Desert Machine Knitters

May 18, 2009 Lesson #2

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LESSON #2 TUCK

Hi everyone,

Well, this is the second installment. I hope you all had a chance to do the first sample swatch...did you get out your manual and find all the details in it on how to do it???

Did you have any challenges??? If so, practice some more until it becomes easy....I remember learning the e-wrap....I thought I must have gloves or mitts on, I was so clumsy. Then Casting off with the latch tool seemed very difficult too, so I needed to do it over, and over and over again until it felt good.

This time we will do a different cast on, a different method of doing a tension swatch(actually all we'll change is how we mark the 21st needle on each side), and then a different bind off. It is not necessary to use the same yarn as last time, just whatever works on your machine and you don't have plans for it with something else.

I am not going to repeat the instructions on how to make your tension swatch, go back to lesson #1 each time to do that. I will give you any changes we make in the swatch if necessary

Please read through the instructions first before starting.....

Cast On

Latch Tool, Crochet, or chain Cast on

This is a decorative, permanent and nice looking cast on edge for a finished edge

Carriage on the Right (COR) . Bring 60 needles out to hold(all the way out). Make a slip knot and place on the latch tool, behind the latch. You are starting on the L hand side. .

REMEMBER: YOU MUST CROCHET BETWEEN THE STITCHES AND THE BED TO HAVE THE CROCHET CHAIN APPEAR ON THE KNIT SIDE OF THE FABRIC!!!!

Hold the latch tool below the needles, push it upward between the last two needles on the L, catch the yarn and pull it through the loop. The yarn comes pretty much straight down from the tension mast and makes it quite easy to grab the yarn with the latch tool Working loosely, repeat across to the last needle. Move the yarn downward between the last 2 needles and put last loop onto the R hand needle.

Set the machine to knit all needles in hold and continue knitting.

.

NOTE; IF YOU ARE LEFT HANDED YOU MAY WANT TO DO THESE DIRECTIONS FROM THE OPPOSITE SIDE...WITH PRACTICE ONE CAN CROCHET ACROSS FROM EITHER SIDE!!

NOTE: This cast on gives a nice edge with the chain showing on the knit side of the item. On a garment, you may make successive rows like this to decorate a hem, stabilize an edge, whatever! Remember to knit one row after each time you crochet across like the above instructions. Instead of a ribbed cuff, try this edge for the base of a sleeve and see what you think. You can also do it on the bottom of pant legs etc. Also, if you do it on the knit side, it shows, do it on the purl side and it is hidden inside the garment.

 

Pattern or technique: Tuck

Please check your manual for all the settings required for your machine to knit tuck.

Write the page number here________________

We will use Punchcard #1 in most of the punchcard sets.

In the Brother electronic machines it is: #256 in the Stitch World of the KH930 and KH940 Brother Knitting Machine.

Write the pattern number here for your particular machine________________

for those of you who don't have the 930/940 the pattern is this (x refers to a black stitch or an un-punched hole in the card and O refers to the white stitch or punched hole in your card)

XO

OX

This pattern would need to be repeated across the card and down far enough on the card to connect the card if you are making your own card.

If you are hand pulling these needles on Hobby (Plastic bed machines) or basic machines without patterning, this means you will need to hand pull every other needle each row, alternating the needles each row (and yes, virtually any machine can do this!)

Write down the page number with the instructions in your manual___________________

"For those with manual machines, your machine may have come with a a 1x1 needle pusher tool to aid with the needle selection. Sure, you can push them out to holding position one needle at a time, but using the tool (which for me is what makes machine knitting so much fun, the gadgets and gizmos) makes that process a snap" <VBG> (Clarisse says!)

To do a tuck stitch swatch, I find that I start and finish in stockinette, but, because stockinette is narrower than tuck you might be happier if you increase the tension for the stockinette part of the swatch ONLY. go ahead, try it, and see. You can just rewind your yarn and use it again....that's why we have yarn winders.

REMEMBER: You must program your pattern,

set it up on your last pass of the two rows of CC if you are using an electronic or punchcard Brother and Toyota...you will need to check your manual for Studio and for that matter, all machines!!!!!

I've included this method of tuck for the hand transferred(Manual) machines written and posted by Clarisse on her blog. It is done very well and everyone needs to look at it please. Read the description below and look at her blog, its filled with pictures etc.

http://clarissepatterns.blogspot.com/2006_12_01_archive.html

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"Here's a picture of a dishcloth I make using a tuck stitch. The needles that hold

the yarn to be tucked are pushed out into forward holding position with your

hands, you run the carriage a couple of times and the yarn is laying on top

of those needles that were pushed out into forward holding position, then

you use your hands to push those needles back into working position and run

the carriage across and it tucks the yarn that was laying on the needles

into the stitch and continues to knit normally until you hand manipulate the

needles in the same manner. It's really very simple once you start doing

it, you will see what we mean :) " says Clarisse!!!

****************************************************

Changes to method of making tension swatch

Instead of knitting 30 rows, pulling out the 21st needle each side of zero and knitting that stitch with a piece of contrast yarn, do this....

After you have knit your 2 rows of contrast color, pull needles 21 on each size of zero out to hold, and then transfer that stitch to the adjacent needle(doesn't matter which way you go). Now, leave those 2 empty needles out of work (all the way back into A position) and knit your swatch up to the point where you knit the 2 rows of contrast color. At that point, pull those 2 needles back into work, and they will pick up the yarn the next pass of the carriage and knit it back in.

Continue swatch with marking Tension number in the swatch and knit to the end.

Cast Off/Bind off

Latch Tool Bind Off (not cast off)

I know this may at first sounds like the same one we did in lesson #1 but it's not. Read it and do this one too!!

For the final row of this swatch ,

COR(do you now recognize this term...carriage on right), Turn the stitch tension dial to 5 numbers higher than pervious tension if you can, or as large as you can make it. Knit 1 row to the Left. If you can't make the stitches much bigger with carriage, then you will need to lay the yarn across the open latches and knit each stitch back by hand to get fairly large stitches. this is the perfect time to practice this too. Cut yarn leaving a tail approx 3 inches.

Pull all the needles out to hold(E Position on the Brother Machines, some brands it may be D). Make sure all stitches are behind the latches.

Now, starting at the end away from the carriage..this time we are starting on the Right Hand side, take the first stitch from the needle onto the latch hook, and allow it to slide behind the latch when it's ready. Take the stitch from needle 2 into the hook and pull it through stitch number one. Repeat across, and then pull the yarn end through the last stitch to secure. Remove from machine. As you were working this bind off, it may have been helpful to hang the edge on a gatepost every now and then. Do as works for you.

You will be able to judge to some extent now how big the stitches need to be to make a successful bind off this way. It might require a little practice to see what works for you.

**********************************

Thoughts to consider now that you've done your swatch:

You might not like this method of marking the 21st needle on each side, but now you've tried it! You also might not think the bind off is a great idea, but remember, its probably not the way you'd like to finish a swatch, but it just might be something you need to do at some other point in knitting, Now, you know how to do it.

Also, the crochet cast-on....I know, several of you are going to say: I DON'T KNOW HOW (AND DON'T WANT TO KNOW HOW) TO CROCHET. That may be, but at times you need to be able to handle the latch tool like a crochet hook, so "buck up<giggle>" and learn this tiny little amount!!!

And, one final request...try a small sample of this crochet cast on as a hem edge....and if you want, use a different color for the crochet ....Oh, also, I'm sure you realized that this shows on the knit side of the garment if you do the crochet row BEHIND the stitches, so pull you stitches out slight from the edge of the bed so you can get your latch tool behind them. Also, did you realize that if you want it on the purl side, then you do the crochet row in front of the stitches....PLEASE TRY BOTH OF THESE AND SAVE YOUR SAMPLES TOO!! Doing several rows of crochet cast-on showing only on the purl side could be a good way of a hidden hem stabilization too. You are the designer!!!!

The reason for using Card #1 is that it is a simple tuck pattern, but after trying this one, you may try others too on your own.  The use of this card provides the basis for many different techniques.