Hand Techniques – Page 8 – alessandrina.com

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

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_82 for a sense of scale before felting after blocking and drying
screenshot_84 My 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 17^th 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: With 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 A 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. Joining “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

Many 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 2. transfer the pair of stitches together onto the now empty needle to their left. The knit carriage, holding the yarn, will be on the right3. push the needle forward until the first stitch (green) passes over the needle’s latch 4. push the needle back to the work position5. the forward stitch (red) is now knit through the one behind the latch This 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. To 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. In 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 bring empty needles out to hold insert latch hook from back to front through below the last stitch now knit on the right twist tool clockwise bring empty needles out to hold come up between the first 2 needles on the group’s right continue 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 tighten up the loop
return “buttonhole” stitches into needle hooks, back to B position
COL: set KM to slip in both directions and move to right COR: cancel holding, adjust tension, knit across remaining stitches to LCOL: cancel slip <–>, continue knitting This 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

A bit of holding 5: intarsia and more 2

So you have some shapes you love and know: wanting to go large, mixing them up, requires thinking things through. Testing on small swatches will help determine holding sequences and whether the results are predictable or even liked. I no longer have access to Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator, so some of my image editing is now achieved in Gimp. Labeling below is with Skitch, and charting is with Excel.

A starting freehand swatch experiment and some observations: shape variations in red areas occur by altering sequence for knitting first and last 2 shapes in the holding position

Planning possible sequences out in charting can be confusing. The image direction will be reversed on the knit side. Approaching the technique like intarsia with individual yarns or bobbins eliminates the need for some of the concerns where 2-row sequences or specific starting sides are necessary to keep yarns continuous or for the execution of the desired shape. Trying to imagine the shapes that create the larger one together in a simple 2D drawing can get one started, but then shapes need to be rearranged. I usually began by “playing”, trying to figure out steps needed, and follow that by trying to produce an executable chart. Making the process as easy as possible to track is always a consideration.

possible stitch counts and adding a center-line “stem”/ stripeits knitting sequence a resulting swatch, stitch counts not consistent with the chart

In the chart below the design is worked with 2 needles brought out to work or pushed back into work at any one time, making tracking changing numbers in hold unnecessary. Pink rows indicate starting and ending knit rows, orange “stitches” are cast on and bound off in turn, creating a shape extending out from the edge of the knit. Arrows indicate where shapes meet to create forms. knittable_marked

Holding sequence for each shape may be worked begin with carriage on either side; with experience, this may be planned at times to eliminate some of those cut yarn ends that later must be woven in. Getting back to arrows indicating carriage moves, using the center shape for illustration purposes and beginning with COR direction if beginning with COL, simply flip the image horizontally

600_078 The yarns used were “throw away acrylics” in white and red. The green is a rayon chenille, which required a looser tension, resulting in the other colors looser than I would want in a piece of the final fabric.
An idea for a larger image in the process of being editedA possible sequence in knitting if it is to be executed as shown. The arrow marks rows that knit all needles across the width of the piece. The piece segments are numbered to create a starting line for later joining.
If the goal is knitting as close to a flat circle as possible, eliminating rows will create a smaller center hole as well after the form is completed and seamed. Knitting segments 1-6 should be adequateLarger pieces ie shawls, adding knit rows without adding stitches can be done by altering #8, 1, 6, 7. The red line indicates changing angles. Blue and green lines below indicate increasing rows knit at the center of shapes as a result. Knitting and cast on sequences flow around left purl edge, straight or diagonal edges on a chart such as above may become foundation rows that are later seamed. Sort out your sequence and preferences on smaller swatches, keeping notes as you go. Additional shaping can happen along the edges of any plain knit rows between shapes by increasing or decreasing on either or both sides to create crescent shapes or triangle variants.

Now a quandary if gauge matters: knit stitches are not square. One option is to generate a grid appropriate graph paper. In holding sequences happen in 2-row sequences. Graph paper cells may be created at twice the height desired. Each rectangle will represent a single stitch, 2-row sequence. To create your own knitting graph paper in excel please see post as a place to start. A common knit ratio is 4W X 6H. An editable workbook in 2W X 6H ratio that takes into account the following outline in 2 row holding sequences: landscape2X6. Links for designing knit graph papers online:
http://www.tata-tatao.to/knit/matrix/e-index.html
http://www.theknittingsite.com/knitting-graph-paper/
http://sweaterscapes.com/lcharts3.htm
http://www.thedietdiary.com/knittingfiend/KnittersGraph.html
http://incompetech.com/graphpaper/asymmetric/

Using the 4X6 model reduced to 2X3 this is a sample generated using excel, with borders in a 2X6 ratio, so in execution, every single cell represents one stitch and 2 rows knit. The shape is one from the shape menu in the program, easily resized. The yellow bars show the gradations in holding. These cells are too small for adding text within the program itself. The math can be double-checked: there are 70 stitches, 34 rows in the rectangle at the center of the shape. Holding happens over 5 chart units (10 rows actual knitting) at the top and bottom of the center shape; 70/5 = 14 X5, matching the drawing The accompanying, editable workbook Excel 2008 landscape2X6

So the goal is a shawl or garment, graph paper is becoming impractical to follow? Time to pull out your knit leader. Draw out each wedge or piece full size, number segments breaking sections into knitting sequences, and let the KL guide you. For consistency, if the same shape is to be repeated many times and accuracy matters, it may be worth “air knitting” it while noting shaping as you go, keeping a row by row flow chart. An editable workbook to help track holding patterns, increases, decreases, etc. as a starting point for your own preferences: tracking knit.

Gauge or shape does not matter? time to scrumble it all and be surprised!

A bit of holding 4: intarsia and more

Picture knitting/intarsia may at times be achieved using holding techniques. As in any such knitting, supplies include extras such as bobbins, clothespins, or weighted clips, but no separate carriage. If the ribber is in use and one is working on a large piece, ribber covers allow the yarns to hang in front of the ribber bed.

Some of the rules for accomplishing this using short rows: it is helpful to work from a chart. Two-row sequences are required, so having the working chart double-length makes the process easier to visualize. “Follow” knitting directions with any tool to determine that the pattern is executable, with no long floats or slits.

The bottom of any diagonal line is always knit first.

Needles are brought out to hold on the carriage side, and pushed back into work opposite the carriage; one exception to this rule is if “automatic wrapping” is used. In the latter one, fewer needles are brought into hold than needed opposite the carriage, the row is knit, then with the carriage on the alternate side the first needle in hold next to stitches just knit is brought out to hold, resulting in a “wrap” and correcting the count to the desired number. Any number of needles may be pushed back into work at any time. More than single stitches brought to hold on the carriage side will produce floats.

When knitting shapes the only needles in work are those being worked to create that shape.

Base rows of knitting, whether in waste yarn or as part of the pattern, are needed prior to working in the holding position.

Remember that you are working on the purl side, so any image will be flipped horizontally on the knit side. Reverse the chart horizontally before working it if direction matters.

Begin with a simple shape. Letters indicate the knitting sequence for short-rowed sections. Patterning in these charts begins with COR, bold lines separate areas of plain knitting, letters indicate the order for executing short row segments. The fabric produced lies flat, with no noticeable 3D protrusions.

marking sequences with numbers is easier for me to follow; color changes help define segments, but do not reflect final colors in the design

a supermini swatch: holes are typical both in intarsia and in short rows if no wrapping occurs be prepared to weave in a lot of yarn ends going larger, note the wider “steps” created more complex geometry: line drawing on “graph paper”the start of color placement sequence for executing segments at the completion of the design in actual knitting the pattern must be elongated X2

I find it helpful to use familiar yarn and to work variations of a familiar shape prior to taking on more complex patterns. Below is a cousin of the first shape illustrated in this post, with a pattern worked beginning COL, repeated across the row, increments in the number of stitches worked in short rows but mirrored on both shape sides (shown in the first swatch segment).

filling in to produce a flat fabric, with straight sides: the bottom segment the top segment the amended chart

Some of the same shapes may be placed on a shaped edge. The repeat will likely need some editing; arrows indicate the direction of knitting for that row. If the background color is used for casting on and binding off, then the isolated shape floats on the ground, and the horizontal line of contrast color is eliminated.

creating an outline of shape with Color 1 horizontal rotation to achieve “leaf” shape melding shapes don’t like wrapping? for smaller holes offset the return to work position upper half of the shape by one less needle at the start, added at the end.
A first look at knitting direction and at stacking shapes, with bound-off stitches

combo_2935 The start of a smooth shaping sequence for those “leaf shapes” on the machine

The yarn used is acrylic, so pressing helps to make the shapes lie flat. Once again, using wool or any other yarn with “memory” will result in considerable curl at the side and at the top and bottom of the knit piece, so that is a consideration in putting in the effort. The more striping, the more yarn ends to weave in and row counts to watch. Using space-dyed or sock yarns may produce pleasing though unplanned stripe patterns in any of the shapes. My samples are not resolved final fabrics. There are many inspiring patterns available for purchase or at times free on the internet for hand knitting, usually in garter stitch as well as holding, resulting in a nearly square gauge, flat-lying knit.

Taking it to garments: accessories are easiest, since the gauge may not be significant. Shawl shapes in HK are often knit on circular needles, without the constraint of the fixed number of needles on any particular model KM. Sometimes, with adjustments, the same shapes may be rotated sideways on the KM. Segment sizes may differ due to the resulting change in gauge. Sampling techniques and shapes in smaller versions help work out the kinks.

Sources for inspiration: large-scale shapes

http://www.garnstudio.com/pattern.php?id=7365&cid=17
http://www.garnstudio.com/pattern.php?id=7543&cid=17
http://www.garnstudio.com/pattern.php?id=7375&cid=17
http://www.garnstudio.com/pattern.php?id=7099&cid=17
http://www.garnstudio.com/pattern.php?id=6729&cid=17
http://www.garnstudio.com/pattern.php?id=6333&cid=17
http://www.garnstudio.com/pattern.php?id=6001&cid=17

more details, varying concentration, and placement: free pattern
http://www.garnstudio.com/pattern.php?id=7606&cid=17

for purchase on Ravelry
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/endless-rainbow
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/rigoles
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/dreambird-kal
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/scarf-with-flames
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/phoenix-wing—phoenix-flugel
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/spring-plumage
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/hundertwasser-neptunia
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/swingtrelac

A bit of holding 3: shape variations and more

Hand-knit spiraling shawls and shawlettes often involve shaping on every row. Increasing essentially requires casting on one or more stitches. Below are cast on illustrations from varied sources I used in handouts in my intro to knitting classes

A simple decrease occurs when the last stitch on either side is transferred moving away from the carriage, the empty needle is placed out of work, and the row is knit.

This illustration shows a fully fashioned version, which gives an edge that makes seaming easier and more attractive, and eliminates the small bumps usually seen along decrease edges, the process adds to knitting time involved in finishing the piece. Decreases may be made on every row.

Simple increases: a factor that is often first noticed when approaching seaming is that the carriage side creates loops, while opposite the carriage one gets what looks like a knot, both alternate as starting position of the carriage swaps sides. To speed things up for single increases, one alternative is to bring an empty needle into work on the carriage side. This creates an elongated loop rather than a full stitch. Unless intended as a design feature, the edge is not the best one for seaming. A better-looking increase is created by putting a needle into work opposite the carriage. For a “good edge” two rows minimum of knitting need to occur prior to the next increase. Continuing on the thread begun in the last 2 posts, I experimented with every row increases and came up with what I consider a reasonable compromise. The method for increases on the right edge:
*COR: bring an empty needle into work on the carriage side, knit a row. Insert transfer tool into the loop created as shown, turn toward carriage (in this case clockwise), essentially creating an e wrap, hang on adjacent empty needle hook.

increase every row

COL knit to right*, repeat * *
In the previous 2 posts’ samples I did not wrap any needles. Wrapping in both directions can create an interesting line along the center of the “leaf” or “other” shapes, seen in the photo below

Interpreting hand knit patterns for use on the machine requires translations of some of the vocabulary and directions are given. If an edge stitch is made in garter or slip stitch variations, disregard and simply add it to the total number of stitches on the segment of the needle bed that is being worked on. Wrap and turn is executed by wrapping the yarn around the adjacent needle in hold prior to knitting back to the opposite side

2: knit <- 1: wrap COR 1: wrap COL 2: knit ->

pw2: picking up wraps and knitting them together happens when needles with wrapped loop and stitch behind it are brought back into work.
The terminology may vary in self-published patterns, some are accompanied by very good tutorials. Ravelry HK searches can provide inspiration for many holding technique variations. Other terms to look for in image and pattern searches include swing knitting, and on occasion, tapestry knitting.

A bit of holding 2 / moving shapes around

There are many handknit patterns floating around the internet, placing shapes similar to these, with many variations, along with a variety of locations in accessories and sweaters. The same shape discussed in the previous post is shown here placed near and then at the edge of the knit. There are many things to consider in addition to the choice of shape. In hand knitting these patterns are usually knit in garter stitch, a fabric that does a good job of lying flat when completed. Short rows are used in both hand and machine knitting; the Brother G carriage produces it “automatically”, but is not short row friendly. The more practical solution is to try a plain knit version. Edges of the knit are still going to curl toward the purls side. Some of this can be averted by using acrylic or other fiber yarn that responds to being “killed” with ironing/ steaming, and will lie as close to flat as possible after the fact. Section A shows the shape knit with no color change and close to the side of the knit, note the vertical edge remains fairly straight. In section B stitches were cast on, and at the end of the holding sequence all stitches are knit moving from right to left. An increase in the number of stitches cast on is now reflected in the total width of the fabric. The result of multiple repeats would appear as a sort of “ruffle”. In section C the same number of stitches are bound off as cast on. The bind off is critical for shape retention. I prefer a latch tool cast off for most knits, here I used the *transfer over one, knit one* method, note: the turning point sharpness is lost and the bound-off edge is very different from the cast on one. In this instance, because the number of stitches increased and decreased stitches are identical, if repeats were executed and no other increases were made anywhere, the width of the final piece would remain constant. If the goal was to achieve a triangular shape such as in a shawl, increases would have to be made along the edges of the plain knit sections, prior to the color change for section C. In testing repeats I do not wrap any needles. Evaluate whether the extra step is needed when swatching in your final yarn choice.

the swatch

planning the shapes, arrows indicate the direction of carriage moves

cast on stitches are knit as part of the last row

cast on stitches are bound off prior to last row

The last sample was also knit using the same yarn, followed by pressing. Again, I did not do any wrapping, and holes created along the edges of the holding sequences are more visible. The swatch was knit from the bottom edge up. The cast on used was a weaving cast on. Both the bottom and the top edges show some of the distortions in the knit caused by the extra rows of knitting that occur in the shapes. Striping is added to the now-familiar sequence, additional colors could be used, with shapes and stripes varied in the placement along with a wider, longer piece of knitting to create interesting repeats. The top shows the start of a larger shape that could be altered to resemble leaves, etc.

for a larger shape

for a striped surroundknit side purl side