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 
Category: GIMP
free image editing program for Mac and Windows
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, 16X16
Using 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 181X183
selecting 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. 
Placing the portrait with white color to alpha on top of the BW pattern filled ground produces a slightly different result 
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?
172X172
ditherlicious 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
Blistered dbj 3
Names referring to the same knit fabric can vary between machine manuals for specific models and brands or references in books, magazines, and articles depending on the dates they were published.
My earlier share on the topic:
Blistered stitches dbj 1
Blistered DBJ 2 and technique variations on a single repeat, introduced some of the concepts involved.
Beginning with any random published repeat can offer the start of exploring a range of fabrics. This was a Pinterest punchcard share, markings indicate it was intended for Brother machines 
Methods for obtaining color separations for specific knits have been discussed in other posts.
Brother models can use the cam buttons to perform a function in one direction only, ie by using only one tuck or slip button, the machine will knit when the carriage reverses movement to the opposite side.
Developing specific color separations makes the files usable on other machine brands and models, makes it easier to return to specific rows in error corrections, and is my personal preference in test swatching and complete pieces.
Drawing the initial design in repeat provides a visualization of the resulting secondary shapes and the number of needles required for tiled variations in finished pieces based on gauge.
The first design is intended for use in every needle rib, with the knit carriage knitting in one direction, and using slip or even tuck in the opposite direction.
The 24X32 design extracted from the inspiration punchcard 
A: the rendering scaling the design twice in length
B: making the choice to color invert it in planning slipped stitches on the larger number of white pixels
C: superimposing black lines on every other row beginning with row 2 
A quick review of the steps involved in working with Gimp:
begin with magnification for easy viewing, ie. 800X, view grid if preferred
the starting brush can be as small as this 2-pixel 
select it and save it to the clipboard by choosing copy visible, making it available to bucket fill images, or export the same design as a .pat file and save it in the appropriate settings folder for future use. 
A: the original design repeat rendered in black and white
B: layer, transparency, color white to alpha
C: file, new, white ground, matching size, filled with a pattern of pairs of horizontal all-white pixel rows beginning with white on row one, followed by all-black pixel rows on row 2
D: copy B and paste it on C, and export the file as png 
The chosen repeat may not be color reversed after programming it using the machine’s built-in electronic functions.
White pixels slip, stitches on the main bed in non-selected areas would not knit off for extended periods ie where red marks occur, and noticeable problems would develop quickly 
Beginning proofs of concept for this version, 24X64 
knit on 60 stitches using it drawn in repeat X3, 72X64, and programmed as a single motif 
The result is a very subtle contrast lacey knit 
The yarn thickness and color were changed. The pattern begins using the slip setting and transitions to tuck, also in only one direction. Because the ribber is knitting every stitch between stitches on the top bed holding side-by-side loops down, tucking on multiple side-by-side needles can be performed, producing a wider, stretchy knit that also lies flat. 
True blisters/pintucks generally knit rows on the top bed alone forming pockets that are eventually sealed by all knit rows.
Slip stitch settings are used.
The design is at first lengthened X5, then every 5th row is filled with black pixels or punched holes.
A begins in smaller groups of gathers, testing for any errors or problems, while B allows for deeper folds. 
A: 
the mark shows the stitches on the top bed begin to slip far too many rows
due to using the color reverse option in the 930 before continuing to knit. 
With a switch to the blue yarn, all-knit spaces between the pockets now begin to appear gathered. Slip stitch results in narrower knits, noticeable in the ruffled effects on every needle rib above the cast ons 
B: 
the extra row of slipped stitches result in a far more textured knit 
Developing other layouts for the same design, brick 24X128 
half drop 48X64 
Eliminating unwanted extra stitches from the original, modified to 24X28 pixels 
drawn in repeat to 144X168 
brick version 24X56 
half drop 48X28 
adding those all knit rows 
Viewing repeat alignments 
The 24X112 brick repeat suitable for punchcards, not tested, 
and the half drop, 48X56 
tested using a 10/2 cotton and lightly steamed and pressed. Knit on 80 stitches, it measures 17 inches in width and 11 in height.
an attempt at a more detailed look 
A collection of geometric design blocks built with squares, rectangles, and lines
I have grown fond of playing with ArahPaint’s functions: guess weave from grid, and drawing in repeat, and am constantly amused by the speed with which most design repeats and color separations can now be drafted when compared to the very first efforts in the days of anyone trying to use Excel spreadsheets to accomplish the same tasks.
Drafts designed for handweaving provide endless inspiration for knit design.
In conjunction with ArahPaint, Gimp remains a frequent go-to as well, along with Numbers for Mac for when spreadsheet tables meet charting or design needs.
The programs are free, there is no need to purchase expensive design programs in order to develop DIY motifs.
Developing tiled repeats suitable for multiple stitch types, including tuck , offered some repeats that began with geometric blocks built with squares, rectangles, and lines, some of which are suitable for punchcard knitting.
Many are included here again to serve as a cumulative collection of possible springboards for use as is or for developing more personal variations.
A reminder: the pngs below were saved as indexed, B/W files.
When downloaded, they may be converted automatically to RGB mode.
Prior to downloading any to machines, check their image mode, and if it is RGB, convert it back to B/W indexed. The pixel dimensions text for designs suitable for punchcard machines are highlighted in a different color.
More repeats are available in the post on Working with diagonal patterning in machine knitting
Larger pngs may be subdivided to change their appearance or alignment of specified numbers of cells.
To begin with, cells may be filled in any color, with mode and color changes to indexed BW if for electronic download
8X8 
punchcard full repeat 
its png
12X12
visualized drawn in repeat X12 
and modified using drawing X12 in random repeat for use in electronic machines 
introducing dotted squares, another 12X12 
19X19
18X18, shown tiled X 9 in both width and height 
and modified using random 
A Ravelry query prompted these designs
22×22
22X30
32X32
44X54 
66X60
The present series:
20X20
25X23
26X23
35X35 
68X68 
A visit to a quilting blog led to these explorations, beginning with a 20X20 repeat, rotated in 4 directions to be combined in new 40X40 repeats for different movements. 
A first simple 40X40 grouping 
tiled X5 in width and height, also color reversed to visualize the result with the potential exchange of the yarn positions in the color-changing sequences 
Dividing the repeat in half, color inverting the 20X20 segment on the right, 
combining it with the left half 
And with color inverted quarter segments 
In the following designs, the meeting points are slightly offset. 
and lastly, aiming for more of a diagonal 
Varying shapes
12X12 
drawn in repeat X13 
26X26 
drawn in repeat X6 
with color inverted quarters 
drawn in repeat X6 
16X16
drawn in repeat X10 
drawn in repeat selecting random 
24X24
24X20
24X24
Developing related series, stop or continue, choose a preferred design anywhere along the way
47X47 
94X94 with segment rotations 
drawn in repeat X2 
a few rows and columns removed, 43X43 
86X86
a series beginning with 68X64 pixels 
A purposeful effort to create outlines, 22X24 
55X59 
Alternating outline colors, 50X72
Using pixelated lines to break up blocks
8X28 
16X16 
drawn in repeat X10 
14X14
drawn in repeat X11
24X24
24X24 with quarter-turned segments
drawn in repeat X7
24X47 
cropped to 24X40, for different symmetry 
Developing repeats evocative of samplers
48X48 
64X64 
An electronic repeat with shifting angles, 32X32 
magnified 2X2 for a better view 
Color inverted quarter segments composing a slightly glitched pattern evocative of tartans, 128X128 
112X112
Tiny details, large repeat, 48X98 
34X140 
74X74 
The start of a different potential family, 93X32 
Introducing circles or parts of them to the library, 19X20 
tiledX10 
random variations 
36X40
trimmed and redrawn to 36X79 
Truchet tiling design inspiration 1
For many years my knitting of accessories and wearable pieces was my source of income, guided by what pricing the local market would bear, the limitations of mylar sheets or that of an early Passap interface to program repeats, and the amount of time required to complete each piece.
There is practicality and ease in playing with colors using small motifs single-bed, and varying materials and yarn plies allowed me to aim for limited edition designs without looking at identical finished products more than once or occasionally a few times.
At first, Ayab and then img2track changed the playing field in terms of downloading and programming designs.
Eventually, my knitting moved from production pieces for sale to creating samples for my blog almost exclusively.
I have had a long and continued interest in math-based designs, and knit a line of accessories using automata-inspired repeats, often limiting the repeats in size to ones that would align vertically without having to program multiple DBJ segments, reducing the possibility of programming errors in scarves that would often require around 1200 knit rows in length.
A 930 followed the 910, this, knit in July 2021, was my first try at using img2track to download multiple tracks. 
There are many ways to yield math-based patterns, and nowadays online generators and reference sites abound, making it possible for nongeeks to use the resulting files to create knit suitable designs.
Some recent Truchet tile images shared on Instagram brought me back to exploring math-based images and what by default needs to be executed as larger-scale design motifs in knitting.
Sebastian Truchet was a Carmelite priest whose “Memoir sur les Combinasions” was published in 1704. It is a wealth of patterns built up from a simple motif, which you can see here
http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k3486m.image.f526.langFR and in which he discussed squares, half black, half white, split into triangles, with four possible orientations for each tile. He was also the inventor of the point system for indicating the sizes of typeface fonts.
His method of tiling by the combination of manipulating four-letter codes, A, B, C, and D, in rotations using triangular shapes inspired new variations in tilings.
Cyril Stanley Smith introduced two alternatives to the basic Truchet tile in 1987. One uses only diagonal lines to create maze-like designs where the coloring is removed and only the boundaries remain. The other, resulting in the designs produced in this post, uses quarter circles that may be filled or used as outlines and rotated to form the final shapes. 
Distinctions in naming the tiles are not often made. “Truchet” is the commonly used generic term.
Some articles on the tilings:
Generalizations of truchet tiles, Multiscale Truchet Patterns, The Tiling Patterns of Sebastien Truchet and the Topology of Structural Hierarchy, and More on tiles, fun with portraits.
Basic elements include contrasting triangles, quarter circles, and diagonal lines.
One may find code for programming DIY in various GitHub links. Python is far beyond my interest or skill, there are many ways to achieve the designs.
Spreadsheets are also programmable, but require the development of formulas.
Developing patterns from online sources, beginning with the Smith variation using quarter circles: the Wolfram site is a computing and math one well worth exploring, the files there are Computable Document Files, a document standard developed by Wolfram Research. They can be saved and opened using the Wolfram CDF Player, which is a standalone application and a Web browser plug-in provided for free.
To preview search results in a browser: https://demonstrations.wolfram.com/TruchetTiles/.
Ad blockers may interfere with proper previews in Safari but appears to not be an issue using Chrome as the browser.
Files cannot be saved from the preview results other than as screengrabs.
What is cdf
For permanent access to preferred CDFs:
CDF Wolfram player download is available for Mac and Windows, you will be asked to provide an email address.
After the player is installed and opened, click on the central option, 
and search for your area of interest. 
Any demonstration may be saved for future use, most are customizable to varying degrees.
In my first effort, I used colors and left the black outlines. The second, simpler method of editing follows below it. 
The swatch png, 58X150, includes 2 stitch vertical borders in the dark color. The machine was set to the built-in KRC color separation for DBJ. Some of the circular shapes have been already edited, but if I were to reuse the repeat, I would clean up more of the design shape edges
160 design rows were knit, measuring 7.5 inches by 20.5.
The dark color is a chenille from an unmarked cone with uncertain yardage. The space-dyed is an 8/2 rayon slub.
Tension was set at 5/5, the knit carriage on KCI, and the ribber using lili buttons for birdseye backing. KCII may be used as well if preferred, the side vertical edges will have a slightly different appearance. 
Developing an added repeat:
the working file in the cdf is a default 600 by 600 pixels. If the goal is to save a black-and-white downloadable png, the present plan is to fill in portions of the design with black while leaving others in white.
Checking tiling insures continuous designs at any point in the process.
It is possible to directly scale size in the cdf, but the shape outlines become broken in the automatic % reduction, so the filling-in process I suggest fails to be contained. 
In this exercise, none of the other available parameters were changed. When the player is launched, click on the tile, it will be surrounded by an orange line, 
copy the image, and it can then be pasted directly into Gimp. 
Change the Image Mode to BW Indexed before proceeding further.
Using the fuzzy select tool 
click on any area in the design, it will be surrounded by dotted lines 
select bucket fill, to fill the selected area with black.
Edit, undo will revert to the previous steps in sequence at any point.
If satisfied, select the rectangle tool.
Clicking on the selected area 
will allow its use for copying and pasting the outlined segment on a new canvas or cropping the area to the selection for saving while clicking anywhere in the Gimp work window fixes the results. The dotted lines disappear. Repeat the process on the remaining image. 
The processed file will measure 600X600 pixels.
Anyone working with large-scale images and reducing file size to make them available for knitting as single panels on a standard machine is familiar with the loss of detail and the need for cleanup of edges as incremental decreases in file size are attempted.
Magnifying any of these will help evaluate forms and scaling decisions for final repeats to be used in knit test swatches.
Downloading or copying and pasting them from here for personal use may change the image mode to RGB in the process, check mode and convert them to indexed BW if needed before any further use.
300X300
200X200 pixels 
150X150 pixels 
The proof of concept was knit using the 100X200 repeat without any pixel cleanup. 
The blue yarn is a 2/20 wool, and the white is a 2/28 Italian yarn of unspecified fiber content from my stash. Both beds were set at 2/2. The KRC setting separated the colors so each color in each row knits only once, but it takes 2 passes to complete one row, so 100 design rows translate to 200 rows of knitting. In this instance, img2track used on the 930 broke up the design into 2 tracks, a 66-row first track, followed by a 134-row one.
Each track needed to be programmed sequentially.
The ribber was set for birdseye backing, which in this case results in an interesting shadowing of the pattern 
Comparing the two swatches: 
Variations in tiles made by changing variable view options 
will still align when combined, easily producing a range of new designs at merging points. Use guides to help narrow down segments of interest, here they are placed at even 100-pixel intervals on two adjoining 600-pixel images. 
To remove a single guide after placing it, go to Edit, Undo Add the Horizontal or Vertical Guide. To remove all guides, go to View, and uncheck Show Guides.
And for those not averse to developing any larger motifs from scratch, the limitations of any geometric shape, when reduced to low-resolution knitting, mean the search must begin for what one determines to be a pleasing circular form. 
My original circle was placed on a 40X40 grid with outlines every 10 cells, the central circular 20X20 repeat was isolated and split into quarters, in turn generating these 2 tiles out of the 8 total required, also 20X20, with the second the color-reversed image of the first. 
A similar approach can be used in color to visualize the initial 8 tile repeats and their rotations in order to form new shapes. This technique may be useful in planning floor tile patterns but is cumbersome for developing knit designs. 
Facilitating and speeding up the process: in my post on using ArahPaint and Gimp in knit design, I briefly touched on the Drawing-in-repeat feature in Arah to produce random tiling.
Thanks to the developer there now is a video, viewable on Instagram and Facebook, on how to use the feature for this type of tile, which allows for very quick DIY versions that can be trimmed as needed for knitting. This is my very first try, a how-to will follow in the next post. 
And the second, composed of triangular forms
For spreadsheet users, this one generates the various tiles in Google Sheets and a related article.
Figurative designs in mosaic knitting
Designs may be developed to incorporate lines and grids by outlining motifs, filling in the results with grids or lines, and even color inverting the results.
From an early 2013 post:
Each number on the grids below represents 2 consecutive rows of knitting. The design may be elongated in the drawing of the final repeat itself prior to punching holes, marking mylar or pixels, or elongated using the built-in setting in the KM used, whether electronic or punchcard.
Color changes are required every 2 rows.
The grids: 
After a motif has been separated, usually color 1 is represented in row 1, and all odd-numbered rows
color 2 is represented by row 2 and all even-numbered rows
long horizontal lines in mazes usually occur on odd-numbered rows
even-numbered rows typically have no more than 2 black squares marked side by side
on odd-numbered rows, the white cells slip
on even-numbered rows, the black cells slip
odd-numbered rows are knitted in the primary color (black cells)
even rows are knitted in the contrasting color (white squares)
Forming shapes and or text on the vertically symmetrical grid:
2023
These single-bed knits are ideal when float control is an issue, or when one wishes to reduce the bulk of fair isle techniques. There are, however, geometric design restrictions and the resulting patterns may be too “busy” for some.
Separated designs interrupted by black or white lines rather than single-cell dots are knit using slip stitch on the single bed, or in every needle rib with the knit carriage set to slip or even tuck in both directions on the top bed, and the ribber set to knit in both directions, a very different fabric.
The basic procedures for drawing figurative repeats may be worked out using graph paper or image processing programs, depending on what tools are available.
Working in Gimp, generate a file in a basic grid, which in turn may be tiled to any dimensions needed. 
Using the bottom grid is problematic in creating figurative mosaics using the connect-the-dots technique. Attempted vertical lines do not connect cleanly. 
Cautious planning is required in executing figurative designs.
Clean-up will often result in solid color surrounding shapes or the addition of some short solid lines.
Doodling with blocks on both grids in a spreadsheet. 
Text becomes more complicated if one seeks to emulate favorite fonts or to work on a small scale.
A spreadsheet using multiple colors may make the drawing easier to start with. By necessity, repeats will once more need to be large.
With practice, one develops favorite ways of reaching the chosen goal. 
Large shapes may be superimposed on either dotted grid for final editing depending on what sort of border one wishes to add in designs for end-use in large pieces such as blankets. 
Figurative drawing occurs on rows marked with black pixels on the grid where black dots line up vertically.
White rows remain blank except where the black dots in the shape’s outline need to connect vertically.
After the outline for the motif is created, the filling-in of the shape is executed connecting dots once again.
By necessity, these shapes need to be large.
My first design is 68 stitches wide by 40 high. 
Processing the image is done on the same design. When color-separating Mosaics the design is not elongated.
Using the steps described in previous posts on a copy of the initial file: color invert, 
It is interesting to observe that the knitted result matches this image.
The file may begin as black and white indexed, but prior to adding colors the mode needs to be changed to RGB.
Add a third color beginning on every other row beginning on row 1, 
using layer, transparency, and color to alpha, the third is removed, leaving black and white. 
The alpha file is copied and pasted on the original resulting in a knittable mosaic repeat that requires elongation X2.
Check that the file is in indexed BW mode prior to saving it for knitting, it will need to be elongated X2 if used as is. 
The above doubled in height, now 68 stitches wide by 140 high, may be knit as is. 
Those solid black areas are OK. On the corresponding design rows, needle selections on nearly every needle will take place, those needles will knit the color in use at the time.
The tuck setting is possible, the final appearance will be quite different. For my swatch, I used the slip setting.
Slip-stitch pieces tend to have vertically straight side edges, while tuck ones tend to have wavy ones.
The floats on the purl side are still only 2 stitches wide.
The all-knit areas are not reduced in height, so they ripple initially and became flattened with blocking in this case, but caused the top and bottom of the horizontally striped segment to curve.
Starting knitting using the light color as opposed to dark will color invert the design.
The blue yarn used here is wool and the yellow is acrylic.
The swatch was steamed and pressed.
The dark color is dominant. 
Visualizing the color inverted image using the photograph of the swatch rather than actually knitting it: 
A 48X46 heart to play with for DIY 
Beginning in a spreadsheet followed by transitioning to Gimp can use a similar dot-to-dot design concept. It offers the opportunity to make adjustments before fixing on placement for the final black pixels over other colors. Moving away from dot to dot to “visually pleasant” does not necessarily work.
The flower design chosen and committed to for the moment is 37X32, visualized on possible backgrounds, and placed on a final one drawn with straight diagonal lines in pattern, for the test knitting 
Aside from whether accurate tiling is possible for that final repeat, it has far too many white rows uninterrupted by black squares. As in any slip-stitch fabric, a stitch is held in every white cell or unpunched area location until a black cell or punched hole follows it, the result is very elongated single stitches on the knit side: 
There is a limit as to how big a part of any final mosaic repeat can truly be freeform.
It helps to develop a library of personal grid variations, to be willing to observe some basic rules, and to have an affinity for the overall look of the results.
In terms of the basic grids, the horizontal stripes have already been shown in the fish to produce 2-row all-knit stripes in alternating colors where they are placed in the design.
The vertical stripes create this result when proofed, and it can be recognized in the png for the body of the fish 
Developing a DIY background: I find it easier to work on such designs on a large table in Numbers, which allows for placing a variety of colors and in the same document more easily, and then converting the outcome to a BW indexed png in Gimp. 
The smallest isolated repeat, in this case, is a square, 20X20 
Make certain it tiles correctly before proceeding:
The final file doubled in length shows no areas where extended slip stitch rows might be an issue. This step is not necessary as one begins to trust the process. 
Returning to that flower, on the white-to-alpha ground, a 37X32 saved file, open it in Gimp.
Open a second file, using the background-repeat, and tile it X2 in both height and width to a matching 40X40 size.
Copy and paste the flower onto it in what appears to be a visually pleasing location, clean up the surrounds, and save the png. 
Proceed with the now familiar steps: 
The final repeat must be elongated X2, color inverting may provide a better sense of what cells knit or slip, and it may be used to knit the design. 
The working 40X80 repeat: 
Once again, the completed swatch visually matches the original file, color inverted.
The latter provides a sense for guessing if the knit results are pleasing and it offers a way to explore different colorways or matching yarn colors.
Pursuing the dot-by-dot concept can lead to endless DIY designs. Playing with motif scale in Numbers: 
Isolating part of the design in Gimp: 42X44 
A variation using multiples on an 80X80 canvas. 
Loving that DIY background? To create a frame
1. choose a finished canvas size, ie 120X120, and fill it by tiling the DIY background
2. open a second file to, in this case, 80X80, in any color including white. I chose yellow as a way to place black border lines more easily
3. copy and paste the second file onto the first
4. add a solid color border at the inner and outer edges of the frame, outlining the shape at its center. 
At this point, any image also 80X80 may be simply opened in Gimp, copied, and pasted over the yellow. 
Files to play with: the frame with a transparent center 
to be pasted in place on other graphic files, 
Here with a dot-to-dot center to draw on, 
and the file with central flower motifs to use or edit further. 
The final choice then needs to be made as to how to use the final image.
One option is to separate the motif for use as a single bed 2 color slip stitch, and the second is to simply use the built-in KRC color separation in electronic machines to knit it as DBJ.
Motif definition requires large-scale designs limited by patience and imagination.
Autofill, command key and other shortcuts can help execute them more easily and quickly in spreadsheets as a first step.
This start of a hummingbird, inspired by a small segment of a Pinterest find, is already 54X101 pixels, ending my exploration of these knits for the moment. 
When editing or developing large images a series of guides may be useful. To configure them, see pos:t Gimp update for Mac 2
Color separations for larger scale mosaics and mazes
There are generators online for many generators to aid with knitting design. In 2015 I published a post on working with generated mazes: Gimp charting 1
The mosaic and maze graphics before their color separations are not suitable for fantasy fair isle double bed knitting. There are too many vertical white pixel rows begging for carriage jams no matter the machine used. The same long lines of black or white cells make them unsuitable for traditional fair isle knitting.
Visual clues are helpful as steps get navigated.
There are many ways to achieve the same goals. In converting small-scale repeats, one option is to begin with a file previously used and separated, magnified to 1800X.
1. using the rectangle select tool, begin on row 1, extending the handle outside the image, I work from left to right
2. hold down the shift key, and continue selecting every other row. As each row is selected, it is outlined with dots. The handles to the right and left of that row serve as guides as to the last row worked, moving up as separation progresses. Clicking on the rectangle select tool at any point fixes the layer, and the dotted lines will disappear. 
The process could be performed in steps, with guides placed before color inverting the previous steps in the sequence and moving on to the next. 
The guides remain until they are removed by clicking on the check mark beside show guides, 
or with the / / command.
This method may be more error-prone than using layers or colors to alpha to render rows transparent when developing large designs.
3. after each pertinent row has been selected, choose the color invert option, and save the resulting file. The first step is completed in the separation.
The file then must be color-inverted and lengthened X2 before knitting. The result matches the separation in the previous post. 
Holding down the shift key when using the pencil tool on any image produces very different results. 
My samples continue to be knit on the 930 using img2track, a download program I find reliable and easy to use. The only errors in programming I have encountered were due to operator errors, not software ones.
Since 2015 working with larger images has become far less daunting as my methods for color separations of mazes and mosaics have evolved.
Laura Kroegler’s online Mosaic Pattern Generator is still available. Returning to it, and using these parameters 
the pngs were downloaded both in red and then again in black and white. 
A 38X38 stitch repeat was isolated, and using Layer/Transparency/Color to Alpha a knittable mosaic design was obtained which, when knit, would require elongation X2 for color changing every 2 rows 
The last file, doubled in length to 76 rows in height, requires no further processing 
The separations are achieved now in just minutes.
The proof of concept swatch: when using repeats that are so much wider, one must commit to far larger swatches to test them. In addition, the placement in the final piece may matter with shifting the pattern to highlight a preferred center, here the machine was allowed to place the design as a simple overall one on 78 stitches by 116 rows. 
There are droves of inspiring large-scale mosaic crochet images published nowadays, which led me to wonder about DIY similar large graphic mosaics in machine knitting.
I performed the first color separation with shortcuts, mirroring the cleaned-up repeat, did not verify each step with tiling, and committed to knitting a test swatch. A 68X136 repeat X2 in width and at least 40 more rows in height, produced a 16X24 inch test swatch, wherein a couple of missing pixels became noticeable.
The swatch was also knit using slip in both directions on the main bed, which produces a narrow, short fabric as opposed to wide and short when using the tuck setting. 
Back to the drawing board.
The initial approach is similar to that used in creating mock filet crochet shapes on the machine.
With present tools the results process is easy and quick: to begin with, choose any symmetrical design where the shaping of the motif occurs in single rows, this one measures 23X23 
scale the file X3 in both directions to 69X69 
save this brush to use later for bucket-fill in the design. 
Choose fuzzy select by color/black, each shape will be surrounded by a dotted line 
bucket fill the selections with the saved pattern 
click on rectangle select to fix the layer, work on and clean up the repeat, and check a magnified version for any missing or misplaced pixels. 
Save the png. for reference before continuing to work. 
Make one of 2 choices. If the goal is to place a motif and to add borders or horizontal additional design stripes, create a new canvas, larger than the above, fill it with the same pattern, and then Colors/Invert. Click on the rectangle tool to fix the layer. 
Change the white color to alpha in the previously processed snowflake, click on the rectangle tool again 
copy and paste the file onto the color-reversed grid, and click on the rectangle tool. Check the pasted image visually, and continue adding any other designs. 
If the goal is to produce an all-over design, crop the shape on the dotted ground, and save it as a 69X69 repeat. Pasting the original on an equal-sized color reversed dotted ground does not work. 
Tiling the result of the cropped repeat will show the need for cropping it by one row at the top and one column to the right. 
The resulting repeat, 68X68 
tiled X3 in each direction for a visual check. 
Using the process previously described
1. open the 68-stitch file in Gimp, and magnify it to at least 800X for a visible grid
2. open file/new, equal size and magnification
3. copy and paste 1 on 2, click on the rectangle select tool
Colors/invert, click again on the rectangle tool or anywhere in the work window 
4: magnify further if needed. Using the pencil tool fill in every other row beginning with row 2 in a contrasting palette color, and click on the rectangle tool 
5. Layer, transparency, color to alpha, as described in the last post, click on rectangle tool 
6. Copy and paste this result onto the 68-stitch file in the first window, there will be lots of dotted lines onscreen 
Click on the rectangle select tool to paste the image in place. 
Since those large areas of white will be knitted in a tuck or slip fabric, the above result needs to be color inverted. If used as is, set the machine’s built-in double-length function. 
Doubling the length of the file before the download to km 
Added info on the technique may be found in the post on More separations for various knits using Gimp, color to alpha
This sequence presents the method of working in a different way than above, and sequential files are provided to test in DIY experiments 
begin with the 68X68 image 
color invert it 
open a new file, 2 rows high with an added color, and save it to the clipboard, white color to alpha 
use the brush to fill the color inverted image, 
red color to alpha 
and paste the resulting image on the original
double the file in length for knitting as mosaic, results matching the previous experiment 
Part of the view on the img2track screen for the 68X136 file is ready for download. 
Committing to proving the concept: 
Using the same approach of tripling the original, the repeat was used to render a larger-scale mosaic. The process becomes fiddly because using the fuzzy select tool and the bucket-fill-in pattern does not work cleanly on areas only 3 pixels wide.
That said, it is possible obstinately, in stages, to get from this, 36X54 
To a 36 by 56 mosaic
A last edit
Perhaps falling in the category of “don’t have to simply because I can”.
Images at this stage of the process may be knit double-bed as a “fantasy fair isle” with no further separation.
On an electronic machine, download the repeat, program it for the number of needles in use on the top bed, and select the KRC separation button.
The first preselection row will need to be from left to right.
The main bed is set to tuck in both directions, the ribber to N in both directions.
There will be lots of non-selected needles tucking on rows with large numbers of side-by-side white cells. Because the fabric is being knit using every needle on both beds, each main bed tuck loop will have a knit stitch on the opposite bed anchoring it down. Those rows will appear more compressed, producing narrower horizontal lines 
The yarns used were very thin single strands of 2/28 at tension 4/3. The result is a very lightweight and loose knit with lots of drape. The 72 stitches by 140 rows swatch measured 16 inches in width by 10 rows in height. Perhaps a good method for summer shawls, worth exploring in thicker yarns for blankets. A closer look at the structure: 
A larger BW design was processed using no modification of the original 75X71 motif. When using Gimp/File/Save, the result is a .xcf document similar to PSD files in Photoshop. It will store layers, transparency settings, and more information associated with and parts of the same project. 
Note to self: before deleting the .xcf make certain that at least the final png has been saved.
If one is familiar with image processing and fond of the maze appearance in designs, there is a font to try: Mazeletter
The downloadable associated documentation and source for inspiration: http://mazeletter.xyz/Mazeletter.pdf.
A sample text: 
in a 129X32 BW version with no pixel clean-up 
Mosaic4way, is potentially usable for single bed fair isle or dbj. 
The BW file, 199X32
There are variable loss of detail or added random pixels when scaling designs containing more than 2 colors. ArahPaint’s guess weave from grid tool is the best I have found for scaling such samples to knittable sizes.
Gimp Update for Mac 3_more on color separations
The latest version Gimp Download site
I am self-taught. As I learn new tools, my workarounds may be convoluted and more complicated than they need to be and evolve with time. I do not delete older posts or their content, but do occasionally add links to later posts or dated notes.
I began designing and charting in the days of having to draw on graph paper and cutting up results to see if the repeats would tile properly when knit, or to place them for alignment variations such as half drop or brick.
Scanning amounted to tracing with a marker onto blank sheets of acetate or tracing paper.
The availability of commercial acetates for purchase at seminars, printed in pairs of matching horizontally striped sheets in lines separated in a variety of widths, offered an advance in scaling designs to a knit aspect ratio. 
Copy machines became useful friends.
DBJ designs in the punchcard studio, when I began teaching, were accomplished at first with the use of cards themselves as templates and overlays, involving a series of time-consuming methods for each type of separation ie. 
So many such processes are now nearly instantaneous by comparison.
Earlier this year the post Using Layers in Gimp for color separations explored several fabrics beginning with B/W motifs.
Sometimes lightbulbs go off leading to other ideas for achieving results in quicker or easier ways.
This color separation method for mosaics continues to use Layers but in a different approach.
A spreadsheet may still be used if preferred to draw the initial draft of the design, working in black and white only would be fine, and the import could then be processed in Gimp.
Mosaics and Mazes are generally knit with color changes every 2 rows using either the slip stitch or tuck carriage setting in both directions. Beginning with any DIY or published design, to knit the motif using the tuck setting, there are basic rules to remember.
This illustrates possibilities using a random 6-stitch repeat, A.
If the plan is to set the knit carriage to tuck in both directions, the design would need to be color-reversed to B. 
The white cells in B represent loops held on corresponding knitting machine needles, the limit in Japanese standard machines is often 4. Black cells represent knit stitches, generally seen in groups or on either side of tuck stitches/ white cells, to anchor the loops down for proper stitch formation. There are some infrequent exceptions to that rule.
When uncertain as to results in developing DIY designs, begin with a published repeat to build up confidence. This is a hand-knitting resource for endless inspiration, no separations are provided in the book text. 
There are always many ways to achieve the same task depending on the specific program used, one’s level of skill, and individual thought process.
This method uses multiple windows in progression.
When starting out, save the result in each step for added practice or in case any step is accidentally deleted.
This is by Kathleen Kinder, published in Floatless Fair Isle, p. 87 
Though the final designs are saved as black and white pngs or bmps, to work using colors in separations, the mode needs to be set to RGB. 
For very small repeats, use view, show grid,
magnify 1800X, type in a number for a preferred value, 
or use the command key in Mac and the scroll wheel of your mouse to do so. Using the pencil tool draw the repeat in black and white 
Selecting file, new, open a canvas in the same size and magnification, with each step a new icon appears at the top left of the Gimp window 
to select any file, simply click on the corresponding icon, use Edit Copy or command C, and then edit, paste or command V to place files onto new selections.
Copy and paste the first image onto the blank canvas and colors-invert the result 
To draw straight lines on a Mac, use the pencil tool to place the starting pixel. Hold and drag the mouse to the desired endpoint. As this is done, a guiding line will appear. When the endpoint is reached and the mouse is released, that line disappears and the selected area will fill with the chosen color.
When using the 2-pixel brush, the mouse must be placed slightly into the second row of cells before dragging it for the line to remain straight and in the proper rows. If an error is made, choose Edit, Undo, to eliminate any step. 
Continue to work on the color inverted file, and beginning with row 1 fill in every other row with a distinctly different color. 
To fix any layer before continuing, click on the rectangle select tool, and then again anywhere in the work window.
Getting rid of the red: 
this will be the immediate appearance of the image in the window, disregard it.
Right-click on Color/white, choose the foreground or background color 
or left-click on the Color bar, and click again to choose the color from the palette window. 
Choose rectangle-select cool, click on the result to fix the image, and the color window will disappear. The result: 
Copy and paste the file onto the initial image, there will be dotted lines upon the placement, 
Click on the rectangle tool again, and then in the work window for the final png repeat. 
Change the image Mode to Indexed BW if its end use is a download to an electronic machine 
Why is it different than the Kinder repeat? It is easier in drawing to color in white squares as opposed to black, so the repeat in the pub is the above, color reversed. 
Punchcard machine users may mark the black squares and then punch all others.
The last step: if colors are to be changed every 2 rows, remember to use double length or to program/punch the last png double length. 
An illustration for the full double-length punchcard repeat. The above, 12X36 repeat was color reversed and tiled twice to meet the 24-stitch width requirement. The 36-row height also meets the minimum height requirement for punchcards to roll in continuous patterning.
Mark the black cells in the image below on the card, and punch all the white ones. 
These fabrics are often more interesting using the tuck setting than the slip stitch one.
I have a lifetime supply of copper yarns from my jewelry-making days. This repeat is more a maze than a mosaic. Using a fishing line or wire can sometimes also produce interesting effects.
The blue yarn is composed of 3 strands of 2/48 cashmere/ wool.
The wire is a 32 gauge coated copper magnet wire which tends to flatten the final knit. On the machine, it is hard to recognize repeats due to the very short floats, and the unusual fiber rows can appear to be see-through 
Using a light color wool rayon as the second color. 
Using a separated 16X16 repeat from the 2020 post to knit a swatch for Instagram, I noticed a solid 3X3 block in the center of one of the shapes. Because the wire is see-through to some extent, the white stitch floats behind the blocks are noticeable. 
The copper wire used was 40 gauge, 3 plied. The higher the gauge number the thinner the wire strands, nearly invisible when threaded and while being used. Because the knit tension was as tight as possible, the stitch definition is lost in a few spots.
The original design motif, on the left, was missing a white cell in the location of the red cell. It was quickly converted using only Gimp. 
Comparing the old repeat to the new, that problem pixel may easily be located. 
The corrected file before lengthening X2, 
double length 
Proofing a pattern is best done using comparable weight, familiar yarns. Here thin poly and 4-pound fishing line are used as the second color 
It takes a bit of squinting to see the match. 
Testing the same repeat in more “friendly” and equal-thickness yarns 
This 24X28 repeat from the earlier post is reworked in this method 
repeating the process described here, it took longer to render the repeat than to perform the color separation. The tiled alignment check
The steps are in sequence and produce a result matching that achieved in the previous post. 
A reminder: step #6 result would need to be doubled in height, whether by altering the file prior to download or by using the built-in functions in the machine after the download. The theoretical color separation to knit the mosaic as DBJ where each color knits twice, 
the repeat single length, 24X56 
double length, 24X112 
Double jacquard using punchcard machines shared manual methods for including one avoiding the elongation by matching the electronic built-in KRC color separation. Using Layers in Gimp for color separations introduced an approach using only Gimp.
There are times that the 2-color separation for DBJ which knits each color in each design row twice is necessary for the intended knit technique.
When testing new methods, one may begin with files that have already been proofed. This file is created so no elongation is required, beginning with the shape 
elongated X4.
From the layers post, the double-length separation where each color in each design row knits twice 
Duplicating the result using layer/ transparency 
Longer repeats can become more complicated to separate. Testing the results by necessity requires larger swatches.
Using Stitchworld #548, a 24X40 repeat, as with mosaics
1: draw the desired repeat in Gimp
2: when the drawing is completed, tile the repeat to check alignment, save the image if desired, or discard it
3: in the original window, scale the image to double its original height, now 24X80
4: using file, new, open an image on a white ground in the same size and magnification, a minimum of 800X, with grid view, as the first window
color invert
continuing on the same image, changing magnification as needed for ease of visibility ie 1800 X, choose a palette color, and using the pencil tool fill in every other row beginning with design row 1 using it
5. using color to alpha will remove the blue color in this case, and the image will change in appearance, the blue is now transparent. Copy the result.
6: use the second image, and paste it directly onto the one in the first work window.
For the repeat to knit successfully as DBJ, the resulting 24X80 file 
will need to be lengthened X2 to 160 rows in height for accurate patterning to occur. 
The design lengthened X4, using a 2-pixel pencil beginning on rows 3 and 4,
produces a 24X160 file that requires no elongation. 
In this DBJ version, the first preselection row is made toward the color changer, followed by color changes every 2 rows.
My proof of concept is knit with the knit carriage set to slip/slip and the ribber setting left to N/N, creating long stitches.
The height of the design, any bleed-through, elongation, drape, and stretch, are variables influenced by carriage setting changes on either or both knit and ribber carriages.
By default, DBJ knitting requires many more carriage passes than 2 color patterns knit single bed as fair isle.
My swatch does not begin at design row 1 because I forgot to set the knit carriage to slip after the first preselection row and color changing on the left. 
Scaling the knit for a sense of the degree of elongation 
The above separation is the default one in Passap knitting machines.
Japanese electronic knitting machines perform the separation where each color in each design row knits only once automatically by engaging the KRC function.
Punchcard users can achieve the same results for repeats that meet the width constraints using a maximum of 24 stitches or factors of 24 in width.
The separation where each color only knits once from the layers post began with the result where each color in each design row knits twice: 
My first effort using layer transparency to separate for each design row color knitting only once begins with the double length separation opened in Gimp, not necessary as seen in notes that follow.
Using the pencil tools, marking begins on the second and then even numbered design rows.
When # 5 is color reversed, it matches the separation using layers in the above far right 
Using the same concept, the first test began with the separation already completed for the repeat that would knit each color in each row twice.
Toggling magnification helps to make the height of the repeat manageable. Errors are easy to spot and correct if noticed early, a few rows of pencil marks can simply be undone. Save the final png, also 24X160. 
The separated design is suitable for punchcard machines, my swatch is knit on a 930. Since these separated designs are programmed as fair isle designs, there will not be any color change prompts provided by some machine models.
The first preselection row, as when using the KRC function, is made from left to right. The knit carriage is set to slip both ways. The ribber carriage is also set to slip both ways on an even number of needles, and lili buttons are in use. 
The visual difference in scale between the two different techniques and color separations. 
The simplified method begins with the original design scaled X2 to 24X80. The 2-pixel pencil tool is used to mark the resulting design beginning on rows 2 and 3, skipping the next 2 rows, and repeating the process
Committing to a larger test swatch: 
The repeat though successful in this case is different from half the first one obtained the long way, the concept merits testing with other motifs. 
Years ago I shared the way punchcard knitters may create a DBJ card using a series of templates. The starting 8X8 design was often used in my 2 color DBJ posts. On the right, it is repeated across 24 cells, as it would be in a punch card. 
Using layer/Transparency/Alpha the same results can as when using the card templates may be attained in just minutes. Here each color in each row would be knit only once: 
In this case, the final result would need to be elongated X2 in order to knit each color in each design row twice. 
This separation requires no elongation. 
If the plan is to print a template to aid in marking a card prior to punching, one way to determine the required template size is to measure a punchcard with a ruler in mm.
The width of the card is fixed to a print width of 108 mm since the card will always be 24 cells wide. No calculation is required.
In height, the 60 rows on the factory blank card measure 300mm, 5mm for each cell.
I cropped the chosen image to the top 39 rows and scaled it to 108X195 mm.
(39X5).
When printing on US letter size, with no adjustments other than to the image, the limit appears to be no more than 45 rows per page. 
I was not able to print directly from Gimp.
The file, exported, opened in Preview, and then printed, is shown with a card superimposed on the printout over a makeshift light box, ready for easy punchcard marking even though the printed cells were not all of the same ink density. 
2024 the subject of elongation in DBJ designs recently made the rounds in forum again. I was not quite sure where to share this, settled on here
Vertical striper backing on Brother machines is rendered possible by manipulating ribber needles in conjunction with the use of lili buttons.
This swatch uses the same 40X44 pixels design 
The tension and yarn selection choices remained fixed.
1: conventional striper backing, with the ribber set to knit in both directions
2: half striper backing, with the ribber set to knit from left to right and to slip from right to left. In this technique as the carriages move from right to left, floats will be formed on the top bed. As larger number of needles are knit on either bed, the tension should be adjusted accordingly, here it was not, resulting in those dropped stitches. The floats peek through behind the resulting hole.
3: the traditional birdseye backing, resulting in the narrowest portion of the swatch.
Working with diagonal patterning in machine knitting
After a slow down in my blog posts for a variety of reasons I find myself playing catch up with the eternal list of knit fabrics that I wish to explore out of my own curiosity and the attempt to answer questions from knitters who contacted me directly via the blog or have asked them in the online forums in which I am a member.
Stephen West is a prolific designer of colorful hand knits in a variety of techniques and complexity. This honey-striped scarf is an example. 
Slip-stitch patterning is a likely way of knitting a similar effect combined with
the use of the concept familiar to many when making bias cast-on rags.
A fixed number of stitches is cast on and positioned as far to one side of the machine as possible. They are then decreased on a fixed side and increased on the opposite one.
The strip moves across the needle bed, when far enough on the side opposite to the starting one, it is returned to the original needle bed position and the process is repeated until the desired length is reached.
If the moves to and from are performed on solid color rows matching needle selections may not be an issue. If the repeats in other cam settings are to match, then proper needle placement can be assisted by marking the metal bed, the factory-supplied needle tape, or a custom-printed one, and hand-selection for the first design row may be required and planned.
This chart attempts to visualize the proposed movement using colored stripes. Stitches are bound off on one side and cast-on on the other to maintain a fixed width with shaped edges. 
If the goal is to maintain straight bias edges, the design repeat would need to be rendered wider in order to compensate for the shifts on the needle bed in turn modifying increases and decreases at a different rate The black cells represent the adjusted stitch counts needed for each pattern band. 
When an item such as a scarf is worn, both options will appear as diagonals. 
If any picture knitting is included and the direction of it matters when the piece is worn, appreciated particularly in representational fair isle, such accessories are best knit as 2 pieces knit from the bottom up, and grafted together at their center after the fact.
Increases and decreases are calculated carefully based on the knit gauge for garments. The approach to accessories may be more casual.
Stripe heights are varied to accommodate specific design motifs or cam settings, and they are, in turn, added to the base visualization charts.
Here an attempt at 45-degree striping is made by beginning on a 3-stitch tab. Increasing on the carriage side creates loops, while those opposite the carriage form knots.
Increases and decreases are indicated by arrows.
Increases are made on alternating sides, opposite the carriage, to produce matching edges.
The red cells in the chart represent the carriage side before each pass.
Table cells have been rendered rectangular in a 4 to 3 ratio, estimating the difference in gauge between stitches and rows.
Striping for an even number of rows matters if color changes are made on a fixed side ie if a color changer is in use. 
Yarn ends at color changes may be cut or the yarn can be carried up the side depending on preference and the number of rows involved. If carried up for long stretches, the alternate color yarn not in use may be secured by e wrapping it on the end needle periodically. Care needs to be taken that the float up the side is not so short as to have an effect on the swatch length and having an effort to remedy that will leave yarn ends too short to be secured.
The result will not produce a proper square, garter stitch is the only knit stitch that results in approximately true square shapes.
If the center of the needle bed is used for swatches while keeping an eye on the stitch formation. If loops are formed repeatedly on specific needles akin to tuck stitches or problem areas such as those in the center of this swatch are encountered, they can be caused by damaged needles or sticky latches that may result from frequent use. 
Diagonal lines in knits that maintain straight sides are also achieved using short row/holding intarsia techniques. Segments are planned in specific orders 
which can be varied to form added shapes. 
Chevrons would be more easily created by knitting separate strips and seaming as you knit or after the fact. 
The addition of small-repeat fair isle patterns is also possible. Keep in mind when bringing needles back into work to reverse shaping, needle preselection for accurate patterning in Brother machines needs to be maintained by hand selection. 
Some of the published punchcard patterns can serve as a source for diagonal lines that may be tiled and programmed for the full design in addition to being used for their original intent. Numbers 52, 384, and 328 (published with error), are suitable for tuck, slip, and FI with moderately wide floats, while 335 would fail as a tuck stitch.
For added ways to develop diagonal patterns using brush fill see post on developing designs using pattern fill for use on a range of machine models
Tiling as in any patterning will reveal errors, such as here for 328. 
The latter was edited to a 22-stitch wide repeat, becoming suitable for only electronic machine models.
The charts with the red grid on the top row were rendered as tables in Numbers. Since their end use is different, they are the color-reversed version of the cards, whose screengrabs were in turn processed in Gimp to create knittable pngs.
The smallest repeats suitable for electronics are given in the center row of images, the amended 328 cannot be reduced in size. The last row illustrates tiling for all files as BW images that may be opened and amended to suit the size of the pieces planned.
Files in png formats for the group: if pngs generated by me in BW indexed mode are downloaded and opened in editors such as Gimp, they will open in RGB mode. To make them suitable for download programs, convert them to indexed BW mode again and save the result. There should be no loss of data.
384, 12X24
12X48 
144X144
328, 22X44 
176X176
335, 12X24
24X48 
144X144 
52, 8X16
24X48 
192X192 
The black lines formed by units 2 rows in height can be followed or erased to establish short rows shaping a stitch at a time every two rows, given at least 2X2 full repeats to check color placement. 
The method was used to isolate the previous ungridded color illustrations. Another instance of a published Toyota 901#11diagonal tuck card, in this case, incorporates a combination of 2 and 4-row tuck patterning. The repeat is 24X48 
The previews may be used to replace color selections with those matching yarn colors used in the project to develop some idea as to how color shifts might affect the final piece.
EON diagonal patterning surrounding blocks containing other shapes may be maintained with slight variations in the size of the shapes used to fill those blocks 
References published for weaving can be a source of charts usable for this type of design.
The repeats are provided regarding width (shafts) and height (picks). For proper alignments, the provided charts must be reproduced in full, or in DIY adaptations careful editing with erasures or additions can still maintain the proper tiling.
A page from an 1898 pub 
Playing with using #20 and #16 mirrored, isolating, erasing, or combining elements of each while keeping fixed some of the details that move diagonally to touch sides of the repeats, with the process illustrated in color.
Consider the width of the floats if planning for fair isle patterning.
Check the original for any errors, marked in the color chart in black. They are often not noticeable until the design is drawn in repeat. 
The editable PNG for the center 24X24 design is tiled on the far right above. It is also suitable for punchcards 
A 16X16 electronic repeat 
tiled to 128X128
Handweaving drafts such as those found at handweaving. net provides endless inspiration for designs, including diagonals.
8X8
12X12
drawn in repeat X7
12X12
drawn in repeat X7
15X15
color reversed 
using color invert and quarter rotations to 30X30 
16X16
16X16
16X24
drawn in repeat to 160X168 
18X18 
in repeat to 126X126
20X20
32X32 with rotated segments 
playing with rectangles, squares, and fill-ins24X24
30X30 
A 32X32 diagonal DBJ design built with small color-reversed blocks
16X16 
color-reversed 
A seasonal sample, 40X41
48X48 
The movement is not as evident until the tiled repeat becomes quite large, the start, 168X150 
Chevrons can be developed from partial repeats. This is from Toyota 950#12, 24X20 
drawn in repeat to 144X140 Combined with added shapes 28X32 
56X32 
rotated 180 degrees 
combined and trimmed to 56X62 
tiled and with an added frame, 124X134 for a blanket-sized project 
Cropping the frameless large design in different places vertically could provide a collection of accessories ie scarves, ie in this start, 86X132 png with 2 stitch vertical borders on both sides 
Whether in use for a punchcard model or an electronic one, the convention if the end goal is a tuck stitch fabric, is to color reverse the design 
It is possible to generate DIY designs easily using ArahPaint.
Taking diagonal patterning to the double bed for creating pintuck effects using the slip-stitch setting, this 24X48 repeat explores some of the potential spacings and the resulting ridges. 
The next 2 repeats tested, both 24 stitches X 48 rows: 
The red line is a reminder that the slipped stitches are being held for as many as 8 rows. It is best to use thin yarn that does not break easily and to watch for the knit stitches riding up.
Slipping in one direction produces a very subtle texture, 
while the color-reversed design produces even-sized identifiable folds 
Adding lettering or small shapes and maintaining the diagonal can result in distortion of the motifs.
One option to add such motifs is to form the knit by beginning on 3 stitches as in this shared swatch and planning the stripes to heights and widths that accommodate adding designs or fonts. 
Short-row intarsia will also produce diagonal striping, from simple to complex as seen in this chart, with knitting sequence numbered for each segment. 
A limited number of rows may be knit in stocking stitch in areas following shapes not simply to travel to the opposite side and reverse shaping, but also to add small rolls or hems.
Another use might be to add small vertical motif details or patterning in their usual orientation.
The limit appears to be a maximum of 8 rows of alternative patterns, in order to keep the short-rowed areas from developing into distorted edges, which may be variable depending on the yarn and pattern used.
This first swatch was knit using progressively thinner yarns, wool, wool rayon, and a 2/24 acrylic in the FI segment. FI is a slip stitch that narrows the knit. The dark acrylic color stitch definition here gets lost. The band is seen pulling in the short-row segments on both sides. The shaping in both the top and bottom segments is by 2 stitches at a time. 
The result in different yarns of equal thickness, with the FI band knit at a tension one full number looser than the stocking stitch areas, with the top and bottom solid color segments now shaped 3 stitches at a time. 
There is a trick when making A-line skirts to change the triangles that would poke out normally at the bottom if shaping were to begin immediately used as a design feature in many runway knits recently. If between an inch or 2 are actually knit up straight before shaping starts, the problem is eliminated. Depending on the design this may be a solution or it may read as a patterning error.
There are some conventions and “rules” for short-row techniques, but they do not always apply.
Keeping good notes helps to make successful experiments reproducible.
Two more tries began to experiment with working on the first and last groups in the holding techniques on a different number of stitches than the remaining shapes, noting differences. In the first an all-knit row is made across the short-row eyelets, reducing the planned FI band from 6 rows to 5. A rough spot in maintaining even stitches on one side is noticeable. 
Progress: holding happened at the start of the bottom wedge, the FI was knit at 2 tension numbers looser than the stocking stitch, for 6 rows. 
The goal in the short row shaping for the triangles is to maintain vertical edges that appear as straight as possible to the eye. One need not work on large swatches, small ones can provide clues as to differences resulting from variations in the starting side of the short-row shapings. 
Studying the results can lead to many variations. There are student theses and careers based on exploring limited techniques to the max.
Building a theoretical true square or other predictable shapes is subject to the yarn and tension used. Beginning with a small sample, this shows the order of knitting 2 triangular shapes with the carriage beginning to knit each shape from alternate sides. In this case, 2 stitches are to be brought in and out of holding at a time. 
Because each color knits for 2 rows, small slits happen in the fabric resulting in eyelets. They may be used as design features, or attempts can be made to reduce their size. One way to do so is to have plain knit rows between holding selections to keep the small slits from intersecting and becoming double height. On the left swatch, one yellow row was knit to the left before reverse shaping in the same color. In the swatch on the right, in addition, 2 rows were knit in the blue prior to reverse shaping. 
Reviewing the concept and developing a chart for larger swatches: the cyan color cells represent stitches in the hold position and the white cells stitches that will be knit.
At the top of the first wedge, most needles will be in the hold position, return them all to the B position manually before knitting the next row.
With the carriage on either side, set it for KCI with the cam buttons to slip for a free pass to the opposite side, the first FI pattern row will pre-select. Holding need not be canceled, since no needles are brought far enough out for the technique.
Cancel the slip setting, change the cam setting for FI knitting, place the pairs of colors in their corresponding feeders, and knit 6-8 rows of pattern.
Bring all needles out to hold except for the first desired group, if the holding lever has been canceled, reset it and commence reverse shaping. 
Merrily knitting along and you forget to loosen the tension for the fair isle stripe: 
And what if the FI were to actually follow diagonal colored stripes? The approach is the same. I am right-handed, my default is often to begin on the right. Left-handed knitters can mirror charts as needed to make them easier to follow.
The first triangle is shaped from the right toward the left, subsequent ones begin on the left, then to wrap or not wrap becomes the question. 
Review of wrapping, which does not disturb the stitch on or the position of the wrapped needle: 
I obstinately use random yarns at hand, sometimes too thin for the task, true here. Any type of intarsia, of which holding is one, will be accompanied by lots of yarn ends that will require weaving in. Some of the stitches were wrapped here, some not, and maybe the eyelets could be considered a pleasing design feature. The 8 rows of FI, knit at 2 full tension numbers higher than that used for stocking stitch, minimizes the size of the eyelets all on their own on both sides of its stripe. Errors in bringing an added group or not into work may not always be immediately visible, frogging this type of knitting can be painful.
I would not use the last 6 stitch modification in any future swatches. 
Elizabeth Zimmermann published many patterns for hand knitting utilizing garter stitch and striped diagonal wedges for garment shaping.
Multiple colors per row patterning may be maintained by beginning planning with diagonal straight lines, seen here in a 32X32 repeat. 
Opened in img2track 
The design will be elongated, and 256 passes are required to finish a single repeat 
Each color may be edited to suit. Quick visualizations of a few of the possible repeat arrangements using the file as is 
Avoiding lots of extra knit rows by eliminating one of the colors. 
The larger designs may need to be knit in sections depending on the available memory in the knitting machine model being used.
Machine-knit stitches do not form as close to square ones found in garter stitches. Rendering the full-scale garment on a knit leader would make knitting to gauge while avoiding tons of math calculations possible.
DIY is a bit like assembling paper cut-outs that are required to fit together, first attempts at planning do not always succeed. One may begin at different parts of the piece and seam two halves together if necessary in order to keep matching stitch formations in both directions. Stripes may be added to form secondary intersecting shapes. 
On the left is a simple one-piece vest concept with no miters in the back panel, which may be knit from the bottom up or as two pieces with a center seam.
The bolero style is repeated in 2 separate pieces with mirror shaping in the second and would be joined at the center back.
The knit gauge is easier to maintain in short or small wearables. 
Many garments may be made following the concepts for creating “pies”.
Decades ago batwing sweaters based on a sideways circular knit concept were standard presentations at knit seminars. Short-row diagonal graduated wedges were followed by varying amounts of all knit rows.
This idea for a short sleeve garment is from a Japanese magazine. In creating such illustrations because of the scale of the publication, the aspect ratio is distorted. In the final garment, the bottom circumference can in fact be far narrower than it might appear to the eye in the sketch and may be gathered or left released depending on design goals. The neckline diameter at the end of the project, after joining one shoulder, is gathered with evenly distributed decreases to the desired measurement prior to knitting the collar. 
A way to form a long sleeve item, using binding off and casting on stitches in addition to shaped wedges followed by all knit rows. 
Knitting a garment on the bias at 45 degrees will produce a knit fabric that drapes differently.
Horizontal patterning can turn into diagonals and chevrons, and fancy decreases may be used in the center shaping of the garment.
Pre-computer programs and knitleaders, an easy way to sort out shaping for garments, was to begin by drawing on large sheets of graph paper. An all-square grid is fine.
Calculate a 10 cm/4 inch knitting gauge to the second decimal point before any rounding off. For example, if the gauge works out to be 5.728, and the measurement needed is 19.5 inches, the multiplied value result is 111.696, which can be rounded off to a 112-row line on the graph paper.
Working in cm can actually lead to easier calculations and is required when using a charting device.
Each cell in the graph paper grid equals one stitch and one row.
For knitting on the straight grain, based on gauge, draw series dots placing them on the beginning and the ending pots for each measurement, and connect them with straight lines.
Curves such as those necessary for necklines may be composed of short straight-line segments.
When knitting from the bottom up, continue with a colored pencil, filling in squares as they jog in or out, maintaining the new outline as close to the first as possible.
For the bias knit, whether on graph paper, the computer, or a charting device, begin by drawing a 45-degree line.
Rotate and trace the unmodified original straight-line image in place, follow the lines, and mark in and out jogs once more in color for contrast.
This is a very small chart so outline jogs in far larger pieces cannot be reflected. They would produce edges not as straight as in standard knitting, which will need to be considered when joining finished pieces.
As the piece is rotated, a wider grid base is required. Consider that the motif images as they are worked on the purl side will be mirrored horizontally on the knit side, a particular consideration if any text is introduced. 
Comparing theoretical purl as opposed to knit views on the left, two purl views on the right. 
Fonts in various stitch and row counts are useful when planning knit text.
The point at which the text or pattern is introduced needs to have enough stitches in work on the machine to contain the intended words, ie for the above, a minimum ground, independent of shaping, would need to contain more than 9 rows if solid color stripes are to be added above and below it, and 26 stitches in width in this case.
A proof of concept swatch with arbitrary shaping on every other row illustrates the need for shaping based on a calculated gauge if a square is indeed the aim.
I knit on a 930 where mirroring is automated for programmed designs, so the text was programmed as drawn.
Sometimes less information is more. It became evident very soon that the placement of the text on the left was wrong if the aim was to have it centered in the final shape, and that more rows were needed at the top of the design.
On the right, the purl side as it faces the knitter is shown, with black pixels used to represent increases and decreases. The center red line separates the needle placements on either side of 0, and the text is shown in the default mirroring. 
The respective swatches after their rotation preview one of the potential results 
A true diagonal repeat may be planned for motif patterning knit from the bottom up. The drawback is that for executing a fair isle using more than 2 colors or with multiple color changes, partially illustrated on the far right, the 32X32 repeat would need to be rotated and knit as above. 
From the Brother machine knitting techniques book, a suggestion for dividing a sweater front into diagonal halves created by using the holding technique 
The idea of chaining the eyelet areas to reduce the size of the slits is an interesting one that up to now I have not tested.
ArahPaint and Gimp in knit design 3
Previously published:
ArahPaint and Gimp in knit design 2
ArahPaint meets Gimp in knit design 1
Subsequent posts on using Gimp Layers to process images:
Using Layers in Gimp for color separations
Layer/Transparency/Color to Alpha Gimp Update for Mac 3_more on color separations
Gimp allows one to work on multiple images with only a single window open, left mouse clicking on any one of the images will bring it into view for editing. In the dark theme, it is hard to see the difference, but a lighter border actually surrounds the active image distinguishing it from the others, outlined here in yellow 
In Arah, multiple windows may be opened at any one time, and left-clicking on any one of them will bring it to the front for editing. 
When working using the same file in more than one window, the degree of magnification needs to match in each.
Spreadsheets and paint programs may be used to achieve color separations for designs intended for specialty fabrics, many worked on the double bed.
Two places to begin exploring them here are for knitting single-bed mosaics and double-bed jacquard in its form where each color in each design row knits twice.
It is unlikely to happen often in knitting that more than 6 colors are used in any one fabric except perhaps in an elaborate color-changing fair isle.
The palette that appears in Arah when opening a new file is random, as seen here when two new files of the same size are loaded 
If one’s preference is to reduce the number of colors, the specific number may be set by choosing from the colors menu, editing the number identified as that for the working palette, changing it to the new value, in this case, 6, and the palette reduction occurs as seen in A. For most knit repeats a black color is handy, any one of the 6 colors or more may be adjusted as described in the previous post, seen in B, where black has been added, replacing the color in position 1. 
More Gimp information: https://docs.gimp.org/2.10/en/gimp-palette-dialog.html
Some of the related content in brief: the former versions of GIMP had a “Save palette” command. Palettes were stored in a specific folder via the preferences pane. Easy to do and manage. It no longer exists.
To save the palette of an image, indexed or not, you must now import it from the image.
The “Palettes” dialog is dockable: from the Image menu, select Window, Dockable Dialogues, Palettes.
A few dozen more or less randomly chosen palettes are supplied with GIMP.“Import Palette” allows you to create a new palette from the colors in a gradient, image, or palette file.
Right-click in the space to the right of the illustrated palettes to call up the import option, or for palette editing. 
It is not necessary to index the image, this image was used in RGB mode. 
A palette name can be assigned, and if previously used, a number will be appended by the program.
The number of colors: the default is 256, you can set the number to any you choose. Gimp will try to create a palette by spacing the number of colors evenly across the range of the gradient or image. Each screengrab in the top row shows the initial selections for gradient or image, and the second row of screengrabs notes other changes made when choices were available and the results. White dots mark selections as seen while using the program. 
Using the same image, indexed to 5 colors, the custom palette is rendered in a one-step process. The gradient seen in the first position on the top left was randomly assigned by the program and does not influence the results. 
The Columns selection number settings only influence the way the palette is displayed and have no effect on the way the palette is used. The lower the number, the larger the display size of each color unit.
Double-clicking on any palette color will magnify the palette view on the theme color background. Left-clicking on any color makes it available for drawing, the selection will have a dotted bounding line and the selected color will be assigned to the foreground position, 
Right-clicking on a color results in these options. 
The imported palette will be added to the Palettes dialog and is automatically saved in your personal palettes folder when you quit GIMP so that it will be available in future sessions.
In Arah, the color palette will always display the colors of the active layer. The working image contains colors intended for use in my designs. In addition, please see the note from the developer in the comment at the end of the post. 
The palette tools: 
A: if you press this icon the program will underline the colors actually used in the image, since all colors are used in this case, each color is underlined in either white or black in this instance 
D: adds color(s) to the palette 
B: removes unused colors in the above palette, it would restore the original colors
C: removes duplicate colors, not applicable in this instance
E: removes the last unused color, will not work if all colors are used.
Changing color positions in the palette: to switch the position of two colors in the palette, click the chosen color in the palette, move the cursor to the color you want to switch the position with, and press the left mouse button while holding the Ctrl key on the keyboard. In this instance, the color was duplicated in the new position. 
Knitters designing for dbj are likely to work with a limited range of colors, often 3 or 4 max, in specific palette ranges to ready images for download.
If color separations for 3 or more colors are done in shades of grey in terms of technical details, you need a pattern image that is 8-bit greyscale, with each color in a range of 8-bit values. So for 4 colors, it would be 0-63 color 1; 64-127 color 2; 128-195 color 3; 196-255 color 4.
Binary images have only 2 possible intensity values, normally displayed as black and white with values of either 1 or 255 for white, and often 0 for black.
That convention may have led to the selection of white as color 1 in automatic separations such as the KRC Japanese one, where white is selected first. In a greyscale or color image, a pixel can take on any value between 0 and 255. 
Designing for fair isle, or when attempting to visualize and illustrate slip and tuck fabrics with frequent color changes, more colors may be required even though the final download will be in black and white. There is a quick way to add random colors assigned by the program and based on the initial palette: 
The magic wand tool allows you to work on consistently colored areas without having to select and outline each.
To alter a single color using the bucket tool, click on the wand, then on the color single color area you wish to change, it will become outlined by bounding lines.
Click on one of the colors in the expanded palette, and it will automatically appear in the foreground color position, and it may then be used to bucket fill the chosen area. 
Flatten the image using the merge-down tool.
If the foreground color, in this case, white/0, needs to be changed, in order to choose all pixels in the foreground color, click on the wand, and use Tools > Select by color or Shift+W. This function works only on 8-bit pixel images. Click on the color you wish to use to replace the ground, and bucket fill with the newly selected color. 
Flatten the image using the merge-down tool.
Changing multiple color blocks in the same color could be selected by the tool, but filling each of them one at a time was required. 
In Gimp a similar tool is the fuzzy select, which also allows for changing the color in a selected area or for selecting and changing all pixels in that color. Selected areas will also be outlined in dashed bounding lines. Bucket fill may then be used to replace color(s). The option is offered to choose either foreground or background for the fill. 
2023 in Gimp 2.10.34 use and hold the shift key prior to selecting and using the bucket fill tool to change all the areas outlined by dashed lines. The bucket-fill tool itself now works again on any area with a defined boundary, no other, following action is necessary.
Click on the rectangle select tool and then on any spot in the work area or on the image to set the image. The dashed lines will disappear.
In terms of saving the palette in Arah for future use, I saw no specific directions in the manual.
The color palette displayed is always the one used in the active layer. As a workaround: open the image, and the associated palette will be displayed. The repeat begins drawn 24 pixels in width, by 24 in height.
Select clear from the edit menu, or bucket fill area with white
If the size of your intended drawing area is different, choose the option Resize Image from the Image menu. With the chain link intact, the new canvases are created keeping the aspect ratio. Enter a new value for width/height, hit return, or move the cursor to the alternate value, and its number will automatically change to a matching one. Click OK to use the new canvas, or reset if you wish to return to the original 24 by 24 pixel one for a different edit.
With a broken chain link as one of the two values is altered, a preview is available. If both values are to be changed, break the chain link, enter the two values in turn, and a preview appears for each step. Ok is used again prior to saving, or choose reset to return to the previously used setting. 
Color separations can make specialty fabrics possible to knit which are outside the possibility of doing so simply by changing cam settings. Two instances are mosaics and DBJ where each color in each design row knits twice. Separating each may be done in two ways. The first method, convenient for longer repeats, requires that the result be elongated X 2, whether in the repeat design software or after download to the machine or using the elongation X2 function in the punchcard models. For illustration purposes here I will be working to create files that do not require elongation.
Mosaics and Mazes are constructed in similar ways and are sometimes referred to as floatless fair-isle even though technically speaking usually 2 stitch floats do appear on the purl side in the alternate color used with each color change.
Many such repeats may be knit using both the slip and tuck settings, the latter is the more interesting of the two on the purl side.
When learning structures it may be worth beginning with a published design.
Kathleen Kinder decades ago published two books, one with 24 stitch repeats, the other with 40 stitch repeats, with the separations included as well 
This, by Barbra Walker and intended for hand knitting, offers a huge library of designs for inspiration and conversion 
Following specific rules it is also possible to develop DIY repeats from scratch. That said, the repeat used in this blog post happens to have a known value of 12 pixels by 12
Magnification in Gimp is achieved by selecting or typing in new percentages at the bottom of the window.
Entering and exiting the full screen may be controlled via the view menu 
To exit, it right-click at the very top of the window to expose menu options and select deselect full screen. 
In Arah, if you press any number from 0-9 on the keyboard, you will change the zoom directly to that level (1 means 100%, 6 means 600%, 0 means 1000%). The plus + and minus keys- as well as the magnifying lens icons, will zoom in and out 
To use the entire space available in the window, choose Fit to Window from the view menu or select Ctrl+zero.
If working in more than one window this option makes repeats the most visible, scaling back can be done by counting the number of selections, helping to match the new picture magnification to the first.
Press the escape key on the keyboard to return to the original 100% view.
To work using the full screen, select the option from the view menu. To exit, right-click at the very top of the window to expose menu options, and select exit full screen 
Separating the design: ultimately the planned final graphic repeat would be a BW png used for electronic download, programmed as a fair isle one, but knit using tuck or slip settings, it may be drawn initially using only in those 2 colors. Black may need to be added to the palette selections.
One may always draw on a large canvas and then crop as needed, but as a starting point, it may be easier to simply match canvas size to the published repeat being used.
It is handy to have an extra column to help track image processing during the separation, the repeat above is identified as being composed of 12X12 pixels, one could begin with a 13X12 canvas.
A second way to provide the 13th column is to work using 2 windows, matching magnification, and the second with a different, larger pixel measurement than the first. Copy the contents of the original work area and paste them into the larger canvas in the other window. Crop to new size if necessary.
To illustrate the two-window process, here the original BW repeat has already been drawn and elongated X2
A. Use the rectangle-select tool to capture the whole image in the first window, bounding lines in the colors of the palette in use will outline the selected area
B. Use the edit menu or command C to copy the selection, edit paste, or command V in the new window to place it.
When pasting on a different size ground, the bounding lines will also appear in the new image, the contents remain moveable,
C. Place the selection where desired on the new canvas, when satisfied use the X, merge down tool to flatten it.
The quicker method begins with a canvas one pixel wider than the repeat, 13X12.
Adjust magnification, for comfortable viewing in the editing process.
View: show grid 2
Colors: set the number of colors to 6, and adjust the #1 color to black, white is in position 0 in the palette by default
Activate the pencil tool, and draw a vertical line on the far right in an easy-to-see color choice other than white or black
Using black, fill in pixels for your first draft of the pattern repeat
Image multiply YX2, resulting in 13X24
Using the pencil tool fill in the first 2 design rows followed by every other pair with white. 
Magnify image A to a comfortable work viewing size.
B and C: using the rectangle select tool, with the left mouse button, place the pointer on the purple pixel, drag the mouse across each pair of marked rows, 
release the mouse, and use Command I to color invert, and merge down
to eliminate the bounding box.
The purple pixels will change color as well, making it easier to track what rows have been altered already.
D: crop the image, removing the row with colored cells for the final repeat
If for some reason you are processing an image that is color reversed, the steps are identical, but tuck or slip stitch fabrics, black pixels or punched holes knit, white pixels or unpunched squares tuck or slip. For this reason, the cropped final result would need to be color inverted prior to knitting or punching holes. 
This separation for 2-color DBJ results in its potential use in many fabrics other than DBJ and may be performed by some programs used to download multiple color patterns to the machines prior to knitting the fabric. One such fabric is drop-stitch lace.
Punchcard machine users would need to separate the colors manually, or if Dak is available, the separation may be done using the program and a corresponding template may be printed as a guide to punching holes.
This method is the automatic default one for any 2-color DBJ knit on the Passap.
Each color in each design row will be knit with each pair of consecutive color passes. Completing one design row containing 3 colors will require 6 carriage passes, 4 colors 8, and so on.
The built-in color separation in electronic machines wherein each of only 2 colors in each design row knits only once does not apply when using more than two colors, though it is possible using Dak or by downloading a special card reader technique to program separately from the design when using the Passap E6000 in addition to the pattern repeat.
This separation of a 2 color pattern results in an elongated version of the design regardless of any dbj backing used.
Begin with a 2 color image, 
an extra column of pixels is added here as well:
A: multiply YX4 to 13X48
B: mark alternating pairs of rows in the extra column with a contrasting color
C: following the color cues on the far right column, on rows with no added color use the pencil tool to replace black pixels with white, leaving only the orange cells
D: on rows marked with the third color replace the orange pixels with white, leaving only the black pixels
E: crop the image eliminating the extra column
adjust the remaining orange color to black
index the result to B/W, and the image is ready to save and use 
The difference between single repeats for each type of fabric, no further elongation is required. A: mosaic, B: DBJ
Using layers in Gimp opens up the possibility of several color separations for fabrics using only 2 colors.
Both img2track and Ayab are capable of opening 2 color images.
In img2track this is what would appear, after the download the KRC function needs to be activated in the knitting machine. 
Ayab: the repeat should be programmed in width equal to the number of needles planned to be in use. The color change happens as the file is loaded into the program, the ribber classic option is used 
to render results that would match the KRC knitting machine selection after an img2track download. Here the repeat is also tiled in height. 
My personal preference is to work with images designed in black and white. With the 910 presently stored, my blog swatches are knit on a 930 using img2track.
A note for Mac users like myself using desktops with the M1 chip and Mac OS Monterey. Img2 track requires an FTDI driver for its download cable, on June 6 finally released a beta version of a more recent driver, I do not plan to install it at this moment, function in the upcoming Ventura OS would be unknown. 
Ayab does not launch automatically. These are the steps necessary to run the program, following suggestions by Adrienne Hunter via the Ayab FB group:
open a Terminal window (Applications/Utilities/Terminal) and type these two lines:
cd /Applications/AYAB.app
./Contents/MacOS/AYAB
The app may also be found and then opened via using Spotlight search if you prefer 
Once the program is quit unless you choose to keep the terminal icon
in your dock, it will disappear and the above process will need to be repeated. Once the text has been entered, and Ayab has been launched, a message similar to this will appear, showing your last log in.
To launch Ayab again, simply use the up arrow key and hit return to repeat the command 
Creating an AYAB desktop shortcut for Mac that will work without opening the terminal each time
Using Finder, open Applications and find AYAB. Right-click on AYAB and select “Show Package Contents”.
Locate “AYAB” under MacOS. 
While holding down the command and option buttons, click and drag that icon to the desktop. This will create an ayab shortcut that does the terminal stuff for you 
you can change the icon by copying and pasting the icon image in “get info” but it works fine without it. These icons will appear in your dock after double clicking on the icon 
The ayab window opens with only the load image option highlighted 
Click on the load image file to open an image, and the remaining features of the program will now be available 
If you quit ayab, the terminal window remains active 
Quitting terminal called up this window for me only the first time I did so. 