Ribber Fabrics – Page 11 – alessandrina.com

A bit on ribbers: Japanese KMs, alignment, and symbols 1

Before approaching using ribbers in relationship to cables I thought I would mention a bit on alignment. An online source reviewing the topic with downloadable PDF: http://machineknittingetc.com/brother-kr120-kr710-kr830-kr850-kr230-kr260-service-manual.html. Studio machines’ how to may be found on a youtube video by Roberta Rose Kelley. Before making any adjustments check that the clamps that hold the ribber in place are flush with the table and securely clamped; that the screws in the setting plate are not loose, and that they, in turn, are installed at the same depth. As adjustments are being made, and the thumbscrew is tightened, the setting plate may actually slide toward the main bed, narrowing the gap. To prevent that from happening I had to use a metal spacer between the stopper and the main bed.

Make any adjustments based on needles at each end. Ribbers tend to bow in the center with wear and age. To check how needles in both beds line up in relationship to each other: with the racking lever on 5, the pitch lever on P, pull forward at least 10 needles on each end of both the main bed and the ribber, they should line up point to point. If any of the needles do not touch or line up, loosen the 2 screws to the left end of the ribber just a bit (a quarter turn is usually enough), tap the end of the ribber with your hand just enough to the right, or left to line up needle positions. Recheck the alignment on several spots across both beds, tighten screws, check again.

Another visual option for checking alignment is offered by Studio machines in their manual for the RT1 transfer carriage To check the height of the ribber: pitch lever on H, bring it to the full up position (Brother has 2 up positions), and bring forward at least 10 needles at each end of the main bed. Use spacers ie. a credit card, or claw weight hangers that came with ribber as measuring aides; they should slip easily between main bed needles and ribber gate pegs, the recommended distance between the back of the KR needles and the KH gate pegs is 0-0.6 mm.

The online PDF has additional photographs of the nut that needs to be loosened in order to change the height. To loosen it, the ribber needs to be brought to its down position. Use the spacer tool, start with a quarter turn, to begin with, (lefty loosey, righty tighty). Lift the ribber into place. By moving the thin metal lever (adjuster plate) up and down the height may be adjusted, one side at a time. Bring the ribber down to tighten the bolt, up again for a final check.

Lastly, with main bed needles out of work bring groups of ribber needles out to E. A single claw weight should slip behind the ribber needles and in front of the main bed gate pegs. Repeat adjustments if needed so the space between the beds is as equal as possible. The space between the bottom of the main bed and the top of the ribber gate pegs should be between 1.1 and 1.7 mm.

To adjust the distance between the 2 beds: bring at least 10 needles out at each end of the ribber. Use the spanner to loosen the thumbscrews, and a screwdriver to loosen the flat clamps.

If the nut should become completely loose for any reason: the part in question I believe, is #24 in the service manual, the “slide plate guide stud”. In the image below b= the bolt that became completely loose on one of my brackets. I discovered after getting things back together that a, which secures the ribber bracket, is actually directional with a barely perceptible change/ difference in shape. If it is accidentally rotated 180, it will keep the ribber bracket from changing height positions and working properly. Rotating it restored expected actions for me.

Yarn thickness and needle arrangements may also require some tweaking of height and other adjustments. Listening for changes in machine sounds as the fabric is knit, and visual checks over time are a great help in avoiding problems. Here are positions for bracket lever as indicated in the service manual

A reminder: if the needle presser bar on the ribber (all plastic) is to be removed, it is reinserted back in with ridges facing, and flat side down I have several sinker plates. An accessory that began to appear with ribbers at some point, seen here in this illustration:

below is a close up showing markings on the right side of upturned connecting arms in 2 different model year ribbers
and here the latch opening plate has been secured into place in the connecting arm without the #2 marking, where it makes a noticeable change, bringing the unit closer to needles when on the machine during knitting And, speaking of ribbers and clamps, not all clamps are created equal though they may appear to be doing their job until some attachments cause problems.
Studio (shorter) vs Brother in place Brother bulky on top of the standard clamp, its shorter cousin Knitting symbols used for the ribbing attachment show what the stitches would look like on the “wrong” side of the knit. In the Brother system, KR refers to the ribber bed, KH to the knit one: typical illustration of symbols as found in Brother punchcard pattern and technique books:

A brother publication on Japanese symbols for knitting available in English, French, and German, may be downloaded from http://machineknittingetc.com/japanese-symbols-for-knitting-machine.html ; page 15 is missing from the document. Another resource: http://tata-tatao.to/knit/japanese/e-index.html

Drop stitch lace, 2 colors per row, japanese machines

This is an attempt to duplicate the results of Passap tech 185 used in knitting multiple colors per row drop stitch “lace” fabrics.
The method may also be used for more colors per row, expanding the repeats accordingly to the number of colors per row X 2 for each motif row. For example, here 2 colors per row are expanded to 4 rows for each color in length, 3 cols per row would need to be expanded to 6 for each design row.
This fabric widens considerably when completed, so at the top and bottom edges, cast ons and bind offs, need special consideration and planning.

In this instance, the design has been separated for the dbj method wherein each color in each design row knits twice. The second row in each pair of rows is then cleared of any pixels which results in no needle selection, providing an opportunity for the loops formed on the main bed to be dropped with the assistance of a stitch ditcher.
The fabric may also be executed using the original separation, but the opportunity to use an accessory to facilitate stitch dropping is lost’
The method for swatching: cast on for every other needle rib, knit 2 circular rows followed by one row of all knit rib, and transfer all main bed stitches to the ribber. For an open stitch cast on directions and photos see later post.
COR Set up needles on both beds for every needle rib with an extra needle in work at each end on the main bed, cancel end needle selection (KC II). With the main bed needles in the B position, set the knit carriage to slip in both directions so as not to pick up loops across the whole row as the first pass toward the color changer is made, needles will be preselected for the first pattern row
COL: the ribber remains set to knit every needle, the main bed to slip in both directions. A piece of tape in front of needle butts of needles in A position aside from the edge needles in work helps keep from accidentally moving extra needles into work when dropping whole rows of stitches
change color, as the carriage moves to the right, selected needles will pick up loops on the main bed that will form the long stitches when dropped, while the next row of pattern is selected, so by the time the carriage has reached the right side of the machine, needles will have flatlined due to the all blank rows in this type of color separation
COR: use any convenient tool to bring all needles involved out to E, and use the same tool to return all stitches back to the B position, dropping the loops on the main bed which will form the long stitches. With this type of color separation, it is also possible to use a modified Studio P slider Directions on altering the studio tool for use on Brother machines to drop stitches from right to left before continuing to knit.
Check that all needles are empty and that loops free and between the beds.
As the carriage moves to the left again toward the color changer, the ribber only will knit all stitches (does so every row), needles will be preselected for the next row of long stitches, selected needles are not knitting.
Colors are changed every 2 rows
The pattern and the “color separations”, were achieved using GimpImages from left to right
1. motif lengthened X 4
2. every other row erased (non-selection rows)
3. 2nd pattern row (every other row of design now left) color inverted
4. pattern marked in 5X5 blocks for easier tracking when drawing on the 910 mylar sheet
A downloadable PDF of basic info 185_brother
sideway views: knit side purl side The emerging pattern can be seen, and to be noted is the elongation factor involved as in many color separation DBJ fabrics
For a later review of cumulative posts on the topic see: revisiting drop stitch lace
For the design method for staggered shapes in drop stitch see Ayab software-related post.
In other electronics, a single repeat in both height and width is adequate and machine selections will determine whether the design is knit as a single motif or as all-over patterns.
Ayab’s preselection is always from left to right. In unhacked 910s, the first preselection row can be from right to left, so no accommodations need to be made for shifting the last row to the first of the design repeat.
For machines accepting electronic downloads, program the repeat with the first design row containing black squares in it, and adjust the spacing between repeats as preferred. This particular version is 80 stitches wide In an unaltered 910 with the ability to double the width of the programmed repeat, mylar users are not excluded from exploring a similar fabric. The repeat above may be rescaled to half the width, drawn that way, and then use the twice as wide built-in feature. In Gimp scaling this design to half-width, note the right side of each repeat contains an odd number of squares, the left side an even one. The repeat may be used as-is or redrawn, adding or eliminating black squares if symmetry in each shape matters. The free program Paintbrush produces the same image, mirrored.
The explanation: further analysis of the original design reveals the fact that some of the pixel numbers in the design black square blocks are uneven in width. In this instance, 3.5 is half of 7, and half pixels cannot be rendered, so the software assigns the split to 4 and 3.
A Passap sample

Drop stitch lace, 2 colors per row, Passap KM

A recent Ravelry forum thread resulted in this response from me re drop stitch patterns with multiple colors per row: “some random thoughts on these techniques: they are often much easier on the Passap, particularly the E 6000 because the machine is capable of separating colors for techniques that would require software or lots of hand/brain work to be done manually and entered. The drawback is that the pattern books offer no explanations of the programmable techniques, simply offer a number to the program to reproduce a specific illustration in their publication, and need to be analyzed by DIYers if one chooses to apply them to their own patterns.
Sorting it all out can help reproduce the fabrics when using other KM brands.
In the case of multiple color patterns: to retain some of the knit structure for each color accompanied by long stitches in the same color on any single row, some of the stitches need to be knit only on the ribber or Passap back bed, with the alternating stitches in the same color dropping after they are knit on the patterning bed.
Distinctions are sometimes made in Passap knitting between release stitches and summer fair isle. For these techniques, weights are recommended. All stitches are transferred to the back bed after cast on and before beginning a release pattern.
The racking handle is down, black strippers are recommended.
The back bed pushers must be in the rest position after the pattern is set up.
All stitches are released from the front bed before binding off on the back one.
E6000 Tech 256: knit 2 rows with yarn, 2 without yarn, dropping stitches
Tech 129: N/LX end release, single color
Tech 185: N/LX 2 rows color 1, 2 rows color 2, end release
Self-drawn reader technique for 3 colors Self-drawn reader technique for 4 colors Tech 117 for color separated designs and entered for 3+4 colorwork. From my E6 manual with my scribbled notes In tech 185 when combining the technique with a stitch pattern, the white squares for each design row K1R, skip 3, the black squares slip for 2R, K1R, skip one, with each 2 col row expanding into 4. Stitches are picked up on patterning bed EOR (odd #), not on even, resulting in both knit and dropped stitches in each color, in the pattern. BX with left arrow key/LX, 2 rows with yarn, 2 with no yarn to drop loops on the front bed. The “long stitch” Tech 184 or “pintuck” Tech 250 may also be used for release stitch.
The front bed stitches must be released before any shaping as well as prior to binding off. The edges of the resulting knits can be uneven. The side opposite that in which color changes are happening, right on Passap, left on Japanese machines, tends to be looser than the other. When color changes happen the floats on the edge between them can pull up the fabric on that side, so a small wight may have to be added and moved up every few rows on that side every few rows to keep that from happening.
Passap knitters: see summer fair isle pp 41-43 E6000 pattern book for illustrations of some 2 colors per design row stitch patterns…I am guessing also that separating colors for selective stitch dropping can help where one wants to retain some stitches while dropping others in that same row using pusher selection selectively (such as in the Superba-inspired bubble sample).
Below is a quick E6 sample: the fabric was pressed, had been much more textured prior to doing so, and is shown in sideways format; casting on and binding off would have to be considered in planning an actual fabric, as the patterned portion is a very different width than simple stocking stitch in the same yarn.
An Australian woman, Faye Butcher, developed a tool intended for dropping stitches without disrupting pusher selection on the front bed It may be used to drop any individual rows, but with some practice, it can be shifted from one side to the other, preceding the locks as they move to the opposite side, dropping loops formed on the previous row ahead of new ones being knit making the process very quick.
The Passap test swatch
purl side knit side Passap stitch formation is more predictable and even than in Brother knitting. I prefer to drop at regular intervals, in my experience with longer pieces, not all stitches may ravel properly after doing so in a test swatch.
End release does not work in every design, ie if long stitch shapes are distributed on knit striped grounds.
A Brother sample using the same design repeat as in the Passap swatch.

A bubbles cousin

This is a Superba drop stitch fabric, using the same principles as those in the last post, with a rib stitch outlining the alternating drop stitch shapes on the purl side

directions from the manual

In my knit sample the ribber does all the knitting every row and patterning is accomplished on the main bed, reversing the recommendation in the Superba manual

the new repeat

Set up is so that needle selection position once again begins with 5 stitches on the left, occurs in a multiple of 5, with extra needles in work on ribber on either side

Transfer all stitches to ribber, begin needle selection with first five stitches on left in work, 3 OOW, 5 in work, 3 OOW across the bed as seen in the illustration above, reversing the beds.

The first needle, then every 4th, and last on right on the main bed will never be dropped, are always in work.

When needle selection changes to block number 2 from left, the center 3 sts of every group of 5 every needle rib sections are dropped, the empty 3 needles beginning with the second group from left are brought into work, repeating the process across the bed.

Knitting continues until needle selection changes, *the middle 3 stitches of each 5 stitch EON rib group are dropped, the previously 3 empty needles in the opposing sets are returned to work. Knitting continues until the needle selection changes* and the * * process is repeated.

Cast on and bind off methods are determined by end-use and personal preference

the resulting fabric, purl side

the knit side (not truly reversible as the swatch in the last post)

a not so bubbly bubble end

Back to circles from squares

I actually posted on the topic of circular garments in knitting in June-August 2011. Hard to believe 2 years have gone by since I last played with this idea. Here is a version knit on the Passap, using tuck stitches both single and double bed, awaiting seaming and blocking (alpaca/silk)

a detail shot

and swatching for a variation on edging with cotton, using rib tuck and slip throughout

side 1

side 2

viewed on a dress form

the other on a hanger prior to washing and blocking

in process of blocking, 40 inches diameter in this orientation

the blue cousin, 38 inches in diameter

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Double jacquard separations 4_ making them “work”

Working back to the repeat from post # 3 on this subject, I returned to the drawing board and edited the separations. Tetris is a tile-matching puzzle video game originally designed and programmed by Alexey Pajitnov in the Soviet Union. The objective of the game is to manipulate tiles, by moving each one sideways and rotating it by 90 degree units, with the aim of creating a horizontal line of ten blocks without gaps. The principle at use for the separated “squares” shapes is to achieve the same result for each of color separation groups (highlighted by dark borders in the charts), by moving them up and down, or changing their positions in the color sequence. The first method (beginning with only one row of ground color) has eluded me in terms of an “error free” result. More than one version consistently in a missing single stitch of color. The latest method shows the problem color “tiles” marked in dark ovals. The column on left is the original separation, A shows the juggled colors, B the pixels, squares, or punched holes for the repeat, and the far column on the right shows markings that may be used to track the color change sequences, which may be transferred to punchcard, mylar, or for any cues in change of sequence your program can provide. The swatch approaches the original intended design far more than any of the previous attempts. It is expected that the background color will be the majority or main color of the design; it gets separated out as first color. By splitting the knitting of most of the needles to the beginning and the end of the sequence (japanese 2 color default) this way, one supposedly eliminates the chance that the needles knitting the second row of each color will knit over, blocking a space yet to be knit in the first row of the design by a color that has not yet been knit. In this small pattern no colors knit more than 3 consecutive stitches at any one time. With some motifs the final alternative is to redesign the motif.

the test swatch (striping was the result of forgetting to set the KM for slip <—>)

Using the alternative method for decreased elongation of motif upon knitting, here are the working charts for beginning with 2 rows of color 1

the swatch: got it!

my mylar sheet markings

A&B show my marks corresponding to color positions in the color changer, the first 3 repeats on left are the ones used to knit the swatches. Separations are suitable for DBJ, but I chose to knit trials in single bed slip stitch.

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Quilting on the Brother KM 2, solid color back DBJ

Quilting books may give inspiration for varied shapes. The illustration below is a diamond variant, another may be found in the brother ribber technique book p. 33, different color and KC knitting sequence.

On orange rows, the main bed knits lots of needles, selects sealing stitches for the next row of knitting, on green rows the ribber does most of the knitting and will select the stitches the main bed will knit on the subsequent row, and so on
The first preselection row direction does not necessarily matter in single color fabrics as long part buttons in both beds are set appropriately, unless double length is used, in which case KC row needs to be toward the color changer and the design needs to be in 2-row “color” repeats whether as actually punched, “drawn” and programmed, or with elongations used. The above repeat is suitable for punchcard machines as well. If knit without elongation one may use the same carriage settings as the previous sample above. KC –> with card/pattern locked, knit one row to right, set card/pattern to advance, opposite part buttons in use, results in knitting tubular for nearly square diamond shapes. The “stuffing” below is small cut-up pieces of waste knitting.

For longer diamonds or 2 color knitting, KC<– row is toward the color changer. Settings on the ribber need to be changed manually every 2 rows for both single color and 2 color patterning.

When lots of needles are selected on MB, knit 2 rs using settings pictured on left, the ribber slips for 2 rows. If only a few needles are selected, knit 2 rs with settings pictured on right. The ribber will knit all needles, MB only those providing the outline of the shape in the front of the knit, sealing the layers. All ribber carriage slip setting changes happen with carriage on left, prior to the next pair of knit rows, before or after the color change. Errors are less likely if a sequence of the steps involved is developed and followed.

settings, col 1 settings, col 2

The sample below was knit in 2/48 cash wool at T 3/3 using the above repeat. The fabric is sheer, and the joined sections of fabric are lacey.

This method allows for knitting large shapes without the distortion resulting from many double bed techniques. A series of swatches using the technique:

front view rear view

Once the principles are worked out, very thin yarn or monofilament in front may be used with a thicker or contrasting color in the back, with viewable inclusions against the ground. A wool backing and a non-felting front can achieve interesting blister-like looks without some of the issues of double bed blisters and patterning, large shapes of plain knit could be contrasted against all rib backgrounds, and so on

a few more experiments

a monofilament cocoon with paillettes in its pockets

It is also possible to use an altered knit carriage to knit rows on the main bed only, while leaving the couple carriages on the left instead of changing ribber settings from slip to knit and back with color changes, see later post on ribber-fabrics-produced-with-2-knit-carriages-selecting-needles/

A Ravelry question raised the possibility of knitting a flat tube with a different solid color on each side. This may be achieved using the same principle as quilting. The programmed pattern is for 2 rows of punched holes or black pixel rows followed by two unpunched or all blank rows. When all main bed needles are preselected, the ribber is set to slip for 2 rows, only the main bed will knit. When there is no preselection on the main bed, the ribber is set to knit, no stitches will be formed on the main bed, so each surface remains separate. The knit carriage is set to KC1 to ensure the sides of the tube will be sealed. If two knit carriages are used to select needles, then it is possible to easily adjust tension for the alternate color if that is deemed needed.

Quilting on the knitting machine 1

SINGLE BED QUILTING for straight-edged pockets, hand technique only: leave needles OOW creating vertical ladders in location to correspond to side edges of pockets, have a loose tension row (at least 2 numbers higher, more if possible) to mark their tops. Both will serve to pick up stitches, loose rows help for the turning of any hem when joinings begin.

Knit half the length of the fabric required (create a small hem that will, in turn, be at the lower edge of the finished piece if preferred), continue knitting, picking up ladder loops closest to bottom turn prior to each pass of the carriage, continue until the loose tension row is reached, pick up all stitches as in a hem to seal the knit pockets, repeating the process throughout.

Hand technique combined with punchcard: slip stitches are a familiar tool in marking rows for picking up hems such as at the top of knitted skirts. They can also serve to create pick-up bars, and the slightly narrower, shorter lining for a quilted fabric. Nearly all stitches and rows in the card need to be punched, empty spots (non-selected needles) will skip, creating marking “floats” for rehanging after completion of the first half of the piece. KC pattern selection is on, part <—>. Non-selected needles on the second half of the piece will give a clue as to where to hang the floats, in turn bringing selected needles out to holding if desired. KC: needle selection is left on, no part buttons, the carriage is now set to knit every row throughout. The fabric will be knit together in those spots on the next pass of the carriage. Decisions can be made as to whether to do this every row or every other. A self-drawn possibility is below on the left in which instance all white squares would need to be punched out, a possible factory pre-punched on right. Not to be forgotten is appliqué, where separate shapes may be knit and joined onto the ground (knit in any desired stitch) technique by a seam as you knit method.

DOUBLE BED QUILTING: carriage settings on brother are for circular knitting. Cast on for every needle rib with a familiar yarn, knit one or 2 rows, and to make a trial piece, set the main carriage to slip to right, ribber carriage to slip to left. The ribber tends to knit tighter than the main bed since large numbers of needles will be knitting side by side, the tension should be loosened at least one or 2 numbers while on the main bed the tension used should be closer to that used for the same yarn when knitting stocking stitch. Bring every X needle on the main bed to hold position, knit 2 rows, and repeat to the desired length of the pocket. When the latter is reached, lower the ribber slightly, “stuff” pocket, bring all needles to hold position, the needle set up is with needles at halfway between each other (racking handle H as for every needle cast on ), so main bed may be brought to hold as well, knit 2 rows, and repeat process adjusting cam settings. The same principle applies here whether patterning is used or not. With slip setting non-selected needles (B pos) slip, do not knit, and needles in D position or holding in hand tech, will knit and in this fabric seal the fabric. In the chart, the symbols represent the stitches as they are formed on each bed to create a tube. The carriage icons show that opposite part buttons are in use on both beds. The ribber (odd-numbered, white rows) knits left to right, slips right to left, MB (yellow rows) slips left to right, knits right to left, creating a tube.

Automating the function brings us to another color separation of sorts. In single color quilting using simple tubular setting: Knitmaster machines work a bit differently than Brother, so cards/ mylars would have to be designed accordingly, Passap has some built-in techs that can help with this. The settings below are for brother, and the card, for narrow vertical tubes. The width between punched holes could be adjusted to any factor of and up to every 24. Every row or every other row can be marked. Cast on for every needle rib. In this repeat when rows with no needle selection occur at its top, set both carriages to knit 2 rows (or bring all needles manually out to hold) to seal pockets. MB is set to slip in one direction, will knit on even rows, to slip on odd rows as punched. The ribber is set to slip from right to left and knit from left to right. With carriages at KM’s left insert the card, lock on row 1. KC –> knit 1 row in rib from left to right, release card, and continue knitting. In Brother machines, the tucking lever must be in the down, N position as well. When possible, the tension on the main bed should be as loose as it will allow, if stuffing the pockets is planned. Without wadding, the face can have a crumpled look with a smooth back.
A small test with a 15 stitch wide pocket

Going further in automating the repeat: this card portion includes the sealing rows (1 and 2): extend repetitions of rows 3 and 4 until the length of the desired pocket is reached for your DIY repeat. The ribber is set to slip from right to left and knit from left to right, the main carriage to knit from left to right, and to slip from right to left (opposite part buttons). With carriages at right insert the card, lock on row 1. KC <–, knit 1 row in rib from right to left, release card (or mylar), and continue knitting to the desired length. Make certain there is an even number of rows between each pair of sealing rows in your own design. It takes pairs of carriage passes to complete each circular round. To use the repeat below as a continuing pattern, one row in its height would need to be removed or added. A test of the repeat

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Double jacquard 3/ single bed multi color slip

Double jacquard knitting allows one to design and knit multiple color patterns without the worry of floats. The color changer (standard machines hold a limit is of 4 colors at any one time) and the ribber is required. The ribber knits the floats into the second layer of fabric on the ribber side, resulting in the term double knit. Often the main bed is set to slip throughout. Slipped (or first-row tuck) stitches become elongated until nonselected stitches knit off. The more the colors in any one row, the more all the stitches on the front face of the fabric must stretch in order to accommodate the number of colors laid behind in the backing fabric. The elongated stitches may allow for the other colors to be seen, and this is often referred to as “grin/bleed-through”. Different ribber settings may help with some of the elongation (depending on separation method) and grin through issues. The same principles used for DBJ separations apply to single bed multiple color slip stitch, and creating the initial swatches single bed can serve as a test for the DBJ pattern separation. In the series below some of the potential issues become obvious

the design repeat

The simplest color separation expands each row of the design to X times its original length based on the number of colors per row; in this case, 3 design rows expand to 6. In addition, in order to knit the fabric, the elongation function (X2) must be used, and each color for each design row will be knit twice, with color changes every 2 rows. This is necessary if the color changer is to be used since it takes 2 passes of the knit carriage to travel away from and back to it in order to pick up the next color. The result is a very elongated design. It is possible to knit the same motif without elongation, but then the yarn needs to be cut and changed on the appropriate side and each row, creating side edges not suitable for garments. One can separate any design with this method, and the motif may even have an odd number of rows. The sequence below is for the expansion of the first 2 motif rows

The graph below shows the motif in repeat, the next column the color separation, with expanded rows, and in the third, the black indicates the knit stitches (black squares on mylar, punched holes in card)

Testing the design single bed slip stitch: the resulting fabric is dense, with lots of floats, and narrow in final width, with little if any stretch. In the knit swatch: elongation is marked, would remain so even if the fabric were knit double bed and settings on ribber to reduce elongation were used

There are 2 other options for separating colors that deal with the problem of elongation, but they do not work on every design. The separation on the left is set up in sequential 2 two row units. In a 3 color pattern, each row of the design expands into 6. The selection row is made toward the color changer. The separation on the right also retains the knit scale. In using either one must often be willing to adapt and edit the original design motif. The total number of rows is the same as the previous method, but the sequence for color one is split as seen in numbers beside the color column in the chart. The selection row is made away from the color changer, knitting a single row in the pattern for color 1. In these separation methods, the motif must have an even number of rows

The respective resulting swatches: the elongation problem is solved, but the repeat is off in the upper third of the design. Some separation programs are able to scan through your design and locate the problem areas, even shuffle the order in which the colors are knit in order to allow the separation to work, but manual solutions may be quite time consuming or at times not possible

A redesign: one method to avoid pattern shift problems and ensure success is to use units in the design that are 2 stitches high, as seen in the motif and its separation below.

In knitting, the selection row is made toward the color changer. In rows where color 3 is not represented, only the first and last needles are selected, and manually pushed back to the B position. Eliminating end needle selection can cause problems at the outer edge of other colors, eliminating blank rows from graph and knitting would require much more attention to where in repeat one is actually working, and lead to possible frequent mistakes in color sequence.

the resulting fabric, knit, and purl views

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Double Jacquard 2

The Passap Handbook for the Deco by Bernadette A Ernakovich was an excellent guide to exploring the qualities of changing lock settings on the hand, feel, look, and in shape alterations on the original design, a simple triangle, when using them. In knitting any fabric, distinctions need to be made between what is doable vs practical. Japanese machines are less tolerant than Passap for repeated functions on the same needles, and the numbers of stitches and of rows, if attempting to duplicate textures, often need to be adjusted or reduced. Some very interesting fabrics may be achieved by hand changing ribber carriage settings on the Brother KM, which are made far easier on the E 6000 because of its collection of lock settings in conjunction with arrow keys on the back bed. I amended the “Passap” triangle to the smaller repeat below

electronic

punchcard (40 rows of punched repeat actually required for functional length)

This document DBJtest includes directions on using the design repeat as is, or separated for DBJ work by 2 different methods for both punchcard and electronics: color separations. Swatch photos are below, this type of exercise shows how the resulting fabric may share a single design, but is changed sometimes surprisingly by changes in ribber settings

the front/knit side

its rear view

Added techniques: for vertical striper backing see subsequent May 14th post

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