Machine knitting (MK) – Page 20

Reversible DBJ, Brother knitting machines

I am including notes on my working through the process and some of my stumbles at the start of this post. More specific how-tos are found toward the bottom of it.

Such fabrics may be created with both the KRC built-in function or with the color separations that knit each color for each design row for 2 consecutive, identical rows. Punchcard knitters are not excluded. The starting side is on the left for the KRC setting (B in this illustration), on the right side for the alternate color separation (C, double length, or drawn with each row repeating X 2). I am still testing my 930, for my samples I began by using the built-in pattern #16 in the Stitchworld Pattern Book I. In the absence of a jac40, the fabrics are knit by manually selecting stitches to the upper working position (E on Brother) on the ribber bed every row. Preselection for the next row to be knit on the main bed makes the process far easier.

In my first sample, the colors are the same on each face. Since the same number of needles are selected for both design and ground, both sides of the fabric will be exactly alike. There will be floats, enclosed by knit stitches of the opposite color. Beds are set at half-pitch. Consistency makes any process easier and more predictable. My ribber set up was also with an extra needle on the ribber at either end of those in work on the main bed. I found I had less issue with the long floats in my design when I made certain the needle selection began with needles to the left of those in work on the opposite bed rather than to the right, allowing for the color in use to knit first on the ribber, then in turn on the main bed. It may not matter with patterns with shorter spans worked between the 2 colors. The dropped stitch issues below were resolved by using different yarns, no other changes.
The needle set up in colored squares and on my needle beds showing matching selections on both beds (different design rows). Some of the floats may be seen created by the blue yarn in the bottom photo. If the first and last needle on each side were not selected on the main bed, the needles at each end on the ribber were added to hand selections for the next row (blue squares)

better results with the different yarn choice

For DBJ that reverses ground and pattern colors, opposite needles are selected on each bed. Color 1 knits the design on one bed and the background on the other at the same time, while color 2 knits the reverse. There are no floats. I knit this fabric as well at half-pitch. The ground color created pockets (white squares), with the pattern color (black squares) locking the layers of fabric together. Here again, first and last needles on the ribber were worked on each row. I began pushing needles up on the ribber beginning to the right of each needle in work on the main bed. Needle selection on ribber matches unselected needles on the main bed (pink). All needle positions in each bed are mirrored.

needles actually selected on both beds (pink), different design rowOne design row, 2 different angles

Since ribber fabrics are not visible for a large number of rows, I frequently scrap off after short distances to proof technique before committing to longer pieces as well as to assess whether the effort is worth it in order to produce the fabric in that particular technique or yarn.

Moving on to a self-drawn pattern, the technique proved to be sound. On inspection, however, I saw I was actually missing a pixel in the .bmp I downloaded, and on the reverse, the green arrow is most likely operator error in needle selection. The orange dots highlight the missing pixel/contrast color stitch, and on the color changer side, I had a really sloppy edge that needs sorting out (red dots). A possible added factor: I knit the motif using KCI, and later recalled end needle selection does not always work with the carriage I am using. Here I filled in the missing pixel, and drew a single-pixel black line along each side, testing a “border”. The first and last needles on each side were now cast on and in work on the main bed.

That single stitch solid color line does not add to the design in my opinion, so back to the drawing board: side “border” pixels are eliminated. The first and last stitch are now in work on the ribber. This fabric is the best by far, at the very start I forgot to cancel end needle selection (KCI), then switched to canceling it, KCII on electronic. The how-to in summary: first and last needle are on the ribber. On the electronic choose KRC for the built-in color separation for the fabric to be worked in DBJ. KCII (no end needle selection). With a free pass to the right, both carriages set to slip <– –>, select for the first row of knitting to be worked in color represented by white squares in the design chart. Both carriages remain set to slip in both directions throughout. On the ribber bed, bring up to E/hold position first needle on the right of any needle selected on the top bed, then continue to push needles up into work to match the number of not selected needles on the knit bed. As needles are arranged, there will be a space between the last hand selected needle on the ribber, and the next needle in work on the main bed Now that there is that extra needle in work on the ribber on the color changer side, to match selection as seen above, needles are hand-selected to E beginning on the far left, still keeping that space just before the next needle selected by the pattern reader. Remaining selections began to right of needles on the main bed as described above.when selection begins on the main bed on the left Getting back to working the same pattern on both sides of the knit: the first needle on the left is on the ribber, the one on the far right on the main bed. On the electronic select KRC for the fabric to be worked in DBJ. KCII. With a free pass to the right, both carriages set to slip <– –>, select for the first row of knitting to be worked in color represented by white squares in the design chart. Both carriages remain set to slip in both directions throughout. On the ribber bed, bring up to E/hold position first needle on the left of any needle selected on the top bed, then continue to push needles up into work to match the number of selected needles on the knit bed. Small selection errors are seen on the left image, ie on the second row on its right, may be easily repaired by duplicate stitching. The stitching yarn may be fed easily through layers of double knit for short distances before and after the “mistake”. With all settings and yarn being equal, there is a difference in size between this fabric (larger of the 2) and the one with color reverse on its other side

A similar setup, working in full pitch. Here needles line up directly below each other. If the wrong needle is selected it will be point to point with the needle immediately above it and is an added clue the wrong needle is being pushed up into hold/ E position. My first swatch had a distinctly different side / vertical edges. Cast on was for every needle, half-pitch (top image), the first needle on left on the main bed, last needle on right on the ribber. When completed, it was followed by a change to full-pitch prior to pattern knitting, lining up needles point to point, directly below each other (bottom image). I prefer the edge obtained on the half-pitch throughout, seen in the previous sample

Still, pondering those edges, and what about repeats with large areas of a solid color? The image on the left is 25X26 rows in height, the one on the right adjusted for an even number of solid color rows, and a total row repeat divisible by 4, 25X28. The single black line at the top is a marker for returning the carriage to all knit when the top of the repeat is reached. When using full pitch, solid areas remained open at both edges with carriage set to KCII. A wooden tool handle is actually inserted through from one side to the other at the bottom of the swatch. Because the needles are point to point, no extra needles could be brought to work on both ends as a workaround. KCI will select end needles on the main bed. I tried that as the first workaround to seal the edges. I paid no attention to whether needles were selected at each end every row, and got another creative pair of edges.

Returning to half-pitch I brought up to work the first needle on the left every row (too many rows at seen at R top edge compared to the other side) and pushed the last needle on right up to work if it was not part of the group to be brought up to E.Analyzing the fabric structure in those areas of solid colors on alternating beds: at first full pitch makes sense if one has knit tubular stripes or solids which have closed edges, with the yarn making a single pass on each bed, traveling back to the color changer, with the option to stripe every X, even number of rows. Such stripes occur evenly spaced and identical on both fabric sides. Here the goal is to knit the fabric with large blocks of solid, alternate colors on each side. The main bed knits color 1 on selected needles on the top bed only, the alternate color is knit with the ribber needles being hand-selected up to E while the main bed is slipping, with none of its needles selected. Other than that first set up row with preselection from the left, 2 rows are knit in color A, followed by 2 rows in color B. There are no stitches traveling between the beds to seal the fabric together in those areas, creating open sides, so if the goal is to have the edges seal. other steps need to be taken. A single-pixel solid line along either edge of the repeat did not create a good edge. Full pitch is easier than half pitch to manage. One possible solution to both issues is to alter the side edges of the design repeat so there will be alternating needle selection along those side edges, thus sealing the fabric.

I decided to cast on with white and to continue with white as the first color used in the pattern (white squares in the chart). This swatch was knit in full pitch. Edges are sealed throughout. The only hitch was when the top was reached and that all black squares row was reached. I was on the right at that point, with my dark color in the feeder. The row toward the left would have knit in the dark color instead of the white on the top bed. I cut the dark yarn, made a free pass to the left, continued in plain knit in white to right, and then transferred stitches and bound off. Top and bottom edges /borders in terms of the number of rows, whether to add pattern there as well, are all subject to personal preferences and taste.

For an off-topic reversible double bed fabric using thread lace setting, see post

More dragon scales and chevrons in ribbed, racked (4) fabrics

Over the years a variety of fabrics have been named dragon scales or crocodile stitch. Here dragon scales have referred to shapes created using a lace technique and resulting in a pattern such as this

that was followed by hand knit samples and an investigation into possibly creating a ribber fabric with auto shaping resulting in similar protrusion

ribber-pitch-a-bit-on-racking-1-chevrons-horizontal-herringbone/

vertical chevrons/ herringbone which eventually led to this, where a reversal in racking periodically shifts the lean in opposite directionsautomating the pattern in half fisherman rib/ mylar repeat tracking shown. Any repeat in a factor of 24 may be used on punchcard machines as well. The start of a series in varied colors and fibers: sometimes I enjoy getting back to the simplicity and predictability of punchcard machines, though punching those cards can be slow and a bit tedious. I am presently curious about striping again, and creating a wider “scale”, with a crisper fold. The chart is for the working idea, the punchcard typical of what some of my cards begin to look like as my work evolves. When marking cards for any action, the fact that the eye is not on the same design row as the reader needs to be taken into consideration. Here racking numbers begin to get marked on what would normally be row one on a factory marked punchcard, 7 rows up for Brother KMs on any other brand punchcard, or card roll # position. Though the final repeat is an even number of rows in height (42) note that each half repeat is not (21). The color changer sits on the left, so the first preselection row is left to right, cam button on KCI to insure end stitches knit. Any color changes happen every even #X rows, so they will technically be in a slightly different spot on the alternate repeat. some of the trial and error, random yarns. The white is a 2/15 wool, the yellow a 2/12, the blue an unknown, also wool. The best of the lot, but not “there ” yet, going back to one color knitting So then you go for a yummy alpaca and silk, make a racking error and manage to correct the pattern, and lo and behold the yarn breaks halfway across the row a repeat up from there! “They” do keep talking about how relaxing knitting is ;-). Yarn specs: Fiber Content: 80% Alpaca/20% Silk; Weight: Lace; Gauge: 8 sts = 1″, 1/2-lb cones/3472 YPP (1736 yards/cone)This yarn is an English import, 2675 yards per pound. It felts into a lovely fabric (not the goal here) and knit tolerably well. The fabric is quite stiff, however, and the surface change is minimal and nearly completely lost 2/18 Jaggerspun wool-silk: worth a shot at a scarf. Starting ribber cast on left, followed by 2 circular rows, one closing row right to left, and first KCI row from left to right will set up patterning in tuck so that the direction of the arrows on the left side of the card, lines up with the racking number appropriate for that row prior to knitting it. The fabrics below are as they came off the machine, not blocking of any sort

I have some lovely cash wool in 3 colors, 2/48 weight. Using 3 separate strands fed through the yarn feeder separately resulted in uneven feeding, loops, and too many problems. Using 2 strands “worked” easily, but the fabric was nearly flatCautiously winding 3 strands onto a cone prior to knitting gave far more predictable results, and there now is a scarf in progress. The difference in color is due to the lighting at the moment My best advice to anyone attempting this is to knit slowly. The most likely spot for errors in my experience is at the point where 1: no action is taken for a row (or more in later swatches), so racking position remains at 10 for 2 rows, and 2: for racking position 9 the knit carriage position is reversed in each half of the repeat. One can get also reach a left-right rhythm, and without realizing it, begin racking between positions 9 and 8 as opposed to 9 and 10, throwing the pattern off. Another look at racking positions: the numbers reflect racking position before the carriage moves to the opposite side, the arrows the direction in which the carriage will be moving. Once the knit carriage moves the card advances, so glancing at the card after that move will show the action for the next row at eye level, which can be confusing at times. A finished piece, 9.5″ X 64″, in the coned 3 strands of merino. Occasional single strand caught on ribber gate pegs, no yarn feeding issues as such. The fabric has not been blocked in any way, but allowed to “relax”. I like the larger scale of the “scales”, would still like to introduce striping in a way that pleases my eye. The knitting is slow thanks to all the racking but is probably faster than using single-bed holding for similar shapes, with a very different finished look. Future of the fabric TBD. 8/16: interestingly enough when the fabric relaxed, it became quite a bit less 3Dand back to introducing stripes in contrasting color An act of faith after lots of trial and errors and a punchcard redesign, that this may have been worth the effort when done. I am choosing to cut the yarn and weave in ends for longer solid areas, and am giving myself permission to only knit while I feel focused on manual changes in color and racking. It may take a very long time to get to “scarf length” and here is the fabric in a completed piece, about 54 inches in length when off the machine. The top right photo shows reverse side of the piece, the bottom right is how it might appear when worn Next up was a test on how to use 2 carriages or changing settings, allowing for the turning stripes to help the scale shape bend more outward into a “point”. I found to get the width I needed, along with striping it was simpler to change ribber settings to slip <– –> for all knit rows and retain the use of the color changer on the left.

It is easy to share successes. There are also those days however when one should not be anywhere within range of a knitting machine and perseverance does not lead to anything positive. The above scarf was knit in charcoal, using 3 strands of cash wool. Two strands of the blue created a nearly flat fabric, 3 strands did the job. So I now turn to true black and white. Knitting 3 strands of the black was impossible at any tension for any length. Then I noticed the ribber on the right was lower than it should be. It turned out the bolt used to adjust the height of the ribber was loose, and the slightest turn of it loosened it completely. So then it took way too long to get it back in place. Got things back together and set up, and with each movement of the racking handle the ribber dropped on the right. After a lot more fiddling that got me nowhere, I decided to use the ribber for another Brother machine that had not been used for years. That was dry, the grease on it had turned black, and time flew cleaning and oiling and waiting. Back on the machine, the right ribber bracket of the alternate ribber will not allow it to drop on that side so it’s back to grease and patience and yes, I finally got up and running, only now the smell of the oil and lubricants makes me want to leave my apartment. Outdoors the temp is a dozen degrees warmer than inside it and grossly humid. I don’t want my knitting to smell like the solvents either, so the remainder of the day is called in as a period of rest and recreation mixed with a touch of, hopefully, amnesia.

Moving on to the next day: success in one color with no major problems or errors, have a black scarf, 64 inches long with lovely bumps, here as it appears immediately off the machine 8/16: 3D shapes held up very well So what would that true black in the thinner weight do with those stripes in a true white? I found myself forgetting completely to set the carriage to tuck for several tries, then messed up the color-changing sequence. Time for more R&R.

8/7 after several tests with minor variations in the pattern, sorting out yarn weights preferences, I decided to “go” for a version of the same stitch type as the charcoal and white in true black and white. Again, I am not able to use 3 strands of the black Got a third of the estimated desired length knit, and whoopee! about 10 stitches dropped off both beds on the color changer side. Oh, the joys of unraveling several rows of sewing thread weight black yarn, in racked tuck stitch, down to an all knit row in the white to make certain the proper number of stitches are in work on both beds. Got that far, and am ready for more R&R.

And 8/8 this is the last in the series, at least for a while in true B&W. The 3D pattern is reduced by the weight of the piece as it is worn Just a reminder: the service manual http://machineknittingetc.com/brother-kr120-kr710-kr830-kr850-kr230-kr260-service-manual.html provides information on ribber adjustments. The part in question I believe, is #24, the “slide plate guide stud”. In the image below b= the bolt that became completely loose. I discovered after getting things back together that a, which secures the ribber bracket, is actually directional with a barely perceptible difference in shape, and if accidentally rotated 180, it will keep the ribber bracket from changing height positions and working properly. Rotating it restored expected actions, so now I have 2 well-functioning ribbers to work with.

Still at it, 8/16 I now have a lovely, equally bumpy fabric in all 3 colors using 2 strands each of the cash wool at the same tension. The single difference in my execution is that I am now using my alternate KR 850 ribber. The height and other adjustments appear identical to my eye. I am reminded of my teaching days in a Brother punchcard lab, where at times the same model machines might be side by side, and fabric would work perfectly on one machine while not on the other supposedly identical model. Students were not allowed to swap off machines, the one exception being if that was the only way to get the stitch types in their final projects completed after I attempted to work out other possible issues. “They” do keep talking about how relaxing knitting is, but with machine knitting, there are lots of opportunities to wonder about that suggested fact.8/17: complete a royal blue scarf in the smaller scale repeat, previously executed on my 910. The punchcard below it image may be used to achieve the same fabric. 8/18: trucking on, planning a couple of more pieces with the large-scale repeat. It seems I have been having more drat-it moments than one might ever want, resulting in having to discard hundreds of rows of knitting for any number of reasons including racking operator errors. I have also encountered another problem. In the past, I have used cello clear, or a variety of tapes to seal off holes accidentally punched in the wrong place. I very rarely produce multiples of any of my pieces, and my limited edition items were usually knit on an electronic due to its increased ease in adjusting the repeat width and height to suit. Transitioning from the solid repeat to the striped one, I decided to punch out holes on my original card to test my ideas, and when returning to the large scales I was too lazy to punch yet another card, and taped over sections I wanted to eliminate from the selection. Hundreds of rows into yet another piece I began to notice odd behavior in needle selection, which was fully remedied by investing time into punching a new card, and yes, starting over yet again. Note to self: do not do this sort of taping over in the future, no matter what the tape, and especially when knitting multiple pieces thousands of rows in length!

8/21: I am working on a final series of large-scale, single-color scarves. As has often been my experience in knitting long pieces of ribbed fabrics (most of my scarves are 1200 rows or more in length), I have a talent for developing problems after the ¾ point. Two factors that can have an effect on stitches not knitting off properly “suddenly” can be the result of 1: the slide lever setting being changed accidentally when moving ribber sinker plate ie to correct patterning errors and bring it to the opposite side, and the ribber alignment for needle positions relative to each other on opposite beds changing slightly from all the side to side motion in racking nearly every single row.

The slide lever has 3 positions. I have out of habit gotten used to simply leaving it in its center setting (lili) for my knitting, and used to teach students to keep that constant if possible. Sometimes when knitting ribbed cuffs, bands, or collars, I have seen the differences in length and width of them changed for separate pieces and not noticed until one was ready to join pieces.

adjusting needle bed positions (for more see https://alessandrina.com/2015/01/13/a-bit-on-ribbers-japanese-kms_-alignment-and-symbols-1/)

The last piece produced by me was in a charcoal color, using the same yarn brand and weight as the black. All things being equal, using the same tension (required to avoid knitting problems), the charcoal version stitches were considerably looser, and longer, also due to changes in gauge. I think the charcoal scarf will put this fabric to rest for me for a very long time. This was my final, pre-punched card, and its markings

Some Passap patterns 2016/01/13/racking-2-vertical-chevrons-herringbone/
and 2016/01/09/ribber-pitch-a-bit-on-racking-1-chevrons-horizontal-herringbone/

Knit and purl blocks to create folding fabric_ “pleats”

Knit and purl combinations may be executed in hand or machine knitting. Knit charts are generally planned and illustrated based on the fact that the same side of the fabric is always facing the knitter. Hand knitters have to accommodate for the fact that the work is turned over (unless knitting tubular) with every row worked, so plans would need to reverse knit for purl and vice versa if needed. For more ribbed, pleated/ folding fabrics please see Pleats: ribbed, folding fabrics , and Origami inspired 2: more pleats and fold using the ribber

The easiest way to produce this particular fabric on Brother machines would be to let your garter carriage do the walking and working. For those of us that do not have that option, there are transfer carriages, (I honestly have only used mine once, decades ago, will have to dig it out of mothballs) and transferring needles by hand. Pairs of identical stitch transfer tools may be used to move stitches from one bed to the other. If the goal is to produce a knit with tension as tight as possible, the latter can be problematic and result in dropped stitches, so testing the yarn and the mode of transfer should be part of swatch trials prior to committing to larger knit pieces. I found moving stitches between beds one at a time for me was preferable and more reliable

The chart for the initial concept: The number of needles used for “pleats” is constant (7); 3 stitches move up (or down) in turn, indicated by arrows. After the first 3 are transferred, 3 more are now moved adjacent to the now remaining 4 stitches from the opposite bed in order to maintain a total of 7 on each bed, excluding any borders, in which stitch placement remains fixed.

cast on for every other needle rib after completing cast on rows, set up for pattern by transferring between beds*knit 6 rows, transfer between beds knit 6 rows, transfer again restoring original selections**repeat * to **; transfer to main bed, bind off. Swatch on KM prior to binding off If the goal is to retain the texture, it is best to knit using a yarn with “memory” such as wool, which may be steamed or blocked lightly while retaining the fabric’s quality. A rayon or cotton would flatten permanently if pressed. The photo shows both sides of my swatch, beginning on left with it slightly stretched with pins, relaxed in the center, and with a bit of vertical “tug”
The fabric changes a bit when some stitches remain fixed on alternating beds, and the same sort of approach is used. My initial intent had been to transfer every 4 rows, but I actually did so after every 6 rows knit. Colors in the chart on right: Its numbers indicate the working needles on each of the 2 beds. The first 3 needles on either side are never transferred. Groups on either bed after transfers remain constant at 6 with the exception of the borders. The starting set up and the alternating one, repeated in turn throughout the knit. Note border stitch selection, constants in between still on the machine, and my small test swatch. The fold on each side and the swing in the pattern appear crisper and better defined to me
What of horizontal folds? Transferring every stitch to and from the main bed manually is more than I am willing to deal with in addition to transfers for those blocks. I am also interested in the effect produced with the use of thicker yarn. This repeat is presently on my hand knitting needles, is suitable for electronics or punchcard machines. A single unit is 5 by 16 rows, the punchcard repeat is 24 X 16 X 3; 32 rows is a tad shy of enough rows for the punchcard to roll and advance properly, 36 rows in height is the recommended minimum. Knitting as tight as possible makes for a stiffer, crisper fabric. I decided there were things about this repeat I did not like, however, including the change in pattern at the folds
The new repeat, with only 2 rows worked rather than 4 between block pattern reversal, the repeat is now 12 rows rather than 16 in height The hand-knit swatch, using 4 ply yarn on #5 HK needles. The arrows mark the area where 4 rows were knit between knit and purl blocks rather than 2, creating an added ridge, and a straighter line than the row pairs an attempt at a side view an earlier hand knit project in the same stitch family Another handknit swatch in worsted weight, perhaps suitable for G carriage Its repeat turned 90 degrees clockwise Getting rid of those blocks altogether: a generously shared free pattern on Ravelry and a link to the author’s blog
More blocks to try
Zigzags in varied configurations

Garter bars and how to use them

I previously wrote on a ruffled trim using the garter bar and holding. While recently searching online I found some hints/ publication links I thought I would share. The “manual” that came with the 4.5 mm set was written in Japanese when I purchased mine, including patterns for vertical weaving/ “embroidery. The supposed English counterpart does not have the pictorial stitch information but provides basic technique clear instructions.
Using garter bar on the bulky
Studio tips and techniques
Two youtube videos demonstrating vertical weaving, the first covering the whole surface of the knit also demonstrates clearly using the garter bar for the technique
Warp knitting, basics, 17:16 min.
Warp knitting straight line designs, 3:25 min.

If needles and gate pegs are not bent, with a bit of practice, in many instances and unless working on very wide pieces of knit I have found using the needle stopper unnecessary.

The Brother publication on topic:

From the manual for the SK 120

A complex published transfer lace to electronic repeat for download/ GIMP editing

Lace on the machine can render beautiful fabrics that closely resemble hand knitting, but programming very long repeats is a challenge both in placing every hole in the correct square in a punchcard and in programming individual pixels on a mylar or as pixels for download correctly. I found the “leaf lace” repeat below shared frequently on Pinterest and thought I would test the approach discussed in the post on using numbers and gimp to create images for electronic downloads. Because it is 16 stitches wide, it is not suitable for punchcard knitting, which requires a factor of (4, 6, 8, 12) and up to a 24 stitch maximum width.

The published pattern on the left is shown as shared on Pinterest. In turn, in was captured, opened in Gimp, and magnified. After a threshold adjustment, it was converted to a BW indexed, scaled to its 16X96 original stitch and row count, and then saved in 100% magnification result for the possible electronic download.

The published repeat is intended for use on Silver Reed knitting machines, for using it on Brother machines, the initial 2 blank rows are shifted to the top of the pattern design.
On the far left below is the first BW processed single repeat isolated from its source. To its right, it has been adjusted so the first row is a preselection row for the lace pattern, and the full repeat ends with blank rows (Brother KM characteristic). The latter in turn was saved as an image for download.
Since the leaves change direction in the way they lean, the spacing between each pattern swing in the repeat is actually 3 all blank rows, not the “standard” 2, including at the top.
The bottom half begins with the first row resulting in transfers to the left, while after the first 3 knit rows the transfers will begin to the right. The plan was for me to use Ayab for knitting a proof of concept swatch. In order to achieve that, the full repeat is first flipped horizontally (ayab will auto mirror it, so starting with it this way it will be in the correct orientation when knitting). The mirrored repeat may be used in unaltered machines as is with LC operating from the right, with KC operating from the left (not possible in ayab without adjustments). The full repeat consists of 16+14+18+16+14+18= 96 passes of the lace carriage, for every 12 rows knit. My sample was programmed horizontally for 3 full repeats, the width of my planned swatch. I added one additional needle in work on each side, with the LC end needle selection canceled, allowing for the full pattern as programmed with a single stitch all knit border on either side A tightly twisted cotton yarn did best in terms of handling the multiple transfers and not resulting in split stitches or breaking. I had occasional selection errors, seen in the center panel at the top of each repeat (my common experience with the interface), but the repeat itself appears to be sound. Lace repeats that have even numbers of rows for both and LC transfer and knit ones are easy to follow. Punchcards are also easily annotated and if knitting is interrupted needle selection is easy to return to or restore if necessary. In electronics, there may not be any memo to indicate row # location for each carriage pass in the pattern, or when to switch carriages. Because in this instance there are so many transfers (some of the multiple stitches) between knit rows and dropped stitches are best corrected as noticed during knitting if possible, I created a “cheat sheet” of sorts to help keep track of actions. Each block outlined in red here represents one full repeat, read from the bottom-up, with blue borders at the center and red at the end of each half sequence. A visual check at the end of each segment’s # of rows in the series is well worth it to prevent unnoticed runaway dropped stitches and large holes. A check-in box next to # could indicate the completion of transfers. and a number added manually in that same row for that sequence, record the row on which knitting was interrupted ie. stopping on row 8 out of 16 to fix dropped stitches would be a reminder that 8 more LC passes are required before the next visual check.

9/23/18 In now have been experimenting on a 930, where each pass of the LC is actually tracked, akin to following numbers on a punchcard. Built-in patterns also offer a memo window, which will alert the knitter as to when knit rows are due In testing the pattern with img2track I found the LC passes are still counted, but the memo window is absent upon download. I generated a chart in Mac Numbers, reads from the top-down, expanding on the one above. It illustrates the number of LC passes (left column) required to produce any significant length of fabric. Patterns such as these are not for the faint of heart and require a friendly yarn. 2168 passes of the LC (33 full repeats, outlined in green; red line separates half repeats) are accompanied by 396 rows of “actual” knitting. In actual knitting, the pattern advances from row 1 to 96, and back to 1 again. A check-off list can be much simpler if one is desired. The numbers on left appear in the LC window in a 930, when reached 2 rows are knit with the KC. The numbers at the top reflect completed repeats. Boxes can be checked moving to the right as those rows are completed Another option is to download the pattern in img2track, and then enter memo information prior to knitting it. Two youtube videos that show how to enter memos in machine models that allow it, 930 included https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0tXNT76v10 and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nR8MheT5Bao. The number 2 may be entered after numbers on the left appear in the LC passes count window, and provide an easy guideline to follow. And this is what testing lace patterns can look like. In this instance, a tighter stitch tension, a bit of change in weight, and visually checking after each row of transfers brought me some success. This is not a stitch pattern that lends itself to easy “repairs”. A more successful sample knit also on the 930 using the shared repeat as given, knit in wool-silk 2/18

Pretend/ mock cables 3

A Facebook group query brought up the possibility of creating cables in an “easier, quicker” way than by crossing stitches by hand. Over the years different authors have suggested a “sewn” method for pulling stocking stitch columns together in order to achieve the cabled effect. The illustrations are usually of the work done on a ribbed fabric, but it also may be achieved in simple stocking stitch, with ladders marking the edges of the mock cable, and providing a visual line to follow and count spaces when smocking the fabric up. The width of each column, the yarn fiber content, and personal preferences will determine the success” of the results.

I was reminded of “magic cables”, a technique made popular years ago in a copyrighted pattern series by Ricky Mundstock, ie this one from 1969 (illustrated online). The concept originated in a Japanese publication years before, relies on hooking up tuck loops to create the cable-like effects. I tend not to knit from published patterns, set out to understand what makes the fabric work in theory, and then sort out whether I have other preferences of my own for creating it. I began to experiment with a totally random tuck card. Tuck is chosen for the background because it is short and fat, giving the taller all knit rows for the “cables” the possibility of an additional gather, adding to their depth. I chose a purely random repeat, which is a good way to start for DIY if hesitant about the process. White squares will not be selected, will tuck for 2 rows, have a knit stitch (black dot in card) on each side of them. Max on Brother, unless using very thing yarn would be white bars single square in width, 4 rows in height (yes, there can be exceptions on rare occasions)
The card is cropped to the 24 X 44 stitch in width and height for the repeat to be worked in electronics. The area colored blue on the far right indicates possible all knit rows for hooking up “cables” during knitting, mustard color indicates ladders created by an out of work needle on each side of the central, all knit column. The ladders make it easier to identify each all knit column. The tape over holes idea does not work for masking a punchcard since that blue area would need to be all punched holes. The tape over would result in “unpunched” ones.

This takes the revised card single repeat and indicates some quick possibilities for altering it I added 2 more stitches to establish a slightly different pattern. The grab form my work in Numbers was then opened in gimp and scaled to 26X44 for the possible knitting pattern. If working with black and white squares, the image will need to be colored reverse for knitting. I abandoned this repeat for my final swatches in favor of keeping markers for hooking stitches up along the all knit column inside the ladders as opposed to the knit body of the remaining shapes. Here the non-selected needles are placed along the knit column itself, on alternating sides. The final repeat after correcting a pixel error I discovered while knitting: Ayab does not repeat across the horizontal row, each stitch in the width you are planning to knit needs to be programmed. For a test swatch, I decided to work with programmed 72 stitches (knit on fewer). This would be the downloadable file

magnified and gridded to visually check again prior to knitting it This is what is seen by the knitter when the image is loaded, but any image loaded is automatically flipped/ mirrored horizontally by the software. Direction may not matter in the overall pattern, but here we have needles out of work, which if selected on the basis of what is seen as opposed to what is knit, would be in the wrong location. The first preselection row is also only possible from left to right. The easiest way to empty the proper needles is to do transfers after that row, to either side, restoring needle selection prior to continuing to knit. Also, since there are needles out of work, end needle selection is canceled (KCII).

In my first swatch, I tried the idea of hooking up stitches in opposite directions, but was not pleased with the result, wanted to reduce the amount of hand manipulation involved. In the later swatch, I hooked up every other selection onto the same side. Arrows here indicate the direction, not the proper needle position.

Alternating side hooking up with some yarn and needle change issues. Hooking up to one side only was quicker to execute and appeared more pleasing to me. Both swatches had blips from an errant pixel. Steps in knitting the above fabric. The actual knitting will happen with what is shown as the repeat with white pixels on the dark ground, seen looking at the center vertical all knit column of the repeat when knitting the fabric. Allow the non-selected needle on the left side of the column to tuck, providing a marking row for picking up stitches, knit until the needle on the right side of the column is not selected. Prior to knitting across that row pick up the tucked loop and stitch on the left side
Lift both loops up onto the non selected needle on the right side of the column, bring that needle all the way out to hold (three yarn loops in the hook)

Continue knitting until the next non-selected needle in the column appears once again on the right, pick up from below the left marking spot, and repeat. For DIY insert all knit columns on your chosen repeat and proceed as above.
Visualizing possibilities: chart for side by side columns actions on the purl side is shown. The black columns with arrows coupled with photos show the direction of the hook-ups in the back, purl side of the fabric, and potential “cables” as seen on the knit side using the column repeat illustrated above. This is a garter stitch version found on Pinterest

Numbers to GIMP to create images for electronic download

I am a member of a few Facebook groups, recently joined the img2track one out of curiosity, and wanting to explore the possibilities of an interface other than an Ayab/910 from a kit, which has proven to be of limited use to me. I have been charting original patterns and color separations for years, first in Excel and occasionally and now exclusively using Mac Numbers. Up to last December, entering designs for knitting on my 910 was limited to filling in squares carefully one at a time or small blocks and lines on mylar sheets in order to knit the repeats designed in charts in either program. Working with small, individual repeats and filling cells one at a time or in limited groups in GIMP to create duplicate pattern downloads was an easy transition out of sheer habit. A FB group member, Julie Haveland Beer shared a file on how to Convert Mosaic Knitting Chart to KM Skip Stitch Diagram (shared with her permission) that sparked a light bulb moment. I began to explore using the method in her share on files available in other printed materials and punchcard collections, wondering about those lace cards with so few holes that can go awry when building from scratch in order to download. Often I use Scanner pro on my phone (rather than a full-size scanner), save images in black and white, share them via photos, and open them up on my Mac for further editing. The full-size scanner saves of 60X150 patterns may be found at the bottom of the post.

The first repeat was from

I happen to own a hard copy. The book offers endless repeats that might be adapted for knitting 2 color fabrics (or more with experimentation in some instances). They are categorized by height and width, so even punchcard owners can find whole pages of workable repeats. Another group member shared the link to the Compendium for online browsing https://archive.org/details/dictionaryofweav00poss

I have written several previous posts on using GIMP, including the use of the tiling option to visualize how groups of repeats line up prior to any actual knitting. The enlarged, “original” gridded image below would be the final repeat, reduced in size, grid gone, made ready for download in required image format.
A chart from my blog: the image is converted to B/W, then scaled to stitch and row proportions with just a few keystrokes

From self-drawn mylar, with a subsequent one-pixel correction From colored repeats in Brother electronic collections: with some color adjustment after a first attempt that required some clean up of pixels, the conversion and scaling are easily achieved. The originals were designed on a rectangular grid, within blocks defined 6 wide by 10 tall the repeat tiled, for an added visual check Another Brother published in color repeat, scanned in B/W, imported directly into Gimp, mode converted to indexed, then the image was scaled to the size of the original illustrated repeat 34X36Check the scaled repeat on a grid for any missing pixels against the original

From a Brother electronic lace publication a simple BW bitmap conversion followed by scaling (60X120 repeat). The appearance of difference in width is due to the fact that the published image is on a rectangular grid, the bitmapped on a square one

If the electronic published repeat appears to have the core of the cells outlined clearly in white something to try: reduce to indexed BW, use bucketful to remove as many gridlines as possible, scale to appropriate repeat (24X48), edit the results A “straightforward” conversion for a repeat from a scanned punchcard with its darkest black line removed

and one from a BW punchcard reference pub

My last post on working with numbers to create knit charts includes info on creating tables, working with cells, keyboard commands, and more

using the combined programs: Things got more complicated again when I tried to work with a lace repeat from an electronic pattern book. The straightforward method resulted in an unworkable image. Part of the problem may result from varied densities of lines in the original, its cells not being fully filled in (ie dots in squares or rectangles), and illustration with units in a rectangular rather than square format, so they do not scale properly in a ratio of 1 pixel per row and stitch. After isolating the repeat, I for this repeat I entered it in numbers with the plan to superimpose a table grid over the repeat and fill in squares/cells where needed. Cell borders may be created in varied thicknesses and colors, and are easily changed or removed altogether. Having a red cell border to superimpose on the image made the process significantly easier for me. In the middle section the red border is switched to a significantly lighter one, and lining up the repeat beside the images helps one visually check for any errors. In the bottom row, the image is shown magnified after scaling, gridded in the magnified version again to check the repeat against the original.

Another lace image with table cell margins adjusted, and a reminder that borders may be in any configuration or color that makes it visually easier for you to proceed with filling in cells that correspond to black squares in the original image

The steps in progress, with the processed image ready to knit, shown in magnified, gridded final GIMP scaled repeat on far right. With a bit of familiarity with both programs, this process is far faster than any counting and filling in of pixels one at a time

This lace card was not cautiously cropped at the top and bottom edges, the final repeat when scaled is shown first, with obvious errors, but workable when done “the long way” from the same image or hand-edited

Taking the time for a more careful crop for another card and easy peasy: crop, open in GIMP, convert to bitmapped BW image, scale to stitch and row count of the original repeat (in this instance 24X56), verify gridded by GIMP in magnified image version, then save for download in reduced size

GIMP magnified and gridded final repeat above on left, one obtained working the “long way” between programs to its right Conversions issues may happen also when there are large areas of black squares or working with color adjustments or with the option to “photocopy” in GIMP in images that do not translate cleanly Working with repeats that do not convert easily using both programs: the greater the number of squares or dots, the slower the process, but ultimately faster than counting then and entering them one at a time. In Numbers, create a table that will be superimposed onto the desired repeat. I like to work in cells that are 24 X 24 points. Columns are marked in letters, so 24 is 2 letters short of the full # of letters in the alphabet (X), and row counts are numbered top down on left and easily adjusted. Lace repeats would be the easiest to translate, as they are likely to have the lowest number of cells that will require to be filled in. The cell borders may be created in any color. To my eye, the red grid made it easier for me to view its lines when superimposed on the black image. The BW center image was then dragged/dropped into the numbers sheet. Checking via the table format arrange option, the table was shown to be 553 X 1440. The image arrange option showed my black and white image to be adjusted visually by me using the corner handles to 496 to 1440. On the far right, the BW image is in turn adjusted to match point values for the table. Check your typing, adjust accordingly. Here my width on right is actually 3 points off.

Drag and position table onto a BW image. Use image format arrange to move the image to the back of the table (box to left below “Style”). Magnify screen to easier working view by adjusting the zoom. It may be helpful to alter some row heights or column widths to get a cleaner view and matching cells to be filled into dots (center). Click on any row or column, adjust by in turn clicking on up or down arrows that correspond to their respective size. Using command-click and color fill options, cell fill on top of the black dots. When done, or to check periodically, the table may be slid off the image and back on if needed. With the table completed, if any columns or rows have been altered in with or height, choose from the menu to distribute rows and columns evenly, restoring all square units.

Change border selection to light, thinner color, capture image and save as png. Load image in GIMP, convert to BW bitmap, scale to 24 by 60, save in downloadable format. Results are magnified in GIMP final images on the right. Showing grid allows an added visual check if preferred, against the original repeat. The final repeat tiled, as opposed to punchcard repeat tiled helped me see one missing square I found bothersome, an easy edit the culprit marked in red

The easiest conversion of all? a full-page factory mylar sheet. Here is one for lace with a simple adjustment of sharpness and contrast, magnified, and with superimposed rectangular grid after converting to BW bitmap for saving, to then discover that the blue grid disappears in a quick mode change to indexed in this factory mylar. The images on the far right are again the magnified scaled image and shown with a superimposed rectangular grid to check match against the original crop

Rethinking those dark cards: this is a partial repeat grabbed from Pinterest, the image was loaded into GIMP, color inverted, the threshold was adjusted while in RGB mode. The adjoining 2 images show the magnified, scaled, indexed image and its color reverse. When working in RGB mode choose color invert, and when working in indexed mode, choose value invert for color reversal of the image and its ground. Other image adjustments may require toggling between the 2 modes. The bottom pair of images indicate menu location for adjusting grid size and color, and the magnified, scaled image now with a GIMP single-pixel grid is also shown
This method, however, did not work for the flower? thread lace motif (partial repeat) or the FI repeat. That said in the days of glitched knits, perhaps executed in DBJ accidents such as this could make for interesting experiments or transitions. Here we have the original not planned result, followed by some flipping horizontally and vertically, then resized. There usually is no right or wrong, and it is important to find one’s own voice and the tools required to express it.

my favorite glitch textile artist: Phillip Stearns

for more on gimp editing see post

4/15/19 I have always been curious about weaving drafts and patterns being translated to knitting ones. I wrote a post on some of the basic possibilities in 2015, in my Excel days. Lately, I have come across many tempting charts shared on Pinterest from many sources. Some are more difficult than others to translate cleanly. Having a periodic leaf obsession, I came across this chart, which also will show some of the issues found in mesh grounds, thread lace, and other fabrics when there are regularly spotted grounds.

I found the easiest way to work with the repeat was to overlay the table over the image using a much thicker cell border. The repeat was isolated, its colors reduced to black and white out of habit. Adjustments were made to the image eliminating aspect constraints, and it was laid under the grid to the closest visual match for stitch and row units cell size. Command select makes quick work of filling in pattern cells. When done, the table border was selected and rendered in a much lighter outline, the captured final image was saved, opened in GIMP (insured it was indexed), scaled to 38X50 pixels, and produced something in theory now knittable. Tiling is as always a good test to see if the final repeat meets your expectations prior to knitting and offers the opportunity for any other adjustments with the use of the grid and magnification even easier approach: use the same grid method on the original, in the original color isolated repeat. The table may be shifted slightly in its front position as one advances through the repeat, filling in cell content. another in progress repeat and its tiled BW counterpart using this method Luminescence is an online weaving program developed by Andrew Glassner. There are ample instructions and help files on site with regards to weaving. A related post, updated with information on processing images using a combination of Mac Numbers and Gimp, beginning with this draft Back in 2011, I had quite a lace obsession. One of the shawls I produced is shown below in one color on a blocking board, and in a completed other
The knitting took place in my mylar on 910 days and I still recall the tenacity it took to reproduce the lace pattern accurately from a small image in a publication, to a repeat 150 rows in height and 35 wide on the mylar. The original lace pattern was part of a series of motifs used in a lace shawl published by Susanna Lewis in issue # 5 p 43of Macknit, a short-lived machine knitting magazine. I now used the method illustrated with the woven leaf above. A thick cell border table was laid in front of a scaled scanned image of the original repeat, filling in cells, and then using the image grabbed from numbers in gimp to produce the final BW .bmps for download via img2track to my 930. Once I realized that the original image grabbed from numbers needed to be large enough to produce a clean scaled .bmp in gimp and broke the pattern into 3 segments 50 high each to accommodate the screen size of the Mac and an easy to count grab, within minutes I had my lace pattern for download subsequent proof of concept swatch was easier and quicker to produce as well now that I have a much better understanding of how lace transfers work, it was not quite centered, but appears to be correct

A bit on method:
Cell size minimum 24X24, at this size I was able to grab 50 rows at one time
Colored Border 6- 8points when filling in individual cells
Zoom 75%
Fill in cells with black
Change the cell border to 1 point dotted
Screengrab desired repeat as cleanly as possible, this makes a difference with straggler dots
Open screen grab in gimp, trim if necessary, convert to mode indexed 1-bit palette
Image scale to grabbed a repeat cell count. On occasion one of the 2 numbers may be off by one or 2 pixels, can be rounded off by breaking the chain symbol used for keeping aspect ratio constraints
If there are stragglers they can easily be edited with side by side comparison. There may be fewer with larger grabs. The method worked seamlessly for me yesterday, today I am getting extra black cells. Comparing with the screengrab and editing at 800 to 1000 X with grid, snap to grid preferences will make for a quick edit, still ever so much faster than drawing on mylar.

“straggler” illustrations for clean up in GIMP prior to saving for download

Revisiting pleats on the knitting machine: single bed

A cumulative collection of links to pleat-related blog posts
Single bed
Origami folds inspired pleats 1
Shadow pleats with added FI patterning
Shadow pleats knitting
Revisiting pleats on the knitting machine: single bed
Pleats created with lace transfers
Ruching 2: more working with stitch groups
Ruching 1: fern “pretender” and more
Pleats: automating “pleating”, single bed
Double bed
Pintucks 2, ripples in knits using the ribber
Pintucks 1 vs shadow pleats, Fair Isle pintucks
Origami-inspired 2: more pleats and fold using ribber
Slip stitch patterns with hand-transferred stitches, double bed
Knit and purl blocks to create folding fabric_ “pleats”
Pleats: ribbed, folding fabrics
On two needles hand-knit and purl folds
Some authors and publications include hems in the category of pleats as “horizontal”. To my mind, they merit their own category.
HEMS
Machine knit hems 2
Machine knit hems 1
Ruching/hooked-up stitches
Any techniques may also be used on only parts of finished projects.
Presently, in fashion and knitwear, skirts and clothing with ruffled or folded fabric variations abound.
In 2013 I shared a post on automating single bed pleats including downloadable files of one of my early handouts and working notes.
This post contains some of the same information, repeated for convenience, along with additional info and images added in 2023.

Addition: transfer lace punchcard repeats for Brother machines can vary, from 6 stitch patterns to 8, 12, and 24. Two blank rows (grey cells) would be added above the transfer marks (black dots) below to complete a single transfer repeat. The red line marks the centerline of the 24 stitches. Proof of concept swatches:
a slip stitch design repeat, punchcard-suitable, is redrawn with black dots representing knit stitches, and blank cells representing slipped/skipped ones. Empty circles along with red numbers mark the locations where stitches are transferred to the right or left, and empty needles are pushed back to A position, out of work/OOW, resulting in ladders. The appearance of the knit side, and the purl Vertical lace transfers: When working in a stocking stitch, if a soft-looking pleat is desired, the knitted fabric is simply folded to form the pleat and joined to keep the fold. Crisper folds require the added techniques described above. In hand-knitting fold lines are created by slipping stitches on the fold line on the “public side”. Assuming the latter is the knit side of the fabric, this is often indicated by “sl1 with yarn in the back” for the front fold line (and as another slip stitch option, with yarn in front for the back fold line). A purl stitch is more commonly worked on the same side of the knit for the opposing, inner fold. Both the slipped stitch and the purl one are purled on the return purl row pass. It is also possible to work the former purl stitch as a purl, resulting in a garter stitch inner fold.
To review, parts of pleats:

knife pleats may be put next to each other and pointing to the right (S) or the left (Z)

Box pleats are composed of alternating right and left knife pleats, pointing away from each other. Inverted box pleats are composed of one left and one right knife pleat, pointing toward each other.

Accordion pleas are a series of knife pleats in which the back of one pleat forms the face of the next

It is possible to knit folding pleats in a knitted stocking stitch with the pleats formed vertically rather than sideways. The two needles (highlighted in red) close together form the top hard outer ridge, and the two empty spaces where needles are out of work (red dots) form the under-fold. The remaining black dots represent out-of-work needles as well Normally, EON knitting is reserved for tuck lace or heavier yarns on standard machines. For my test swatch, I used a coarse 2/8 wool on tension 4

The fabric narrows considerably as it is stretched lengthwise to set the stitches. Several panels would be required for a garment such as a skirt. Such an item would need to be pulled into shape, pinned, and hot pressed. Fiber content will determine the crispness of the pleats after blocking, and their retention after cleaning. The swatch below is turned sideways for the sake of space. More variations with folds can be made by varying the “rules” commonly recognized for creases. Working sideways once more: on a punchcard machine, using card # 1 locked, cast on making certain every other needle as well as the first and last are selected.
In the swatch varies the number of all knit rows between creasing methods. Overlapping at fixed width at the top of the piece once the fabric is rotated lengthwise, creates a fair amount of bulk as pleats are fixed.
The all-knit sections could be combined with holding techniques to vary the width of pleats from one end to a different width than at the other.
The change knob remains set to KC throughout.
With no cam buttons selected, all stitches will knit.
After the desired number of rows, cam buttons are set to slip in both directions for at least 4 rows (commonly this is done for 2). Cancel the slip setting, complete the next knit section, and transfer every other needle to the adjacent one on either the right or left. The needles holding 2 stitches may be brought out to the hold position as each transfer is made, or pushed out to hold after the fact to insure the stitches have been transferred and will knit off properly. The number of needles in work remains constant. Change the cam buttons to tuck in both directions. On the first carriage pass, the empty needles will pick up a loop, on the second pass a second loop will be formed on those same needles. Cancel the tuck setting, and leave the needle selection on to form knit stitches once again, continue with the determined number of rows.
Repeat the process beginning with the slip stitch setting once more.
The yarn used is a 2/24 acrylic, seen here stretched flat. The slipped stitches form the inside folds in the pressed swatch, while eyelets and tuck stitches fold a picot edge to the outside. The placement of the holding sequences may be varied, with the eyelets allowed to form and considered a potential design feature. The number of slip floats or tucked stitches may also be altered by widening the slip repeat or lengthening it, and tucking on alternate pairs of stitches for usually no more than two rows. Extending the repeat to a punch card with slipped or tucked stitches flanked by a single knit stitch on either side. The outlined blocks of colored cells represent subsequent knit rows.
The folds to the purl side may also be created by simply doubling up the yarn for a single row. Both yarns in this case are 2/8 wool. The second color is used for illustration purposes but might be a design feature in some pieces, and is not clearly visible on the knit side. Hand selection aided by some of the standard multiple-selection tools is easy enough to use for tests on small swatches to determine resulting effects and preferences prior to any programming.
In this swatch, such increases are combined with holding techniques for what might become anything from an extended ruffle to a full skirt.
The issue with sideways knits is that the number of needles available and the knit gauge may limit the possible length of any garment produced in a single piece. Single bed pintucks may be made by knitting any number of rows on the top bed, followed by the use of every other needle selection to create slip-stitch floats on the machine to serve as markers. The short floats are picked up and hooked onto the corresponding needles in work after more knit rows.
Short-row shaping may be automated to include needle wrapping to diminish the size of the resulting eyelets. This photo is of a multiple-decades-old skirt that has been stored folded for years, as taken out of the storage box. It measures 26 inches in length, with a 97.5-inch bottom circumference. Single tuck and slipped stitches were used along with short rows to create intentionally soft folds.

Useful math calculators for planning wedges
A look at miters, spirals, and angles to create shapes
Some notes on circular shawls
Round yokes and more
Hems created using this technique are faster than those where every needle is rehung and may be stuffed or threaded with other materials ie suitable size plastic tubing, or upholstery cords for sculptural effects.

Planning is required for the best method as to how to join panels in items such as skirts.
Markers at regular counts added while the work is on the machine in areas that are to be folded or gathered into a waistband, yoke, or to other shaped pieces are useful.

Ayab: short rows automated with slipstitch

I have recently been reviewing some of my ideas for using slip-stitch to achieve fabrics normally created by hand-pulling needles for short rows. The samples for most charts below are found in previous posts on the topic. My hacked machine is presently being put to bed for a while as I work on some production pieces on KMs that allow me to produce predictable lengths of knitting. I will not be providing proof of concept swatches for every chart.

A bit on defining short row 2013/12/18/holding-stitches-short-rows/

2014/02/20/wisteria-cousin-revisited-holding-using-slip-stitch/

The carriage movements are partially illustrated below, beginning with the first-row pre-selection from left to right (red line/ arrow), which happens to be the only option when using ayab. Ayab also mirrors automatically, so either mirroring the rendered repeat or using the action mirror in software is required for the holding sequence to be correct. The lines indicate the direction of the carriage movement on each design row. Blocks need to be even numbers in height and may be adjusted in width. The full swing of the fabric in each direction needs to be programmed.

https://alessandrina.com/2013/12/28/short-rows_-balls-tams-3d-rounds/
here the holding sequence works toward the center Ayab will mirror it if drawn as is, which will place carriages in position for first preselection row to start from left, decreasing stitches in work

For increasing stitches in work rather than decreasing them, this illustrates the direction in which the carriages need to be moving. In this instance, the image needs to be mirrored to erase the software’s automatic doing so

Single bed pleats https://alessandrina.com/2013/01/21/automating-pleating/. This repeat is planned for each square representing both a single stitch and a single row. Since the width of the knit piece needs to be programmed when using Ayab, this approach may be used for anything from ruffles to sideways skirts. Additional information on designing is offered in the previous post, used as is

With a bit more planning and even using a garter bar, this is executable as well
https://alessandrina.com/2013/02/28/garter-bar-short-row-trim/
For a possible all-knit surface variant the repeat on the left is drawn, due to the auto mirror, no mirroring is required to obtain the knit rows in the directions illustrated on the right. Knit as is, the resulting eyelets including the larger one at the center can serve as “design features”. The motif on the left is mirrored as it would be by Ayab on the right. With narrow pieces of knitting, pay extra attention to beeps and flashes. Clearing the end marks on the needle bed may also be necessary to keep needle selection accurate, watch for yarn loop formation on either side as the result of having to travel that far from the end of the needles in work. “just for fun” 2017/06/11/crochet-meets-machine-knitting-techniques-working-with-short-rows/

Category search:
machine-knitting/short-rowing

Charting knits using Mac Numbers 2

From 2012, Numbers 3.2.2: printing graph paper to desired cell dimensions: I chose to change preference for rulers to point units (options are for centimeters, inches, and points). Online conversion between units of measurement and PostScript points may be calculated (if needed) using calculators ie.
http://www.unitconversion.org/unit_converter/typography.html

default cell size in cm and points

Click on the table icon at top of your document screen, to right of function icon; select first choice on left, second row

a place to start

Uncheck alternating rows on the sidebar at right

Click anywhere on the screen, use command all to select all table cells. Choose row and column size, typing in your desired values or using arrows provided, hit return.

Click anywhere on the table to get additional markings to appear again. With your mouse, grab and drag symbol on the bottom right and all units on the sheet will be resized to displayed measurements

as you do so you will also have the benefit of viewing the number of rows and columns in your document.

For thicker, darker, or even differed colored and types of lines changes are easily made working with borders menus

Clicking on any cell leaves only your graph; selecting print from your file menu prints exactly what appears as the sheet number chosen, and /or have saved; additional adjustment options are offered on right

Click on the white part of your sheet, only your chart will be viewable and ready for printing. If a PDF is desired, choose Export to -> PDF from the file menu.

The last online manual for numbers 09 is available here. The program has changed significantly in appearance and in some of its functions since then.

I have been exploring numbers out of necessity since upgrading my Mac to the latest OS, thus losing availability to Office, and therefore to Excel. I recently published a post using Numbers for color separations in knits and decided to attempt to explore the program further. Here I am reviewing and sharing some of the process and information I now use in creating my blog’s knit charts. There is no recent, full manual for the program.

The format bar that may be familiar to users of older versions

the Graphic inspector

Tips immediately below are extracted from Online apple support Numbers 5.0.

A list of keyboard shortcuts edited by me for use with colored cells

“Undo” restores the previous state, may be used multiple times to reverse several steps. Redo will cancel it. The program autosaves. The option “revert changes” when closing the program erases all changes since its previous launch session. “Revert to” under file menu offers an opportunity to browse previous saves and restore them, similar to using the time machine in older versions of the program and Mac OS.

Frequently there are more options for achieving any desired result.

Building a knit chart: choose a default table from

Use format table in

In the Format sidebar to the right of the document to change features such as table name, headers, footers, as well as colors, and row and column size,

or click anywhere in table and select all (Command A), choose no fill option on right to remove any default colors
Choose a border color and line weight. If accustomed to working with black as a color in your chart building, starting off with a colored border will make the black cells easier to count. The change may be made at any stage of the design

Determine column and row size using format cell menu on the sidebar at right. I tend to work in cell size 24-29 pt square shapes. These values may be easily adapted if one chooses to draw in knit proportioned cells for more closely approaching gauge or estimating elongation in fabrics such as DBJ. Border colors may be also be adjusted or changed at any point, globally, for single lines, or to outline blocks of cells. Clicking on a column tab “letter” and dragging its border on one side or the other will change its width, and the new point value is visible on a shape with a black ground while doing so. Top or bottom drag a “number” in the tab for rows at left for column height changes and viewing the changing value display. Undo will revert the change.

Review for basics for enlarging the table with cells with no fills: reference tab numbers on left may be used to refer to rows. Reference tab letters at the top may be used to refer to columns. Drag the table handle to move the table. Click the column handle to add one column, drag it to add multiple columns. Click the row handle to add one row, drag it to add multiple rows. It is not necessary to press shift while dragging either symbol for multiple adds. Drag the column and row handle to the right to add columns, down for rows, and diagonally to add columns and rows at the same time. Reference tabs are active while the chart is being worked on. They disappear if any area outside the table is clicked on. Creating a chart initially larger than the planned design offers a larger field to “draw on” to start with.

To draw shapes in color: click on a cell, choose your color 1 from the menu on right by clicking on the rectangle to the right of “fill”

To copy cells within a table, or to another table, drag the selected cells while holding down the option key. You can also copy cells by selecting them, choosing Edit > Copy (Command C), selecting destination cells, and then choosing Edit > Paste (Command V). You can also paste a cell€™s content into multiple cells, which don€™t have to be adjacent to the copied cell or to each other. After copying a cell, select the destination cells and choose Edit > Paste. The cell€™s contents are copied to all the destination cells, in the same or another table, replacing any existing content. An alternative way to draw motifs in different colors: holding down command key select cells that will compose the desired shape

choose the current fill color again to fill the outlined areas

adding a second color: click on a cell, choose the second fill color

hold down command, select cells for a new shape

color fill

repeat with color 3, and continue on

Not enough columns or rows for your motif? Click on top right or on the bottom left will copy and add the previous column or row including content to clear unwanted filled cells in the added field, select column or row from tab reference letters (columns) or numbers (rows), choose “fill” as no fill

To insert multiple rows or columns at once: Anywhere in the table, select a number of rows or columns equal to the number of rows or columns you want to insert, “click the arrow” next to one of the selected row numbers or column letters, then choose Add Rows Above or Add Rows Below (or Add Columns Before or Add Columns After). The arrows are visible as you hover or click in either tab, seen more easily when working in larger magnification, and often clicked on while unaware of doing so in lower magnifications

Alternately, click on table and in turn click and drag at the bottom right up, down, left or right for further adjustments to the total number of available cells,or simply repeat the fill in the selected column or row along with creating the added cells, and select areas to remove any unwanted color. In some instances, the added colored cells could serve as a deliberate design feature

Adding columns and rows above or below and columns before or after using the table menu. Options are greyed out until a row or column is selected.

options also appear when you click on the arrow in the row or column reference tabs

Adding specific rows above or below can help scale coordinated designs. To add rows after a particular row, make sure the bottom row selected is the one after which you want the new rows added; to add rows before a particular row, make sure the top row selected is the one before which you want the new rows added. Then choose Table > Add Rows Above or Table > Add Rows Below,

or use keyboard shortcuts to add a row above a selected cell, press Option-Up Arrow. To add a row below a selected cell, press Option-Down Arrow. To add a row at the end of the table, press Return while the last cell is selected. To add a column after a selected cell, press Option-Right Arrow. To add a column before a selected cell, press Option-Left Arrow. To add columns after a particular column, make sure the rightmost column selected is the one after which you want the new columns added; to add columns before a particular column, make sure the leftmost column selected is the one before which you want the new columns added. Then choose one of the commands above. You can also use the Tab key to add a column to the right side of the table.

To delete a single row or column, hold the pointer over the row or column reference tab to see the menu arrow, and then choose Delete Row or Delete Column from the pop-up menu.
To delete several adjacent rows or columns, select the rows or columns and then choose Delete Selected Rows or Delete Selected Columns from the pop-up menu of a selected row€™s or column€™s reference tab.
To delete empty rows, drag the lower-left Row handle up or drag the lower-right Column handle up.
To remove rows with content, hold down the Option key while dragging.
To delete empty columns, drag the upper-right Column handle on inward.
To remove columns with content, hold down the Option key while dragging.
Moving a cell or groups of cells: select and choose group by using cell handles or commands, immediately click on the same selection again, and drag it to a new position within the same table. Moving the selection outside the table, onto a blank portion of the sheet creates a new table.

Having a large table area to work on allows for copying and pasting repeats in different configurations.

Added ways of working with cell groups: to select adjacent table cells, select a single cell, and then hold down the Shift key as you select adjacent cells. You can also click a cell, press, and then drag its handles through a range of cells. As seen above, to select nonadjacent table cells, hold down the Command key as you select cells. Continue to hold the key, and use Command-click to deselect any cell in the group.

Adding, copying, and pasting tables or portions of them. Clicking on the + beside sheet # will create a new default table, on a new sheet, a new sheet of “graph paper”.

Tables and their data may be copied and pasted from one sheet onto another, or on the same sheet. To add a new table in the same sheet from available templates click in the toolbar, then click a table or drag one to the sheet. Reviewing process once more: Move the table: Click the table, then drag in its top-left corner. Add or remove rows: Click the table, then drag in its bottom-left corner down or up. Resize the table: Click the table, click in its top-left corner, then shift-drag the white square in its bottom-right corner to resize the table proportionally. Change the alternating row color setting: Click the table; in the Format sidebar, click the Table tab; then deselect or select Alternating Row Color. (To choose a different color, click the color well.). Change the look of the new table: Click the table, then use the controls in the Table tab of the sidebar to make changes, such as adding a table outline or changing the table font size. To delete the table click the table, click in its top-left corner, then press Delete on your keyboard. An alternative way to create a new table matching presets is to copy a blank segment of one of your existing tables and paste them, adding and subtracting more blank squares, or even to copy a full table with color designs, and simply remove color fill after pasting.

Selecting a portion of a table that contains graphics and choosing copy and paste will reproduce the selected portion as a new table, usually at the upper left of the sheet, sometimes on top of a preexisting table. When working on large charts, the pasted table may be “hard to find”. Reducing magnification to 25% sometimes makes that easier, since larger sheet area then comes into view. Clicking on any tables and dragging on the at their upper left allows one to move the contents to its desired location.

Fine-tuning table size and positions may also be achieved by changing values in the size and position sidebar format options. Click on arrows for default size moves, or click in respective value boxes and type in the desired number, hit return

Some of my tables have table 1 above the graphics, some not. That can be changed by clicking on the table name box in the format table menu

or click the table, Control-click the row number for row 1, then choose Hide Table Name or Show Table NameTriple-click the name at the top of the table, then type a new name to rename it. Keeping a “name” helps track versions such as when working in color separations, where a whole table is repeated and altered in a series of steps while preserving the previous one. Below a table segment is selected, copied and pasted as a new table. The new table is moved into a position next to the original. To combine the tables in order to create a new design, choose arrange from the format menu. In this instance, I chose to position the new table by clicking on it and selecting the back paste option. Once you click on a blank part of the sheet, the table tabs will disappear. The tables are visually merged, but in fact remain separate tables, each of which can be moved, resized, added to, and otherwise altered.

It is also possible when working on 2 tables to select and cut out a segment or more. Below, the table with the cut-out window is moved onto its unaltered table twin and shifted up (note numbers on right, and red border segments)

A different “table” with the same cell dimensions, may also be dragged and placed under (or over) the “cut” portion of the first. My placement here is slightly off intentionally to show table placements for under/ in back

and placement over/ in front

To screen grab tables with row, column tabs, and corner bullet markings click on any individual table cell (note the outlined cell with handle markings upper left and lower right), and use shift-command-4 to select area for saving. For a multiple-table grouping, hold the shift key while clicking anywhere in any single cell contents of multiple tables, and while still holding shift, add command-4 commands, select and save. Clicking anywhere outside the tables on the “sheet” results in tabs and bullets disappearing. Click on any cell in any table again, to move it, or make any other adjustments needed.

A helpful yellow dot: for sequential numbering in any row or column, fill in a minimum of 2 with number values ie 1, 2, 3, select all the numbered cells, a yellow dot will appear on the right click on it and drag across the row of cells you wish to number and doneFor numbering in the opposite direction, simply begin numbering on the right in reverse order for at least 2 cells, and use the same technique. For vertical numbering, once again, use the same principle at the top or bottom of the column you wish to number.
Multiple numbers, symbols, or letters in repeat (wish I knew of this feature or its possible availability in my earlier charting)Any table may be adjusted to accommodate adding text, shapes, or to expand on instructions. Working with shapes merits its own, separate discussion.

My favorite font, used in most of my charts that begin to address specific fabrics such as lace by adding symbols, is no longer available for distribution. For more on symbols and fonts see post

If colored cells are in use and text or symbols are added to any such cell, the ground color may be lost. If a color is added to that cell after the text/symbol entry ie by copy and paste of a colored cell, the text is lost. Arrange behind from the format menu does not work in this instance. The quickest method is to use the command key, click on any cell containing only the chosen color you wish to use behind the text, drag and drop selected content onto text, and the color will appear behind it.
Another method is to use command key, click on the chosen colored cell, use format menu to choose color fill, click on the original cell and the one you now wish to color, finally choose color fill from the format menu again

Online published shortcuts for using the program with downloadable as PDF