“Crochet” meets machine knitting techniques: working with “chains”

There are a group of single-bed braids/edgings following horizontal chains produced on the knitting machine that has reminded me of crochet. They are based on frequent latch tool bind-offs that occur with the fabric facing either side as it is regularly removed from the knitting machine. The bind-offs by necessity will move in either or both directions, since a continuous yarn strand may be used unless one chooses to change colors. The bound-off edge is rehung and worked further. It is a great way to get proficient at the technique or to get some use from that linker that has been in storage (providing a loose enough tension producing big enough stitches for it to work smoothly may be used). For the purposes of this discussion, this illustration of a crochet chain shows places where the hook might be inserted and exit before picking up yarn to create the next stitch with a hook. I think of the rear and front loops illustrated as creating a “chain”, and the one in the rear as a “bump”.

Below I have used an acrylic yarn that tests the 4.5 mm machine’s limit at the loosest possible tension. In crochet cast on, the “bump” is sitting on top of the needles, the “chain” below them

parts of the cast-on structure taken off the machine: the “bump”  “rear loop” “front loop” “both loops”

most of these fabrics start with latch tool cast on the required number of stitches for chain +1 knit one row, bind off remove work from the machine, do not cut yarn 

options for picking up and rehanging stitches: the front loop of “chain” back loop of “chain” both loops of “chain” roll work toward you to reach rear “bump” work turned over, rear “bump” rear loop of “chain” as shown in top front loop of “chain” with the rear of the fabric facing you 

To keep the number of stitches constant for a straight edge on both sides of the piece, the loop at the end gets its own needle. A sample was created picking up the rear loop only, without turning the work over at any time. View of side 1 and loop consistently worked. Note the slight bias in fabric, due to its being worked always in the same direction. Turning the work over would eliminate the problem, in a similar way as transferring eyelets in opposite directions achieves that in lace.

its reverse side 

Such trims may be used for no roll edges anywhere on a garment. The number of stitches may be decreased following shaping ie in necklines. Starting with waste yarn, ravel cord, and a chain cast-on row, one can produce stand-alone trims. The look as always varies considerably with the fiber used and its bulk. Other variations and tips:

  • knit more than one row between bind-offs (2 or 3) at maximum tension, the chained row will roll slightly, giving a different look; removing the work from the machine and turning it over before binding off, will get the chain to roll to the opposite side
  • keep the number of needles in use constant for straight edges, and use math to calculate episodic count adjustments such as decreases if needed
  • reverse side is usually the one facing away from the knitter. That is a consideration in planning the look of the trims, depending on whether the body of the piece is to use the purl or knit side as the “public” one.
  • in Brother machines holding position is E (they skipped C), and in Studio machines it is D. To ensure stitches’ knitting off properly, work may be brought to this position after each knit row
  • textures are further varied by using needles out of work or transfers within knit rows or rehanging concave or concave loops in varied sequences. Looking at stitch formation after 3 knit rows

Convex loops are what is picked up when hanging a hem or turning the work over. In sampling, I tend to use any yarn at hand. Quality of material directly relates, however, to the quality of results. The white here is a 2/15 acrylic, and the blue is a 4-ply wool. I knit a long white strip, making a side available for rehanging on the machine, and continuing with a series of trial trims. All samples were made with the purl side facing, but depending on preference and end-use, the fabric could be returned to the machine with the knit side facing as well. It is helpful to have a neat selvage. If the edge includes increases or decreases making them fully fashioned will provide one. Yarns with “memory” ie wool will retain the rolling effect produced by extra knit rows. Stitches are picked up on the finished knit a full stitch away from the edge. I tend to keep my yarn continuous rather than binding-off with separate threads. Pull a long loop out at the carriage side, avoiding tugging and distorting of end stitches when lifting them off the gate pegs in order to rehang them on needles after turning the work over. Adjust loop size prior to knitting the next row. Hang it on the first stitch on that side, or on the adjacent empty needle if you find you are a single stitch short (machine knitting magic)

Trim 1: stitches rehung on the machine   all needles brought out to hold position knit 2 rows latch tool bind off (LTBO)

Remove work from the machine, turn the work over (in this case the knit side was now facing me), pick up concave loops and rehang on km, keeping track of stitch count. Bring needles out to hold, making certain each needle has a stitch on it

knit 2 rows, LTBOI steamed swatch, some roll lost because of fiber used 

Trim 2: hang stitches on every other needle, knit with thicker yarn 
bring needles out to hold, check stitches, knit 2 rowsLTBO
turn work over, rehang EON (every other needle) knit 1 rowLTBO, lift off

proceed as above, except after first hanging stitches on EON, bring all the empty needles out to work, check stitches knit 2 rows on every needle LTBO, lift off loop that gets picked up and rehung with work turned over, rehang stitches EON bring all needles out to hold, check stitches, knit 2 rows LTBO, lift off

Trim 3: stitches on EON, introducing tuck loops knit multiple rows hook ladders up on empty needles bring all the needles out to hold, checking stitches LTBO, lifting the piece off the machine, turning work over picking up grouped loops placing them on EONknit 2 rowsLTBO, lift off


Linker manuals: Studio , Brother 

A no longer “mystery pattern”

A Ravelry post shared a Knittax pattern for this stitch and was followed up by my first, untested interpretation of the repeat here the center stitch selection in the center of knit blocks is eliminated partial repeat for punchcards electronic repeat X 2reviewing the idea after a few days I realized the repeat should be edited; orange squares need to be knit stitches  Slip <-> creates floats to be hung on center non selected needles of blocks of 5. Before the next row is knit, bring that needle out to hold to insure groups of loops in the needle hook will knit off with the next carriage pass.

When I sampled this repeat, I decided three all knit rows between loops were too many, and this became my final repeat, tiled X 4 (suitable for punchcard)multiple tuck loops, side by side do not even stay in the hooks slip stitch sample, purl side a bit closer,  knit side

A new “leaf” lace

I am often surprised when I return to visiting past ideas and discover how long I have actually been blogging.
My temporary obsession with lace leaves began in 2011.
In 2016 Vogue knitting published what appeared to me to be an interesting pattern for a leaf lace variant combining dropped stitches and lace transfers.
Below, I am sharing my WIP swatches and notes.
I am presently working on some production knitwear pieces, and it is unclear when I will return to more samples of this variant.
The “new leaf” requires hand techniques and working with multiple transfer tools.
Dropped stitches in hand knitting can translate to ladders in a machine knit.
My first trial swatch was made on the standard KM.  Casting off and on posed interesting questions. The lines where knit stitches meet ladders, as pointed out in previous posts, can result in the knit stitches aside the ladder growing in size

I do not enjoy time-consuming hand techniques on the machine, so to speed things up I moved on to the bulky. As with any other knitting, the lengthwise sides of the knit are going to want to curl to the purl side. I deliberately worked with acrylic yarn, anticipating that blocking it would be required to attempt to get the results to stay flat. Here is the resulting swatch, as first off the KM

after pressing with steam 

A couple of days later the fabric was still lying flat, so I decided to try to chart it out for slightly different results while planning for a different turning angle and a consistent number of ladders throughout.


I began to use Excel 2008 in 2009, as well as Apple’s Pages and sometimes Numbers over time to produce my charts and illustrations. I keep learning tiny bits as time goes on. Some features may disappear in such programs or become added with upgrades. These are settings I prefer for backgrounds and borders in Excel

format

and for screen grabs or improved visibility, zoom comes in handy 

For links to some online tutorial by other authors https://alessandrina.com/2013/10/29/charting-knits-in-excel/, a search in my own blog will lead you to my own explorations over time. Simple graph paper and color pencils may be used if the software is not available to help work out proper repeats, etc. A single repeat of my leaves so far is shown in 2 segments for increased visibility, successful knitting, probably in another “killable yarn” tbd.

A shawl tale 2

My “spider web” shawl has been a popular production for sale item for me for a very long time. From time to time the line was joined by chenille and felted ones with variations in shape

wool rayon

felted wool
chenille 

Most of my chenille inventory traveled with me to my new residence. The yarn has some challenges in knitting and handling, which may relate to the core content holding the fibers in place, and its twist. Lace holes may disappear with blocking, fibers shed sporadically with washing, and so on. Quality and behavior are not necessarily pricing or source dependent. Swatching is always worth it. As I work on new ideas, I occasionally decide to “wing it”. I prefer shawls that work with a bit of neck shaping rather than simple triangles. So I thought: Faroese style shawl, 2 triangles, and a shape with a bit of holding at the center, just “knit it”. The first triangle knit was the striped section, shaped with increases from 3 stitches to the desired width. The wedge section had interesting issues with biasing, even with blocking. The solid green triangle, shaped with decreases actually knit to a size different enough so it had to be unraveled and re-knit. There are many hand knitting patterns published that offer directions for “asymmetrical” shawls, which use such differences as design features, and that certainly can be an option in machine knitting as well. Calling the item a shawlette or scarf also discounts many issues. That said, I got this sort of shape and wanted this, with close to equal shaping on  either side of the center wedge

The original idea had been to create a ruffled edging with color patterning using the slip setting, automating needle selection, pattern, and shape. Brother has imo created the worst single bed color changer on the market. It is the only one I know of where the yarn does not leave the changer and in turn travel with the knit carriage sinker plate. The chenille yarns simply did not clear it properly for me, sticking together, and looping far too easily (though smooth yarns had no issues). So then my 910 got set up, and I thought to try knitting with 2 carriages. For the pattern I wanted to create even this involved issues with carrying yarn up the design stripes, and after trying slip and FI patterning I gave up and went for the KISS principle, returning to single color shaping using holding to create the ruffled edging.

the finished chenille shawl

purl side

Some of the steps I would do differently or add in future pieces:

1. definitely gauge swatch, perhaps even draft shapes on the knit leader and use it to guide triangle (or another shaping) for shawl segment

2. shape both large triangles with decreases, requiring one to be started on waste yarn (yellow line) and rehung prior to section knit in holding. Red arrows indicate the direction of knitting for each piece

3. yarn markers every X # of rows along the outer edge of shawl or on inner ruffle edge if it is knit separately, may be helpful both for seam as you knit, or later for joining the ruffle by hand

4. if the color changer is required, try to use the double color changer, with knitting weighted as for rib (this is a very viable option for frequent color changes on the bulky machine). Drawback here is the pattern is no longer immediately visible, so any errors or dropped stitches may be missed in time for immediate repair.

…………….

 

 

Ribber cast on comb/ open stitch single bed cast on

My first encounter using a ribber cast-on comb for open edge single bed knitting was in using the Passap machine. Its use for this purpose is possible on other brands as well. It provides an easy way to deal with waste yarn and weight application on ribbed fabrics.  I like using ribber cast-on combs when knitting single-bed to distribute weight evenly across pieces if needed. A second comb may be inserted as the knitting grows. Weights may then be removed and moved up, and so on. Unevenly distributing weight causes elongated stitches in those areas, and makes shaped knitting unpredictable unless the ratio of weight to the width of knitting is maintained. Here the topic is using the ribber comb in single bed open cast-on and hanging hems.

My Japanese machines are used chiefly for the production of single bed items, so usually they are ribber free. Balancing the ribber on older KMs can be fussy, so once the ribber is up, working, and well-balanced, my recommendation is to leave it in place if it is going to be used on a regular basis.

For this technique use a cast-on comb appropriate for your knitting machine’s gauge ie 4.5mm, 5mm, etc., the brand is not relevant, only tooth spacing is. It is possible to cut ribber cast on combs into different widths for use when knitting is planned on fewer stitches than those accommodated by their available commercial widths. In the yarn used in my swatches, I found knitting the first row at stocking stitch tension created large enough stitches for later picking up and hanging the hem. Test your yarn, if necessary use a looser tension for the “cast on” row, and evaluate any inside hem “drop” if a looser stitch size is used.

Remove the wire from the comb. Bring the comb up and between needles to be used, and re-insert the wire. Needles and latches will need to travel easily under the wire when the first knit row takes place. 

The knit carriage will not clear the comb properly because of the location of its brushes, etc. For the “cast on” row, exchange the sinker plate on your knit carriage for the arm normally used with the ribber. The first photo below shows the approximate location for the comb during the first knit row. Needles are centered between the teeth, and the teeth themselves line up with gate pegs. The comb needs to be manually held in place since there is no opposing bed in use to help balance it. The latter would ease the process in wider pieces of knitting. The ribber sinker plate has no brushes or wheels to anchor knitting on the knitting bed; any rows knit single bed using it, will need to have needles brought out to hold position prior to knitting each row for all stitches to be formed properly
The comb in position:

a pass is made slowly with the ribber sinker plate in place the comb is dropped  bring all needles out to hold / E position knit one more row, return to the starting position change the ribber arm to the sinker plate for the knit carriage, and proceed with hem  the comb will then need to be lifted up to close the hem  first rest a knitting needle or similar tool on the open hem  lift comb up enclosing knitting needle, add weights  lift comb perpendicular to needles, move it forward slightly for a better view of stitches needles (red dot) need to enter the stitches through their center (yellow highlight), not their side (orange highlight) or stitches will later drop; push needles through the center of each stitch on comb continue across the bed 

remove the wire from the comb, lift it up and off  remove weights and knitting needle; wrap the cut yarn end around the last needle on that side pick up from the row below to fill in the “missing single stitch” on the opposite side  complete the hem with looser joining row, return to standard tension, continue knitting 

To achieve joining hems in this manner with the ribber in place, though possible on both beds, it is quickest to cast on the back bed (Passap) or on the knit bed (Brother, etc.). Hold the appropriate ribber comb with the bump(s) up facing you, so that the teeth line up as shown above, with the flow combs/ gate pegs, and the needled can come through the gaps. Leave the wire in, hold the bump(s) against the front bed/ ribber, and tilts the comb against the back/ knit bed. Hold the comb high enough to take the lock or carriage across. Take the locks/carriages across to the opposite side, drop the comb and weigh it, and knit 2 rows on Passap before using strippers. In Japanese kms drop the ribber, switch sinker plates, and continue to knit on the main bed.

“bump”: Passap comb“bumps”: Brother comb 

For other purposes and an edge similar to a “weaving cast on”executed on Japanese machines use EON for the “cast on row”  and bring into work the rest of the needles prior to knitting the second row.

Machine knit hems 2

Hems 1: previous post. Guidelines generally given for stocking stitch hems do not take into consideration if the body of the knit is going to be considerably narrower or wider than the stocking stitch, and whether the purl side of the fabric is to be used as the “public side”. In the latter case, the solution is simply to reverse tension changes from the inside to the outside of the hem. For wider or narrower fabrics the number of stitches for the hems may need to be recalculated, depending on whether a series of simple tension adjustments can solve the problem. Fiber content, yarn weight, and even color can affect results, so always test a swatch. It is possible to knit tubular hems using the ribber, but here the discussion is for the single bed only.
Hems at the beginning: cast on and knit several rows of waste yarn, ending with ravel cord. Following step 1 below: set the stitch dial one number lower than that used originally in stockinette knitting. Knit the number of rows required for the inside of the hem. Loosen tension by 2 numbers for one row  (helps get a neater turning row). Tighten tension by one to the original stockinette tension, and proceed as indicated in steps 2 and 3 below. Illustrations are from Brother techniques Book, pp. 16 and 17.

Picot hems: odd number of needles are required.
1: Cast on an odd number of stitches and knit several rows of waste knitting followed by 1 row knit with ravel cord. Set the stitch dial one full number (guideline) tighter than the main yarn and knit as many rows as required for the depth of the hem.
2: Picots are made by transferring stitches onto adjacent needles, making transfers to either left or right (shown in illustrations below).
3: Reset the stitch dial to stockinette tension and knit the same number of rows. 4: Place the sinker loops on the corresponding needles, making sure to pick up the edge sinker loop as well. Directions usually say to pull our ravel cord at this point,  I like to knit a few rows and to make certain things have knit properly before removing the cord.
5: set the stitch dial 2-3 whole numbers higher than the stocking stitch tension and knit one row. This keeps the joining row from bulging out due to its double thickness.
6: Reset the tension dial to stocking stitch tension and continue to knit.

After transfers, always check that proper transfers have indeed been made and that each needle holds 2 stitches. Bringing all needles out to E before knitting the next row helps facilitate a visual check.

Hems with the 1X1 needle arrangement below will often require at least one more row for the outside of the hem than for the backing since the EON-produced stitches will grow in size and lengthen when the fabric is set
In step number 3 the e-wrapped row essentially casts on those empty needles, so that when the following row is knit, full stitches are formed on each needle, and when the hem is folded any appearance of eyelets is minimized.

for illustration, the e-wrap row in a contrasting color (white is acrylic fiber)as knitting continues  the hem exterior after some pressing hem interior

An alternate method to step 3, producing a picot at the turn of the hem: bring empty needles out to hold position, and knit across to the opposite side. With the first pass, loops will form on empty needles, with the second pass reversing direction, an eyelet is formed and full knitting is restored for the outside hem. EON knitting tends to grow in length. I  prefer to reduce EON tension by at least 2 numbers. Test on a swatch to determine the percentage of total rows needed to place the picot at the hem fold rather than having it roll out to the knit side, it will vary depending on the yarn used.

For the picot hem transfers using the lace carriage: after knitting with waste yarn and ravel cord, knit half the depth of the hem. Place the Lace carriage opposite the knit carriage, on either the left or right-hand side. Starting with the second needle from either side, bring forward every other needle to the D position using the 1X1 needle pusher. End needles must be in the B position. Move the lace carriage to the opposite side, every other stitch will now be transferred onto the adjacent needle. Remove the carriage by using the release button, and continue to knit as described above.

Again, I like to knit several rows after picking up stitches and completing the hem before removing the ravel cord and waste yarn.

If you prefer not to use waste yarn, for the inside hem on every needle  (method 1 from the previous post). If using the comb: e wrap EON on an odd number of needles, hang the cast-on comb with teeth pointing away from you and proceed as below. Using the cast-on comb to speed up rehanging stitches to close hem: a foreign language video showing its use on the mock rib at the top of socks. The method can be used for any configuration needle setup. It is possible to use ribber cast on combs for the same purpose, I will address that in another post. When EON loops are used to join the hem, the inside of the hem will “drop” some when set, so fewer rows are required on the inside hem.

When hanging any hem, one stitch is lost on the side of the cut yarn end. Also, on the knot side, the stitch may be less noticeable, so you want to make certain that that outside loop/ stitch is also included in the count (green arrow)

I like to secure the main color yarn end as seen below around the adjoining empty needle as seen below

continue knitting forgot ravel cord? find the outside of the last stitch knit  in waste yarn, opposite  yarn ends clip stitch, pull out “ravel cord”, continue knitting

Note: ravel cord ideally should be smooth, nonshedding fiber, and strong enough not to break when pulled on. If like fibers are used and they shed as the cord is removed, you may have tiny fibers of the contrasting color permanently mating with your garment yarn. Check for any knots in the cord at each side of the knit before pulling it out.
Instructions for single-bed mock rib from 

A look at single bed mock rib

The Brother Knitting Techniques book has a series of illustrations on how to manage a mock rib in various configurations on pages 7-15. The manual is now available for free download online and is an excellent reference.

This technique requires a waste yarn start, followed by a row of ravel-cord. The resulting knit creates ladders or stitches that will, in turn, be dropped, then latched up and reformed into knit stitches on the purl ground. Reducing the knit tension by as much as 2-3 numbers is recommended after the ravel cord row.

The needles marked in blue and green in the first image below are needles that are pulled back to the A position prior to starting the piece.  After the waste yarn and ravel cord (hatched yellow) start, three rows are knit with the garment yarn. Using a transfer tool, pick up the sinker loops from the first row knit (orange), and hang them on the corresponding needles on the diagram (follow the red arrows).

One may at this point continue with needles (green) left out of work, or return the needles (blue) to the work position. If needles are left OOW, ladders will continue to be created. If they are returned to work, a loop is created on the empty needle on the first knit pass, formed into a stitch on the second pass, resulting in an eyelet. Every needle treated in this manner will now be knitting. If stitches rather than ladders are formed for the height of the rib, then those stitches (blue) will need to be dropped, and in turn, latched up. In both instances, the latch tool goes under the first ladder created, and 2 rows are skipped, the latch tool then catches the third parallel row, and pulls it through the first to make the required knit stitch. The process continues up the height of the “rib”. In this illustration, the main yarn begins to knit with COL.

A 2X2 rib is possible. From the Techniques book: cast on with waste yarn and ravel cord (1, 2)

an alternate: cast on with waste yarn and and ravel cord, knit 3 rows

pick up the sinker loop from a knit stitch, hang on 1 of  the 2 NOOW (R)

knit height of the rib 

latch up the ladder as shown in drawings above 

drop/ unravel the second stitch to be latched up (L)

dropped stitches reformed for rib 

continue across the row, then proceed with the main body of the knit 

the rib, off the machine 

stretched out

My sample was knit in a 2/15 acrylic, a bit thin for this technique, and if pressed, the fabric would be flattened permanently. If the intent is to have the rib retain its “spring and stretch” it is best to use a yarn with memory, such as wool. If slip stitches or FI are to be used for the body of the knit, they will create a much denser fabric. The yarn in the rib may in turn need to be doubled to produce enough substance. As always swatching is recommended before committing to a large piece in any technique.

From the Brother Techniques Book a few more to try: 

2X1 rib using slip setting 

2 X 2 rib: working with Brother cast-on comb, full text  using waste yarn

From the KH 800 manual, a double welt. Knitting the single joining row of hems at a looser tension will help the place where the two layers meet lie flatter

Seaming, joining, picking up stitches on knits 2

I have an extensive library of both hand and machine knitting publications. I am not the originator of the base drawings for these illustrations. However, they have been accumulated from various decades-old sources, edited by me for content, color, size, etc. My editing program is Gimp. I will review, alter, or add to this library over time.
Sewn bind-offs on the machine 
knitting taken off on waste yarn joining a hem open stitches to finished hem crochet bind-off through the top or bottom of stitches in the last row respectively  weaving in yarn ends across a row on the purl side  Mattress stitch: work a few rows with loose stitches so entry and exit points are visible, then pull on yarn and tug on finished segments as you go to adjust stitch size
1. under the single bar between a full knit stitch on either edge of knitting, best for bulkier knits
2. under double bars between a full knit stitch on either edge of knitting, faster on smaller gauge knit
3. worked half a stitch away from the edge, every  row, under the bar on left, loop on the right

4. running stitch along and through the center of edge stitches, alternating sides every row
5. running stitch one full stitch away from the edge, alternating sides every row
6. joining purl stitches in every row

garter stitch 1. mattress stitch, knit side out, one full stitch away from the edge, adding a second strand of yarn to finish the join
2. weaving in joined yarns along the inseam, traveling in opposite directions

2 X 2 rib ending with one knit stitch  2 X 2 rib ending with 2 knit stitchesrib join through “edge loops” of knit stitches  2 X 2 rib join ending with 2 knit stitches, 1 full stitch from edge 2 X 2 rib join ending with 2 purl stitches, 1 full stitch from edge For more illustrations in addition to the above for joining ribbed stitches see the later 2022 post
Picking up stitches to continue knitting or joining on the machine: straight edges,    curved edges open sts to bound off; bound off sts to bound off  (steps 1 and 2)knit to purl; knit to rib garter-stitch decreasing evenly at intervals across a row grafting with purl side facing if you are left-handed or the yarn end is on the alternate piece,  rotating the image or flipping it horizontally or vertically will provide guidelines.  There are many alternatives for increasing and decreasing stitches. These pages are from the KH 800, a Brother model made in 1970-71, and cover the basics and the often underused technique of using a knitting needle to remove stitches from the machine for any reason, here intended for decreasing evenly across a row as an alternative to scrapping off on waste yarn or using a garter bar.
Long and thin double-pointed needles are best on the standard, and sizing is more flexible when working on the bulky. If a double-pointed one is used, have a needle stopper on one end, and swap it out to the opposite side when shifting stitch positions. The work could be turned over with this technique as well. There are wide varieties of stitch holders that may be used to store or move stitches around when tools with enough prongs to serve the purpose are not available, as well as safety-pin-like plastic ones that can hold single open stitches or serve as markers at the edges of the knit. Sometimes appropriate lengths of ravel cord and a yarn needle can serve the purpose as well.

Seaming, joining, picking up stitches on knits 1

Seaming, joining, picking up stitches on knits 1

This time of year I am usually producing machine knit felt hats for sale, on my 260 Brother bulky KM. They are knit sideways and require seaming on their completion. Photos of some steps in the process, taken a previous year: screenshot_80screenshot_81screenshot_82for a sense of scale before felting after blocking and drying
screenshot_84My customer handout:
Knitting has traditionally been felted to make it weatherproof, warm, and long-lasting. Examples include Scandinavian mittens, caps, and jerseys, Estonian multicolored jackets, closely-knit felted jackets worn around the North Sea Coast from the 17th century onwards, and knitted and felted Tudor caps.
Wool and hair fibers have microscopic scales, which all point in the same direction, and when such fibers are subjected to heat, moisture, movement, and friction, the fibers will become swollen and soft, and will move against each other in the direction of least resistance. Adjacent scaly surfaces cannot move against one another if the scales on each surface are opposed, and if they are forced to, the scales will lock. Felting is a progressive process that cannot be reversed, only halted.
These hats are knit (or crocheted) in very large, loose stitches. Their shape comes from varying the number of stitches along the surface of the hat, with many more rows on the brim area than on the crown. Most are reversible. In making them, I like to blend many shades of woolen yarn, sometimes adding boucles or mohair. The coloration and stitch structure varies whether viewing the purl or the knit side. The shaping is in the knit.
The large, loosely knit forms are felted by agitation and washing in hot and cold water until the desired shrinkage is obtained. The brim will fold and mold differently depending on whether the hat’s knit or purl side is worn on the outside. No two hats are exactly alike in size or color. They will retain their shape if folded flat and may be cared for as one would care for any fine, washable fabric.
If hand washing: use cool water only, mild soap, do not soak, some molding or blocking may be required.

There is a lot published on methods to graft open stitches using Kitchener. Hand-knit magazines both in Britain and here have begun to present joining a variety of pattern stitches with charts that visually clarify the process. A small portion of such a chart: kitchenerWith bulky knits such as my hats, I like to take open stitches onto circulars and sew them together by hand as shown below, beginning on right, and with the knit side facing me.

joining knit ending on waste yarn, purl side facing joining knit ending on waste yarn, knit side facing joining garter stitch ending in waste yarn Diana Sullivan offers youtube videos showing how to join pieces with waste yarn endings with their purl side or knit side facing respectively.

Seam-as-you-knit is an option for joining vertically. It is a technique that may be used to attach bands, parts of a sweater, or strips of knitting, whether for the sake of additional width, changes in color, or attached with purl side facing the knit side if that is the goal.  The piece on the machine is always purl side facing. With each row knit, a “loop” is created on the carriage side, while a “knot” is formed on the opposite side as the row is completed. The process then reverses as the carriage returns to its original position.  The technique may be done on either, or even both sides at once. The first piece(s) is (are) completed and taken off the machine. Begin the join to piece with the cast on row or waste yarn. For a test, with COR: pick up the first knot or loop on the completed piece. Hang it on the left end needle/ stitch on the cast on work (opposite the carriage). Knit 2 rows. Go to the next knot or loop on the completed piece, place it on the same left side needle/ stitch. You are hanging on the far needle opposite the carriage every 2 rows.

The knit fabric, purl side facing   knot_loopA one-eyed tool is inserted from front to back through either a loop or a knot, and hung on the first needle hook/stitch on the right, left, or even both sides of the piece every 2 rows.    knot_loop2bknot_loop2aJoining “loops” generally works well in standard gauge knitting. On the bulky, or where a “tighter” seam line is needed, join “knots”.
The same method may be used to join the side edge of any piece of knitting to any portion or location on the one in progress.
When hems need to be hung at the top of a knit or within its body if only one color is used, if long seams are to be joined, or a width needs to be rehung for joining to match its mate, it is helpful to have yarn markers across the row, or periodically along the sides of the pieces at fixed intervals. These illustrations are from the Brother Knitting techniques Book

Single bed slits aka horizontal “button holes”

Related blog posts:
2022  More buttonholes and slits with illustrations including ribber variations.
I have previously shared posts exploring assorted meshes including some with large eyelets.
The formation of eyelets is sometimes offered as a buttonhole option in publications, a review of the stitch movements involved and the associated symbols:  The first knit row will form a loop on the empty needle, while the second row knit with the next carriage pass completes the stitch
A larger eyelet, with directions found in most manuals, is not really the best option if used as a buttonhole. That said, these 2 methods render round, clean-edge larger eyelets   This version is from the Brother Knitting Techniques Book, begins to address wider openings in knits

screenshot_42Many hand-knitting patterns are published, often in garter stitch, using slits that one may think of as larger “buttonholes” to create a range of interesting fabrics. Trying to produce such slits single bed, without the use of additional strands of yarn and in turn, having yarn ends to weave in, leaves few options.
This method may also be used when creating multiple slits across a row. Holding is used to break the knitting into segments. The drawn illustrations show steps are taken, not needle positions.
COR, for the bottom of the slit:
1. transfer the first stitch in the buttonhole group onto the adjacent needle to its right bhole_012. transfer the pair of stitches together onto the now empty needle to their left. The knit carriage, holding the yarn, will be on the rightbhole_023. push the needle forward until the first stitch (green) passes over the needle’s latch bhole_044. push the needle back to the work positionbhole_045. the forward stitch (red) is now knit through the one behind the latch  bhole_05This essentially binds off a stitch.
Repeat steps 1-5 until the number of bound-off stitches required is met; the last stitch in the group is then transferred onto the adjacent needle to its left. The bottom edge of the “buttonhole” is now complete. bhole_06aTo make the top edge of the buttonhole/ slit bring its corresponding needles out to hold, and cast on the desired number of stitches with the latch tool from right to left. bhole_07aIn order to best accomplish this with COR set KM for holding, push empty needles back to A position, knit up to now empty “buttonhole” needles img_4069bring empty needles out to hold img_4070insert latch hook from back to front through below the last stitch now knit on the right screenshot_36twist tool clockwise screenshot_37bring empty needles out to hold img_3966come up between the first 2 needles on the group’s right screenshot_38continue with latch tool bind off, the last loop in the chain is hung on needle already holding 2 stitches from the last bind off transfer img_4071tighten up the loop 
img_4072
return “buttonhole”  stitches into needle hooks, back to B position
img_4073COL: set KM to slip in both directions and move to right img_4074COR: cancel holding, adjust tension, knit across remaining stitches to Limg_4075COL: cancel slip <–>, continue knitting screenshot_08img_4077img_4078This version is from an ancient Brother manual, always test techniques on swatches using the yarns intended for the final piece

A hand-knit response to a Pinterest request: variations in rib with holes