Machine or hand knit symbols DIY charts with copy and paste in Gimp

Over the years I have accumulated different knitting fonts, some not now compatible with Mac OS 12 or long since unavailable, while others are from encounters with less common fonts, Webdings, and Windings, or self hand-drawn. Knitters interested in creating simple charts with no access to spreadsheets or with symbol-producing design software, but with some … Continue reading Machine or hand knit symbols DIY charts with copy and paste in Gimp

Hand to machine, symbols 6

WORK IN PROGRESS This document is created using Mac Pages and Numbers, stitch illustrations have been borrowed from magazines and manuals long out of print and edited, the symbols and charts are self-drawn. Using shapes in Numbers now makes the process of creating DIY symbols in the spreadsheet significantly easier than in my early Excel … Continue reading Hand to machine, symbols 6

Hand to machine, symbols 5: lace

The beginning of this thread explores how lace may be interpreted from hand knitting patterns and charts, and when hand techniques might be used to make the transfers and create the fabrics on the knitting machine. Going from charts to punchcards will be addressed in later posts. In hand knitting (unless knitting circular), because the … Continue reading Hand to machine, symbols 5: lace

Hand to machine, symbols 4: cables

The following begins to address cable translations. I posted some content on cables in January 2012, but this content follows the present vein. Blue dots continue to represent the hand-knit symbol, below them the fabric is illustrated as viewed on the knit side. The pink dots and the images on either side of them the … Continue reading Hand to machine, symbols 4: cables

Hand to machine, symbols 3

In the following series the blue dots and accompanying diagrams continue to represent the fabric as it would appear on the knit side if hand knit, or after the work is removed from the machine. The pink dots and accompanying graphics represent the matching stitch on the purl side and as it may be executed … Continue reading Hand to machine, symbols 3

Hand to machine, symbols 2

The symbol below usually represents a single increase. In hand knitting such increases may be achieved anywhere in any one row. In machine knitting however,  this may only be done with any ease at garment edges. Machine knitters may be familiar with calling what is depicted below a full fashioned increase. To achieve the latter, … Continue reading Hand to machine, symbols 2

Hand to machine knitting, symbols 1

One of the critical differences in viewing work as it progresses on the knitting machine is that the “front” view of the fabric unless the work is removed from the needles through a variety of techniques and turned over on the needle bed, is the purl side. Early machine manufacturer punchcard book publications made an … Continue reading Hand to machine knitting, symbols 1

Symbols in knitting charts

Many of the symbols associated with both hand and machine knitting cannot be separated from the history of lace frame knitting. In 1764 an eyelet lace attachment was invented for hand tooling transfers on the existing knitting frames, and nearly 200 years later the first home knitting machine appeared, the Brother 585, in Japan, with … Continue reading Symbols in knitting charts

Revisiting lace repeats, symbols, and charting

Lace knitting for many introduces knitting with 2 carriages for the first time. The lace carriage advances the cards, mylars, or programmed pixels in a design row with each pass. In other stitch types the knit carriage, once it is set to select needles ie using the change knob on KC, in punchcard machines, or … Continue reading Revisiting lace repeats, symbols, and charting

“Crochet” meets machine knitting techniques: working with short rows 2

Some previous posts exploring hand techniques that might be considered to fall in this family of stitches: “Crochet” meets machine knitting techniques: tuck lace trims and fabrics 1 “Crochet” meets machine knitting techniques: tuck lace trims or fabrics 2 “Crochet” meets machine knitting techniques: working with “chains” Search for “wisteria” “Crochet” meets machine knitting techniques: … Continue reading “Crochet” meets machine knitting techniques: working with short rows 2