Archive for the ‘Software’ Category

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Oh the math!

Saturday, June 18th, 2011

There are many knitting programs that will perform the necessary calculations, as well as a variety of knit calculators. The diophantine formula is the basis for what is know to some knitters as the “magic formula”. In the early 1980s Alles Hutchinson authored a small book on the subject. There is a bit of personal leeway in the results, and the formula may be used in calculating even complex shapes with the proviso that one has the patience to break such shapes into series of simpler ones.

There are many online resources for information and calculators to sort out the math. Kathleen Kinder has written on the subject and has kindly made available some of her writings on the subject online as a word document . The eHow on use of a home calculator . PC formula calculator download . The UK knit and crochet guild shares their version on the topic . For online math including a triangle calculator .

Using the gauge to match the previous post of 4S and 6R per inch the calculation for the pie divided into five triangles  breaks down into the web calculator result pictured below:

The longhand method for same calculation which follows and also translates to: bring into hold 2 stitches for 4 times, 1 stitch for 80 times. Stitches in shaping are proofed as above: 88 stitches shaped over 84 rows.

Posted in Machine knitting (MK), Online resources, Software | Comments Off

OY!

Sunday, June 12th, 2011

Home repairs, new computer, family distractions: to quote John Lennon, ““Life is what happens to you while you‘re busy making other plans”. I hope to return to my ramblings and maybe even some actual knitting over the next week. A quick note of thanks for the many comments left by visitors in the interim.

I have often had mixed feelings about Vogue Knitting. They have a new web presence . Please note that, as explained by the publisher, you may encounter some issues when visiting. Choppiness may be due to gap between download and play speeds, may resolve itself or page may have to be refreshed. If the latest version of Adobe Flash player is not available or capable of being installed in your computer, the screen may be blank or absent. That said, this is a different way to view their knit offerings, entice new magazine subscriptions, or simply to find some inspiration and ideas.

For those with Mac OS X 10.5 or later, Intel only, Google Chrome is free and installs in minutes. It has a translation component that can help when you come across pages written in other than your spoken languages.

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Knitting fonts

Friday, May 6th, 2011

In the past I have had a problem with the Aire River design font installation on my Mac. The latest attempt was not only successful, did not even require a restart. Pertinent information and terms of use agreement can be found here.

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Call me old fashioned

Sunday, April 3rd, 2011

I do most of my garment charting calculations using the “magic” (diophantine)  formula, will break out a full scale Brother Knit Leader if jumping gauges or constructing less simple shapes, tried but never really used the Brother Garment Calculator.   I do have a simple cable with switch-box obtained from England for downloading to my Passap console using Win-Crea. There are commercial programs, some with brand specific cables for downloading (with which I do not have any direct experience) for both pattern and garment development. One is DAK by Softbyte which includes a lace design module. There are many online forums and lists sharing reviews/ how-tos.

Posted in Lace, Machine knitting (MK), Software | Comments Off

More online tutorials in using excel

Saturday, April 2nd, 2011

Document step by step charting processes. Follow archives for subsequent how tos.

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Experiments/adaptations/”discoveries”

Sunday, March 27th, 2011

The Xenakis font comes with its own cell borders and graphs may be created simply by using the keyboard equivalents including ones for blank blocks. When first experimenting with excel I was interested in placing the symbols within my own table/graph for the purposes of plotting out lace. In much larger cells some of them were still hard to see. New column width: 0.63, new row height: 0.35, bold typing makes fainter symbols more evident. The sample below was created with machine knitting in mind, reflects what one would see on the facing, purl side of the fabric. In the first instance document borders are retained, in the second they are removed, in the third all purl symbols are removed. Image was then captured and saved as .jpg. Columns can be created and saved to reflect the Xenakis pdf in a spreadsheet for easy copy/paste reference with the exception of keyboard characters that trigger formulas (which are a complete mystery to me at this time) and other “surprises”.

Posted in Hints and tips, Lace, Software | Comments Off

Xenakis knitting symbol fonts

Friday, March 25th, 2011

A working link for download.

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Excel follow up

Friday, March 25th, 2011

Frankly, I have avoided excel totally for the many years that Office has lived in my Mac. I am brand new to spreadsheets. Below are notes on some the specs of my recent design workspaces and random observations:

excel spreadsheet  row height: 0.05, column width: 0.05

I am using this to work out  when moving between machines or editing repeats; in doing  DBJ or FI for a sense of  true scale grids can be made rectangular or even proportioned based on a swatch measurement

cell alignment is centered both horizontally and vertically

text to fit: Calibri or Cambria 10

Calibri 6 numbers  fit within cells/ harder to see if previewing large sheet; Calibri or Cambria 10 occupying 2 columns yeilds double digit more visible numbers if one desires not to alter width of column in which they are entered

border drawing: light color for cell border; dark color for 5X5 blocks for mylar, 6X6 for punchcard repeats to echo markings on either

filling squares: click on cell to be filled, click on paintbucket beside borders icon, use palette as needed for choosing original fill color, or to change it as needed; back ground color (white) may be used as eraser or no fill may be chosen from palette; CMND+Y repeats operation without having to go up to paint bucket or palette again

copy/ paste  allows for drawing in repeat with a selected “brush” if no other keyboard commands trigger functions ie. formulas “accidentally”

whole rows/columns are easily highlighted if needed ie to mark center of repeats vertically, or rows involving alternate KM functions

depending on layout one can have unlimited drawing area

if needed, when finished the repeat can be grabbed ie. using SnapNGrab , saved as a picture file

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Color Wheel Play

Friday, March 25th, 2011

Online resource.

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Knit charts and graphs: make your own

Friday, March 18th, 2011

I began my “computer” days with an Amiga/Commodore  model. As an art school fiber major I also took a few classes in computer design. During my planning a final project for one such class I was fiddling with Deluxe Paint IV (my most favorite ever paint program) to create knit illustration and graphs, I met Suzan Lazear, the founder of Cochenille Design Studio.  At the time she was beta testing a version of Stitch Painter. The latter is still in production for both Mac and PC. My last version of the”gold” program runs on a Dell/Windows 98 that also houses the freeware program for downloading patterns via switch-box and cable to a Passap console. Maybe an outdated and a bit crazy mix, but works for me. Recently when fiddling with lace repeats and design I have been wanting to do it on my Mac running OS 10.5.8. Free is good. Excel is one way to create charts and graphs. Googling I came across helpful information and the following tutorials on this subject , software reviews and more tutorials.
More on Win_Crea .

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