 
2. Where will you be machine knitting? When I hand knit, it’s almost always on a comfy couch in front of the tv with my husband and kids. I hand knit to relax in a quiet atmosphere. Machine knitting is louder than I expected. Every time you pass the carriage over the needle bed, the machine makes a metallic swishing sound. It’s not ear piercing but would certainly be annoying for others in the room. So, I have set up my machine in my office. I set my iPad on the table and watch Netflix while I machine knit. The iPad is also handy when I need to troubleshoot - thank you YouTube! A knitting machine must be clamped on a sturdy table which means that you need to sit upright on a secure chair (I use an office chair that has wheels that glides well on my hardwood floor). If you spend a good portion of your day sitting at a desk for work, consider whether or not you want to machine knit while sitting at a table. I am on my feet all day, so I don’t mind sitting for an hour or two in the evening. 
3. Are you good at troubleshooting when your sewing machine or serger jams up? Your knitting machine will jam. It’s frustrating but having dealt with my sewing machine and serger for years, it’s second nature to me. Patience and creative problem solving are assets. 
4. Is there a knitting machine club or guild in your city? Connect with people who have expertise. They will know the ins and outs and can offer both resources and advice. Knitting club meetings often offer demonstrations and potentially an opportunity for you to try a machine yourself. 
5. Are you comfortable with math conversions for knitting patterns? This is another asset. Contemporary machine knitting patterns are limited but if you are comfortable with math conversions, most seamed pattern can be converted to the gauge of your machine. I find myself converting patterns so that I can use worsted weight yarn. So far, the outcome has been very positive. 
6.  Do you enjoy seaming knitting pieces? In a previous post, I wrote about how I hate seaming and that I exclusively hand knit in the round. With a flatbed knitting machine, you are forced to knit pieces and seam them later. Fortunately, I found Susan Bates Knit Klips. They have certainly eased my frustration with seaming. 
7. Don't Be Afraid to Ask Questions - I was fortunate enough to connect with my husband's aunt Marg, who is an avid machine knitter.  She lives across the country so I wasn't able to try any of her machines but we e-mailed back and forth several times.  I also connected with members of Victoria's knitting machine club and bought my machine from the vice president. Feel free to ask me any questions you might have!  I'd be happy to help!  

What Your Knitting Machine Can’t Do: 
While the knitting machine can is faster in some regards, it has its limitations.

1. Without special attachments or hand manipulation, you cannot do garter or rib stitches. For me, I’ve gotten around that by using a provisional cast on and then hand knitting in a garter or rib edge after I’ve finished working my pieces. 
2. Your knitting machine will not automatically make cables or lace. You will need to move stitches around by hand. 

Useful Articles 

• “What you should know before buying a knitting Machine” - Sonja Kathleen 
• “Demystifying Knitting Machines” - posted on Knitter's Review 
• “Selecting Your Knitting Machine” - Angelika of Angelika’s Yarn Store 
• “What Every Hand Knitter Needs to Know Before Buying a Knitting Machine” - Angelika of Angelika’s Yarn Store

My New Brother

No, my 64 year-old mother did not adopt a child late in life. Can you imagine? So, who’s my new brother. Actually, the question should be, what’s my new Brother? I bit the bullet and invested in a knitting machine - a Brother KH260. Why a knitting machine, you ask?

In the middle of winter, while working on relentless rows of stockinette, trying to complete a sweater for myself (which is still incomplete, might I add), I thought to myself, “Wouldn’t it be great if there was a machine that could do this?” As a mother of two boys (ages 2 and 5), I find myself pressed for time. Gone are the days of spending an entire weekend leisurely finishing a project. I’m lucky if my kids don’t unravel skeins of yarn and pull out knitting needles of active projects. A machine would certainly speed up production, wouldn’t it?

This led to hours of internet reading and watching YouTube videos about knitting machines.  My internet search was both fruitful and overwhelming.  The videos sparked my desire for a machine. After hours of researching, I finally realized that I needed to ask people who actually machine knit. Huh! What a concept!  After all, I had never seen an actual knitting machine live in action before.

Angelika of Angelika’s Yarn Store suggested locating a local dealer who offers knitting lessons and contacting a local machine knitting club. A quick google search led me to the president of our local machine knitting club: the Knit Nutters. I also contacted my husband’s Aunt Marg, who I learned is an avid machine knitter.  hanks to Facebook, we messaged back and forth and she was a goldmine of useful information. Although she has five different machines, she highly recommended the Silver Reed LK 150 - her first and favourite machine.  It turns out that Silver Reed is the only company that is actively making knitting machines. Although very popular at one time, all other companies have stopped producing knitting machines.   

So off I set to find myself an LK 150. This proved to be tricky as my options were limited. I could order one online from the US for $400. This was unappealing for a number of reasons:

• it would be difficult to get any live support
• our exchange rate is disastrously low at the moment
• exchanging or returning it would be problematic

Just when I was about to give up, I got a phone call from Elaine Dendy, the vice president of the Knit Nutters Club and she had a used LK 150 for sale. What luck!  During our phone call, Elaine mentioned that she wanted to show me the Brother KH260 as well. She said that it was more expensive but it had more capabilities. It turns out that she is a dealer of used knitting machines.

I was set to purchase the LK 150. I decided that I would look at the Brother to humour the seller. I was resolved! That is, until I tried using the Brother KH260 - after the first swish of the carriage, the dye was cast. I knew I had to have it.

That is the benefit of purchasing from a dealer. Elaine had the machines set up in her studio and allowed me to try the machines. She showed me samples of works that she created and sells. She demonstrated how to use the punch card and how to do fair isle on the machine. Best of all, she said that I could call her for help and that she would include a yearlong membership to the Knit Nutters Club. She even included a proper machine knitting table.  

If I had purchase a used machine off of Craigslist who knows if all of the parts would be there. I certainly wouldn’t have. Caveat Emptor!

I am still learning to use the machine and I love it! It was a great purchase. Have I given up hand knitting? No way! In fact, many of the items I’ve created on my knitting machine are a combination of both hand and machine knitting. Did I mention that I’ve got a hand knit sweater still on the go?

Have you ever considered purchasing a knitting machine? Which machine(s) did you consider? I’d love to hear from you.