Having only had my knitting machine for about 6 months, I have worked mainly on projects with stockinette knitting, playing around with bands of colour. A few weeks ago, I decided it was time to play around with the punch card contraption. After all, one of the draws of purchasing the Brother KH-260 was that it can automate fair isle.
I don't have a ribber so for this hat, I completed all the colour work on the knitting machine and then I finished the crown (decreases) and the ribbing by hand on circular needles. I love the result and I'm thinking that I'm going to make another one today!
I used Loops and Threads Impeccable Yarn (worsted) and I have enough left over to make another hat, possibly two. This hat fits my head perfectly, but my cranium is on the generous size (23" circumference). The hat, unstretched, has a 20" circumference. To take it down a size (18.5" circumference), you can cast on 84 instead of 90. To make it one size larger, cast on 96 stitches.
Machine Knit Fair Isle Hat
Materials:
- Loops and Threads Impeccable Yarn - 1 skein of each colour.
- Main colour (MC) will be the colour of the ribbing and crown.
- US 6 (4.0 mm) knitting needles
- US 8 (5.0 mm) knitting needles
- Punch Card #2
- darning needle
Gauge: 17 stitches x 24 rows per 4 inches in stockinette stitch.
- tension dial 5 on my Brother KH-260
Instructions:
Please note that the hat is first worked flat on the knitting machine. The live stitches are then transferred onto knitting needles and are worked flat then seamed
SET UP:
- Using the provisional cast-on method of your choice, cast on 90 stitches in waste yarn (84 for a smaller adult sized hat, 96 for a larger adult sized hat).
- Note: I increased the tension dial to 7 for the provisional cast-on to make it looser and easier to transfer later. If you do this, remember to switch the dial back to 5.
- With the main colour (MC), knit one row. Carriage will be on the left side.
- Set up punch card #2 and set the Change Knob to the KC position. Move the carriage from left to right so set up needles. Set Row Counter to 0.
- Follow your instruction manual to set up the fair isle function on the knitting machine. Thread in the contrast colour.
Rows 1 - 10: Fairisle
Rows 11 - 12: Switch back to normal mode and knit two rows of MC
Rows 13-14: Knit two rows of CC
Rows 15 - 16: Knit two rows of MC
Rows 17-20: Switch back to fair isle and knit 4 rows
Rows 21 - 26: Repeat rows 11 - 16
Rows 27 - 32: Switch back to fair isle and knit 8 rows
Row 33: Switch back to normal mode and knit one row of MC
CROWN:
Release all of the stitches from the knitting machine and transfer onto US 8 (5.0mm knitting needles) to hand knit the crown.
- Work one row in stockinette, placing a marker after every 10 stitches. (If making the smaller or larger size, place a marker after every 12 stitches.
- For remaining knit-side rows: work in stockinette and K2tog before each marker and k the last 2 stitches together.
- For remaining purl-side rows: P2tog, then work in stockinette and P2tog after each marker
- Continue until 8 stitches remain. Cut yarn and thread through the last 8 stitches. Pull together and tie off.
RIBBING:
Remove the waste yarn from the provisional cast-on and place loops onto US 6 (4.0 mm) knitting needles.
- K1 P1 ribbing for two rows.
- Bind off in ribbing
FINISHING:
Sew up the seam.
