Mixed stitch types – Page 2

A slip stitch patterned ruffle and more

A recent Instagram share led to my being asked how the ruffle attached to the piece as partially shown on the left was created. The images on the right illustrate 2 of the color-way explorations prior to committing to a final one, all knit in rayon chenille yarns. At that time a punchcard was used. The repeat technically is 24 stitches wide and 18 in height, repeated twice to meet minimum punchcard height requirements, while for electronic patterning the 18 row segment is used. That said, repeating and shifting the minimum pattern repeat in a paint program or spreadsheet allows for visualization of possible color change sequences, A 24X36 electronic repeat beginning with 4 all knit rows: Knitting does not always need to be programmed to start on the first design row.
When miles of trim ie when it is planned as an edging for items such as shawls are planned, there are other considerations.
I prefer to use the seam as you knit method. Since rows will be joined to rows, use a 1 to 1 ratio. Doubling up on stitches happens every 2 rows along the knit border’s vertical edges.
After estimating the number of rows in the final piece, any trims can be knit separately, taken off the machine on waste yarn, and joined as the piece progresses. If needed, after removing the waste yarn, more rows can be added to the trim or unraveled to shorten it before binding it off.
The other option is to finish the body of the knit item, and then join the trim as it is being knit.
The process is rendered easier if the ribber is off the machine.
Switching between punchcard and electronic models, it can get confusing as to whether the design needs to be mirrored horizontally or knot.
In this case, the png was used on my 930 in the same orientation as the punchcard design.
To reduce the roll to the purl side, it may be best to use yarns that will block flat ie rayon, or acrylic.
The knit is centered on the needle bed. My 930 has a punchcard needle tape in place, I prefer programming based on 24-stitch needle selections to avail myself of the position option available on the electronic.
The first preselection row is made toward the color changer.
End needle selection is canceled, or unwanted floats will be formed, pulling in the edge of the knit.
When the color changer is reached and the proper color is in the yarn feeder, set the machine to slip in both directions.
Continue color changes in the preplanned sequences.
In proper pattern selection, the slip stitch column/non-selected needles occur on the right (1).
The all-knit stitch column/ selected needles occur on the left (2). Rows, where every needle is preselected, will knit a solid color with the next carriage pass. As colors are changed small floats will be created between the stripes, a light edge weight may be needed, depending on the yarn used and its fiber content, to keep the edge stitches from being reduced in size or even gathered.
1. the same color is used for 4 consecutive rows when all needles are selected and are followed by color changes every 2 rows until all needles are preselected once more
2. color changes are made every 2 rows
The cyan arrows illustrate the floats on the purl side the differences in the stitch shapes on the knit when the end needle selection is on, and the lack of proper formation of color blocks, especially if the goal is a reversible knit. Added knit rows will result in less of a flounce, offer the opportunity to play with striping, and more colors may be added, accompanied inevitably by cut yarn ends For a reduced roll on narrow edgings, add a 2-3 stitch every other row border, the result illustrated in this close up of a different slip stitch ruffle, also joined to the shawl using the seam as you knit technique. Ruffles may be created with other stitch types ie tuck, which shortens and gathers the knit stitches aside them in areas where they are used. For those not familiar with slip and tuck stitch formation, it is reviewed in the post: Single bed tuck and slip stitch fabrics 1. Here hand-selected short-row techniques form the wedges, with ladders added for more surface interest on the far right.

Revisiting 3D scales and shells, automated and not

Other posts exploring the 3D scale topic began in 2015 with a swatch experiment based on an Armani sweater. This was followed by an update with associated, untested hand-knit directions generated by Intwined, a long-extinct program.
Over time one develops shorthand and symbols for visualizing and tracking actions. The scale design plotted out in Mac Numbers isolating repeats and added borders Many knits with groups of stitch transfers and eyelets can have a 3D quality reduced with blocking. The yarn used in this swatch is a 2/8 wool, shown in the initial appearance and after pressing and steaming.
Printing custom needle tapes and marking them was an aid in tracking actions as opposed to following a printed chart. For many stitch transfer variations based similar design charts see
Inspiration for varied stitches from a single chart The following group of shared experiments is listed by creation date and begins with the most recent
More mesh dragon scales, some striped and some not
Single bed scales made with stitch transfers
More dragon scales and chevrons in ribbed, racked (4) fabrics
Hand-knit “dragon scales” as pointed out in comments, the stitch count on row 15 needed adjustment, a new chart The new chart aimed at keeping stitch counts constant The proof of concept, knit on #7 needles with a random yarn on an unmarked cone Incidental discoveries Ribber trims 4
Automating 3D textures across full rows of knitting:
Machine knit leaves using slip stitch with holding Revisiting automated shell shapes Automated shapes across rows of knitting using slip stitch only various designs
“Automated” shell shapes When the construction of the scale and shell shapes was proposed, I did not always share the repeats for the automated version.
After the fact, a screen grab from the shell charts was cropped to its outline, opened in ArahPaint, and using the program’s tool “guess weave from grid“, the 36X98 png is obtained with a few mouse clicks,

and saved the file for further exploration.
Note that for the “shells”, the shapes are formed by all the triangles pointing in the same direction, while in the “scale” version they mirror vertically.
Tips and reminders:
I find it useful to test techniques in geometric shapes that are familiar and easy to imagine in 3D, hence the return to triangles.
The goal here is to automate needle selection to eliminate stitch counting and hand selection.
The 200 needle max on 4.5 mm machines, as well the amount of memory in the model of electronic being used, ie 2K in a 930 imposes more limitations.
Performing the selection of needles manually and using the setting for short rows may make varying shapes, their scale, row counts, and color changes possible in a way that traveling to and from the same side of the machine in 2 row sequences does not.
When using the slip stitch setting if every needle on the top bed is not in use, the end needle selection must be canceled.
The knit carriage must clear all needles in work with each carriage pass even though small stitch counts may be worked on at any one time.
Just as when working short rows, depending on the fiber content of the yarn, there may be some visible wear on the purl side from the many carriage passes required to complete full design rows.
Test on small swatches for accuracy and aesthetic personal appeal before committing to larger pieces.
A 36X166 pixel repeat: The edge half repeats are eliminated in an attempt to yield straight vertical side edges, with the repeat reduced in height to 36X124. The resulting scales, knit in a 2/8 wool, were resistant to getting completely poked through to the purl side. Comparing the difference in the results when knitting the same number of stitches and rows in the pattern; the blue yarn is of a slightly different thickness than the pink. Seeking striping at the center of the triangular shapes, I found what appears to be a one-off error in the spreadsheet numbering of cell rows vs actual design rows, which initially resulted in issues with a correct conversion to PNG. Transitions are made after odd numbers of rows to allow starts from the right for each pattern segment ie. Yellow/ 8+1 rows at the top of the repeat for plain knit segments, orange for the 3-row contrasting color stripe at the peak of the shapes. There will be cut yarn ends at each transition.
The design, charted in black and white, the 36X82 png One may choose on which side to display the resulting shapes, here to the knit side, and to the purl, shown also after some pressing. A punchcard snap is inserted in one of the pockets in the last image on the lower right to hint at pocket size. Steamed, flattened shapes may also be coaxed in different directions, stitched in place or even together with a contrasting stripe behind them, or added beads at the join A first draft at adding a FI or slip stitch stripe at the center of the repeat still relies on some segments occurring for an odd number of rows, was rearranged in the later designs, measures 36X88 pixels.

Analyzing the swatch:
the edges where the triangular shapes meet the striped bands jut out more when pointing down than when pointing up
the eyelet typical when knitting short rows for 2 rows is OK as part of the overall design
the 8 rows of plain knitting between the shapes are too many Altering the design 1:
the plan is to retain starting each segment of scales from the right,
the fair isle band is now planned for an even number of rows, making it possible to operate more easily from the same side, but loosening the tension,
the 36X80 repeat: the side edges in the swatch differ from each other, Altering the design 2: whether executed with cam button changes with the knit carriage always operating from the right, or operating a second carriage selecting needles from the left, the fair isle band in this experiment needs to occur for an odd number of rows, the repeat is 36X68. The cells highlighted in yellow on the right of the chart follow the carriage movement from the right when switched from slip to FI, and the gray cells the movements for a second carriage selecting needles from the left.
The recurring shapes are planned to produce straight side edges.
The 36X68 repeat Very often 3D knit structures can change dramatically with steaming and pressing. They can literally be “killed” permanently if fibers such as acrylics are used, while wool has some spring back, but surface retention depends on the specific pattern. The temptation to press is in proportion to what degree the knit rolls, sometimes dramatically, to the purl side. In this instance, the depth of the shapes was lost, and the swatch grew significantly in length.

Swatches based on adapting random online published repeats

I still surf Pinterest daily and often encounter published punchcard repeats that catch my eye.
Many need some interpretation and editing for use in specific machine models.
The first inspiration: is knit using 4 colors, alternating 2 rows of a base color, then rotating color changes for 4 rows for each of 3 contrasting ones.
Counting up from the bottom of the illustration after the marks for the typical two all-punched rows, it would appear this is a Studio punchcard, but starting row 1 as visible outside the card reader can simply be changed for any other brand knitting machine.
The every other stitch configuration is for an every other needle repeat used in early machines such as the Juki.
A full reference volume An illustration of the card use If using thicker yarns on a standard machine that grinds at the loosest tension, this configuration can retain the full design while knitting every other needle/EON.
The adaptation began using Mac Numbers, the repeat was isolated and traced, and the 12 blank columns were then hidden producing a result scaled in indexed B/W mode to 12X36 pixels. The tiled design, checking alignments. The proof of concept Periodically tuck stitch designs that appear to break the usual rules for the stitch are discussed.
This design is intended for a push-button machine capable of 24 stitch repeats, uses symbols in the associated chart interpreted to mean tuck loops form for 2 rows and knit along with all other stitches every third row. The working repeat is made up of 8 pixels in width, and 36 pixels in height. This next design is likely published for use with the Studio color changer, which is marked with letters for each color, rather than with numbers as in Brother models.
It is intended as a slip-stitch. The bottom swatch relies on color changes every 3 rows, which would need to be performed manually.
In the elongated version, colors are changed using the color changer, every 6 rows. The design was first tested in thin yarns using the electronic 24X84 elongated PNG tested for alignment and displays interesting 3D variations, the purl side is remindful of shadow pleating Changing colors every odd number of rows is a tad fiddly.
The use of the color changer is not an option.
With the three yarns fed through the yarn masts, it became hard to keep them from twisting around each other. Ultimately, that problem was solved by hand-feeding one of the three colors with the cone on the floor, in front of the machine, as one would place yarns for weaving.
Brother knitters are familiar with yarn placements in the sinker plate.
Position A is for knitting when using only one color or for the ground color in fair isle patterning. There is a “gate”, which is closed, and the B color/contrast motif color is placed in that front position, knitting the yarn in needles preselected to needle position D on the next carriage pass.
It is tempting to leave the gate open when switching colors by hand frequently, and that may work for a while, providing tension is placed on the yarn manually to keep the yarn back. If at any point the yarn shifts forward (green arrow), with no needles in position D, stitches will be dropped.
Textured stitches can make for more complicated correction of errors or dropped stitches.
Taking the extra seconds to close the gate (red markings) after each color change avoids what became fondly known as “dropitis” in my classes. The proof of concept: two of the yarns used were acrylic, so steaming to reduce the curling of the swatch flattened the texture. At one point Studio published a newsletter with cover art composed of simple drawings, such as this, for #143, which spiked my curiosity, and led to these explorations:
the pattern and symbols refer to tuck stitch, but technically the design is executed using short rows and transfer techniques.
The programmed repeat selects needles, making tracking actions easier.
End needle selection is canceled.
No cam buttons are in use.
The knit carriage is set to hold.
Stitches on the single needles selected on rows, 2, 12, 22, etc, are transferred onto the needle on their left. The empty needle is then pushed back to A position, out of work, creating a ladder.
The groups of 3 preselected needles are pushed out to hold, the D position, before continuing.
After every 2 rows knit, a stitch on the left is pushed back into work, until lastly, the empty needle is returned to the B position.
All needles will then knit for one row filling in the empty needle with a loop and a full knit stitch on the next pass where transfers begin again. A brief summary of stitch manipulations Images of the work in progress, a small claw weight single claw hung on edge stitch helps keep side edges equal in length:
preselected needles initially manually brought to hold position after the first carriage pass to the right
after the second carriage pass to the left, with the first needle on the left in each group pushed back into work the second needle on the left in each group is returned to work
one needle in each group remaining in hold pushed back into work at this point the empty needles have been brought to the B position, single preselected needles have been transferred to the left, and a pass is made forming loops on the empty needles/ eyelets The original 18X30 repeat, some machine models and download software may require that it be mirrored horizontally, repeated to 44X30 with a planned distribution of plain stitches at sides, knit in 2/18 wool blends: Converting random transfer lace designs poses different challenges, and since the time at which the reference post was published, there have been several Gimp updates.
Lace designs contain few black and white pixels and, at times are brand-specific. Multiple transfer lace in Studio models begins with 2 blank rows, while Brother begins with a design row, and ends with 2 blank rows. As given, the inspiration repeat is designed for Studio/Silver Reed.
When using any program, ie Gimp, ArahPaint, or even Dak, the original scanned or screengrabbed design needs to be aligned horizontally and vertically to window borders for accurate conversions.
Gimp:
Before any scaling of images, establish stitch and row counts. In this case, they are published as being 16 stitches X 96 rows.
The process for converting the same lace design using Gimp 2.10.34 on the Mac, beginning work in RGB mode:
1. drawing a straight line to the side of the cropped image reveals a slight lean to the right
2. using Image, Transform, and Arbitrary Rotation -0.30 improves the alignment 3. using the rectangle tool, crop to the borders of the published image.
In this instance, the cropped image measuring 199X938 pixels is at first scaled to multiples of 10 for both width and height, note the broken chain link
4. 160X960 pixels. 5. Image mode is changed to B/W indexed, and the image is scaled once more to 16X96, the size of the expected repeat, note the intact chain link 6. the final repeat, when studied, matches that from the results in the previous post 1: the result using ArahPaints tools, including its guess weave from grid, compared to
2: the Gimp final image and
3. borrowed from the previous post illustrating other considerations before actual knitting,
which include:
if using the repeat on Brother machines, the first 2 blank rows of the design are shifted to the top.
The 16-stitch design width makes it suitable only for electronic models.
The final PNG is actually downloaded as a fair isle pattern while maintaining the required needle selection for lace, and the knit carriage remains set to knit throughout while the lace carriage selects and transfers.
The machine, depending on the model, may by default mirror the result vertically, so the final PNG can be mirrored and saved as here, prior to knitting on the 930, or the mirror function in the machine may be used after programming.
I prefer to save my files in the orientation required for the actual knitting as a means to avoid confusion or errors.
Working in Arahpaint, rotating an image turns it on its center point. To rotate a layer, selection, or image, from the Image menu, choose Rotate. Selections can be made at offered angles, or specified degrees can be entered in the degree field, or select an area, move the pointer outside the bounding border, and then drag on any one of the small boxes at each corner while pressing the left mouse button. To align the image,
1. load the lace inspiration
2. choose Image, select Rotate Image, and draw a line that follows the orientation of the image. The color will be based automatically on the palette being used, and altering the pencil pixel size or color has no effect.
The program then rotates the image and will inform you of the rotation angle, and the drawn line becomes straight.
To confirm alignment, click the OK or Close button in the Rotate Image window.
3. use the rectangle tool to select the content for the full design repeat, and crop the aligned image to the selection. 4.-9. continue with the steps using the tool Guess Weave from Grid, producing the same final PNG. In summary, they are:
4. crop the selected image to size
5. change the color palette to 8-bit, adjust background and foreground colors
6. reduce the number of colors to B/W, adjust the threshold, and set the number of colors to 2
7. the resulting image
8. use the guess weave from the grid tool, crop the bounded image to the selection, magnify the results to visually check the repeat, and save the PNG if satisfied
9. the final 16X96 pattern design repeat, matching the Gimp result. The associated swatch This Pinterest find is credited to Tatiana Demina, and is intended for use on Studio punchcard machine models. Studio machines are capable of transferring and knitting in single carriage passes. Studying the image of the card, it can be seen that there are no blank rows anywhere, and punched holes on alternate rows indicate transfers alternating first to the left, and then to the right.
The swatch was knit using the same technique described recently in the post Unconventional uses for punchcards 2: thread lace cards for “filet” mesh
The original 24X56 design was lengthened X2 to, shown here also doubled in width to 48X112 to match the direction of the transfers, the hint offered in the inspiration source can be followed down to indicate the first row of transfers need to be made to the right, hence the knitting begins with the knit carriage on the left, the lace carriage on the right. As the LC moves to the left it preselects needles, and as it returns to the right it transfers them to the right.
The LC is removed from the knit bed.
The KC knits a single pass to the right and remains there.
The LC is returned to the knit bed on the left, preselects needles on its pass to the right, and transfers them to the left as it returns to that side, and is removed from the bed.
The KC knits one row to the left and stays there.
The LC is returned to the bed on the right and the process is repeated.
Preselection of needles is made by the LC toward the knit carriage, transfers are made away from it.
Whether the repeat needs to be mirrored again may depend on the machine model or the software used to download the file to it.
The direction of the first row of transfers provides the necessary clue, they need to be to the right. If to the left, mirror the pattern horizontally and begin again.
The swatch was knit in a wool-rayon blend, the results point to the difference in appearance and gauge with a change in color and type of yarn used when compared to the inspiration image The context for this can be found in To mesh or not to mesh 8: more Numbers meet Gimp
the 60X74 png and the proof of concept

Traveling between brands, Duo and E6, settings and techniques

The old pattern books for specific machine brands picture fabrics in many exciting textures.
This post includes information gleaned/ collated from several decades-old references and is shared as a possible starting point in exploring translations between brands.
I welcome being contacted if any knitters more experienced than I notice any errors.
The Duomatic locks compared with those of the E6 Arrow keys
Left <– reverses pusher position as the lock moves from right to left
Right –> reverses pusher positions as the lock moves from left to right
Both <–> reverse pusher positions every row
More on the lock settings, and planning follow-up swatches for some of the suggestions in the future, Traveling between Duomatic and E 6000 patterns is helped by tables showing the relationship between the Duomatic and E6 lock settings.
Duet Magazines #13 and #14 began a series attempting to match technique numbers in the Passap E 6000 to Duomatic techniques, which seemed to stop at that point. E6000 vs duo_ duet
The topic was popular at knitting machine seminars, and several other authors published their collections, offered at seminars such as Passap University and Passap Clubs. Many of the references in my collection are several decades old.
Color changes in text indicate changes in instructions, suitable for 3 and 4 colors, and with transfers from one bed to the other
From the Duomatic purchase, collectionThis is a copy of a Passap University handout, contributed by Eileen Metcalf

Recipes for rib jacquard fabrics: E6000, Brother

Anyone reading my blog is likely familiar with my selection of topics based on the latest rabbit hole to attract my attention and elicit a leap on my part, a derailment of sorts.
Supplements to the manual were published when the model first became available. Duet often offered very valuable tables, ie an electronic pattern matching chars in #6, pp 21 and 22
I still own an E6000, but it has been used infrequently in the past few years.
When my iMac was replaced with a new one with an M1 chip I purchased a PC to use for knitting downloads that were not possible on the Mac.
At present, I am working on establishing downloading to the Passap from the PC using Wincrea, the Croucher cable, and a USB to a serial connector, and am considering exploring some knits in the spirit of how and why the stitch formations happen, still comparing the results to those using Brother knitting machines.
At one point, I taught advanced knitting workshops to textile students and immersed myself in gathering pertinent information before doing so.
Every one of my Passap manual pages is pretty much marked in a manner such as this. At the time, the added notes made perfect sense.
A couple of decades later, my scribbles require deciphering, and I find myself wishing for what might have been an expanded notebook with notes that would make better sense now.
A place to start: the 2-color double bed techniques, mad hatter scrawls version:

A far more organized source of information: http://www.needlesofsteel.org.uk/downloads/Passap%20DBJ%20Techniques.pdf?
A sample segment from its first page A brief summary of 2-color DBJ techniques that can be executed with no changes to the back lock stitch dial settings on either model.
Downloading full manuals for E6 or Duo will provide full-scale images of techniques and settings.
180: standard birdseye
181: FI with background color only on the reverse side
182: striper backing, Duo AC but pushers one up, one down on the back bed
183: Duo AX <– or N, but the front lock on BX <-
184: birdseye FI with long stitch
185: FI with long stitch/ half Milano, for drop stitch cast on BB
186: fantasy FI stiped tuck stitch
187: FI with alternating tuck stitch on every row on the purl side
187: AE set up for release stitch, drop stitches on the front bed
188: half fisherman rib on the purl side
191: two rows of alternating tuck on the purl side
set back lock to AX with left arrow key, can try DX<–
It is easy to accumulate pattern books from brands other than the machine brands in our stash.
Arahpaint’s guess weave from grid makes converting published repeats to pngs quick and very often with little or no cleanup. From the Deco pattern book, trimmed to 400X400 cleaner results were obtained using the color inverted image, in turn cropped to selection, color inverted again, drawn in repeat to identify any missing pixels (red) palette to B/W the design drawn in repeat again to check alignmentsSome Passap designs as ready to knit pngs may be found in this download from Knitstudium

References to Passap machines in my blog post so far:
Passap Duomatic and Deco pattern musings
Two color dbj, non-repetitive images, electronic km for when using designs copied directly from patterns published for use on Japanese knitting machine models
Ribber pitch, a bit on racking 1: chevrons/ horizontal herringbone
Racking 2: vertical chevrons/ herringbone +Brother/Passap: traveling between brands
Another racking tale: Passap/Brother 5
A racking tale: Passap/Brother 3
Racked patterns 5: Passap/Brother 2
Fisherman-English rib 1: checks patterns_ Brother, Passap
Tubular machine knit fabrics: fair isle, Brother/Passap
Pile knitting on Passap and Brother KMs 3
Pile knitting on Passap and Brother KMs 2
Pile knitting on Passap, Brother, and Studio KMs 1
Drop stitch lace, 2 colors per row, Passap KM
Back to leaf lace, add rib, and take it to the Passap
Japanese punchcard motifs used in Passap E 6000 machines
Translating Passap model book pattern/use on Brother 1
Knit bubbles and “stitch ditchers/dumpers”

Passap Duomatic and Deco pattern musings

My exposure to Duomatic knitting was limited to a few months in 1997 when I had the opportunity to travel to Cochabamba, Bolivia, to attempt to teach the native knitters in a cooperative to use patterning on their Duomatics and learned as many basics as I could.
Since then, any such personal learning has been unused and nearly completely forgotten.
I still own an E 6000.
Out of habit, in terms of Brother knitting, I still travel between patterning for punchcard machines and electronic ones and I have had a continued interest in interpreting pattern directions from manuals and pubs intended for other brands.
If the ultimate goal is DIY on any model, it is useful to first understand how published designs or built-in console patterns form the designs into knit images and textures.
Youtube offers many videos for those who prefer learning in that format, some are excellent and easily found.
I tend to knit like I cook, with lots of recipes in front of me, deciding what I want to use from any of them, and then “going for it” in terms of interpretation and execution. The process is made possible by the fact that many manuals and pattern books are now available for free online ie. for the Duomatic.
Some people offer items normally free on such a website for a fee on for-sale sites or their web pages. Before purchasing them, a quick search will reveal the free file resources.
The information here is very abridged, intended to introduce some of the specific machine concepts to knitters who may be new to the brand.
Some references for building a Passap pattern and instruction library for home study:
Passap stitch Pattern book #2 for Passap Duomatic and Passap 12 Its advice on maintaining neat edges:
The Duomatic 80 manual
Passap Duomatic 80 and Duomatic S Stitch Patterns Some basics in adding automated patterning:
the Deco is an accessory composed of four separate parts that combine to help with automatic pattern selection on Passap model machines capable of accepting it.
The deco selector selects the pushers for the pattern and trips the card to rotate every 2 rows (Deco 2) or every 4 rows (Deco 4).
The card reader holds and advances the card-sensing feelers of the reader that indicate which pushers are to be selected and has windows that reveal the card row number.
The sensing feelers respond to perforations on the card.
The rack/ rail holds the reader and has markings to indicate the center of the needle bed. Patterning is in 40-stitch increments.
The cards transfer the designs to the selector, can be overlapped for continuous designs, and are assigned letters in alphabetical order to indicate what stitch type can be executed using them.
From the manual, not intended as full instructions, only as a beginning in comparing design differences and language used in the different models: Guide to settings for designs provided with the cards supplied with the accessory A minimum of 36 rows are recommended for a continuous design.
The trip cam for the row counter is placed at the left edge of the knitting.
To begin patterning, a pusher is brought out of the rail and placed under each needle in use, the deco selector is set to 0, and make sure the red dot is showing.
Move the selector from left to right to preselect the pushers for the first design row, set the locks for the planned stitch type, press any arrow keys needed, and begin knitting according to published suggestions.
Clear end needles with each pass.
As each row is knit pushers for the next row of knitting are preselected, akin to Brother needle preselection.
Three rows of squares are punched at the top and bottom of each card for the overlap in a continuous design or for joining cards.
The width of the design repeats must number factors of 40 ie 2, 4, 8, 10, 20, and 40 vs those for Japanese models of 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, 24.
Where the card reader is placed on the slotted rack controls where the pattern occurs on the knit fabric.
Isolating motifs can be achieved by placing isolation pins from right to left in the slotted rack, five are supplied but even more may be used.
Double letters indicate double bed fabrics with lock settings that may not match on the front and back for stitch type or arrow-key selections.
From:

A 106-page resource, written by Bernadette A. Ernakovich, and available for download purchase is an excellent guide to exploring the qualities achieved by changing lock settings on the hand, feel, look, and shape on the original design, found in the simple triangle card #77 in the basic set The card in place, as illustrated on page 9
The repeat charted 40X40
Blank punchcards appear to be numbered in increments of 2 on one side and 4 on the other with numbers in an order reflecting the fact that the card is used upside down I use Mac Numbers for generating my spreadsheets, this is its export of the document to Excel format that may be useful for editing and drafting DIY designs: deco card

Tuck stitch meets knit-weaving

This video was recently shared on Facebook. The sample in the video was knit on a Studio/Silver Reed brand knitting machine and prompted the question about the possibility of knitting the same pattern on a Brother machine.
Some techniques require infinite patience.
A summary of observations made looking at the video:
1: the machine tucks for two rows
2: the card is set to elongation for weaving rows, where the pattern selection continues, but the carriage is set to knit the background for woven rows
3: the carriage is set to tuck once more to complete what are 8 or more rows of pattern
4: start the process again by knitting four rows of tuck followed by 2 rows of knit weaving until the top of the piece is reached, ending with two rows of tuck before binding off.
Studio machines select as they knit each row, while Brother machines preselect each row as knitting continues after the initial preselection row.
There cam buttons switch from tuck to knit, and the card rotation settings are changed frequently from single to double length on the repeat segment as given.
To mimic the video, this is a chart for the adjusted repeat planning to knit a swatch on an electronic model using 2 knit carriages selecting needles with the pattern advancing one design row for each pass of the carriage.
The cam button variations: the yellow cells mark tuck stitch rows. The red cells mark the knit-woven rows, where the carriage is set to knit with continued pattern selection, and a weaving yarn is brought into play for 2 rows.
The knit carriage is then set to tuck once more, and the process repeats. Punchcard users working with a single knit carriage can punch all black cells in the width given in the chart, and twice its height for 48 rows, eliminating the need for elongation shown in the video.
Using 2 knit carriages can eliminate cam button changes from tuck to knit and back.
When using any pair of carriages to select needles, each carriage must be disengaged from the belt while the other carriage is being used to avoid breaking it, so extension rails are required.
I began with the sample knit on 30 stitches on my 930.
The carriage set to tuck operates from the left, the knit-weaving one from the right, with the first preselection row made from right to left.
The 30-stitch test includes a one-stitch knit border vertically on either side. The main background yarn used for tuck rows color is a 3/9 wool, and the knit weaving carriage is threaded with a slightly thinner, darker yarn of unknown thickness. The weaving yarn is a worsted-weight wool. Changing the ground yarn to the same yellow 2/20 in both carriages, the pattern was first knit in tuck stitch alone, possible for 6 rows because of the yarn thickness, and then using the 2 carriages knit weaving at the same intervals resumed. A pair of some of the previous posts on using 2 knit carriages to select needles on Brother machines
Knitting in pattern with 2 carriages vs color changer, Brother punchcard KMs 2
Knitting in pattern with 2 carriages, Brother punchcard KMs 1
The Punchcard used in the video Brother punchcard machines repeat the preselection of needles on the first pass with the carriage from the opposite side to advantage in reproducing the swatch. The two 892E carriages If a second punchcard carriage is not available but an electronic one is, the model year may affect the fit, but an electronic carriage can be used on a punchcard machine to advance the card and select needles.
The first row on the Studio card is locked on row 3 to preselect the first tuck row on the Brother from right to left
Rows 1-2: COL, set the carriage to tuck in both directions, make 2 carriage passes, ending COL with the carriage positioned on the extension rail, clearing the belt
Rows 3-4: COR, begin with the second carriage set to KC and outside the set line, and do not push in any cam buttons. Prepare your weaving yarn. Knit to the left, the card does not advance.
COL: weave the second row, move the carriage back ending COR on the extension rail, clearing the belt
Rows 5-8: COL, the card does not advance on the first pass to the right, knit 4 rows of tuck stitches, ending COL on the extension rail, clearing the belt
Rows 9-10: COR, repeat 2 rows of knit weaving
reminder: any hesitation with movement back and forth of either carriage once it is on the knit bed and selecting, will advance the card one design row
Repeat Rows # 5-10 twice to complete each full repeat segment
Choose an ending pattern segment and bind-off.
The proof of concept uses two slightly different yarn background shades again Other tuck-stitch combination fabrics
Tuck stitch combination fabrics
Combining tuck stitches with lace 2 (automating them)
Combining tuck stitches with lace 1
Tuck and garter stitch: from hand knit to machine knit
“Crochet” meets machine knitting techniques: working with short rows
More on using multiple carriages
Revisiting knitting with 2 carriages single bed, 910 vs Ayab so far
Geometric shapes on ribber fabrics with tuck stitches 2; knitting with 4 carriages
Ribber fabrics produced with 2 knit carriages selecting needles

Blistered dbj 3

Names referring to the same knit fabric can vary between machine manuals for specific models and brands or references in books, magazines, and articles depending on the dates they were published.
My earlier share on the topic:
Blistered stitches dbj 1
Blistered DBJ 2 and technique variations on a single repeat, introduced some of the concepts involved.
Beginning with any random published repeat can offer the start of exploring a range of fabrics. This was a Pinterest punchcard share, markings indicate it was intended for Brother machines Methods for obtaining color separations for specific knits have been discussed in other posts.
Brother models can use the cam buttons to perform a function in one direction only, ie by using only one tuck or slip button, the machine will knit when the carriage reverses movement to the opposite side.
Developing specific color separations makes the files usable on other machine brands and models, makes it easier to return to specific rows in error corrections, and is my personal preference in test swatching and complete pieces.
Drawing the initial design in repeat provides a visualization of the resulting secondary shapes and the number of needles required for tiled variations in finished pieces based on gauge.
The first design is intended for use in every needle rib, with the knit carriage knitting in one direction, and using slip or even tuck in the opposite direction.
The 24X32 design extracted from the inspiration punchcard A: the rendering scaling the design twice in length
B: making the choice to color invert it in planning slipped stitches on the larger number of white pixels
C: superimposing black lines on every other row beginning with row 2 A quick review of the steps involved in working with Gimp:
begin with magnification for easy viewing, ie. 800X, view grid if preferred
the starting brush can be as small as this 2-pixel select it and save it to the clipboard by choosing copy visible, making it available to bucket fill images, or export the same design as a .pat file and save it in the appropriate settings folder for future use. A: the original design repeat rendered in black and white
B: layer, transparency, color white to alpha
C: file, new, white ground, matching size, filled with a pattern of pairs of horizontal all-white pixel rows beginning with white on row one, followed by all-black pixel rows on row 2
D: copy B and paste it on C, and export the file as png The chosen repeat may not be color reversed after programming it using the machine’s built-in electronic functions.
White pixels slip, stitches on the main bed in non-selected areas would not knit off for extended periods ie where red marks occur, and noticeable problems would develop quickly Beginning proofs of concept for this version, 24X64 knit on 60 stitches using it drawn in repeat X3, 72X64, and programmed as a single motif The result is a very subtle contrast lacey knit The yarn thickness and color were changed. The pattern begins using the slip setting and transitions to tuck, also in only one direction. Because the ribber is knitting every stitch between stitches on the top bed holding side-by-side loops down, tucking on multiple side-by-side needles can be performed, producing a wider, stretchy knit that also lies flat. True blisters/pintucks generally knit rows on the top bed alone forming pockets that are eventually sealed by all knit rows.
Slip stitch settings are used.
The design is at first lengthened X5, then every 5th row is filled with black pixels or punched holes.
A begins in smaller groups of gathers, testing for any errors or problems, while B allows for deeper folds. A: the mark shows the stitches on the top bed begin to slip far too many rows
due to using the color reverse option in the 930 before continuing to knit. With a switch to the blue yarn, all-knit spaces between the pockets now begin to appear gathered. Slip stitch results in narrower knits, noticeable in the ruffled effects on every needle rib above the cast ons B: the extra row of slipped stitches result in a far more textured knit Developing other layouts for the same design, brick 24X128 half drop 48X64 Eliminating unwanted extra stitches from the original, modified to 24X28 pixels drawn in repeat to 144X168 brick version 24X56 half drop 48X28 adding those all knit rows Viewing repeat alignments The 24X112 brick repeat suitable for punchcards, not tested, and the half drop, 48X56 tested using a 10/2 cotton and lightly steamed and pressed. Knit on 80 stitches, it measures 17 inches in width and 11 in height.
an attempt at a more detailed look

Passap to Brother 6, exploring a possible tuck stitch design

This post has been prompted by a recent Ravelry query with respect to having had disappointing results when attempting to knit # 1301 from the Passap Pattern Book as a double-bed fantasy fair isle using a Brother model machine. Machine knitters using Japanese model machines are familiar with some tuck rules ie. white pixels/ unpunched squares that form tuck loops, should have a black pixel/ punched hole on each side of them and not occur vertically for more than 4 rows in order for stitches to knit off and form properly.
Tuck punchcards illustrated in Brother Volume #5 on pp 218 and 219 include a few exceptions to those rules such as #786 Looking at the reference design in the Passap Pattern book, it is used as a background motif only, not as a tuck one, and rotated using console commands. When uncertain as to whether a design repeat is appropriate for a specific stitch type, begin with a limited-size swatch, a thin and familiar yarn, knit slowly, and listen to the sounds the machine produces, which can be early warnings of potential problems.
The Passap motif issues in terms of tuck knitting analyzed on the first look: there are pairs of blank cells side by side, repeating vertically, and combined throughout The first test is knit in acetate of unknown thickness, the guess is around 2/18. The 40-stitch swatch measures 6 inches in width, with transitions from and back to stocking stitch horizontal borders, and with the body knit on the single bed with the carriage cams set for tucking in both directions. The unaltered repeat may be used double bed, resulting in 8 inches in width, with lots of stretch, and the potential to increase the measurement even more with blocking.
A: transitioning from stocking stitch to every needle rib without added steps will form eyelets
the knit carriage is then set to tuck in both directions, and the ribber carriage is set to knit in both
B: a return to every needle rib before scrapping off The chart on the left illustrates possible cam variations for knit and ribber beds using tuck settings in Brother machines.
Color separation is required to knit the design using two colors.
In the Passap electronic models, a technique number is entered and the appropriate color separation is performed by the console.
Many results as in this case, rely on each color in each design row being knit twice.
In Brother knitting, other methods need to be used in order to obtain the necessary separation.
The fabric though technically knit as dbj, will begin with the first preselection row from right to left toward the color changer as opposed to from left to right when the built-in electronic KRC separation is used.
Punchcard users can produce the same fabrics if 24 stitch width constraints are met.
The png for the repeat on the right is shared below, and tested using the cam settings 4: The results using other cam settings can be mixed, and generally far more successful using designs with larger shapes forming design and ground.
Using tubular tuck, 2 the knit results become muddied, as seen at the top of this test

Some previous blog posts exploring motifs worked on the double bed using tuck cam settings on either or both beds:
More shapes on ribber fabrics with tuck patterning, fantasy fair isle
Lace transfers meet fisherman rib, 2 colors, brioche on Brother KM
Lace transfers meet fisherman rib in 2 colors, brioche on Brother KM 1
Geometric shapes on ribber fabrics with tuck stitches 3
Geometric shapes on ribber fabrics with tuck stitches 2; knitting with 4 carriages
Geometric shapes on ribber fabrics with tuck stitches 1
Ribber fabrics with main bed tuck patterning 1/ pick rib
Fisherman and English tuck stitch rib 1_ checks patterns_ Brother, Passap
A different way to bend rules is to use multiple heights of row repeats within a single design, such as in this densely 24X20 tuck stitch design Drawn-in-repeat to 120X120 pixels The design would need to be color reversed for use in electronic tuck knitting Punchcard users must punch all the black cells Using thin yarn is best with lots of evenly distributed weight, watch for loops getting hung up on gate pegs Eliminating one row of blank squares where there are 5 in a row, reduces the repeat to 24X16 The result produces a similar texture. In this test swatch the number of stitches used was planned to attain similar side edges, and end needle selection was canceled

A return to plaiting and double bed hand transfers

These two sweaters, by Denimist on the left, and Chloé on the right, led me to reconsider plaiting, and as usual, whether any repeat may be programmed to make tracking of any hand techniques easier.
A review of plaiting on Brother machines.
The black cells represent needles in work and knitting on the top bed. Cast on for every needle rib, change the configuration so that stitches on needles represented by white cells are transferred down to the ribber.
Needles left empty after transfers are pushed back to position A, out of work/ OOW.
The first repeat was planned for 30 stitches, but some of my tests were knit on slightly different stitch counts. The main bed is set to KCII. Any time empty needles are part of the design repeat, the end needle selection is canceled. The stitch count remains constant throughout.
The main bed does not need to be set to slip stitch, it can be left set for plain knitting.
The needle selection is used only as a guide to the transfers, which are made using a 2-prong tool in the direction of the arrows on the knit bed every 8 rows.
The swatch on the left was knit using 2/8 wool and no-stretch serger thread for the plaiting yarn, on the right the thicker yarn is 2/15, with fiber content for the thin yarn no longer readable. An equal-thickness dark is added on the left, with visible color distribution issues. On the right, the light is a 2/28 Italian import, the red a 20/2 rayon, and I began to test the introduction of possible cable crossings along with considering the width of all knit vertical side borders. Varying the overall spacing and the number of rows knit before cable crossings, 4 on the left, 6 on the right. The yarn in the latter swatch is a thin, coarse, inexpensive wool. The cabled stitches were hard to knit on the next pass, the low color contrast in the finished surface makes the texture effect subtle. The instructions here in principle are as given above. The single stitch in the 1X2 cable crossings is always brought forward on the purl side prior to any transfers of the corresponding stitch pair.
A single repeat segment imagining actions to be taken, and a full chart for the proof of concept, 34 stitches in width Stitches are moved after every 8 rows knit in the direction of the arrows using a 2-prong transfer tool, filling in a single empty needle to the right or left as indicated by arrows.
The empty needles are pushed back to the out-of-work position after the transfers.
The initial needle selection may be used for more than 8 rows at the bottom of the piece and the top if preferred.
A 36-stitch programmable repeat shifts the 8-row repeats shown in the colored chart The blank cells on row 13 will serve as the area on which the 2X2 cable crossings are made.
The initial setup
after the first set of transfers groups of needles with no needle preselection serve as markers for the 2X2 cable crossings Bring needles with crossed stitches forward for easier knitting on the next carriage pass and continue knitting until needle preselection changes once more.
A: fixed needle selection
B: stitches moved with 2X2 cable crossings
C: fixed needle selection once more. Switch yarn feeder to plaiting accessory, add plaiting yarn, with 2 yarns of equal thickness in use tension is adjusted
D: stitches moved with 1X2 cable crossings
E: stitches moved with 2X2 cable crossings
Return to A selection. End the swatch matching the number of rows on the fixed needle selection at its start.