Category: Machine knitting (MK)

Revisiting 3D scales and shells, automated and not

Other posts exploring the scale topic began in 2015 with a swatch experiment based on an Armani sweater, followed by this group of shares, listed by creation date and beginning with the most recent
More mesh dragon scales, some striped and some not
Single bed scales made with stitch transfers
More dragon scales and chevrons in ribbed, racked (4) fabrics
Hand-knit “dragon scales”

Incidental discoveries  Ribber trims 4 

Automating 3D textures across full rows of knitting:
Machine knit leaves using slip stitch with holding Revisiting automated shell shapes  Automated shapes across rows of knitting using slip stitch only  various designs
“Automated” shell shapes  When the construction of the scale and shell shapes was proposed, I did not always share the repeats for the automated version.
After the fact, a screen grab from the shell charts was cropped to its outline, opened in ArahPaint, and using the program’s tool “guess weave from grid“, the 36X98 png is obtained with a few mouse clicks,

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

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

More on casting on and binding off, random tips

In online forums, many knitters, often beginners, bring up questions about the best methods to cast on and bind off on their varied knitting machines brands, and problems they encounter, which led me to this review with the addition of more information.
The content will be another work in progress, subject to further editing and the addition of more photos and documentation.
Previous posts on the topic:
More shapes on ribber fabrics with tuck patterning, fantasy fair isle   ribber latch tool bind off 2/22
Ribber cast ons: breaking the “rules”  12/19
Ribber cast on comb/ open stitch single bed cast on 2/17
Binding off, double bed 4/19
Casting on, double bed  5/19
Casting on, binding-off single bed  5/19
A look at single bed mock rib 1/17
Picot cast on for every needle rib  11/15
Racked ribber cast on and rib configuration tips  11/15
Transitions in ribbing from EON to FNR fabrics  11/15

The Brother Making Garments Book has clear, step-by-step illustrations for many techniques.
This information presents some of the same techniques as illustrated in the previous post on casting on and binding off the single bed in a different visual sequence.
The starting side for any knitting technique does not often matter. Some exceptions are: starting from the left for preselection rows when knitting 2 color dbj using the KRC button in electronic machines, and when the carriage needs to operate to and from the right, from right to left when the color changer is in use in patterns that require color changing every 2 or even number of rows.

The weaving cast-on leaves open stitches at the start of the piece, with the yarn traveling through them.
The weaving brushes need to be engaged, down position, and levers up.
It is not necessary to deactivate them by raising the levers, I tend to do most of my knitting with them in the brush-down weaving position.
Check that they spin freely, not only can fluff get caught between the bristles but sometimes under the brush itself, keeping it from rotating properly and resulting in weaving fails whether during this cast-on or when knit-weaving in pattern.
1. Begin with the lever down, brush up, loosen, and remove the screw
2. with the lever up, the brush will slip out right side up, turned over, 3, will show any fluff or threads wrapped around it. Remove the accumulated fibers, and if any bristles are poking out of place, pull them out or clip them with scissors
4-5. lever up, slide brush in place
6. with the lever down, brush up, replace the screw, and as with any screws, do not over-tighten, check that brush spins freely. BTW screws in knitting machines both Japanese and European are metric, a set of metric screwdrivers is very useful.  This is not a permanent edge, is handy when beginning with waste yarn, and if the piece is to be gathered at the center, the yarn end can be pulled, threaded into a needle, and passed through the open stitches again if needed, and secured.
The Brother single bed cast-on combs, shown used immediately after the first cast-on row, are strictly a Brother thing. It is possible to continue knitting without them. My first machines were other brands and offered nothing like them.
If stitches do not immediately knit off properly, after any cast-on, bringing the needles out to hold position for the first 2-3 rows will generally solve the problem.
When I do use them I prefer to point their hooks toward the top bed rather than away from it
EON e wrap cast on: forms a permanent edge that may also be used in decorative joining of pieces.
After e wrapping every other needle, in this case from left to right, place the yarn in the knit carriage A feeder and close the gate.
When inserting the comb front to back, the yarn end on the carriage side is easily caught in the hooks and would form a long loop on that side if knitting is continued to avoid that, in any cast-on, lift the yarn up and over the gate pegs on the carriage side  insert the comb, free the yarn from over the gate pegs make the first carriage pass to the opposite side, the empty needles will pick up loops, eyelets will be formed as knitting continues
Every needle (EN) E wrap cast on creates a permanent edge.  Using the needle bind-off method at the top of the piece will closely match the cast-on edge.

The crochet/ latch tool cast-on is my preferred one when decreasing multiple stitches as well. I prefer to lift the last single chain onto the last empty needle on the carriage side rather than continuing the chain and lifting the last open stitch onto it.
The latch tool bind-off around gate pegs will match its appearance. Both can be performed to create looser chains when needed.
Multiple decreases on both sides of a garment may be achieved by casting off the stitches opposite the carriage side using a separate strand of yarn using your favorite bind-off. My go-to is the crochet one.
In fair isle knitting, bringing all needles out to the E position opposite the carriage before knitting the row will ensure those stitches will be knit in a single color, for easy bind-off when the carriage reaches the opposite side, and 2 color knitting can resume.

A youtube video was shared on FB for a version of this bind-off, filmed on a Studio machine, suggesting it might be easier to use for knitters with hand or wrist problems.
On Brother machines, small tests are executable without the use of waste yarn and ravel cord.
The technique takes into consideration the formation of the side edge stitches illustrated here for single stitch increases. When bringing one empty needle into work opposite the carriage, the yarn will twist and form a “knot” as the carriage moves to and from the opposite side. Knots (blue arrows) vs loops (red arrows) are shown in this illustration from the post on seam-as-you-knit 

Part/slip cast on: a single needle will be brought into work at a time opposite the carriage.
Use a familiar yarn, and set the tension one to two full numbers tighter than that appropriate for it in stocking stitch.
COR: set the knit carriage to slip in both directions
Opposite the carriage, bring the first needle on the far left of the intended group to be worked out to hold/E position.
As the knit carriage moves from right to left, the needle in the E position will knit and is returned to the B position.
COL: No knitting occurs as the carriage moves and returns to the right, that same stitch or any stitches in B will simply be skipped.
COR: Bring the second needle from the left out to the hold/E position.
As the carriage moves to the left the needle in the E position will be the only one to form a knit stitch and is returned to B.
COL:  All stitches are slipped as the carriage moves and returns to the right.
Repeat the process, bringing single needles out to work moving from left to right until the cast on is complete.
Begin to knit the body of the piece slowly,  making certain all stitches are formed properly.
Part/slip cast off :
Knit the last row at main tension, and end COR
Set the carriage to slip in both directions so that needles brought out to hold position will be knit.
Turn off any patterning mechanism, in Brother set the change knob to N-L
Hang a claw weight on the right.
Transfer the first stitch at the right onto the needle on its left, and pull that needle out to hold/ E.
As you move the carriage to the left the needle in the  E position will knit, as it returns to the right the needle will be skipped.
COR: repeat the process beginning with the next needle on the carriage
side.

To pick up dropped stitches:  Two stitches dropped side by side :

From the KH 800 manual: 

Swatches based on adapting random online published repeats

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

E 6000 info

I was lucky enough to begin knitting at a time when seminars were international and abundant, Susanna Lewis was teaching at some of them and hosting 3-day hands-on workshops, and Passap in particular hosted yearly “Passap University” events for a few years in different parts of the country.
As pointed out in a previous post, some of my note-taking is in the form of scrawls.
This is information I find myself reviewing and gathering from various sources,  it may require future edits.
An amended index Duet Magazine handy references:
#6, Electronic pattern matching charts, p.p. 21-22
#6, Index of stitch patterns with associated pattern numbers, techniques, relative pages, and added info, p.p. 43-46
#8 Intarsia knitting, garments and image charts, p.p.19-26
#9 Using thicker yarns, p.p. 34-35
#11 Duomatic and E6000 Equivalents, p.p. 30-34,
“weaving” and samples p.p. 39-43
#14 Duomatic and E6000 Equivalents, p.p. 21-24
#12 Hand transferred lace edgings, p.p.43-47, pleated skirts p.p. 69-71

Passap University handout A swatch executed playing with needles out of work, NOOW, on both beds. On the front bed the needle selection is fixed, while on the back bed a shift in needle and pusher selection by one position results in the switch in color of the vertical solid color lines from light to dark.
The library of built-in patterns and associated techniques in the E6 is huge, and associated with technique numbers. Any DIY designs often can be knit with familiarity with just a few technique numbers and disregarding the associated lock settings.
The knit commonly known as DBJ in many other brands is referred to as double bed 2 color or more fair isle, additional lock settings are suggested using specific technique numbers, but not those offered in the manual itself.
3 and 4-color knitting is appealing to many, the associated samples are evocative of industrial knitting.  Thin yarns are a must, and for large pieces or garments, the number of lock passes is daunting let alone if combined with added settings and arrow changes and bleed through becomes a factor in the resulting color mix. On the whole, I have kept more than 2 color knitting out of my wheelhouse except occasional Brother swatches.
Abbreviations that are often encountered:
FB front bed
BB back bed
CC contrast color
col color
MC main color
L left
R right
ss stitch size
st stitch
pat pattern
<— left arrow key
—> right arrow key
<—> both arrow keys
0 no arrow keys
HP half pitch, racking handle down
Semi-auto patterns require manual lock setting changes as often as every 2 knit rows
180 Birdseye double bed fair isle; UX can be tried as an alternative to LX
181 Birdseye double bed fair isle, the background color on reverse, “single blister”
182 Double-bed fair isle, vertical stripes on the reverse
183 Double-bed fair isle, striper backing
184 Double-bed birdseye fair isle with long-stitch
can be used for planning release stitches after casting on only the back bed,
or try N/OX for a tuck jacquard variation
185 Double-bed fair isle with long stitch, half Milano, may be used for drop stitch lace after casting on on the back bed only; knit 2 rows with yarn followed by 2 rows with no yarn to drop stitches. Other techniques may be used with a stitch ditcher, requiring fewer carriage passes
For Pile knitting: cast on the back bed, change setting to FX<— pushers 1X1 work, rest/LX, drop stitches from the front bed periodically
186 Double-bed fantasy fair isle striped tuck stitch, knit 2 rows N/KX, 2 rows N/N
187 Double-bed fair isle with alternating tuck st on every row on the reverse as per the manual, in addition:
For wavy rib, pushers back bed 1X1 work/rest, 2R col 1 AX <—/LX, 2R col 2 AX0/LX For nopps, pushers back bed 2X2 work/rest, change locks  col 1 2R AX <—/LX, col 2 6 rows AX0/LX, but change color every 2 rows
188 Double-bed fair isle with half fisherman’s rib on reverse
189 Double-bed fair isle with contrasting stitch formations in contrast and background (semi-automatic)
190 Double-bed fair isle with contrasting stitch formations for contrast and background (semi-automatic)
191 Double-bed fair isle with two tucks on the reverse side
192 Double-bed fair isle with pintucks (semi-auto, no combo), double blister, color 2 blisters 2R col 1 N/LX, 4R col 2 BX0/LX, BB 2 pushers in work for each of the 2 end needles
For nopps change settings from slip to tuck, 2 rows col 1 N/N, 4R col 2 AX/KX, 1 pusher work position each end BB
193 Double-bed fair isle with pintucks (semi-auto, combo), embossed pin tuck
194 Double-bed fair isle with pintucks (semi-auto, combo)
195 Double-bed fair isle in 3 cols 57,85,93,94,96,97,98,102,107,109
196 Double-bed fair isle in 3 cols, tucks on the reverse side
197 Double-bed fair isle in 3 cols, spotted effect
198 Double-bed fair isle in fisherman’s rib and 3 cols
199 Double-bed fair isle in 3 cols, tucks on every row reverse side
200 Double-bed fair isle in 3 cols, contrasting   formations on BB
204 Double-bed fair isle in 3 cols, pintuck effect (semi-auto, combo)
205 Double-bed fair isle in 3 cols, pintuck effect (semi-auto, combo)
206 Double-bed fair isle in 3 cols, pintuck effect (semi-auto, combo)
207 Double-bed birds-eye fair isle in 4 cols
207 Change locks to N/KX for fantasy fair isle 
208 Double-bed birds-eye fair isle in 4 cols, tucks on the reverse side
209 Double-bed birds-eye fair isle in 4 cols, spotted effect on the reverse side
210 Double-bed fair isle in Fisherman’s rib and 4 cols
211 Double-bed birds-eye fair isle in 4 cols, tucks on every row reverse side
212 Double-bed fair isle in 4 cols, contrasting st formations on BB (semi-auto)
216 Double-bed fair isle in 4 cols, pintuck effect (semi-auto)
217 Double-bed fair isle in 4 cols, pintuck effect (semi-auto)
218 Double-bed fair isle in 4 cols, pintuck effect (semi-auto)
243 Tubular fair isle in 2 cols, as alternative try back bed all pushers up, CX, no arrow key
245 Intarsia in 2 colors
246 Intarsia in 3 colors
248 Intarsia in 4 colors
250 Pintuck formed where there are black squares in st pat, can try for drop st after casting on BB only
251 Pintuck formed where there are white squares in st pat
252 Pintuck formed where there are black squares in st pat
253 Pintuck formed where there are black squares in st pat
254 Pintuck formed where there are black squares in st pat, pintuck with spotted effect
255 Pintuck formed where there are white squares in st pat, pintuck with spotted effect
What about expanding DIY designs for use on both single and double beds?
Analysis of these techniques will reveal that frequently the main difference between the Techbuque console prompts consists simply of the console providing the knitter with beeps or visual reminders of lock settings, and at times color changes or racking sequences.
The various technique numbers compensate for the lack of directional arrow keys in the front lock as seen in the Passap non-electronic models. This in turn is achieved by the machine altering the method of color separation.
The ability to think of knit stitches as black pixels, or punched holes, or filled-in squares, and no holes or white pixels, unpunched or blank squares as tuck or slip stitches or specific colors frees us from any reliance on built-in techniques, or for that matter, from needing some of the specially drawn reader techniques.
When the reader scans card patterns or downloads, it essentially “sees” black and white squares regardless of our intent for their end use.
KT (knitting technique) 179   is intended for knitting single bed fair isle. Only designs composed of even numbers of rows may be used. As directed, the background and motif colors “always” have to be reversed, a requirement familiar to Brother knitters when using punchcard machines and fair isle patterns, along with the single bed color changer.
Depending on the design, floats may be a problem and are not managed as easily as in Japanese machines because of the fixed double beds and limited access for actions like latching up or wrapping with secondary yarn ends.
The back bed needles and pushers may be brought into work for converting to  2 color DBJ, with arrow keys and pusher selection set for birdseye or other backings, including ladder-back. A sample arrangement of needles and pushers for the latter set at BX, left arrow key, LX: but arrangements can be varied to produce varied effects.
When arrow keys and settings other than N on the back bed, each needle in work will need a corresponding pusher in work.  If needles are out of work, the corresponding pushers are placed back in the rail.
When switching to every needle double bed techniques, ignore the console directions for the racking handle position and remember to leave the handle down.
Susanna Lewis wrote knitting techniques that need to be entered separately from design motifs when they are planned for using three and four colors.
Such techniques were initially planned for card readers. Downloading them in the present day merits a separate discussion.
To start knitting do the SX/preselection rows as usual. The front bed pushers will be in the rest position. Set the locks as instructed, knit one row, and the back bed needles will knit. When locks are on the left, at the prompt on the console set the row counter on the lock to 000. The sequence of knitting always begins and ends with the locks at left when using these techniques. The same is true if the design needs to be split up to accommodate console memory. A method for doing so is reviewed at the bottom of the post on 2 color dbj using large, non-repetitive electronic repeats
Both the Japanese automatic KRC selections and 179 begin with selections of white pixels in the first design row.
Joella Knitworks Newsletter was one of the many pubs available in the early 90s. After some email exchanges with the publisher, I was asked to share my method for accomplishing a similar result, the article was published in the May-June 1992 issue. At the present time, there are wonderful resources for easy downloads that include punchcard volumes with huge selections of published patterns for each stitch type.
Each can be converted for use in electronic downloads to any machine including the E6 with the aid of specific cables and software i.e. Wincrea, Journal 6, and DAK.
Beginning with any published punchcard design, duplicate black and white cell placements, whether for single bed or double bed color-separated fabrics, and follow with the entry of Tech 129 and color reverse, so that black squares knit, white squares tuck.  Technique 130 in turn, performs the same functions as 129, but for 2 consecutive rows, enabling it to duplicate any situation that in the Japanese machines would call for double length, or when using some of the Duomatic patterns that call for the DECO to be set on 2.
The console gives suggestions for lock settings based on factory programming.
Once a design is downloaded, suggested lock settings can be disregarded, i.e. Tech 129 and 130 can be used with the front lock set to LX instead of KX depending on the planned stitch type.
The back bed can be also brought into play with settings determined by the knitter rather than by console suggestions.
Pusher selection in Passap is akin to Brother needle preselection.

Brother punchcard volumes varied content based on trends at the time of publication. This particular one,  has a section at its back on patterns knit using opposite tuck/slip buttons on the main bed. There is a slight difference in appearance as to whether the carriage tucks first or slips first. Any pattern using pairs of rows recurring such as in these tuck examples, may be used. The E6 front lock has a UX setting. The function is one-row selective slip and one-row selective tuck. The lock will slip when knitting from right to left on the needles above pushers in rest and knit on those above pushers in work.  When moving from left to right, it tucks on needles above pushers in rest, and knits on those above pushers in work. Because the locks stay together throughout any knitting, the back lock is set to GX. The same setting can be tested on any tuck design suitable for color changes every 2 rows.

OX is a combination setting of KX and CX, it is used in tech 162,63,64 and 65 and is always combined with DX –>on the back bed. The techniques cannot be combined with stitch patterns.
DX is the tubular setting for tuck on the back lock.

 

Traveling between brands, Duo and E6, settings and techniques

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

Recipes for rib jacquard fabrics: E6000, Brother

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

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

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

Passap Duomatic and Deco pattern musings

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

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

Long stitch Passap and Brother DBJ design using thick and thin yarns

In browsing through old photos I came across one of this swatch knit on the Passap eons ago, in a slightly textured unknown fiber, and a thin white one on a small cone with lost fiber markings.  The find led me to attempt a similar knit using my 930.
The flower image # 1228 is usable as published in variations for single bed knitting on the Passap ie using Tech 179,  or on the Japanese knitting machines using the built-in KRC separation for 2-colors DBJ.
The double bed fair-isle techniques on the Passap use a default color separation where each color in each design row knits twice.
The console performs the separation, but to achieve the same result in Brother models, the manual color separation can be performed using Gimp without any other software.
A: the chosen file, 20X20B: scaled in length X2, to 20X40
C: color inverting every other row beginning with an all-white pixel row D:  scaling the file X2 in length to 20X80choosing a black row start planned in the background color by color inverting the png  E: taking into consideration that the planned DBJ settings will elongate the design, the 20X80 file is scaled in width X2 to 40X80   Knitting the swatch:
the thin white yarn simply refused to knit on the 930 without breaking. The problem can sometimes be solved by adding a second thread, which in this case, is a 3,000-yard monofilament serger thread, both are hard to see and slippery.
The way the yarn is picked up and carried varies with the knitting machine models’ color changers.
The yarn when using the Brother double bed color changer is picked up and swapped out in the ribber arm,  while in Passap models, the colors are threaded into individual feeding eyelets which are swapped out in any sequence needed in the front lock.  Some of the yarn-feeding issues in small or large cones can be solved by “putting a sock” on the cones, no matter their size. The manufacturer sometimes supplies the latter, but DIY versions can be segments of pantyhose, foam sleeves used to protect some of the exotic fruits in supermarkets, covers for flowers until they are used in arrangements, and at times simply a plastic bag.
My arrangement, with the threads on top of the machine table, and fed through the same side of the yarn mast.  The first preselection row is from right to left
The ribber is set to knit in both directions throughout
The first and last needles are in work on the ribber
Colors are changed every two rows
The backing will be striped, with each color knitting for 2 rows, referred to as striper backing in many pubs.
Pattern knitting begins COL, set the knit carriage to slip in both directions
The proof of concept: The matching technique using the settings for knitting (N) on the back lock and slip (LX) on the front lock, for striper backing is 183: knit on 30 stitches, but less than full repeat in height.
With some understanding of the pattern selection method for the front lock, different Technique numbers may be used for the same knit result simply by changing pusher arrangements and lock settings on either or even both beds.
This test was knit on 30 stitches and for 100 rows after changing the ground yarn, adjusting the tension, and programming Tech 180, but disregarding the pusher set up for the back bed, and setting the back lock to N The fabric is stable and reversible with interesting peek-through that reminded me of drop stitch lace.

Tuck stitch meets knit-weaving

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

Gimp 4, pattern fill, dithered portraits, and more.

The latest version of Gimp for Mac includes many small changes which come with no announcements and take a bit of sorting out to recognize or problem-solve.
There are good collections of Youtube videos intended for use on much larger files, with fewer color restrictions than images used for knitting.
A dock is a container that holds a collection of dialogs.
I work in single-window mode and had an issue a few times recently with the tool dock and dialogue disappearing from the left.
The method that worked for me:
on a Mac, select the link to the Preferences/Settings window found in the GIMP application menu, next to the Apple menu. Scroll down in the left pane until you see the Windows Management entry. Click on it to open the relevant settings pane. Look for the giant button labeled Reset Saved Window Positions to Default Values, seen on the bottom right.  Click on it, and GIMP will pop up a small notification box letting you know that the save will go into effect the next time GIMP loads.
Click OK there, and click OK again in the main Settings window.
Close GIMP and reload it, and familiar settings should be back.
To prevent a reoccurrence of the issue, it is possible to lock the associated tab, permanently fixing the dialogue. To do so, click on the small shape next to the Tool Options Menu text on the top right, then select Lock Tab to Dock.  Tool icons are also changed at times, leading to puzzlement when steps used in the past do not work. An example, The layers menu no longer offers the difference mode used previously in custom color separations.
From the manual: “If you need to stay compatible with older GIMP versions or you need to use the legacy layer modes for other reasons, look for the icon to the right of the layer modes selection.
This drop-down menu will let you choose between Default and Legacy. If you choose the latter, the layer modes list will only show the legacy layer modes and all modes will have “(legacy)” behind their name (the selected mode will use the short version (l). ”
To make the dialog available: click on Legacy to switch mode selections.  My posts are at times generated in response to questions I have received through forums or direct contact via my blog, but most often by my exploring whatever rabbit hole attracts my attention for a period of time before leaping into the next.
A quick way to fill with a design/ drawing in repeat is to choose and open an image, ie this rose, indexed B/W 28X30 pixels Magnify ie to 800X, go to Edit, and Copy Visible to save it to the clipboard as long as the program is open
Choose File, New, in size that is a multiple of the original ie 84X90.
Select the brush tool  In the Windows menu choose Dockable Dialogues and select Symmetry Painting, then Tiling.
After entering the desired values, as you move onto the canvas, a brush icon and crosshair will appear, along with a square bordered with a dotted edge representing the clipboard brush in full size, place it touching the left upper corner for a straightforward tiled repeat, an alternative to the familiar method using Filter, Map, Tile.  Undo and repeat if needed.  
For a brick repeat For easy and quick drawing in any repeat configuration including random, I recommend using ArahPaint.
For other tiling repeats, I have found Gimp offset limiting, offering this as an alternative method for, in this case, a half-drop design.
Work in matching magnifications as steps are advanced.
Begin with the rose, use filter, map, and tile it to twice its height, 28X60 Open a new file, twice its height and width, 56X60 pixels.
Using rulers as guides for the half drop, place a center vertical guide at 28, horizontal guides at 15, and 45 click on the 28X60 selection at the top of the work window, copy and paste it on the file marked with guides first on the left side, click on the rectangle tool to fix the layer
paste it again on the right, placing a full rose in the center square outlined in the column,
paste again and  move the selection above or below to fill in the empty third of the column
select the rectangle tool again to fix the layer, save the 56X60 file,   filter, map, and tile again to test the alignment ie here, 168X80 the icons selections at the top of the work windows change as steps are completed   A visual summary of the 28X60 image placements  A pattern is a small image that fills areas by placing copies side by side, while a brush is used for painting.
In drafting A collection of geometric design blocks built with squares, rectangles, and lines and considering optical design development, Gimp fill with pattern gained my focus once more.
Pattern fill was discussed in Gimp update for Mac 2
In developing pattern-fill libraries, and saving them, using larger pixel group pngs rather than the smallest repeat needed makes identifying them easier.
These suggestions are for drafts on 8X8 pixel grids.
They may be used to pattern fill from the clipboard while the program is open, or exported as .pat files, adding them to a “my pattern” folder through program settings, where they will be available after Gimp is quit and reopened.
Always tile/draw-in-repeats to check alignment prior to saving.
Color-reversed versions are also useful.
Once the basics are tested, one may begin to move towards shapes and more complex repeats, particularly if using electronic machines. A library of circles, some in dimension used in developing truchet tiles, drawn using the built-in Gimp circle brush, from 5 to 24 and 28 pixels in size. Developing dot designs merit a separate thread as well as more on symmetry painting.
The patterns may be saved as color or black-and-white files.
Passap users should know even though they may see this icon from some old company-shared files along with their own .cut ones,  they are not compatible with Gimp software or any other outside the DAK universe that I know of, where they were an earlier format later replaced by the stp format.
There are always many ways to approach DIY, staggered lines of equal size with alternate color starting points can fill in spaces between each other.
Gimp has offset and symmetry drawing functions.
As a long-time repeat builder, if working in Gimp alone, I prefer working with multiple images open to using layers, and visually making the drops or shifts in the repeats manually by copying and pasting on progressive-size canvases.
Starting out with colored squares in RGB mode allows for filling in each color with multiple different BW patterns, for these samples I am using only 2 linear pattern fills, beginning with a 40X40 design  tiled X5 in brick repeat  and in half drop  Introducing other shapes, 16X16 brick configuration, 32X32
half drop, 32X16   Keeping that black outline, but still rendered in B/W Eliminating the outline, retaining a quarter circle, 16X16Using mirroring, and cropping the repeat using several canvases, eliminating double lines in the process, 30X30.  The maximum size in width for large items in a single piece is generally between 180 and 200 stitches on 5 mm and 4.5 mm respectively.
Gimp comes with many built-in assorted patterns which can serve as a starting point. Here a 160X160 canvas is filled with a Gimp pattern, planning a 20 stitch border on all sides.  Convert image mode to greyscale,  using Colors/Curves adjust values to an input of 47, and an output of 203,   and if planning to knit the piece in only 2 colors, convert the result once more to indexed B/W mode To add any desired border, open a new file, in this case, 200 by 200, working in RGB mode, and fill it with any color other than black.
Copy and paste the image above onto it, it will be automatically centered  Choosing another built-in pattern, the red border is pattern filled To eliminate the yellow, use fuzzy select by color, and check that the bucket fill tool is set to fill with the background or foreground color again.
Press the shift key, and replace the yellow with white.
Convert mode to indexed B/W once more, and export as png.
If desired, using a grid view and pencil tool, additional black borders can be added.
The shift command keys on the Mac used in conjunction with the pencil tool help render straight pencil lines. Any of the larger files developed as tiled designs can be cropped to different dimensions depending on preference and end-use.
Decades ago, before software design aids, there was a knitting challenge circling around to include hidden language or undesirable language in a not necessarily easy-to-read format in knitting, beginning with hand-scripted text, which was then mirrored in width and height.
This was my version of DBJ vertical design, with the photo rotated and repeated to visualize what the appearance might be on a larger piece.
There are some really interesting examples of hiding messages in textiles throughout history and even books written on the topic, it is referred to as steganography, which means hidden writing.
When I was teaching there were often as many as 15-20 students knitting in the studio at the same time, and I felt a need for an expletive outside the less civilized 4 letter word that came to mind when multiple emergency yell shouting my name for help occurred at a single time.
Hints on using text: Gimp to create text for knitting
This image, rendered in Gimp with superimposed text and filled with patterns in both the text and in the background illustrates my answer to that problem.   I have often seen illustrations of artworks for sale online using portraits with superimposed all-over patterns.
This concept for a possible knit began with an AI-generated foursome using Midjourney  My chosen image, originally 700X700, with image mode changed from RGB to greyscale, indexed to 3 colors, scaled and trimmed to 181X183selecting a random brush for superimposed pattern, 30X40  file, new, exact dimensions as portrait, white ground, 181X183, fill with pattern, layer, transparency, color white to alpha,    copy and paste on portrait file, fix layer, save .png Image ready for download using img2track  For use on a 930, the design is broken down into multiple tracks by the software, each to be downloaded in sequence as a new pattern.  The same repeat, with a few pixel changes  Using a different punchcard pattern repeat with a different pattern fill, the portrait becomes more hidden A video on achieving a similar effect using Arahpaint   If the goal is only to change the background, there are several options for that as well.
One way to remove a background containing varied shapes, and return to an often-used of my old friend Rocco,
the file, 150X154,  add an Alpha Channel The Free Selection tool, or Lasso, allows for creating a selection by using a pointer.
Since GIMP-2.10.12, selection modes now, in 2.10.34, work differently.
Marching ants/dots come with a continuous line, meaning that the selection is not validated yet and that you can still change the selection shape (the mouse pointer comes with the Move icon) but keyboard commands may no longer work. When satisfied with the changes hit enter/ return key on Mac to validate the selection.  Enlarge the image to make following and marking its outline easier.
Freehand selection can be made in small segments at a time connecting short lines, or long, continuous strokes.
First, create a starting point by clicking on your image.
A yellow dot will appear. As you move along the edge of the image, the colored dot reappears every time you stop, with the previous locations turning into empty circles.
When it is reached, if you click on the endpoint, it turns filled and is accompanied by a moving cross.  Use the return key to pause if needed.
Pressing and releasing the mouse pointer allows you to mix free-hand segments and polygonal segments.
If you click on the endpoint, dragging alters the shape.
When the endpoint is on top of the starting point, click to close the selection.
Double-clicking on the endpoint closes the selection with a straight line.
You can go outside the edge of the image display and come back in if you want to.
Escape cancels all continuous selection segments.
When the lasso selection is completed there will be visible dotted lines around the selection Color invert the result Open a new, white canvas of the same size and magnification, and copy and paste the color inverted one on it  Use color invert once more, Rocco is now on a black ground Using the result in online dithering programs provides a different result than when dithering the full greyscale image. This result is from using https://29a.ch/ditherlicious/  If the result is an instant favorite, and the goal is to fill the ground with a pattern, use the lasso tool again to eliminate the black more carefully than I did, repeat the steps to color invert, copy and paste on red,  Color invert once more,
Fill the background with a chosen pattern, convert image mode to indexed B/W, and export the resulting file
If the image is to be knit using 3 (or more) colors per row, this is one of the myriad possible results using my favorite dithering option, https://app.dithermark.com. Returning to the greyscale image on the black ground,  the latter can be bucket filled directly with any chosen pattern   To superimpose a pattern on the whole image, fill a white canvas in the same dimensions with the pattern use Layer, transparency, color white to alpha  Copy and paste the result on the original Full greyscale is not knittable.
What about using the AI portrait in B/W or 3-4 color knitting?
172X172ditherlicious 2-color,   and dithermark using the built-in pattern selector for 4-color.   The image will be elongated in actual knitting, this window from img2track on the left is set for 4 colors. Changing selection to 2 colors and opening the same image, it is converted to B/W 3-color with diagonal hatching 2-color
Though visually some images may appear as though more than 2 colors are in use, here is the comparison using img2track between opening the above on the left, and, on the right, after changing the image mode to B/W indexed using Gimp with added cross-hatching followed by image mode to B/W in Gimp simply to note visual differences    
and a different cross-hatch, with a value balance change, in B/W mode