Category: Machine knitting (MK)

Bowknot/ Butterfly stitch on the machine

A recent Pinterest post got me searching out some of the fabrics in this group. In hand knitting, floats creating the butterflies/ bowknots are usually apparent on the knit side. For two such patterns please see http://www.knittingstitchpatterns.com/2014/11/butterfly-bowknots.html

http://www.knittingstitchpatterns.com/2015/04/butterfly.html

https://handlife.ru/vazanie/obemnyy-uzor.html caught my attention. Here we have a combination of knit and purl stitches, with floats formed on the purl side, making the fabric or a “cousin” of it possible on the machine This is my first experiment with gathered slip stitch floats on the purl side of the knit. To begin, this chart indicates one punchcard pattern’s full repeat in width.  Four repeats in length would be required (the punchcard minimum repeat in length to achieve smooth continuous card feeding is 36 rows). Punch out blue squares, leaving white ones unpunched. A single repeat (outlined in black, 8 stitches by 12 rows) is for use in electronic patterning, where one may alternately draw or program white squares, then use color reverse.  The red line represents 0 needle position in Brother KM

Pitch on H5, ribber needles are centered between main bed ones, so the “knot” width, represented by white squares, can be even in number. Begin with the first needle left of 0 (red line) in the work position, continue across ribber bed with every 4th needle in work

The main bed knits in a slip stitch pattern for 4 rows, then knits 2 rows across all stitches. Floats are created every blank row throughout, composing the knots or butterflies. The ribber is set to knit (N,<–>N, will pick up stitches only on selected needles.
The fabric is a slip stitch one, so it will be short and narrow. That is something to be considered when planning cast on, bind off, and beginning and ending edges of the piece.
In Japanese machines, a ribber comb is recommended. If casting on the single bed, start with waste yarn, poke the comb through that, and proceed as you would for any other rib fabric.

My sample is knit on a 910, with white squares drawn. This is what happens when you forget to color reverse. The all-blue squares now became “white”, so those 2 rows were slipped, not knit, bringing float repeats closer together the result with color reverse working out a mylar, electronic (unless DM 80 40 stitch width is in use) repeat for a variation of the fabric knit single bed. The stitch count is odd,  allowing for a center stitch manipulation. KCI is used to make certain the first and last needles knit on each side. Floats created close to edges may be left without hooking them up. The fabric separates slightly along the “bowknot”  edges because color-reverse is used, blue squares in chart slip, create floats when Rows 6 and 12 are reached respectively, that single square becomes a non- selected needle, and pick up those floats with any preferred tool lift them up and onto that single non selected needle, push that needle out to hold
with the next pass the single needle and loops knit off together and become part of the alternating all knit block in the design
the swatches are knit in a 2/15 wool, the fabric might be better served using a thicker yarn. Here the “blocks” creating  “floats” are side by side

For another single bed cousin in different weight yarn, please see the previous post 

Fabrics worked on the single bed with groups of pulled-up stitches on the purl side will have some distortion of the stocking stitch side depending on the weight of yarn used, the number of rows hooked up, and stitch type. Working on the opposite bed to create the floats produces a more balanced fabric.

My charts often evolve. This may be done on graph paper if there is no access to the software. I began adding a space between each block, thinking about those knit stitches I wanted to create on the purl ground, hooking stitches up on red squares adding border stitches, and more theory on the placement of stitch type
the result places “knit” stitches in the center of butterfly (magenta arrow), not at its sides, and I see and extra purl stitch (green arrow). Multiple stitch-wide borders create unwanted floats on one side
back to the drawing board and working things out first as a hand technique

I began with my carriage on the right (COR), after setting up the repeat on a multiple of 6 stitches +3 as indicated above. The last stitch on either side on both beds is never transferred, and the short loops of every other set (rows 5 and 17 in the chart) are not hooked up. This will produce a slightly rolled edge on each side. The larger number of border stitches becomes problematic. The photos were taken while knitting 2 different swatches, so needle tape markings are not the same in all photos. To produce the circular knit, opposite part buttons are pushed in so with carriage on the right (COR), the settings would be

Cast on in any preferred method, ending with all stitches on the ribber Configure main bed needles as illustrated in a stand-alone setup row at the bottom of the chart With carriages traveling from right to left, the main bed knits on those single needles, creating floats between them and the ribber slips. When carriages travel from left to right, only the ribber knits, and the main bed slips. Here the carriages have traveled to the left, and back to the right 
With row counter (RC) set to 000 at the start of the knit, hand techniques occur on RC 5, 11, 17, 23, 29, and so on. Hooking up loops and transferring stitches between beds always occur with carriages on the left (COL). On those rows, the floats are hooked up on the center needle of the 5 empty groups. In this photo, the ribber is dropped to show what is happening on each bed. The last stitches on each bed are not moved, and those short floats, when created on completion of alternate repeat top halves, are not hooked up after the three floats have been hooked up, with COL each time, the in-between main bed stitches are transferred back down to ribberCOL: be sure when hooking up floats that all in the series are picked up. The space between the beds is fairly narrow, and the tool used is purely preference-based. Shifting the main bed needles forward will provide a visual check for loop count as you go. I bring needles with multiple loops out to hold before transferring to the ribber, and then also the transferred stitches on the ribber out to hold to ensure they will all knit on the next pass from left to right. Patterning occurs on every 6th needle on both beds, except border stitch groups

this is the needle arrangement/position in my final swatch, knit in 2/8 wool, COR

So what can be automated in the process? The knit bed needs to work the stitches that form floats every other row, while the card or mylar need to advance every row. Trying patterns out as an all-hand technique helps determine tolerance on the part of the machine and the degree of patience available. With thinner yarn, the fabric would be more compressed, and maneuvering stitches more frequently to achieve similar finished size knits, so I switched to a thicker yarn. I found more than 3 rows of floats were too hard for me to manage successfully.  “Air knitting” to determine the placement of knitting on any bed before patterning helps determine the number of needles in use, especially if edge needle placement or count matters: here is the first pass using my mylar  eliminating needles to any desired width, leaving only one needle in work on each side of selected needle each bed for this fabric reducing main bed count so only one needle is left on either side of a selected one that needle (green arrow, gets transferred down to ribber now the number of needles involved on both beds is evident on both beds

While knitting in the pattern the ribber pitch is set on P (point to point) to keep stitches on opposing beds centered (P pitch also makes it easier to transfer directly from one bed to the other). If the cast-on is for every other needle rib with stitches then transferred between beds for pattern knitting set up, the cast-on and all rib rows need to be knit in H pitch, with a switch to P for transfers and knitting in pattern to be completed. With the first row set up on the selected segment of the needle bed, there are additional steps to take.

This is my working repeat. Since it is 6 stitches wide, it could be worked out on a punchcard, punching out all black squares. On my mylar, I marked yellow squares only, with no color reverse
To work consistently with the method described in the larger chart, the first row was manually set up on both beds preparing for the pattern with COL: change knob set to KCII (cancel end needle selection, not every needle in work on the main bed), KC set to slip <–>, so non selected needles slip with each pass of the carriages, advancing the mylar or card one row. The ribber set to N/N or as below will knit from left to right. Pre-selection row is made traveling to the right, ribber only knits

With COR: set RC (row counter) to 000. Make certain proper part (slip) buttons are engaged. MB knits in the pattern based on selected needles, ribber knits when moving from left to right. The fabric is tubularHand techniques will now also occur when carriages are on the left, on RC 5, 11, etc as described in the hand technique chart, on rows with no needle selection. As in hand tech, transfers and multiple loops containing needles are brought out to hold before moving the carriages from left to right and selecting the needles for the next set of floats with that same pass.

This is my resulting fabric, hand tech shown, the short mylar test above was cropped

A return to Brother ribber and DBJ settings

I have recently been asked about DBJ on the bulky machine, ribber setting options are offered at the bottom of this post. More to follow.

Ribber settings vary from one brand of machine to another. Here is a review of the Brother carriage features

Back in 2015, I wrote on quilting on the machine, using the carriage representation below. Here lili buttons are positioned for use

I no longer have Adobe programs available to me, for this post my images were created in Mac Pages. I have simplified the illustrated button and cam settings in red.

I tend to knit most if not all my rib fabrics with the slide lever in the center position (marked lili on the carriage, blue dot). This avoids accidental changes when altering the settings for sections of garments or forgetting to reset it ie. if one uses a ribbed band in a sweater front on one setting and accidentally uses a different one in the back, there will be a difference in width and height between the 2 bands that can be quite noticeable, and is not apparent until the garment pieces are completed and ready for seaming.

If you prefer to start with a 2 X 2 industrial rib, arrange needles to give a neat join at seams, plying yarns may again be required to give the rib more body. racking cast on may be used, avoiding transfers between beds after an every needle cast on Diana Sullivan shows one method of working and illustrates needle arrangement and transitions to main bed knitting well. Alternative needle setups:

I personally never do 3 circular rows after the first cast-on row: it will produce floats on one side of the rib, which may be noticeable in your final fabric on one of the 2 garment sides.

To close holes when transitioning to garment pieces in other than every needle ribs, rack the beds one full turn, knit 2 rows, rack back again, and proceed as needed for the desired fabric

The lili buttons on the ribber are representations of every other needle set up, akin to the 1X1 card use on the main bed. It is essential for an even number of needles to be in use when the lili buttons are in use (pushed in, and turned toward the lili markings on each side of the ribber carriage, R to R, L to L). An easy way to ensure the even number is to look at the needle tape markings, which alternate between dashes and blank spaces between them. A line/ dash and space make a pair, so if you start with a needle on a line, the last needle on the opposing side needs to be on a blank space or vice versa. The holding cam lever remains in N position throughout these illustrations.

simple rib 

Setting for slip stitch: raising levers to P position will result in stitches slipping when the ribber carriage moves in that direction

slip to right slip to left slip in both directions

Setting for tucking on ribber: it is possible to tuck on every needle on either bed when knitting every needle rib, as long as the needle on each side of the stitch forming the tuck loop on the opposing bed is creating a knit stitch, anchoring down those tuck loops on each side.

tuck to left tuck to right tuck in both directions

Double bed patterning DBJ
The most balanced fabrics are achieved when no more than 2 colors on any single design row are used, and the number of rows knit on the ribber total the same as the number of rows knit on the main bed. It is possible to knit designs with 3 or more colors per row. With Japanese standard machines, this would require a color separation, automatic ones are limited to 2 colors per row (Passap built-in techniques have a range of other options). The more strands of yarn, the thicker and heavier the fabric, with distortion in the aspect ratio of the design. As with single bed fabrics, double bed slip stitch creates knits that are short and skinny, tuck creates short and wide ones. As stitches slip, tuck, or get longer there will also be “bleed-through” of the alternate color on the front, “knit” face of the fabric. In small, balanced repeats this can create a color mix that may make the result either interesting or confusing. Garment swatches need to be larger than usual for when knitting single bed. I tend to use at least 80 or 100 stitches/rows on both beds to calculate garments.

When using no more than 2 colors per row, Japanese machines offer the option of a color separation that knits one design row per row, which is an added way to reduce motif elongations in the finished knit. Passap knitters may use tech 179 to achieve the same result. For different separation methods for double-bed fabrics, see color separation posts on them.

Brother lili buttons: illustrations found in brother manuals for their actions, an even number of needles in work on ribber is required

bird’s eye (lili <-   ->): this is a common type of slip stitch. One pass of the carriage causes every other needle to knit. As the ribber carriage moves back to the starting side, the alternate needles knit, producing a single row of color. This helps double-check on the color used on the last row knit when knitting is interrupted on the color changer side. When knitting in 2 colors per row the fabric is fairly well balanced

tucked bird’s eye backing (lili <-   ->) with slip pattern on MB: if no cam buttons are pushed in on the Main bed, and the carriage is set to normal knit with no pattern selection, lili buttons on ribber will behave as though the 1X1 card is in use, no elongation or other changes are possible without changing levers manually as often as needed

tucked bird’s eye backing (lili <-   ->) as above, with main bed set to tuck the main color and slip the contrast, requires manually resetting cam buttons with each color change, or alternately tucking the main color, knitting the contrast

color 1                                            color 2

striper (double) backing: fabric is unbalanced, twice as many rows of ribber stitches as main bed ones, the design is elongated, but the fabric is softer and more flexible

single (half) striper backing: fairly well balanced. The ribber knits only one row for each 2 passes of the carriages, so for 2 colors again, there are no extra rows knit. Part button on ribber may be engaged on either side tubular: either pair of opposite part buttons used tucked half Milano: when using tuck/slip combinations opposite cam buttons are used i.e. if right tuck cam button is pushed in, then the left slip button is also main bed <–> tucked jacquard: each needle on the ribber knits every row. Needles on the main bed knit in pattern according to punched holes, black squares on mylar, or programmed pixels. Non selected needles tuck. The patterns produced on the backside of the fabric are almost the reverse images of the front. Because so many tuck loops are formed the fabric is “short” and very wide, so cast ons and bind offs need to be planned accordingly

variation: tucking the main color, knitting the contrast, manual cam button reset every 2 rows

solid backing: the part buttons on the ribber are reversed manually on the left side of the machine when the color changes are made. The solid backing color knits on the ribber when both part buttons are down (N<–>N), the second color will be slipped with both the part buttons in the up position.  For an interesting effect use wool for solid back color 2,  other fiber for color 1, and felt the result.

2 rows color 12 rows color 2 (solid back color)

See altering a sinker plate for producing this fabric using a second KC to knit rows only on the top bed, no ribber setting changes required.

tuck/plain combo: requires manually changing cam button settings on the main bed every 2 rows, change knob remains on pattern selection setting

2 rows color 12 rows color 2

no automatic patterning on the main bed, change knob on N for English or half fisherman rib: tuck every needle either direction on ribber only

full fisherman rib: tuck every needle alternately on both beds, in opposite carriage directions (below = L/R, or use R/L)

Vertical striper backing and “ladder-back” variations involving some hand manipulation and selection of needles in work are also alternatives for DBJ backing.

I have for decades and in my posts referred to this part as the ribber sinker plate; technically it is called the connecting arm in the Brother literature. There were slight differences between model years for them as well. Later connecting arms were branded with the number 2, earlier ones were not.

For knitting DBJ with the unmarked connecting arm, it was suggested in later manuals that an accessory be used: the result with the plate in place is a change in the height of the metal from the needles with stitches in work as seen below with the plate secured in place

more on non-repetitive dbj images and ribber parts and settings:
two-color-dbj-non-repetitive-images/

ribber-fabrics-produced-with-2-knit-carriages-selecting-needles/

geometric-shapes-on-ribber-fabrics-with-tuck-stitches-2-knitting-with-4-carriages/

DBJ on bulky KR 260: parts as described in the ribber manual, followed by possible settings  slip to right slip to left slip both directions tuck to right tuck to left tuck both directions

Revisiting drop / release stitch lace 1

Hand knitters may be familiar with drop-stitch patterns where the yarn is wrapped multiple times around the knitting needle, followed by knit stitch(es). On the next row, when the wrap is reached, the extra wraps are dropped off the needle, and the remaining single loop is knit in a regular manner. On the knitting machine this technique is called drive and mesh lace, release stitch or summer fair isle by Passap, and drop stitch lace in some of the pattern books. Drive lace typically has lines of patterning where loops are formed between rows of all knit stitches. The main fabric, stockinette, is knitted and produced by either bed. Selected needles knit pattern stitches on the other bed for one or more rows, then are dropped from those needles, unraveling back to their starting point, creating the larger, open stitches. Sometimes a distinction is made between terms used, in drive lace the bulk of the punchcard is left blank, and there are far fewer marks than in drive lace. In mesh lace the balance of holes to punched or blank areas is 50/50 or more punched areas than blanks, often the “holes” or black squares are side-by-side.
Drive lace marks out the shape of the pattern, mesh forms the background. Blank rows across the width of the repeat allow the knitting of plain rows between dropped stitches including ones, separating the series of holes, or stabilizing the fabric.
Both types of mesh may be combined in the same fabric, with dropping planned on the same rows. The diamond on the left represents drive lace, and the one on the right is a mesh version. On the right, solid “lines” echo the shape. Repeat is suitable for punch cards but may be altered to suit both cards and electronics. revised with fewer single dots, and solid lines in the ground The fabric may be created both as a hand technique or using automated patterning. In sources that show loops being formed on the ribber, stitches are released by uncoupling the ribber carriage and moving it across the knitting and then back to its original spot, thus dropping the stitches. In Studio machines the P carriage may be used to drop stitches, see previous posts on modifying one for use on Brother KM.
The tension setting on the patterning bed affects the loop size and its tension is frequently one to three numbers looser than the all-knit bed tension. In Brother machines, the ribber knits at a tighter gauge than the main bed, so take that into consideration and adjust it when knitting all knit rows on every needle on the ribber, where the tension may need to be loosened one or more numbers than when knitting same yarn in stocking stitch on the main bed. Matching tension numbers on both beds may provide enough of a difference in stitch size for loop formation. The difference in gauge between the beds also merits calculating adjustments when knitting in circular or U format.
Releasing stitches may happen after every pattern row, after groups of pattern rows (such as bubbles or check patterns), or even at times when knitting is completed. With groups of pattern rows, I have had better results with more frequent stitch releases. Two types of mesh can be created. Stockinette mesh has an equal number of rows on both beds. The result is enlarged stocking stitches along with narrower, single-bed ones on any one row. Half Milano mesh has a horizontal ridge on the purl side with 2 rows knit on the all-knit fabric bed, to every one row on the patterning bed. One of the rows has the patterning bed slip every needle, with the ribber only knitting, the second row forms the combination size stitches as discussed previously. In patterning in Brother KMs, this would need to have such rows added to the programmed design. The fabric is a bit more “stable”. Passap offers multiple techniques for dropping stitches, often referred to as summer fair isle, and using 2 colors per row. Different looks are achieved by changing the built-in technique number, as well as when using a stitch ditcher on every row knit, as opposed to using empty passes of locks to drop the stitches.

Previous posts on the topic
2012/09/24/working-out-the-kinks-in-my-drop-stitch-lace-saga/
2013/10/19/drop-stitch-lace-2-colors-per-row-Japanese-machines
2013/10/16/drop-stitch-lace-2-colors-per-row-passap-km/
2013/10/19/drop-stitch-lace-2-colors-per-row-Japanese-machines/
2015/06/14/geometric-shapes-in-drop-stitch-lace-brother-km/
2015/06/16/geometric-shapes-in-drop-stitch-lace-2-brother-km/
2015/06/18/geometric-shapes-in-drop-stitch-lace-3-end-release/
2018/01/16/drop-stitch-lace-using-ayab-software

knitting patterns with no blank knit rows between loop formation 2015/06/16/geometric-shapes-in-drop-stitch-lace-2-brother-km/
2015/06/18/geometric-shapes-in-drop-stitch-lace-3-end-release/

stitch dropping tools
2012/09/21/knit-bubbles-and-stitch-ditchers-dumpers/
2015/06/10/brother-kms-pile-knitting-ribbed-stitch-dropping-tools/
from an old Studio KM Japanese publication, using their tool and what appears to be a lace repeat

another related fabric: 2017/10/18/revisiting-knit-bubbles-brother-km/
using ribber cast on comb for an open cast on  either bed
2017/02/14/ribber-cast-on-comb-open-stitch-single-bed-cast-on/

Working with positive and negative space variations: the repeat is suitable for any machine, my sample is executed on Brother KM. Since alternate, all blank rows have no needle selection, before knitting that row (ribber only will knit), dropping stitches knit on the main bed on the previous row will not alter the pattern using any method you prefer, set up knitting so all stitches are on the ribber. If you prefer to set up complete repeats prior to watching, “air knitting” prior to ribber set up or using the position option on the main bed if that is available, will help achieve that set knit carriage to KC II (used when patterning does not occur on every needle across the needle bed), both part buttons pushed in for free pass to the opposite side of km, no knitting occurs but the first row of pattern knitting is selected. Ribber is set to N<–> throughout the carriages now move to the opposite side, selected needles on the main bed pick up loops, and nonselected needles stay empty. Ribber knits every stitch using a ribber cast on comb, stitch “dumper”, or another tool, move needles holding stitches forward to drop loops, and return empty needles to work position (B)as carriages move to the opposite side, needles are selected for next row of knit stitches to be knit on main bed carriages now move to the opposite side, loops are picked up on selected needles all needles are now not selected, above stitches/ loops are dropped, needles are returned to B position before the next carriages’ pass carriages move to the opposite side, selecting pattern needles carriages move to the opposite side, picking up loops before carriages move again, drop stitches formed. Watch loops after they are dropped, if tugging knitting it is not enough to pull them out of the way of needles returning to patterning, take a tool, or something like a credit card. Slide it from one side to the other between the beds, thus keeping loops clear away from the main bed

In summary; assuming one is starting on the right side of the machine COR
step 1. <-  the carriages select needles that will form loops
step 2. ->  the carriages knit, picking up loops
step 3. drop the loops just formed, returning all empty needles to the B position
step 4+ repeat 1-3 for the entire length of the piece
My sample was knit in slightly fuzzy wool. Smooth, thinner yarns result in longer stitches whose patterns get read more easily. Because wool has “memory” the vertical edges tend to roll to the purl side and return to rolling even after heavy pressing and steaming. There are a couple of spots where no long stitch was created due to markings on the mylar not being dark enough.
Other things to consider: this fabric widens when blocked, so cast on, bind off, and beginning and ending edges need to accommodate that. This particular design creates a fairly balanced fabric. In many drop-stitch fabrics, it is recommended that edges contain stitches dropped in the pattern in order to maintain vertical length at the edges. To achieve that, the first and last needles on both sides should be on the main bed. That said, having an all-knit border (stitches knitting only on ribber, no dropped stitches) may work well in your pattern, or pull edges in too tightly when compared to the all-over motif released repeats. Testing on your swatch can be achieved easily by simply taking some needles on the main bed out of work on one side, thus creating the “all-knit border”. The latter can happen by accident if not all needles are returned to the B position properly after dropping stitches.

It is possible to produce a drop stitch pattern on the bulky machine or depending on the yarn, knit with heavier yarn on EON on the standard machine. The resulting “patterns” happen with varying the number of rows used to knit in each color, which has not been addressed in previous posts. I prefer to use patterning on the top bed to select needles, but this pattern may also be knit as a hand technique, using the ribber to produce the loops that will be dropped. This page from the ribber techniques book reviews the baseline process and settings

purl side is shown first for each segment, followed by its knit

Punchcard knitters are not excluded from creating these fabrics. Some punchcard sets supplied with machine purchases were published for Silver Reed Machines, two such sets are available for download ie. Silver Reed-Singer R-2 Standard Punchcards For SR360 Ribber and the same in a 30 stitch version making them suitable Silver Reed-Singer FRP70 30 Stitch Ribber Punchcards. One such card easily translates to one color drop stitch. Changing fiber content affects the scale of resulting patterns and the size of the dropped stitches, the yellow sample was knit using a wool rayon, and the purple cotton used the same tensions. If using punchcard machines, factory issue punch cards provided with the KM may be usedPlaiting is also possible, but depending on the color choice the pattern may become muddied A slip stitch edge may be planned to keep edges of items such as scarves from rolling consider top and bottom edgings that include the technique (illustrated in the previous post) Adding complexity: dropped stitches may be combined with other stitch types, shown here in combination with tuck stitch on the main bed, dropped loops created on the ribber. Stitches are transferred up to the top bed. The KC is set to tuck, the ribber episodically picks up loops across the whole row, and they are dropped on the following pass; it is then set to slip when the main bed is returned to tucking An alternative way to produce this fabric on Brother is to use the knit carriage with no yarn to do the “stitch ditching”. The basic design programmed into any brother machine, electronic or punchcard will need to be altered. The intended design in my sample is a 4 X 4 square, colors represent what would be punched holes, black squares, or pixels. Simple block patterns such as these may be released upon completion of each “square” series, in this case, after 4-row segments. Two rows are added at the top of each “square”, one repeating the motif width, the next completely free of any markings Rows 5 and 6, 11, and 12 are not part of the original repeat. The 5th design row provides needle selection, traveling from right to left. When the carriage passes in turn from left to right with no yarn, those preselected needles will drop while preselecting a blank design row (6) that allows the carriage to return to the left-hand side. As it moves back to the left, the carriage will preselect the first row of the design. With COL yarn is picked up in order to knit the next set of dropped stitches. A color change may be made while the carriage is on the left.
Begin with all stitches transferred and in the work position on the ribber only. Every needle will be in work on both beds for the remaining fabric. The ribber half-pitch lever is on H. With COR set the change knob to KC, preselecting from right to left for the first row to be knit after pushing both part buttons. This allows the KC to travel to the left without forming any loops or stitches, but the preselecting first row of the pattern. Change color if using more than one color, knit 4 rows. color 3 (or 2) can be an empty feeder. Change to color empty so yarn(s) in use are held until picked up again and there is no yarn in the ribbers sinker plate yarn feeder. There are 2 options for dropping stitches. One is to disengage the KC from the ribber, it will be picked up again as you move into the color changer to pick up the yarn once more. The other is to keep the carriages paired, set the ribber to slip for 2 rows, then back to knit as you return to the color changer, pick up the yarn again, and continue to knit. If row count is important ie in making a garment, the row counter gets turned off for the 2 rows when stitches are dropped, remember to turn it back on when knitting the next 4 pattern rows. I personally find this fussier and more error-prone than other methods I have described. My swatch is knit in acrylic thin yarns and lightly steamed, so bubbles have flattened out considerably. The fabric is related to that shown in the ribber techniques book, page 23, created by picking loops up from the ribber combined with racking.
This is my ayab repeat, this time executed by configuring the knitting to begin on the last pattern row 16 for that first preselection row from left to right instead of altering the repeat itself More to try: the typical appearance to look for in the source inspiration is that of single-row horizontal geometric designs with all blank rows separating them from each other.
Studio pile knitting patterns such as those found in may be used as published. It may be worth color inverting or spacing out the designs with many more white squares in between the motifs for more recognizable designs in the dropped stitch areas and for a more stable fabric in repeats such as these. On rows where there are no punched holes, resulting in no preselection in Brother machines, stitches are dropped prior to moving the carriage for preselection of the next row of patterning. The results are easy to test and amend. One such pattern: the original repeat The yarn used here was a softly spun rayon that began eventually to split, and get partially caught up on gate pegs, leading to the ending of the swatch Switching yarns made knitting easier and quicker to produce, planning for a different sort of wave, an amended version of the original design was used Fair Isle
a 24X60 design repeat was randomly chosen and used double length The first pattern row will pick up loops on the top bed, using any tool, drop the loops and return empty needles to the B position.
The next pass will drop the stitches and preselect the next row of loops.
Knit to the opposite side again picking up loops, drop them, return needles to B, repeating the steps.
The knit grows in length very quickly, the side edges and cast-on and bind-off methods would need more careful planning in a final project.  On electronic machines, the repeat can be adapted to yield more knit stitches between the flower forms
Beginning with a 23X31 isolated motif,  the shape is expanded to 30X36,   and two potential dispersals with the flower drawn in symmetric repeat in width and height X3  Transfer lace patterns: use patterns that have at least 2 rows knit between repeat segments. The results are likely to be subtle. On electronic machines: cast on as preferred, transfer MB stitches to ribber, where all stitches will be knit on every row. The main bed will be knitting the stitches that will be dropped, the lace carriage will not be used. As the carriage moves across the bed selected “lace” pattern needles will be knit, and the non-selected ones will be skipped. Program the pattern in the usual manner. Set the change knob to KC II to cancel end needle selection, the knit carriage to slip in both directions and continue knitting until all needles are in the B position. At that point disconnect the main bed and ribber carriages, unthread the yarn or have it held for you in the yarn changer. Set the main carriage to knit, move across needles in B, dropping them since no yarn is in use. Bring the disconnected carriage across the knitting again, reconnect to the ribber carriage, and rethread. Set KC to slip again, repeating the process. As an alternative for dropping stitches, leave KC set to slip, and push all needles out to hold. With no yarn in the feeder, any loops will be dropped. Make the 2 passes with KC only as described, reconnect carriages, rethread, and continue until no needles are selected again.
If on an electronic machine with 2 knit carriages available: the number of rows is usually an even number, so an additional knit carriage with no yarn could be positioned on the opposite side to the one selecting pattern, set to do plain knitting, holding no yarn, and it may be used to drop the stitches on “plain knit rows” on lace card without requiring the other additional steps and cam button changes.
Tuck and drop: use color reverse if appropriate (black squares for knit stitches, white for tuck) set up as for other drop stitch fabrics, choose patterns that are broken up by 2 rows of plain knitting between the tuck rows. KC II is used once again. Since in such cards, you one is working with punched holes or black squares, the empty knit carriage alone may be taken across with no yarn, dropping the complete, all knit rows. It is not necessary to change the knit carriage setting from tuck to knit to do so.
Tuck is an alternative option for a free pass as well, realizing that helps avoid errors in patterning by missing resetting the cam buttons between the two functions.
Racking patterns:  a few variations are suggested in Brother punchcard volumes. Sometimes translations are what can be described as interesting. One such pattern Yarn choice as always can make a good deal of difference, here a wool rayon was used. The zig-zags would be more visible if worked using a larger number of all-knit stitches

 

Double Jacquard and color separations: some previous posts, links, hints

A recent forum discussion on DBJ on Ravelry led to my looking back on some of my previous posts. Some of the features in both excel and numbers changed over the years, but most basics remain. Program-specific or a “software” general search in previous posts touch on GIMP, other programs, and other fabric design choices.

Color separations:
2013/04/DBJtest.pdf
2013/04/punching cards for DBJ_2.pdf
2013/05/14/vertical-striper-backing-on-brother-km/
2015/04/18/a-simple-shape-an-exercise-in-dbj-brother-km/
2013/04/21/double-jacquard1/
2013/04/22/double-jacquard-2/
2013/05/04/double-jacquard-3-single-bed-multi-color-slip/
2013/06/19/double-jacquard-separations-4_-making-them-work/

Added points on separations: the post addressing how to color separate for use on punchcard machines helps illustrate the how-tos involved in hand separations

Tubular Fair Isle

Color changer:
2014/01/26/some-notes-on-machine-knitting-color-changers/

Ribber backing settings for DBJ 2017/11/09/a-return-to-brother-ribber-and-dbj-settings/

Ladder-back ribber settings illustrated (no actual pattern knitting involved), 2018/02/09/ladder-back-double-jacquard-backing-variations/

Double bed jacquard knitting allows for designing knits using multi color patterns without any concern for floats.
The ribber and a double bed color changer are necessary.
The ribber causes the floats to be knit into a second layer of fabric on the ribber side, hence the term double knit.
Only one color may be knit at a time.
Most color-changers only accommodate 4 colors, so in creating separations for double jacquard, this tends to be the maximum number for separations.
The more colors one uses in a row of knitting, the more all the stitches on the face of the fabric must stretch in order to accommodate the colors laid behind in the backing fabric.
The more the stitches on the front face of the fabric must stretch, the muddier the look of the design, with additional bleed or grin through of the backing colors through the stretched stitches.
Color separations are required.
The method of separation depends on the knitting technique to be used, the knitting machine one own and its capabilities, the desired look of the finished piece, and the time one wants to spend working on the separations.
Two of the most common backings are the striper technique, where the ribber knits horizontal stripes and is left set for normal rib throughout, and birdseye, sometimes called tweed or checkerboard, only achievable in ribbers with 1X1 needle selection.
Both techniques may be knit with tuck or slip cam settings.
The more colors per row the denser the fabric and the more grin/bleed throughwill be noticed on the knit side.
Separation Methods:
Method 1/A: always works. Knitting in this case occurs for one design row at a time. The knit design row 1 will need to be expanded into 8 rows of knitting.
The separation in the first chart must be elongated X 2 in order to make passes to and from the color changer.
The result is likely to produce elongation in the image, regardless of the backing method used.
In Japanese machines, one usually performs the first preselection row away from the color changer when using the automated color separation for 2 color dbj, KRC. Here the first preselection row is made toward the color-changer since each color will knit twice.
Passap is a bit different. In addition to its 4 color changer being on its right, the first pass to the left aligns pushers and needles, the second pass to the right preselects pushers for the first row to be knit after the color change on the right. The original design may have an even or odd number of rows since each row will be knit twice.
The results from this chart do not need to be elongated, each design row is expanded into 8, with each color knitting twice.  In Method 2/B: the separation occurs in two-row units.
The carriage passes twice with each of the four colors.
One row of the design is knit going across to the bed, with the next row of the design knit when returning to the opposite side.
The ground color is split to the beginning and the end of the sequence.
In Brother the first preselection row is made moving away from the color changer.
The first pass back toward it should fill in the majority of the needles.
When the last row is reached, the color is changed back to the ground color
Row 2, the carriage will be on the right, heading back to the color changer as the sequence is completed.
The expectation is that the ground color, 1, will knit the majority of the needles. The separation sequence is repeated for each design row.
With the majority of needles knitting the first and last pass for each row one, in theory, the next pass will be knit on a row where stitches will not be attempted to be formed over a space not knit in the previous row, resulting in dropped stitches. Method 3/C: is similar to Method 2, but the ground and background are not split into the first 2 rows of the graph.
This is the hardest to achieve in terms of knitting without errors in patterning or dropped stitches, it also reduces elongation of the design.
The main color knits for 2 rows before the other colors knit, which may alter the availability of needles required for placement of the stitches in the next color row.  In both methods 2 and 3, the design must have an even number of rows.
Method 4 is based on color layer separations. Machines such as the E 6000 allow the knitter to superimpose designs (rules for order may vary) and offers techniques for then performing the separation for the knitter, usually as seen in Method 1, lengthened.
There are Passap published reader techniques that will allow for the single pass for each color per row for 3 and 4 colors designs.
Any error-free hand separation for a pattern may be knit using the slip stitch setting, with appropriate DBJ color changes. The same pattern may be downloaded into the E6000, in turn, using Technique 129, color reverse, with the front lock set to LX.
The size of the motif for automatic color separation is dependent on the available Ram and the knitting machine model.  This is a copy of one of my handouts when teaching DBJ eons ago Another former handout, intended for Passap knitters. Many of these fabric options could be emulated on the Brother machine, if separation method 1 were available, with a bit of interpretation. A machine knitting cross reference chart Automated color separations preparations for download happen easily when using Ayab and img2 track software and accompanying cables. In addition to the familiar built-in KRC separation, there are a variety of other options. For more information please see
2019/12/31/dbj-more-than-2-colors-per-row-2/
2019/12/31/dbj-more-than-2-colors-per-row-1/
2020/01/20/revisiting-ayab_multiple-colors-per-row-dbj/

 

Revisiting knit “bubbles” brother KM

Sometimes months or even years go by before I revisit previous posts. As I review the information, it may occur to me to think about it further, and /or to present it in a slightly different way. I find it hard to believe how much time has passed since 2013/09/06/more-knit-bubbles/ got published.  Here is another way to look at the fabric on Brother KM. Since I knit on a punchcard model or a 910 electronic one, I will refer to pattern repeats in terms of punched holes or black squares.

Bubbles and drop stitch lace share some of the same principles, the effect is created by stitches that are larger than others. Slip stitch setting can be used to automate needle selection. Black squares or punched holes will knit, unpunched areas or white squares will not, with needles left in the B position. Brother preselects needles for the next row of knitting, so when combining hand techniques with needle selection, one has the option to intervene before the next row in the design is knit. Using the card or mylar to read row 1 of the design helps determine where on the needle bed to set up your repeats. In this instance, the ribber knits every stitch, every row, with one extra needle on the left (or more on each end if preferred) in addition to repeats # required to achieve the desired width. All needles are in work every row on both beds. Main bed knits in response to programming.
Working in multiple of repeat -1 on the top bed, plus one needle in work at each end on the ribber. Considerations need to be made to align the design properly. The markings on my metal bed are from a different project. The goal is this needle arrangement “air knitting” with carriage set to KC will help identify patterning repeats. Groups of 7 include a needle on each end which will be pushed back to A position in the body of the knit/ NOOW (needle out of work) indicated in the chart for the main bed needle setup the first selection row a needle on either side of the groups of 7 is pushed back to A position, remain there throughout the piecean extra needle is brought into work on the ribber on either side of repeat ends. Machine settings: main bed set to slip <->, ribber set to normal knit
the ribber has now been set up for knitting every needle, every row, with the caston and desired edging completed. The first row is selected on the main bed for pattern knitting. since there are needles out of work and pattern knitting is involved, if KCI is used or end needle selection is not canceled, the end needles on the areas being slipped will be selected to the knitting position, so patterning errors will occur. The first row knit on both beds is shown on the remaining needlesBrother knits a row while preselecting for the next one. Here the needles in B would slip/ not knit on the next row, and needles out to D (Brother skipped the letter C in needle positions) will knit. Before knitting that next row, stitches on the now non-selected needles should be dropped across the bed this shows those stitches have been dropped, their needles are now empty, and returned to B position

end knitting with the same treatment as it bottom (swatch was simply dropped off).
It is possible with solid geometric shapes such as these to release stitches after each shape. The type of yarn used and loop behavior upon dropping stitches are variables that influence success in doing so (other swatches ).
An acrylic yarn was used: the first image is the fabric’s “relaxed view”.after steaming and pressing
the variation in width is due to adjustments in tension, the swatch folded over itself shows the difference in another way

“Camino” bubbles, hand knit

I was written an email asking about the possibility of creating bubbles in hand knitting, this is my attempt, may serve as a starting point for DIY.

Below a small sample serves as an illustration of my first attempt. It was knit in acrylic,  steamed to the point of death, but shows the type of elongation of the “bubble” stitches using this technique. To keep things simple I stuck to a “square” shape. Stitch counts and placements of shapes may be adjusted to suit. It is possible to knit or purl the yarn overs, unraveling the extra stitches before knitting the original number of stitches when the top of the bubble is reached, but the resulting look is a bit different. It is worth trying, depending on preference for the type of result, or the way one is accustomed to dealing with elongated stitches and yarn overs in hand knitting.

So I now own a new Mac, no longer have Microsoft Office available, and am now working my way through charting diagrams using Mac Numbers.  Below is a  possible working chart with a different stitch count than above. I would suggest larger blocks of all knit stitches and rows between “bubble” repeats

The further step of taking the technique to a brick repeat follows. I have been experimenting with a varied number of rows and stitches. Subsequently, I was happier with knitting or purling the yarn over as an extra stitch/ increase until I had worked the desired number of rows, then dropping those extra stitches, thus working once again on the original number cast on. The shape also seemed a little less square to me if a second row was worked before returning to making yarn overs. A border of more than one stitch on either side helps stabilize the shape edges.

This sample was worked in my “throw away” acrylic 4 ply. To my eye, the most pleasing and effective bubble happened on the least number of rows of dropped stitches (diagram provided above). The top and bottom edge of the “bubble” looked the best when stitches were taken off the needle on one row, and not allowed to “run” to the yarn over row until after the next row was knitted or purled all the way across. That may not be the best idea, especially when working much wider pieces of knitting. Dropping back to yarn over row as you work row 6, 13, etc. of chart provides a more controlled way of checking “runs” for individual stitches, making repairs for any errors easier. Dropping yarn overs with each pass seems to me to be the easiest way to track knitting as it progresses or gets wider, and counting bubble rows is far more easily tracked. Below, variation #5 matches the above chart.
the reverse of the fabric, lightly killed with steaming and pressing 

A last swatch: here a row is knit or purled as seen in the chart above after yarn overs and their treatment is completed. If the aim is bubbles which will not be flattened out, dropping the yarn overs on each row worked gives a flatter (bottom of the swatch), less of a “bubble” effect than knitting or purling the yarn over before dropping it at the appropriate point (top of the swatch). If the fabric is to be “killed” as flat as possible, dropping the yarn overs each row may be good enough.


My machine knitting posts on this topic:  https://alessandrina.com/2012/09/21/knit-bubbles-and-stitch-ditchersdumpers/
https://alessandrina.com/2013/09/06/more-knit-bubbles/
https://alessandrina.com/2013/09/07/a-bubbles-cousin/
https://alessandrina.com/2017/10/18/revisiting-knit-bubbles-brother-km/

 

Lace point cams and lace isolation on Brother machines

This is a quick reference in response to a Ravelry question. L cams clip onto the needle bed (like single motif cams on some punchcard machines). Where there is a cam the needles won’t select for lace. They come in 4 or 8 stitch sizes. They can also be used across the bed if you want to block part of the punchcard for plain panels. You can even put several next to each other to block 12 or 16 sts. On some lace carriages, the cams may be a bit high but you can shave a tiny bit off the top so they fit.
They can be moved along mitered edges to highlight the miter, ie using 4 stitches, decreasing every 4 rows instead of every 2, allowing for a cabled effect, then moving the cam in 2 sts before continuing.
The pages below are from Brother machine manuals. I don’t believe there ever was a separate manual for the LCs themselves, though they were often sold as a separate accessory.

for electronic 910

from Punchcard Pattern Book vol #4 LC Variations using the point cams 

control for end needle selection on carriages that have the ability to work the same way as on knit carriages with the same option

over the years color varied, but the function remains the same When using extension rails for lace or whenever using 2 carriages, beware not all rails are the same and that may make a difference with some KM model years

My new knitting projects

Back in 2015 I met a math teacher in a group setting, and as a result of some discussions I became interested cellular automata. Since my blog post  Fabienne has come a long way. For more information on her progress post her kickstarter see https://knityak.com

My own repeats on the Passap are limited in size by an early chip. The download happens using wincrea and a Croucher cable and switch switchbox. At present I work out repeats on my mac, share them with an ancient dell.

This is my first scarf, produced using a segment of an automata in repeat. When viewed vertically and from a bit of distance there is a movement created by the varied sized shapes that is interesting to me, and that I want to explore further. 

9/20/17 My new Mac is here. At present I am designing on the Mac, using a flash drive to transfer the patterns to my ancient Dell laptop, and going on from there. This is the second in the series. It uses the identical yarns to the scarf above, yet because of the colored stitch ratio distribution, looks to be knit using a charcoal shade for color 2

Here are the 2 fabrics side by showing the color contrast. The scarves are air drying after hand washing. The fabric is DBJ, so little blocking is actually needed, but the fiber is wool, and I am testing the waters to see if hand washing the pieces will soften them up a bit 10/7/17: a third in the series after some technical issues with pattern downloads to PassapThe plan is to continue with one offs, photography to be sorted out for consistency as well 😉one with a color reverse border on only one end

A lace mesh series: GIMP, superimposing, Brother 910

I like placing motifs, grounds, and borders myself whenever possible, in any knitting technique, rather than relying on adding or combining them via the built-in KM software.  It is simply my strong personal preference in designing and gives me additional controls over patterning. However, the ability to superimpose is a convenient feature, available on multiple machines and worth mentioning. I have used it more frequently in operating my Passap, than my Brother 910. That said, it would appear to be an easy feature to use for programming shapes onto mesh grounds. For illustration purposes, I am using a 24 stitch repeat. Electronics width and height potential depend on the use of mylar or PC download. The “rose” is not a workable, resolved repeat. When electronics were first introduced, at one point Kathleen Kinder wrote a book on electronic knitting (? 1984), exploring the full potential of managing designs by combining settings and flipping buttons for both the Brother 910 and the Studio 560.

A bit of review on machine buttons and functions for the Brother pattern case for those unfamiliar with it.  M= Memory: each of the tiny red spots on the garment representations lights up, as specs on motif are entered or reviewed. CE= cancel entry: corrects programmed numbers or cancels the red error light when it flashes. CR= cancel row: press in a number, say 2 on the panel, and the card moves back 2 rows. If you press the button and no number is entered, the error light flashes and the card stops advancing. This is the same as locking the punchcard to repeat a pattern row. RR= row return brings the card back to the set line. This is routinely done before shutting off the machine when knitting is complete or to remove the mylar for editing.  CF= card forward. The mylar returns to programmed design row 1.  Numbers pressed in using CR or CF do not change those programmed using the M button.

When the pattern selector button on the 910 is down, the pattern is centered on green #1. A reminder: Brother has 2 needle #1 positions, one on each side of 0. When the pattern has an even number of stitches, it will be centered with half that number of stitches divided evenly on each side of 0. For 24 stitches, the pattern’s limits are yellow 12 and green 12. If the repeat is an odd number of units wide, the center stitch then will be placed on green #1 (right of 0). If the repeat is 25 stitches wide, then the pattern limits are yellow 12 and green 13. If using a 24 stitch repeat, the machine automatically knows that the first needle position (FNP) for the pattern is yellow 12. When the pattern selector is in the upper position (motif A) and the middle position (motifs A & B) we can choose the FNP and with A & B the number of stitches separating them. One way to produce filet lace is to program A & B motifs. The lace mesh is the A motif, the “rose” the stocking stitch motif. The A motif can be on the left or right of the mylar, but it is always the taller of the 2. In most cases, it is the dominant pattern. The starting row for the combined motif is shared.

In lace knitting transfers and resulting eyelets are programmed as black squares. Superimposed solid patterns in stocking stitch occur in unmarked areas of the mylar or downloaded image, so they need to be “white squares”. In order to get the 2 to meet, the mesh repeat in the height required (column A in the illustration), and a single width is drawn or programmed in reverse (column B), with the result being read as (column C) when it is programmed as the base for a complete overlap. The basic mesh becomes the A motif in programming the 910, the stocking stitch “shape” is the B motif.  If end needles are selected during knitting, they need to be pushed back to B manually or use the orange L cams. It is possible in addition to mark the “L window” on mylar, but the mesh repeat is so regular you may not find that necessary.The “rose’ would also need to be drawn in black, and positioned or programmed, with first placement resulting in the image seen below right. The color reverse is then used converting white squares to black, and lace knitting could proceed based on the black markings resulting in eyelets.  As is already noted, there is no guarantee the image placement on the mesh the will yield a precise shape or the best possible results for motif edges, its definition, and its segments’ outline In terms of placement: if the all-over mesh is programmed centered on G1, and the motif is positioned with FNP other than G1, any simple, extra rows of mesh prior to starting the all-over pattern (below green line), will need to be programmed separately with adjustments also in FNP to match the superimposed segment. The programmed repeat for the mesh “rose” below would begin immediately above the blue line, and the extra mesh rows at the top would provide the transition to the start of the rose once again. The height of the pattern seen in the B column in the first illustration may be adjusted accordingly. 

Color reverse (button #6) will provide “black squares” for the creation of transfers to create eyelets. The mesh and superimposed design need to share the same starting row. The image above reversed shows extra white at the bottom of the chart that needs to be eliminated. Brother lace starts on a selection row (black squares), ends with 2 blank rows at the top of the pattern (white squares). This is reversed in Studio knitting.

What happens when starting row placement is the same for both motifs, and the color reverse is used: the first-row lace carriage selection is good to go. The height of the mesh above the rose may be adjusted to suit. Trying to place multiple roses in different locations on the finished piece using this method is more than my brain wants to even consider. Punchcard knitters are not completely out of the superimpose loop. If you are so inclined, areas on mesh punchcard ground may be taped over to test the repeat. Again, this works best for simple shapes. Tape may be shifted or trimmed as needed. If intended for extended use, trace holes over a blank card, punch the final version, and proceed. Images on punchcard machines are reversed on the stockinette side. If direction matters, flip the card over horizontally, mark and punch, or if the card is already punched, work with lace carriage on right, knit carriage on left. No worries about multiple programs or a mix of starting points, etc. Know the rules for where to begin and end for lace knitting.

Sharp single stitch points are not attainable. In the illustration below, the yellow indicates the “desired point”, red squares indicate the additional stitches knit, adding to the intended shape as the alternating directions transfers are completed. The one stitch start is actually converted to 3 stitches, 3 to 5, etc.Later model electronics included “stitch world” pattern books.  A usable mesh is # 103. Do not use 104, since it leaves 2 adjacent needles empty. If aspect ratio matters in the superimposed image, knit test swatches to determine gauge. Cell/ grid size may be set to knit proportions rather than square to make visualization of finished shape easier. The mesh created using 103 uses 6 pattern rows for each 4 knitted, so you must add those rows “ to the height of the overlay design. Similar adjustments are needed if other mesh repeats are used. Simply scaling the image may require some clean up as well before the motif can be placed on the ground design.