Software – Page 7 – alessandrina.com

Binary alphabet knitting patterns

There are moments while surfing the net that trigger memories of long ago popular knitting patterns. One such is the piano scarf, usually knit double bed. For a while, knit QR codes, or even bar codes were “the thing”. Decades ago, long before online converters and easily available information, there were a few articles on converting alphabets to binary codes for knitting. Far more recent versions with different interpretations: using ones and zeros for pattern, hand-knit https://knitty.com/ISSUEwinter06/PATTbinary.html A collection of machine-knit versions https://knithacker.com/2017/03/sam-meechs- knitted-binary-scarves/I prefer the more abstract to the literal interpretation using numbers, happen to have a 12 letter first name, and thought I would go for converting it. Because of the number of letters involved, the repeat would of necessity have to be a vertical one. I used 2 converters to double-check the result, noticing that when one of the letters repeats, the code for each of the 2 letters is slightly different. Of the many choices, I used these converters https://www.prepostseo.com/tool/text-to-binary-converter, and https://www.convertbinary.com/text-to-binary/
Each letter is converted to 8 digits, making results easily adaptable for punchcard use. 01000001 01101100 01100101 01110011 01110011 01100001 01101110 01100100 01110010 01101001 01101110 01100001. My spreadsheet in Numbers refused to allow me to enter the 0s at the start of each sequence, so the 0 has its own column, and in the larger chart, it is illustrated as a blank vertical row The problem if such repeats are used for fair isle knitting is that the results are likely to separate along those long vertical lines and to curl to the purl side even if blocked flat to start with. Converting the pattern for use on the double bed with any DBJ technique and backing is the better solution. My results, with letters from the bottom up Programming the width of the number of needles to be used for the “scarf”, allows for the addition of a border stitch (or more) on either side. Start the base with and use the dark color for your first knit row from right to left in most of the automatic 2 color separations. Here is a tentative 72+1 stitch version The related swatch, knit nearly 4 years later, forgetting that the 930 automatically mirrors text and motifs, so my repeat is mirrored horizontally 🙁If numbers are your preference, with a bit of playing around digits may be adjusted in width and height going a bit bolder, the 8 individual letters as numbers could repeat horizontally across each design row. A repeat for the letter AX2 planned for the first segment of an 82 stitch wide scarf, with the number of knit rows between each letter group started at 5. An attempt to visualize the final look using only the letter A.
G carriages may be used to knit the same patterns in knit and purl stitch combinations.

Ribber fabrics with stitch transfers between beds 1

These images provide partial views of garments shown in a recent Facebook MK group post, followed by the “how-to” question A quick analysis leads to a list of assumptions that both are double bed fabrics, with stitches subtracted or added to create moving shapes on a striped ground. A color changer will be in use, so each color must be carried for 2 passes. The color used in the traveling shapes (red in my swatches) knits on both beds, the second color creating the alternate stripe on the background knits on only one bed. The second row of the red stitches is slipped while the white knits, so they become elongated, something that is reflected on the striping on the reverse, as well as on the knit side.
Though the ribber is in use, this is not a standard dbj fabric, so if automation is the goal, the color separation for the knit needs to be hand-drawn.
It is possible to move stitches to and from needle beds when knitting true DBJ with striper backing. This is one of my ancient swatches, every needle is in work on both beds except for areas where stitches have been transferred down to and up from the ribber. The main bed is set to slip in both directions, the ribber set to knit. The suitable dbj separation is the one where each color in each row knits for 2 rows, whether performed by hand, using the 3 colors per row separation in img2track or the default separation in Passap. The Ayab HOP separation is awesome, works for any 3 color design with as little elongation as possible, but is not suited for this purpose. How-tos for DIY separations and their automated versions by programs for knitting more than 2 colors per row have been discussed in other posts.
The process may be reversed between beds. Stitches can be picked from the opposing bed to fill in needles emptied by transfers or brought into work empty for increases. The resulting eyelets may be left as a design element or filled in by picking up from adjacent stitches or ones on the ribber bed.
In the first swatch, all stitches will be in work on the knitting bed, while patterning stitches will be in selected groups on the ribber. When testing a concept it is best to start with a simple shape, contrasting colors, on a limited number of stitches. To begin with, I went the easy route and tested the concept with a small racked pattern using only 5 ribber needles. The ribber slips for the 2 rows knit in the contrasting color in the ground, knits the pattern for 2 rows, requiring cams to be switched every 2 rows The goal is to be able to see and understand stitch formation. Production got cut short when I was faced with dropping individual stitches followed by the whole piece falling to the floor. In one of those drat it moments I realized that for the first time ever, with the knit carriage properly set to N, I had not, however, engaged it beneath the metal bar on the back of the bed, leaving it with its rear floating freely. A similar process on the Passap allows for playing easily with both racked colors because of the possible arrow and pusher settings on the back bed, but on Brother, this would require hand selection on the ribber on every row or a specific color separation for needle selection on the top bedSeeking automation, keeping things simple, here is a basic zigzag pattern in a repeat also executable on punchcard machines. The ribber is now set to knit throughout (N/N), the main bed to slip in both directions. End needle selection must be canceled when using the slip setting selectively or when working patterning with needles completely out of work

The color separation: the desired design needs to be expanded, with 2 blank rows between each pair of design rows The pattern on my 930 is knit as it appears in the chart, on the purl side. Punchcard knitters or users of other programs may need to mirror it to match my output The process using 3 colors: the patterning color will be knit on needles preselected on the top bed. As shaping is about to begin, in this pattern, one needle preselected out indicates the location for an “increase”, one preselected back to B position a decrease To perform the decrease, using a double eye tool to transfer the B position stitch down onto the ribber needle adjacent to the first needle in D position on the top bed As the carriages move to the opposite side a loop will form on the preselected empty needle, creating the increase on that side, keeping the width of the patterning stitches constant In order for the patterning to remain correct, all needles on the top bed must be maintained in B position while not in use, or preselection may be incorrect, and increase loops will not be created, so, not this A sideways view (for space consideration) of the knit still on the KM begins to show the distortion in the knit created by the movement of the stitches. The red yarn creates a single line where stitches are skipped on the reverse, a double one when it knits for 2 rows The repeat and the knit shown on both sides: Comparing the 2 color and 3 color versions: aside from the obvious increase in length, note that the slipped segments in red on the 3 color swatch are now composed of longer stitches since they are held for 2 additional rows, and the overall fabric is more puckered than the 2 color version. The curling at the sides is the nature of edge stitches, especially if the yarn used is wool. At times that may be used intentionally, as a decorative edge.

Repeats where the design charts require expansion to accommodate techniques quickly grow in length. The simple zig-zag doubled in length from 32 to 64 rows. I work things out in a spreadsheet, open a screengrab of the final choice in GIMP, index mode the result, scale it, and save the PNG for download to the 930. Long color separations are harder to achieve cleanly in GIMP alone but are also possible.

Returning to the 2 color pattern in the inspiration image and limiting the width to the 24 stitch punchcard restriction: a way to begin is to design a 2 color shape to approximate the repeat in the desired fabric and as in any other designs, check for repeat alignment by tiling prior to knitting to find any easily visible errors. The first single (ultimately 24X32) repeat, suitable for standard DBJ, has not been cropped properly in the top illustration. It is followed by the correct one Using the same color separation as for the simple zig-zag shape, the design is expanded to include knit bed rows that will be skipped completely, resulting in the ribber alone knitting in the second color for those rows. It is now twice as long as the original, 24X64The planned proof of concept added a 4 stitch border on the right for a 28 stitch swatch centered with 14 stitches either side of 0. Tiling the repeat X2 again in height made it easier for me to plan how to manage transfers to expose the varying stripes in the ground. Visual comparison to the movement in the inspiration knit: As the number of needles in work on either of the 2 beds is increased, it is likely tension or yarn changes may be required. The first preselection row is from the right, toward the color changer. The stitches on the non selected needles are transferred to the bottom bed with the color change, only preselected needles will knit on both the top and bottom beds moving to the right and will do so again on the return to the left while preselecting an all blank row on the next pass to the right only the ribber knits in the ground color; on the following pass to the left the second ground color row is knit on the ribber, with preselection happening at the same time for the next row in the pattern color The red, 3 strand cash-wool was giving me grief, so I switched it out for the blue. Both yarns are on the thin side but OK for testing the concept. The initial partial striped lozenge shape is finished with straightforward knitting The solid ground stitches in the inspiration fabric, however, have a sideways movement as the next striped lozenge gets shaped. In any standard knit such movements are achieved manually by using multiple stitch transfer tools. Planning ahead in a spreadsheet helps. My first test of the full repeat approaches the desired result, but the transitions beginning at design row 30 for the decreasing angle in the white yarn is a bit clumsy and requires a redo to make it easier and with clearer instructions Back to the drawing board in order to reduce the number of hand manipulations involved, with a shift in the center transition, the repeat in my spreadsheet is now 24 stitches wide, plus an additional 4 stitch border, and gets marked up with colors. I prefer to program the width of my knitting as opposed to a single repeat for all over patterning The resulting final 24 stitch repeat with the added 4 stitch border, now 68 rows highThe choice can be made based upon the preference of moving stitch groups to the right or to the left with the horizontal direction of the repeat adjusted for your KM model or software used. I planned the transfers in this swatch toward the color changer after picking up the proper color, white, and before knitting the next row using it. The 930 png: The preselection row is from right to the left, toward the color changer. End needle selection is canceled. All stitches not selected on the main bed are moved down onto ribber needles beneath them. Needle selection takes care of the increasing angle in the surface yarn (white), as less of the striped ground becomes exposed. At this point, row 34 on the 930 counter, the single elongated slipped stitch is moved down onto the ribber. The next preselection will require the first transfer on the top bed, row 38. In my case, the movement was to the left. After the transfer is made, be certain to leave any empty needles in B position, and to bring all transferred stitch needles out to hold so they will knit in the slip setting as the carriage moves across the bed to the other side. The preselection will insure all necessary stitches will knit on the way back to the left When the top of the repeat is reached, row 68, the only needles selected will be those of the 4 stitch vertical columns and the design repeat will return to its start
My proof of concept swatch is 3.75 inches wide The inspiration sweater was knit using a wider repeat and significantly thicker yarn, reflected here in the small number of repeats composing the sweater body front Amending the 24 stitch repeat is possible, its length will grow in proportion to the increase in its width. The ratio of rows/ stitches to maintaining shaping by single stitch increases or decreases as in the original remains at 2.8. The lozenge is likely to remain elongated. Since at any point, the ribber will be knitting a large number of stitches single bed, the tension on its carriage needs to accommodate that. When the majority of needles are selected on the top bed, the fabric is knitting in every needle rib, which requires a tighter tension than when using the same yarns single bed. As a result tension adjustment to reduce the height of the knit repeat may be very limited.
The last test is now 84 rows high, with 5 stitch vertical bands. An added 6 stitch border on one side changes the programmed width up to 36 stitches so I don’t have to think about positioning the pattern on the needle bed. The extra stitch was eliminated at the start of the piece: The off white yarn used here was the same thickness but not fiber content as in the previous swatch, 2/18 wool-silk vs Australian wool in the former. It is not as smoothly spun. The result shows an interesting similarity in length, though there are 16 additional rows in the pattern repeat. This time I programmed my repeat for stitch transfers on the knit bed to move away from the color changer. Eliminating the border on one side, a double repeat (30 stitches) measure 4 inches in width. To put the difference in scale to the sweater in perspective, an oversize garment with 40 inches in chest diameter would require 20 inches in width for the front piece. Ten single repeats, as opposed to the inspiration’s sweater 4, bring the total required the number of stitches to 150. With the added border of 5 stitches for matching side edges, the fabric is in the realm of possibility for producing a garment on the home knitting machine. My tension was set at 3/3 for all the swatches, with some teasing required on occasion to encourage stitches on the main bed to knit off properly. Ribber height adjustment can also have an effect on those numbers. I tend to do all my knitting with the slide lever in the center position. The double 30X84 repeat with no added border

A return to Ayab knitting

9/18/21 There have recently been efforts to provide the Stitchworld I files for easy download for electronic knitting. The file is in progress, the work of Thomas Price, it may be found at https://github.com/t0mpr1c3/ayab-patterns/tree/master/kh930. Click on the main folder “ayab. patterns” and then click on the green button at the right top of the page (code)
My starting document for subdivisions into categories: Ayab patterns.numbers
and as a PDF Ayab patterns.
Folks without access to the Github can find similar collections of electronic repeats on KnitStudium.com
I have been asked specifically about the difference between Lace and Fine lace. Fine lace is created by changing the setting on the lace carriage between N and L whether for a whole piece or between the 2 settings on combination fabrics. Instead of being transferred from one needle to another, when the F setting is used, the single stitch is shared between two needles. The standard lace transfer
Depending on the yarn and tension, far smaller eyelets may still appear. In my opinion, fine lace fabrics have a texture that is so “fine” that unless one is using a light shade of yarn with a smooth twist that highlights the changes in the surface of the knit the resulting texture may be hard to recognize. The combination fabrics have both eyelets and surface textures.

There are illustrations from punchcard books and accompanying instructions on what symbols mean in my blogpost

https://alessandrina.com/2017/12/08/punch-cards-to-electronics-book-symbols-and-samples/
Fabrics using the word lace in their name may not necessarily use the lace carriage or result in the familiar LC transfer eyelets

Variations using L point cams: punchcard machines method for isolating and/or spacing lace motifs or columns, I have read some folks have used cams on electronic machines as well
Tuck and lace: LC transfers combined with tuck stitch patterning
Woven lace: LC transfer lace combined with the weaving technique
Lace and fair isle: LC and FI patterning, both carriages selecting needles
“Lace-like patterns”: possible in machines such as Brother and Passap, which allow for the same stitches tucking in one direction, slipping on the return of the knit carriage to its starting side. It matters which cam button function leads in the start of each pattern
Punch/ thread lace: thick and thin yarns used together in machines that have the option of a setting that allows for knitting both yarns together in unpunched areas or blank pixel rows, with traditionally, the thin yarn knitting in the front of the fabric, the thicker floating behind it
Tuck lace: tuck setting in both directions with specific needles out of work
Ladder Lace: worked with columns created by needles left out of work
Punch tuck rib: every needle rib combined with tuck setting patterning on the knit bed Drive/ drop stitch lace: stitches start on either of the 2 beds, and loops are picked up and dropped on the opposite bed
Shadow lace: stitches are moved between beds in a pattern to create knit stitches on purl ground or vice versa

Repeats can be used in multiple cam settings:
Fair Isle repeats with short floats may often be used in other stitch settings
Though listed in the FI section, 3 A, B, and C are knit as tuck stitches with needles out of work, NOOW
Any patterns with large floats ie 6 -8 are best knit as DBJ, double bed, ribber setting
In patterns such as #43, the left-hand column lists numbers 2, 3, and 4 indicating color changes in the B feeder, while maintaining a constant color ground in the A feeder
Any single motif pattern may be used for DBJ if programmed accordingly
Many FI may work well when programmed with the G carriage.
Transfer lace, fine lace, and combinations of both are used exclusively for that fabrics.
Tuck patterns are safe to try with every cam setting, though the resulting knit may not be exciting. Most containing single or double rows of white squares may be knit double-long for more texture. If the tucks occur for 2 or 4 rows, with a color changer it becomes easy to change colors every 2 or 4 rows respectively, and patterns with many white cells may result in a knit that looks like what is often referred to as mazes or mosaics.
Three tuck rows such as in 236 and 248 would only tolerate elongation if a very fine yarn is in use. Color changes would result in elongated stitches being knit off on stripes in the alternating color, a less often used method than having them knit off on the next same color stripe. Any tuck repeat may also be knit using the slip stitch setting, but while tuck fabrics are usually considered reversible, the slip stitch purl side may be far less interesting.
Tuck repeats 283-292 rely on the correct needles being taken out of work to produce a fabric known as tuck lace. Depending on the machine model, the repeat may have to be flipped horizontally to set up proper NOOW for successful patterning.
Slip stitch settings with all-over pixel units matching those illustrated for tuck may be used in the tuck setting as well, ones with small areas of black cells may also work in weaving. Taking floats into consideration, repeats with rows with no more than 5 continuous black squares may work for Fair Isle.
When using tuck or slip patterns for FI, color reverse the image so the patterning of the white cells occurs in the B feeder and any color changes other than in the ground may be more easily made.
Patterns that look scrambled to the eye are usually intended for use with the color changer and again are accompanied by suggestions for color rotations made in the far left-hand column of the repeat ie in # 386 and 392 where the slip setting is used. The same patterns may be knit double bed, but any fabric changing color every 2 rows needs the first preselection row for row 1 to happen from the right, so adjustments need to be made when using such repeats in Ayab.
Thread lace patterns are best left for thread lace.
Hooked-up floats such as in patterns 408 – 413 use the technique to achieve added patterning on the purl side.
Some weaving patterns ie 427, 432, and 440 could be used for tuck or slip as well. Using repeats in other settings becomes easier when one recognized a few “rules”. Hooked-up floats appear here as well, ie 460, and variations on e-wraps ie 463
As presented the garter carriage patterns do not translate well for other techniques without manipulation ie color reverse or more.
Patterns in the series KHC 512-521 are intended for use with the single bed color changer to produce the striped color patterning, the first preselection row is assumed to happen from the right.
Patterns in the series KRC 522-531 are intended for use with the double bed color changer. The first preselection row is from left to right.
Both sets indicate color changes in columns on the far left of the illustrations.
The remaining patterns are also intended for use with the G carriage.
1/2021 For a variety of reasons it has been nearly a year since I attempted any swatch tests in significant lengths using Ayab. I am interested in exploring long repeats created with small stitch units, and the possible illusion of color variations if any created by the fabric movement. My first design was a dbj heart of Pluto fail because of a problem between the monitor and the chair, the middle value was too close to one of the 2 other colors in the palette, so it did not get knit on the top bed, I did not pay attention, kept on going, the patterning for only 2 colors appeared correct over more than 200 rows. The second test was of a different repeat in 2 colors. It was knit in single bed FI for the first run and here I am again with the issue I have had in the past with patterning errors in longer knit pieces. The fabric begins to do what I intended, the effect may be more marked if knit at a tighter tension. This is the working repeat, 34 X140 pixels, check if downloaded that the mode does not get switched back to RBC, here repeated X2 in width, with a 2 stitch border in black on either side (72 X 140), suitable width for a scarf in DBJ. DBJ is a better choice for long pieces since fair isle has a tendency to not stay flat, rolling toward the purl side. The side border is a personal preference of mine. Now that Ayab allows for repeating the patterns both in width and height, such border additions, whether for a single color vertical line or to produce all knit stitches aside tuck or slip center areas are still not possible additions within the program itself There have previous posts on automated lace edging on Brother machines, ie 1, and 2. For anyone wishing to try them, this shows the proper Ayab orientation for the repeat, along with selection errors on my 910 The first preselection row is as always from left to right, the knit carriage, set to slip in both directions when on the right knits 2 rows, preselects for the first row of transfers as it moves from left to right, and lace patterning and selection begins from the opposite side. Extension rails are a must on both sides since both carriages are now selecting needles and each needs to be off the belt while the opposite carriage is in use

After absences from topics, I find it necessary to review them and their categories. This list, for now, catalogs my previous shares on Ayab use specifically, all are subject to future editing
Revisiting Ayab_multiple colors per row DBJ 1/20
Ayab: short rows automated with slipstitch 5/18
Revisiting knitting with 2 carriages single bed, 910 vs Ayab so far 4/18
A Brother 910/ Ayab diary/ EMS kit 3/18
Quilting using Ayab software 2/18
Drop stitch lace using Ayab software 1/18
Lace punchcards meet Ayab 1/18

Although my swatches this past year were often knit using another interface I have added mentions of ayab repeats which will turn up in searches. Other times I have added them to earlier posts such as this one combining KC patterning with racking 2017/12/20

Some studio electronic patterns translated for use on Brother KMs

Each machine brand varied control box symbols over the years, and at times cam options also evolved. My long since Studio electronic experience was using the 560. The image below was from a pattern book for a later model. I first included them in a post on knitting with elastic Identifying stitch types in Japanese symbols in decoding patterns and charts can be confusing. Some large type illustrations extracted from punchcard pattern books may be found in my post on knit terms and translations The Studio cam settings The 580 operation manual explains those ducks and the function of point cams

The stitch type is fair isle, also indicated by the recommendation in English of colored yarns, one combined with elastic, being held in 2 different feeders
Adding a border on the left side by positioning

Mirror and combing the 2 patterns into one, center on the needle bed, the left duck symbol on means the pattern knits as you see it, and it is mirrored as the ducks are pointing 25: the original provided was 60X24, here it is adjusted to a full size 76X24

27: the repeat provided was 60X48, here it is adjusted to a full size 120X48 28: the repeat provided was 60X84, here it is adjusted to a full size 120X84tiled X2 in height to check for proper alignment

Drop stitch lace using Ayab software 2/ HOP

At the start of 2018, I wrote a long post on creating drop stitch lace using ayab software and some of the techniques required to produce the fabric. Since then the software has been updated including several new features and among them the heart of pluto HoP color separation for executing multiple colors per row dbj, and revisited the topic providing links to all the previous related posts. It occurred to me I might be able to use it to make drop stitch lace without having to manually perform the color separation and then entering it as a single bed pattern. This was my first proof of concept effort, dropping each of the 2 colors in turn. Making things work: my first desired repeat was what I expected would produce a circular shape, it measured 33 stitches by 23 rows. Increments in height need to happen at sequences of 2 rows each, so the design was then doubled in height, resulting in a scaled image now 33 stitches by 46 rows in height, with a planned horizontal repeat X2 = 66. Note: the sidebar offers start and end needles are given for pattern placement on the needle bed. Sampling may occur on fewer stitches than that. Since the number of repeats programmed to add up to an even number and center alignment is chosen, the number of needles is even on each side of 0. In my second series of swatches, I decided to try for a smaller “circular” shape, with the repeat now measuring 15 wide by 20 high, and a planned horizontal repeat X3 = 45. If centered, the software places the odd number of needles on the right-hand side of 0. As with any pattern using Ayab, the starting side is with COL. The critical difference is that all needles are in work on the ribber, all needles on the main bed start in work but empty. White squares select first. The main bed is set to slip both ways throughout, the ribber for this fabric is set to knit every needle, every row. The choice then needs to be made as to whether both colors or only one is to be dropped. The software does the work involved in the separation, but the knitter needs to manually cancel needle preselection on the main bed on a regular basis as well as drop stitches formed there. This is best achieved by using a ribber cast on comb or a similar tool. A modified stitch dropping tool does not work unless all needles in work are in B position, so if they are pushed back it will work here as well but I found the cast on comb made the process faster. I will refer to colors as black and white, as they would appear in the design in black and white pixels. Begin with base rows in white. Whether dropping one or both colors, the first preselected row is disregarded on the main bed in both fabrics.
Begin COL: main bed set to slip <– –> (remains there throughout). As the carriage moves to the right, the first row of white pixels is preselected, the ribber only knits.
COR: for both fabrics, use the chosen tool to push preselected needles back to the B position. As you move to the left side and the color changer, the needles for the first row of stitches to be dropped in the next color (black pixels) will be preselected
For dropping both colors
*COL: pick up the color to be used for black squares, loops will be formed on the main bed as you knit one row to the right
COR: push all needles forward so stitches on the main bed move behind the latches, I tend to do so all the way to E. As needles are returned to the B position the loops formed on the previous pass will drop, creating long stitches on the ribber bed. As you return to the left nothing happens on the main bed (needles in B position are not worked in slip stitch), but the next row of white pixels will preselect
COL: pick up the color to be used for white squares, loops will be picked up on the main bed as you knit one row to the right
COR: push all needles forward to drop stitches on the main be, push all needles back to B, knit one row to the left side, as you do so next row of black pixels will preselect**
COL: repeat * to**
I knit until the green yarn broke for some unknown reason For dropping only one color of the two, I chose color 2, “black squares” after preselection starting row
COL: main bed set to slip <– –>. As the carriage moves to the right, the first row of white pixels is preselected, the ribber only knits.
COR: use the chosen tool to push preselected needles back to the B position. As you move to the left side and the color changer, the needles for the first row of stitches to be dropped in the next color (black pixels) will be preselected
*COL: pick up the color to be used for black pixels, loops will be picked up on the main bed as you knit one row to the right
COR: push all needles forward to drop stitches on the main bed, and then push all needles back to B. Knit one row to the left side, as you do so next row of black pixels will preselect
COL: now working with “white”. No loops are wanted on the main bed, so the last preselected row of needles needs to be pushed back to B before returning to the right, knit one row
COR: cancel needle selection again, as you return to left the next row of black squares will preselect**
COL: change colors, repeating * to **End with some rows on the ribber in “white” to match the number used at the start of the piece.
Casting on and binding off both need to be loose since the fabric stretches considerably when off the machine. I like to start in waste yarn, make certain my colors change properly, pull down a long yarn end, and begin the final piece on open stitches. At the top, I bind off on the main bed, either transferring stitches up to the main bed from the ribber or taking them off on waste and rehanging them there. A latch tool bind off may then be done around two gate pegs or even more to provide stretch at the top. The bottom of the piece can then be rehung and the same bind off can be executed so the top and bottom edges will match in stretch and width.

Sometimes things are not necessarily worth doing because you can. I was curious as to whether an all one color drop stitch could also be executed using this separation. It is but involves pushing needles back to B multiple times in each sequence. I started with a shape, scaled it twice as long, erased every other row, tiled it X3 horizontally, The wider horizontal band of all knit stitches was due to operator error, happened when I pushed back preselection an extra time, resulting in the ribber only knitting extra rows. For the sake of added clarity, I have added color to the chart below, assigning yellow and grey to all-white design areas in the pattern. The black squares are what I choose to drop. For illustration purposes, this is only a segment of the repeat. The process: begin with COL: main bed set to slip <– –>. As the carriage moves to the right, the first row of white squares/ pixels (yellow) is preselected, the ribber only knits.
*COR: cancel any needle preselection for white (yellow) squares, all needles are pushed back to Bas the carriages move to the left, the black squares will preselect COL: knit to the right in order to form loops on the main bed, they will be dropped to form long stitches
COR: loops have been formed drop the loops, return needles to B position. At this point, since all needles are in B a modified stitch ditcher may be used for 2 passes, dropping the loops on the first pass and returning the whole series back to B on the second. As you move back to the left, all the needles will be preselected for the all-white row (grey squares), COL: push all preselected needles back to B, as you knit back to the right the next group of white squares (yellow) in the next design row will be preselected*COR: push selected needles back to B as you move toward the left the next row of black squares will be preselected selectedCOL: knit to the right in order to form loops on the main bed, continue for the desired number of repeats and end as suggested for the two-color version.

Previously knit, not using this method, a sample with the ground behind the shape dropping stitches and one in 2-color with shapeshifts For a while, Camino bubbles were a popular topic and created with dropped stitches, for the series on the topic search

Revisiting Ayab_multiple colors per row DBJ 1

A new Ayab release has been available for download for a while, though I have not had the opportunity to explore it.
Along with several new software features, a manual is now also available including a wealth of information on developing designs for download with various software and executing them in a variety of techniques on both the single and double beds. Kudos to the contributors to the project.
My tendency is to explore basics first, looking for any differences in how menus or techniques might differ from any experience with the software or knitting techniques in the past. There is some exploration of the design that can happen prior to turning the power on, which is required for configuring and knitting the project. Since houndstooth designs turned up again in the Facebook machine knitting group today, I thought I would begin with a simple hound design. Red squares mark the black ground in the repeat to help identify changes in rotation. These charts reflect some of the mirroring and rotation of original image possible within a design program (GIMP)while here the original image is altered in turn within the Ayab program The horizontal repeat option has eliminated the requirement for tiling it in a width matching the number of needles one wished to repeat on the needle bed, though that can certainly remain an option if one wishes to add borders bands or knit intermittent vertical design stripes in the body of a wider knit. It should not be necessary to download the repeat tiled vertically as well as horizontally since infinite repeat is still available in the configure menu, but tiling in both directions allows one who may not have attempted doing so in the design software to visualize how the groups of repeats might align in the body of the knit thus allowing the opportunity of noticing potential errors prior to any knitting.
My initial test swatches were knit programming the 16X16 repeat X3 but using fewer needles than that. I am still finding the configuration process seems to take an extended period of time as compared to mylar sheets or img2track downloads. If new to the program, there are plenty of opportunities to double-check entries ie. here my first swatch was planned as fair isle

I have been told “Regarding the slow startup, try clicking the Knit button anyway, even though it’s still gray. You’ll find that it’s actually ready for action within seconds of clicking Configure“. With further testing I found this to be true indeed.
The repeat above accounts for 16 stitches in width, not 48 as I was planning, the full download count is reflected below

The FI results are shown on the left, the first dbj test with lili buttons engaged and both carriages set to slip in both directions appear to the right. Note the difference in width and height of the resulting knit. The floats in FI are overlong, and there are some separation and lengthening of the stitches along the diagonal edges of the houndstooth shape The program does provide prompts as to which color should be picked up next, and clues as to where one is in the repeat, they are found at the bottom of the Ayab window. I happened to grab content with color B upcoming both times. An observation: while the sinker plate is technically labeled with A and B for 2 colors used in techniques utilizing the MC or thread lace buttons, the color changer is numbered in numeric sequence 1 to 4 from right to left as opposed to an alphabetical one, but Ayab assigns letters A to D to color positions.The Brother single bed color changer is the only one I know of that holds each yarn in place as opposed to releasing it for travel with the carriages. The double bed one does release the yarn. Set up, images, and more information on the color changer may be found in my post.
Using the same image and altering it for use with 3 color dbj options: my preferred software for designing is Gimp, using a magnification of 1200, with grid view and snap to grid options in use, and a pencil 1 pixel in width and height. In circumstances such as below, when a large area of the design is in black and one wishes to count pixels, the configure grid in the image menu will allow for changes to that which will help make the repeat clearer to analyze. When preparing images for download, they should be indexed to 3 colors If a 3 color image is loaded into ayab, the colors on the screen change. It takes a while when knitting double bed knits before one can assess whether the results are correct in terms of patterning since the knit is hidden for some length as it drops between the beds. Because the Ayab prompts for color changes were altered sometimes when the carriage on the right, sometimes on the left, I dropped the first sample off after slightly more than one repeat, found its patterning to be correct, and that the prompts when on the color changer side for the following row to be knit from left to right were reliable, as shown in the knit swatches. In turn, I used an indexed greyscale image. The lettering on the right indicates where colors were placed following the give instructions, rather than where they were assigned in the original design. The manual states that the color sequence for the separation is: white, grey, black, gray, however, if the prompts for changing colors as given are followed, which is very valuable in tracking them, the knitting occurs in reverse order. Knitting mode options for DBJ are listed below the single bed one, The main bed is set to slip in both directions, the ribber as well, with lili buttons engaged. The number of colors is not altered automatically by Ayab, the change needs to be made manually. My first attempt was at knitting with the middle colors selected twice=C, B, A, B, C, B, A, B, B The backing looks different than standard birdseye because of that change in the placement of the middle color in the changing sequences. I followed that with testing the heart of Pluto variation C, B, A, C, B, A, C There is an extra pair of all charcoal rows at the bottom due to the fact I had forgotten to set the knit carriage to slip, so all stitches knit in that color for those 2 rows. Both repeat series measured literally equal, give or take by a millimeter or 2 depending on whether I tugged at either of them in any way.
Both methods will knit each color for each design row only once, a unique option, thus motif elongation is minimal.
In terms of scale change when knitting the extra rows required by 3 colorwork, here is a side by side for comparison If pixel colors in greyscale are selected with C (3) being white pixels, B (2) the middle-value grey, and A (1) the black squares, placement of yarn in color changer can be planned to match other variations for the design. The visual shift can be quite interesting, the red here is swapped for grey for added contrast, the results can easily be guesstimated in the paint programs used. More houndstooth designs for use either single or double bed hounds-tooth-fi-variations/, and one for fun, with not every color represented in each design row I thought I would return to the repeat that began my whole series on 3 colors per row slipstitch. Here again, colors are represented on every row. Though the working repeat is in multiple colors, I chose to change it to greyscale (3 colors, indexed) in order to plan the location of the yarn in the color changer so that the Ayab prompts as to which color should be used next can serve as a tracking device. This was the set up in the color changer No matter what stitch type is being created, one must remember to program the repeats over the number of needles used. There is a choice regarding its position placement on the needle bed, and numbers are provided as to the start and stop needles for the pattern. Here for a 30 stitch repeat (15 either side max), I used fewer stitches on the left (OK), more stitches on the right resulting in a band of single-color knitting with some issues with dropped stitches. If a border was desired, it is best added as a planned color in the overall tiled motif. The resulting swatch using the middle color twice ribber option and the above needle arrangement. Here it is compared to the swatch knit using img2track and my hand separated repeat, which happened to be also knit at a far looser tension. In both, each color in each row is represented only once, resulting in combination with the lili slip setting on the ribber in the least elongation possible of the original Planned possible use of the middle color twice may be seen in this image

Recently a video was shared on Facebook, it was created by Chris Burge and shows 3 color knitting using Ayab with in addition, a very clever “hack” for knitting DBJ without the use of a color changer, can be found on youtube

Blistered stitches dbj

Some of my previous posts on double bed fabrics with designs creating pockets in both one and two colors:
quilting-on-the-knitting-machine-1/
quilting-on-the-brother-km-2-solid-color-back-dbj/
revisiting machine knit quilting
quilting using ayab software
references-for-double-bed-single-color-references-for-double-bed-single-color-fabrics-with-pockets/

A review of some of the terms used in describing fabrics with raised designs in various patterns:
blistered fabrics: two rows of the main color are knit the same as in standard dbj, but more rows are added and knit with the blister color on only one of the two beds used to create textured pockets. Technically they can be executed in a single color as well as in two colors per row. The extra rows result in the blisters being raised or lifted up from the fabric surface, they are often also referred to as pintucks. These fabrics do not have the width and stretch of many other 2 color dbj fabrics.
When exploring this family of knits, use plain, fairly smooth and thin yarns. This is a fabric where pressing should be avoided so the texture is not lost or altered. For setting the pockets created sometimes slipping a wire or tool through the bubbles will do the trick as for any hems. Simple, bold patterns work the best. Spreading the texture evenly throughout the design will decrease distortions in width. Leaving needles out of work combined with racking can alter the basic technique considerably.
In the two-color version, a double thickness fabric with a crumpled face side and a single color backing is created. The blistered areas are knit in one bed only, the rest is full needle rib with floats from each blister enclosed in the fabric.
Begin with a repeat that is elongated X2, the jacquard separated pattern needs to be double marked. Needles are arranged as for DBJ. For 2 colors the main bed is set to slip in both directions throughout, but the ribber settings need to be changed and set to knit and slip alternately for 2 rows to produce the single color backing. Good needle condition is a must if occasional stitches are dropped on the ribber they can be repaired when the work is off the machine.
Ripples are created by setting one bed to slip and the other to knit for several rows, then setting both beds to knit simultaneously to join the tucks in repeats. They are selective pintucks, on every needle rib. The main bed is set to slip on both directions throughout, the ribber carriage is set to slip for 4 or more even numbers of rows, and then to knit for 2 rows (this number may also be varied depending on the specific pattern). This is a fabric that likes to be weighted evenly. Tight ribber tension will help increase the definition of ripples. As in any multicolor fabric, each set of ripple stitches may be knit using a different color yarn. Some designs tolerate having the main bed set to tuck rather than knit.
Brother machines often are limited to 4 rows knitting on the bed creating the ripple before closing the rib.
Transferring blister stitches to the main bed, with a shadow lace tool or a transfer carriage is referred to as “shadow lace”. Adding blank rows in your design makes it easier to have a transfer point to the opposite bed. Using a plaiting feeder will add color contrast.
“Nopps” which are essentially small bumps on tightly textured tuck stitch grounds require careful tension adjustments.

An image was shared in a machine knitting group on Facebook. It cropped up in Pinterest, could be traced back to some Russian knitting forums and a how-to knit query was made
There is an Italian language youtube channel with a throve of machine knitting videos, one on jacquard groffato executed on punchcard machines, with a companion video on punching the card. Groffato means embossed.
Points to remember: the more needles on either bed knit alone to create the pockets, the more the tension used needs to approach the one for single bed knitting there with the same yarn. Large shapes are best used, represented by white squares /unpunched areas. Punchcards such as ones published with large unpunched areas for thread lace designs or tuck stitches with large punched areas color reversed can work once the principle is sorted out.
The setting used in the video is for tubular/ circular knitting.
The all punched rows in the video actually match rows that would be knit anyway because the main carriage is set to knit in one of the two directions, not slip. Two yarn ends are used, which could result in a fairly dense fabric with limited drape. Switching to a single yarn end can alter both considerably.
In designing your own patterns for testing it is best at the start to keep shapes simple and not worry about repeat variations. I am working on a 930 using img2track, but my repeat is 24 stitches wide and usable on a punchcard model, its source is another pin. To make the design twice as long, when planning an electronic download, the image can be stretched in the design software or by altering the stretch factor to 2 in img2track. Tiling the design prior to download can help one imagine the potential results in using it for an all-over pattern or what its appearance might be if the repeat is shifted into a brick configuration.
Use a familiar, smooth yarn in an easy-to-see color. Tension changes alone can change the dimension in the textured surface, so having a “normal” baseline for tensions and “feel” while knitting from previous uses of the yarn double bed gives one a good starting point.
The “flower” image used in my tests is shown here in the original, and then is color reversed so its shape will blister, not the ground. Below it, on the left, the image was stretched within img2track, on the right within my design program which happens to be Gimp. In both instances, the original 24X24 design becomes 24X48 in actual knitting

The tiled image for both a standard repeat and a brick configuration shifting by 12 stitches to the right are not thrilling me, but the goal is to explore the knit technique, modifications in the original or even abandoning it can happen later My starting samples were knit on 32 stitches, not enough to get a sense of or a good view of the horizontal repeat of 24 stitches. At first, I used the design version with no horizontal black lines in the download. The difference between the every needle rib at the bottom of the pieces and the slip stitch blister fabric is easily seen. Slip stitches are short and thin whether single or double bed. On the left, I used the tensions of 4/4, as for the particular yarn in past experiments. On the right, the switch was made to 4/2. The tighter ribber tension made the blisters more pronounced. The non selected needles on the main bed create the pockets. Because functions repeat for pairs of rows in this design, the first preselection row can happen from either side and cam buttons may be reversed with similar results as seen in top vs bottom below. Opposite part buttons are used as in option A or B.As I have explained in the past, I tend to leave the slide lever permanently in the center position. It becomes one less variable, forgetting to reset it can result in errors in gauge and more mishaps when knitting multiple pieces where gauge matters significantly or in reproducing previous work. The “striped” repeat produces essentially the same fabric. The knit carriage may be set to slip in both directions when using it since the row of all punched holes or black pixels will knit every stitch on every needle selected while in the previous samples the cam button set to knit in one direction performed that function regardless of any markings on the design repeat. The ribber is set to knit in one direction, slip in the other. Reversing sides for cam button settings produces the same fabric

To my mind, the best shapes for this sort of surface design are clearly geometric ones. My eye sees them as more easily identified on the surface of the resulting knit. Sticking with the original “flower” however, here it is after a bit of editing of just a few pixels followed by a larger swatchThe Stitchworld Pattern Book is another good source for predesigned repeats, many in units suitable for punchcards as well. I was attracted to the possible geometry in this particular patternThe repeat I chose is designated as suitable for the Garter Carriage. It is 24 stitches wide by 48 rows high, shown below as provided, charted in Gimp as .png for download, and tiled to help visualize how continuous repeats might line up. The image .png was downloaded with img2track to my 930, with a stretch factor of 1.0, retaining the original repeat sizeThe resulting knit is interesting on both its knit and the purl sides, clearly shows how the “image” is shortened in slip stitch techniques, elongation would be required to create more of the diamond shape Final decisions are often best made after a period of rest for both the knit and for our eyes. It is only in the actual knitting that the shapes can be finally evaluated, worked on further, or abandoned. One of my own best selling felted items for more than a decade was born from an accidental effect on a large swatch that nearly landed in the trashcan after it became something different than what I had planned or expected.

DBJ: more than 2 colors per row 2

My first attempt to use a 3 color automatic separation was with img2track.
The default selector setting is for a single motif, perhaps on the assumption that the main use would primarily be for large-scale, nonrepetitive images.
In standard dbj the built-in separation, when KRC is activated, the first preselection row is made from left to right, and the first color knits for only one row on moving from the right side to the left, but if 2 colors with the same selection are required at the start, one row of the 2 rows is technically eliminated as a result, resulting in patterning errors.
The first preselection row in these knits is made from right to left, each color in each row will be knit twice.
As soon as a row begins to be knit, the numbers change in the memo window, indicating that the machine is using this pass to select the needles for the next row. As the carriage passes the midpoint of the bed, the row number will begin flashing indicating that this is the row you will be knitting next. The process is repeated as the carriage reverses direction.
I had expected to use 3 shades of grey, a pleasant surprise: the program can import 3 colors other than grays. The test was using the 11-stitch repeat Using Gimp, images worked in RGB can be reduced to indexed 3 colors for this purpose. If there are rows where no color is represented, then as explained later in the post, the indexing should be to 4 colors, not 3 for the planned import to work properly. The design is automatically flipped vertically, so it will appear as intended on the knit side of the fabric.
Yarn colors may be placed in the color changer matching the order in the assigned color numbers to match the placements in the original image.
The program automatically adjusts for the vertical stretch, which changes the aspect ratio of the shapes.
The double height variation button is activated automatically.
On my 930 I received prompts on which color to change to before doing so, eliminating any confusion.
With no such prompts generally one can tell which color was knit last because it will appear on top of the previously used one on the left of the knit. With a stretch factor of 1 selected in img2track, the image height was reduced by half. To achieve a look closer to the intended shape, the repeat needs to be rendered twice as long, or the stretch factor can be adjusted in the program itself to 2.0

In the past, I have preferred to elongate the design prior to importing with plans for download rather than to rely on memory for changing settings either in the download program or in the machine itself in future uses of the same design. The same yarns, tension, the total number of carriage passes, and settings were used showing the difference in aspect ratio between single color per row knitting and the img2track built-in color separation. The width of both swatches is essentially identical.
Images may be loaded into the program without the cable being connected to the machine. Error messages do appear with download attempts if the cable is not properly in place. The machine also needs to be powered on before the program is launched if a download is planned. I am working in Mac OS Mojave 10.14.6, have no present desire to upgrade to Catalina.
Executing fabrics that will knit each color in each row only once for every 2 passes on the main bed: back to that original repeat Here it is used as drawn, note vertical stretch set at 2, will be cut in half by the software, getting the image back to the original height l0 X 3 = 30 rows required for all colors to knit in turn; there will be 60 carriage passes to complete one single repeat. The 930 will provide prompts for the next color to be selected by pushing the matching number button on the color changer, avoiding any confusion in terms of what should be picked up next. img2track will also flip the design horizontally automatically so the image will appear as originally drawn on the knit side. Images are loaded as single motifs, so the change in the selector needs to be made manually for an all-over pattern.

To have each color in each row knit only once: cast on with preferred method and color. Set up the machine so that the yarn colors are placed in the color shown in the image presented by the program to match your design. End with the machine on the left-hand side for the first preselection row.
COL: set both carriages to slip in both directions and all its needles in the B position, set lili buttons if not already in use, and pick up color 1
knit one row to the right
COR: knit to the left, color 1 will knit for a single row
**COL: change color, STOP! Push back any needles on the top bed back to B position, as you knit to the right the ribber only will be knitting, knit one row to the right
COR: preselected needles will be knit in the color last picked up on the way back to the color changer, knitting only one row in that color on the main bed as you return to the left**
repeat the last ** 2 steps throughout. One can get into a rhythm. A cast-on comb, part of a garter bar, or any tool of adequate width can make it a quick process of pushing needles back to B when needed to
trust the software, not the selection expected by your eyes.
My swatch seemed to be growing in length at a faster rate than I remembered in the last exercise, here the results are shown side by side with the fabric executed previously Obviously a success in terms of the single row for each color reducing elongation of the design shape. While knitting occurs using the same yarns, at the same tensions, there is a clear difference in the length of each stitch on the main bed and their appearance. The reverse. Checking the ribber carriage I noticed on the left side it was set to knit only, not to slip: OOPS! N is king, so the ribber set as shown is knitting every other needle when moving to the right, but even with lili buttons in use, it knits on every needle when moving back to the left. Every other needle on the ribber will then be knitting for 2 rows as a result. The more knitting on the ribber for each pair of rows, the longer the stitches on the opposite bed. The backing is an interesting variation (half) birdseye. The elongated stitches on the main bed show more of the backing in between their shapes, it is referred to as bleedthrough. In some instances, the result can make the knit surface resemble weaving and its appearance far less familiar in a surprising, pleasant way. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Remember always to double-check all settings at the start of any process in case something was missed or magically moved, and keep notes.

I was asked on Facebook whether the technique shown here is the same as the 3 color slip (skip) stitch patterns in the Stitchworld pattern book, my response: some of the StitchWorld patterns for 3 color slip are designed for or may be used on the double bed (often single bed as well). For instance, patterns 392 and 394. The original designs are rendered color-separated. The numbers on the left suggest the order for color changes to achieve a look similar to that in the swatch photos. Assuming the pattern is not easily accessible because of its being built-in your machine’s memory, it would have to be entered into a paint program manually to make it available for import and in turn for download. Note that the color-changing sequence may change throughout knitting the image, so prompts or notes of some sort would be needed to keep it correct. Each color in each row knits twice after each color change. My goals in my blog posts so far have been to keep a constant color-changing sequence with each color in each row of any personal design knitting only once. I did it first with my color separation, then, in turn, used the 3 color separation feature in img2track to achieve my desired result. Here are 2 images from the Stitchworld section in question The images could be replicated as given in a paint program, using only one color for the squares, but “should be reduced to black and white”. Attempting to import an indexed 2-color image drawn in a color other than BW may result in strange results. That said, if glitched knits are the goal, the above could work just fine. Curiously, here is the same process, using a different color, and a successful import. Checking again, I had forgotten to save the image after indexing it from RGB mode to 2 colors. and a test with another color
Drop stitch lace periodically comes up, I have written several posts on the technique, now considered the possibility of producing it in 3 colors. The resulting fabric tends to be long, thin, and in need of blocking. There is no way to avoid the striped ground. Passap knitters often refer to this type of knitting as “summer fair isle”. I adjusted the repeat widthNote to self: if you are determined to use a punchcard carriage on your electronic machine remember there is no KCII to cancel end needle selection!
To knit this fabric, stitches must be cast on in whatever method you prefer, but before any patterning, all stitches must be transferred down to the ribber, and the main bed needles are placed in the work position but are empty. Because of the single-row knit for the first 2 design rows of color one, the start is a bit finicky. Alternative start follows lower in post
COL: KC II, main bed set to slip <– –>, ribber stays on N throughout, no lili buttons. Knit one row with color 1 (ribber only)
COR: as you knit to return to the left, the color 1 preselected needles will knit, while the ones corresponding to color 2 will preselect
COL: carefully drop any stitches on needles with color 1 on them without disturbing the new needle selection for color 2
**COL: change color, knit to right
COR: drop the stitches knit in the new color, make certain all needles are empty and in B position, knit back to left, and needles will be pre-selected for the next color**
Repeat the ** to**
Again, the resulting fabric is narrow and long, so it may take a bit of squinting to recognize the design.
If each color is not represented in each design row, the ribber only will knit with no selection on the top bed corresponding to those no-pixel rows. A single repeat results in about 3.5 by 9 inches of knitting, a far cry from what might have resulted in a single row per color design row dbj virtually shown here in a tiled format

The question then comes up about dropping only one of the 3 colors. Using the manual selection described above, the knitting on the top bed would need to be canceled on every color, every row except for the single row in the chosen drop stitch color. To my mind, that is too much to keep track of for any length of time. It would be easier achieved with specific self-drawn color separations.
There is a lot of testing that can go into developing any fabric in unfamiliar techniques that may or may not meet our expectations or our “like”, it all contributes to learning regardless of whether the tests evolve into projects.

My last post on drop stitch lace from single color to two: revisiting the techniques on brother machines

2022: returning to the topic, exploring drop stitch lace in multiple colors

Reviewing what happens within the program one more time, highlighting significant items to verify before beginning to knit Getting that first row to knit twice instead of a single time if that matters in your technique or is your preference:
advance design row to last one in the sequence, in this case, 30
in the 930 when the pattern is loaded, using the down arrow key gets to the last row in the downloaded pattern more quickly

COL: set machine to preselect pattern, the next 2 passes would need to not knit, so both carriages are set to slip in both directions
knit one row to the right
COR: number 30 design row flashes
knit one more free pass to the left, row 1 of color 1 will preselect as you knit
COL: number 1 design row flashes
check all settings, main bed set to slip <– –>, ribber set to slip <– –> with lili buttons, and with an even number of needles in work for standard dbj pick up color 1 in yarn changer
the resulting knit design will be elongated
COL: knit one row to the right.
As you knit the first row of color 1 design row 1 will knit, row 2 of color one design row 1 will preselect
COR: knit back to the left
as you knit back to left row 2 of color 1 design row 1 will knit, row 1 of color 2 design row 1 will preselect
COL: pick up color 2,
continue in pattern changing colors every 2 rows

In designing your own, small repeats can easily be rendered even in a simple paint program. Larger, more complex ones, may best be worked using layers and masking in a variety of programs ie. Photoshop or Gimp. It is possible to combine 2 color dbj and 3 color dbj in the same piece simply by using different color separations for each segment, but the look of the fabric in terms of the length of each stitch on the knit side may be quite different when moving from one segment to the next. Of course, the backing will change as well. Though the aspect ratio of the design changes in terms of height when one knits 2 rows for each color in each design row, it remains the easiest separation method. Adding the hand selection as described above so that the main bed knits in one direction only helps reduce some of the extra height, making the original image more recognizable. There is no option within img2track to perform the action automatically in terms of adding the necessary blank rows to replace some of the colored ones in the separation.

Passap knitters are not left out of this idea. Passap preselects pushers. On the E 6000 Tech 179 emulates the built-in KRC option in Japanese model machines. My guess was that technique 180 for 2 colors, perhaps 197 with both arrow keys on the back may work for 3 colors. TBD in my next spurt of knitting activity on it. That said, the console’s built-in designs may be used cross-brand. It is possible in Passap to layer repeats in order to add the third color to the mix. Here is one sample reworked for use on Brother and downloaded into img2track. If black and white repeats are already in your library, one may easily recycle them adding a third color. Here I did so with a repeat intended for a very different topic in future posts. The image was altered and tiled in Gimp for a repeat alignment test and is also shown imported into img2track for possible knitting. What about using images published in punchcard machine references? It is probably best to start with smaller repeats. That said, this is from a Deco pattern book. Deco punchcards were 40 stitches wide, and could be joined together in length as can those for the Japanese models The image of the separation on the above right has not been proofed for accuracy. If it were, the next step would be to elongate it X 2 for color changes every 2 rows. One method is to elongate the original in a paint or photo processing program. The width is fixed (40), the height is scaled X 2. The resulting BW indexed image may be imported, using a 1.0 stretch factor, it remains unchanged. When I tried to elongate the unstretched image in img2track by 2.0 my first try failed. It turned out the reason was I had saved the import without first indexing it to 2 colors. With that corrected, the result matched the one from scaling X 2 in height in the paint program
For years now I have been doing color separations which at first could be extremely slow, one pixel at a time. With increasing familiarity with Gimp and Mac Numbers over time, I have been able to decrease the speed to achieve them immensely. So here, with img2track I now have a program that can work with and separate multiple colors at a time (up to 6 in its pull-down menu option). Here I returned to my first separation in 3 colors for the now-familiar repeat A, elongated it in the paint program B and imported A into img2track choosing 2.0 stretch and 3 colors C. I can totally live with the fact the colors are not the same. The color changer can be set up with my chosen colors in any order I choose

In my first tests with charting a repeat missing any color in some rows, I had scaled the original image taken from a spreadsheet to the wrong size in Gimp, so operator error resulted in crazy results in img2track. Here the image is scaled properly for each color represented for a single row in height and also scaled again for double height for possible knitting in Gimp. The Gimp scaling failed to be accurate for me (second image from left) until I indexed the original to 4 colors as well instead of 3. The no-color rows as we view them serve as a fourth color in the separations. Importing the proper size PNG into img2track for the separation of 4 colors per row now gives results that make sense: note the daunting estimate for the total number of carriage passes for a single repeat height
If the ribber has knit on every needle by its return to the color changer and the machine is set to slip both ways with no needle selection on the main bed, the “no color” can be executed as an empty yarn holder in the color changer combined with no yarn in the feeder. The rows involved should simply not knit on the top bed, with no dropping of any of its stitches since no needles will have been selected thus coming forward with the yarn in the hooks and traveling behind the latches and in turn, slipping off the needles as a carriage with no yarn pushes the needles with now empty hooks back to B position.

In testing concepts, I prefer to work initially with small repeats. Punchcard books can be an excellent source, but the Stitchworld books have the advantage of actually showing a single repeat for each design, so an 8 stitch repeat, for example, would be shown as such and it would not be up to the person using it shown in a 24 stitch card one to isolate it. I randomly chose pattern 394. I realize that if used from a built-in library of patterns in any machine model the prompts may be provided by the machine, but here I am looking at simply duplicating the pattern for import into img2track.

After duplicating the repeat and associated numbering using Numbers, these were some of my results. A pleasing surprise was that colors in the 2 color import need not be only black and white. That said, the pale green failed, the red did not, and the results from importing both the red/white and the black/white were identical. Another future time saver for me to keep in mind.

If colors were assigned to each pair rows representing each color used, the white squares were read as an added color on import, and the only way to have those few blocks for the 4th color to show up in the visual representation in an imported repeat was to assign a 5 color separation, resulting in a scrambled pattern. Removing the few squares in color 4 will produce inaccurate separations for actual knitting of the given pattern whether imported to be rendered for 3 colors or 4. The black and white on the right is the “correct” match, leaving any prompts for use of shifting color changers to be tracked somehow by the knitter. Punchcard knitters may have the easiest knitting variable color sequences since cards may be visually marked up with colored pencils matching needed change locations and taking into account your eyes are several rows above the row being read by the card reader. This number depends on the machine’s brand and model.

Some spreadsheets that may help with tracking row color changes or other regular actions on paper: 2018/04/tracking-rows-1.pdf

I have been asked about the position of the slide lever being fixed in my dbj illustrations. I have found the alternate positions can be wild cards, would rather make adjustments in carriage settings if needed rather than let the factory settings do some of the work for me. If the settings are accidentally in the wrong place as multiple pieces are knit, or in knitting ribber bands for garment pieces, the gauge is changed if the alternate setting is not adjusted and kept constant, and that may not be noticed until the piece of knitting in question is completed, needing a restart. With 15-20 machines active in each studio class and lab session, I tried to reduce as many variables as possible.

A video resource on using img2knit for 3 colors per row knitting with blank color rows in the design by Tanya Cunningham, and a Ravelry thread on the topic

GIMP update for Mac

July 2021: Gimp update for Mac 2 includes information on
Brushes and patterns
Colors exchange
Colors threshold
Grid options
Symmetry Painting

My last post, written prior to these updates, revisiting-gimp-in-knit-design

I lean toward experimentation as a way of learning and finding what steps work for me. These notes are not intended as full tutorials, they simply share some of my explorations. There now are excellent videos online, but the amount of information can be overwhelming and tends to work with many more colors and significantly higher resolution images than those usually suitable for knitting, where images are often binary and small scale. I add to these work-in-progress notes as I have time, so the information in them will evolve over time with editing and at times rethinking the process used.
June 2021 I have been making a more concerted effort to use the latest version, though if one chooses to, files may still be opened with the earlier There may be some differences in the program’s appearance depending on which version of Gimp, Mac computer, or OS is being used. Tools appear in new placements as well as the single-pixel brush/ pencil now that brushes fall into 4 types. The symmetry tool is greatly improved and more user-friendly, allowing the distribution of patterns in varied repeats across canvases ie garment pieces.
January 2021 update GIMP 2.10.22: there seem to be very few changes. This could change slightly depending on the version of GIMP and Mac used.
Things to consider: the tools are now stacked in folders, shown on the right, so they are not immediately visible Right-click on the tool icon to reveal other choices As they appear when viewed in their preferences folder For changing the tool options to the more familiar format go to preferences, scroll down to and click on toolbox, uncheck use tool groups. That said, note that the placement of icons is different from the familiar older version format, ie. paint bucket and rectangle select. An option for selecting specific tools that include keyboard shortcuts to do so or right-click on the chosen tool I had issues with the pencil tool not creating continuous lines, these are the settings that made that work for me, and they are saved when one quits the program The jury is out as to whether changing the snapping preference value solves the problem long termA FB friend with a lot of experience with the program offered this as a possible cause “sometimes I accidentally activate commands with key combinations. It happens if you use the keyboard a lot (I have not used the mouse, for years). I work on a large Mac desktop and prefer the mouse to any keyboard commands.
The crop to selection tool when used on small files ie 20 pixels wide, crops to one extra pixel on the right, so to get a 15-pixel image, cropping to 14 wide appears to get the wanted result, checked with image/scale. The problem persists with slightly wider, and even tiled images up to 60 stitches wide and here with a portrait size image If brushes, colormaps, or palettes were saved in the “older” version, they will be lost. They can be recreated and saved using the brush import feature in the palette editor. Go to windows, dockable dialogue, palettes, and right-click on the palette window to call up the necessary menu choice A new manual and program update for Mac OS are available (2.10.14 in 2020). The program launches in an all-in-one dark window with grey tool icons. As I become aware of any other changes I will attempt to share them. My use of the program is limited to working with imagery for knits and for my blog, my progress doing so up to now can be viewed via a category search. A lengthy tutorial on using 2.1 in Windows computers for beginners by Michael Davies was posted a year ago but new to me may be found on youtube.
Mac users are included in the latest version update, but will need to get around security settings for installing software from non-Apple approved developers. Long-time users will face a very different appearance upon launching the program version 2.10, in a single window display It is possible to switch to a lighter theme color by going to system preferences/ resources I actually found I have been working long enough in the dark theme to prefer it and restored it. These notes were taken when I first downloaded the program: images being processed appeared as shown below Previously clicking on the red X dot would ask if the image was to be discarded, and on the acknowledgment of the fact, the program would continue to stay open, now that same action will quit the program completely. Clicking on the X beside the image will bring up the discard option, quitting the image and working on it as opposed to quitting the program. It is possible to work on multiple images at the same time. Drag and drop superimpose the new image fixed onto the center of first. Choose file open, and processing multiple images is now available, with the ability to toggle between them. Working on 2 images again, copy the smaller image on its own screen, return to the screen with the larger image intended to be in the background, paste the smaller image for a floating selection that can be anchored anywhere on the ground, edit/ undo may be used repeatedly if need be, and done

Discard each image individually to keep the program running, use the hide command if the larger update window is in your way or distracting, click on the gimp icon again to restore the view.

There is now an integrated search function

2 sample entries:

Document history can also be found on the right, a right mouse click on any of the thumbnails will show possible document actions

Experimenting with more changes to defaults: adjusted image size to start with. The default width and height are in full HD resolution. Setting @300 PPI is best for printing, and can be brought down for simple pixel work. The problem with doing that is that if a high-resolution image is then loaded into gimp, the result is not workable. I take photos of my swatches in high res, and scale them in GIMP prior to publishing them on my blog, the greyscale result at the bottom represents one such load for processing.

Color settings may also be changed. Since Ayab and img2track do better with 8-bit integer color processing the new test defaults for me are shown below, which will mean only indexed images will have a colormap. Gamma changes automatically with bit adjustments, ie. a 32-bit color floating point will adjust to linear light gamma, which is the highest resolution possible.
A word of caution: after choosing the 8-bit option and not liking the quality of my imported images, I tried restoring the original 32-bit floating one without success even after saving, quitting the program, and restarting it several times. I then chose to reinstall the program and continue working in the default settings for now. The download turned out to be for version 2.10.14, this is the new default appearance after launch on my computer

A new way to navigate menu options: a right mouse click in the workspace, once an image is loaded, will now make menu choices available within it

I use both Ayab and img2track, depending on the desired fabric outcome. There are active FB groups discussing the use of Gimp and both download programs as well as activity on Ravelry, where questions on tips and techniques become threads and have the great benefit of contributions by both Adrienne Hunter and Tanya Cunningham. Knowledge shared by both has rescued me from many sticky or problem spots in my own knitting.

In reference to Ayab, in one such thread on multiple colors per row knits, it was mentioned that color separations for 3 or more colors are done in shades of grey, and in terms of technical details “You need a pattern image which is 8-bit greyscale, each color is coded in a range of the 8bit values. So for 4 colors, it would be 0-63 color a; 64-127 color b; 128-195 color c; 196-255 color d. It seems to be OK to give the image some color, so long as the gray component of the colors divides up as given.”
As a matter of personal preference, I like to work with color in my repeats. The specific placement of each of the 3 (or more colors) can be planned in the color changer so that the yarn matches the corresponding color in the chart. That led to thinking about color numbers, shades of grey, and saving palettes.
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. Thresholding a greyscale or colored image can be used to separate the image from the ground, the color object is often considered white, and the rest (black) is the ground. That convention may have led to the selection of white as color one 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. Searching for numbers to match greyscale shades:
Of note, the assigned numerical values are different depending on the source. The indexing options remain unchanged. These are results of reducing the number of colors used in each of the above. The results could be saved as .pngs, each of those opened, and the dropper tool used to select colors and use them in turn in new canvases where the motif is being designed. What about saving the color information as easy access palettes? Doing so in this release is fairly intuitive. The palette options include a Generate optimum palette for the best possible palette with a default maximum number of 256 colors (classic GIF format). You can reduce this Maximum Number of Colors, although this may create unwanted effects (color banding) on smooth transitions. You may be able to lessen the unwanted effects by using dithering, in image processing, however, in most knitting patterns the color may be limited to 4 or under when working in multiple colors per row. Use custom palette: this button lets you select a custom palette from a list. The number of colors is indicated for each palette.
Useful information on the indexed palette and palette editor.
When attempting to create and export new palettes in order to make them available in the future, an error message may be received. A folder needs to be activated for the saves to occur. Both options below the writable folder heading should be checked, the red dot will then turn to green. To make the necessary change: folders may be found in system preferences at the bottom of the default list Click on the + to the left of the icon to expand the view of the available choices

To import a new palette, select windows/dockable items/ palettes in the top menu or select the option after right mouse click in the work area To obtain a 6-color palette in the grey range, I reduced a greyscale image to 6 indexed colors and then used the settings below for the import after right-clicking in the palette dialog and choosing import palette from the resulting menu. The opportunity is there for editing the palette, it is the first item in the palette’s dialogue. To use the palette double click on your chosen one, a new palette editor dialogue opens up Selecting any one of the colors will automatically change the foreground color for working on the image ie choosing color 3 of the 6Switch the foreground and background-position and select an added color to make both of those 2 colors available while working Using this feature with palettes containing multiple colors makes far quicker work when designing in RGB. Set pencil to desired pixel size, click on the desired color in any sequence to choose it, and then click again to place it on the working canvas Right-click on any of the palette icons, for this dialogue menu While experimenting I reached a point at which my pencil refused to draw in anything but gradient shades without my having changed any settings. The problem went away when I “found” the fade length and set it to 0. So much that is new, that it’s hard to know what is operator error and what may be a “bug” Another tool dialogue option to explore for ease in coloring pixels in specific palette colors The Windows version of the software has had several small updates not available on the Mac yet. The latest was for 2.10.18 announced on 2-24-2020. As a result, searching for tutorials may provide instructions, views, and options not yet available to us, for example, transform dialogue in Windows A sample in Mac, with the rotate dialogue which now appears as a separate window copied and pasted on the upper right of the image below and another view from the image menu selection in the top dialogueSymmetry is now an option for drawing in repeat in a variety of ways, making mirroring, tiling, and more possible while creating the design. The tool is considerably improved in version 2.10.22, see the post. My first experiments were on 40X40 files, magnified X800, with the grid in view. Some of the available choices: Some quick doodles using a single-pixel brush note the lags in some of the mirroring
Other than drawing freehand I have had no luck working predictably with larger designs, even if saved as brushes or patterns. One problem is that the pivot point is 2 pixels in each direction, not one, so repeats with single stitches/rows along their center axis would still need editing. In a previous attempt to explain mirroring in a forum post, I used Passap 1273 as my sample pattern. Copying and pasting the image on a larger canvas leaves one unable to change the direction of the newly pasted image alone, the whole potential repeat is affected by the command. The image in question here was 16 pixels wide by 16 high, the goal to mirror it to a 32 by 32 repeat.

There was no problem with transforming the original and pasting each in place, here it is also scaled twice as high and wide
tiling is compared for both the original repeat and the same scaled X2, with both the final tiled images 128 pixels in width and height The best I could achieve with symmetry was a relative with 3 out of 4 motifs placed mirrored in the desired direction, but also off-center and in need of editing Freehand drawing the full repeat as given using symmetry is doable, but I found it a bit dizzying. Copy and paste around the central axis is not a solution. A compromise could be reached by freehand drawing for a different, final image that can be easy and immediate to produce. Some of the transitions: The mandala option reminds me of spirograph drawings, the number of points can easily be changed Tiling may be useful in brick or offset repeats, but my limited experiments did not produce anything worth saving or sharing.

Text: any font installed on your computer can be made available by going to preferences once more, clicking on both options in the font folder, and green light on= you are set to goI have no idea yet whether symbols can be laid out on a custom grid so as to create a whole chart using them, but can imagine that large versions of symbols, web dings, and wingdings could potentially become pattern repeats. A very quick repeat from a webding 40 stitches wide

and a 24 stitch one

On 10/18 I ran into issues when using the pencil tool with the fore and background colors swapping positions during long strokes along with switching formats from 8-bit to 32 with pencil drawing seizures. Restarting the program did not help. What appears to have provided a solution up to now, was to use preferences to reset and save the defaults for tools and the 8-bit precision option I have previously written on using Numbers (similarly done in Excel) to create charts, then importing them into Gimp to create .bmps for download. This is a review of a method that seems to work well with smaller repeats: the working chart. Make certain the table is formatted so that all cells are the same size, with equal height and width Use the border option to eliminate the interior cell borders, selecting no border,

then add a border at the outer edges of the chart in a thin line, screengrab the image with an additional white area surrounding it. The black outline below is from Gimp dark background Use the bucket fill tool to make each color segment black, change the mode to indexed, remove the excess border, scale the image to the desired size, magnify to at least 800X, show grid, check that no clean up is needed, the image needs to be color reversed in order to be used for slip-stitch knitting, saved as an indexed .bmpIf dragging and dropping or copying .bmps from FB or other sources, check that the download is still in indexed format and has not been altered to RGB mode during the process.
A blog post illustrating using the repeat /2020/10/18/single-bed-tuck-mostly-slip-stitch-fabrics-3/

Subsequent posts:
Gimp to create text for knitting 1/21
Numbers and GIMP: online punchcard patterns to electronics 12/20

Mosaics and mazes charting meet Numbers, GIMP, and DBJ

A category search for machine knitting/mosaics and mazes design will lead to my blog posts on the topic. Among later posts, one method for color separations for this fabric using Gimp alone may be found in 2021/07/18/gimp-update-for-mac-2/.
Previous posts on working with Mc Numbers include: knit charting using Numbers 2 which covers basics, keyboard shortcuts, and more,
Numbers to GIMP for creating images for electronic download, charting knits color separations 2, charting knits, color separations 1, lace mesh motif charting, charting knit repeats using numbers 1, visualizing knit cables, knit graph paper

Rules for and appearance of designs: Mosaics and mazes: machine knits_ from design to pattern

To knit these fabrics use one light color and one dark for major contrast is recommended. Matching the dark yarn to dark squares and reversing their positions may produce interesting optical variations. The resulting knit has reduced floats and is not as bulky as traditional Fair Isle. Many patterns published in punchcard machine pattern books will produce such patterns when knitting on a single bed, changing color every 2 rows. White squares need to be 2 rows high, no more than one square wide. A page from one such reference: What appears as a maze designs in the swatch photos below would actually be unsuitable for use in the mosaic separation discussed in this post. The cards are designed for tuck (or slip) with color changes every 2 rows. The approach for planning and charting out such fabrics would be a very different one

There are a few rules in designing your own: in mosaics, the odd grid rows should contain single or dark-colored squares plus any cells used to create horizontal lines. The even grid rows usually have single or adjacent light squares but only single dark squares. As with any other fabric access to electronics allows for use of small repeats that can be color reversed or lengthened X2, whereas punchcard knitters need to meet the usual constraints in motif size in width and height. Tile features in software can often give clues to errors such as skipped cells or edges at top and sides of repeat that do not line up, avoiding having to actually test the repeat in knitting to evaluate the same.

Pre-drawn motifs that require color separation are available in a variety of sources. Kathleen Kinder published 2 books with repeats one for 24, the other for 20 and 40 stitch punchcards, including isolated electronic repeats as well.

The original “swatch” inspiration for this post and its repeat were pictured in Mosaic Knitting page 110the numbering system reflects every other row worked alternating sides of the work it is shown here with a superimposed table grid with its cells outlined in a thick border and positioned in front of a scaled screen grab of the original motif (arrange/ aspect ratio turned off)use command key to select a series of cells to be filled in with color, I chose to use black the cell borders can be edited as wished. Here borders were removed by selecting none, then, in turn, the outer border was highlighted in an easy to identify a thicker red line

Below are more variations on borders and numbering for the start of the machine knitting repeat. Adding digits to the Numbers original repeat serves as a guide to appropriate size scaling in GIMP. One way to obtain the repeat size is to type digits in at least 2 cells at the desired location in any row or column. Select both cells, click on the yellow dot, and drag it to the last cell in the series here I went into autopilot: the repeat is isolated. The lengthen X 2 requirement can be achieved later in GIMP or as here via the table/ arrange/ size option in Numbers (wrong step for mosaic/ mazes)
I change the outer border to one point dotted to have a guide for a screengrab The captured image may then be imported into GIMP, image mode is changed to color indexed, B/W bitmap, and it is scaled to the appropriate size. The view grid, snap to grid options are in use.
I worked in 1800 magnification, created a new canvas 2 pixels wider than the original on the left, copied and pasted that image onto the new canvas. In the center illustration, RGB mode is once again in use. The added green pixels serve as guides for using rectangle select to capture each of the rows containing them in turn and then using invert value from the colors menu to reverse background and foreground within each of those rows. The completed color separation is shown on the far right, with those 2 extra rows on its left side the last image needs to be once again converted to BW mode. The 2 extra rows of pixels on left are cropped off, the image is scaled to twice as long for use with the color changer, and the original 12X14 repeat is now 12X56
the actual BMPthis is the charted and tiled original repeat. There are classic differences from what is typically thought of as “floatless fair isle” in it. The very last row ie is in one color only. When those 2 passes are made with the “no knit” color with the change knob set to KC I, the first and last needle will be selected. Push them back to B position prior to knitting the next row to avoid side to side floats. Because of the maze component floats of as many as 7 stitches are created on the purl side in one of the 2 colors. A quick proof of concept swatch: this is a slip stitch fabric, note the difference in width between the patterned area vs the plain knit. If one has a ribber and the appeal lies simply in the lines created by both mazes and mosaics, those features can be retained with DBJ, and the fabric will lie flat. There will be limitations as to the thickness of the yarn used. a “pretend” longer repeat
The question has come up in forums as to whether the DBJ separation can be used for mosaics and mazes. The “Japanese” one, which prevents elongation by knitting each color for each row only once does not since these shapes rely on knitting the same needle selection twice in each color. The default separation in the Passap or the designer self-drawn one that will knit each identical spot in the motif separation twice. The design is elongated. Susanna wrote a technique for use on the E6000 for having the console perform the color conversion for true mosaic knitting. The repeat shown earlier in this post separated for DBJis compared here with the earlier wrong separation for “mosaic knitting” and found to appear identical. The process was a quicker way than that of dealing with different colors for ground and design
different pairs of colors, same results Back to the drawing board: row height is as in the original repeat being extra careful, not necessary, the process can be inverted once more to check the repeat color separation the actual knitting repeat, double-length before downloading to machine the corresponding proof of concept swatch, with shorter floats than when the DBJ separation is used single bed tiling of the original repeat and its color reversed image illustrate the optical difference between switching dark and light color starts This repeat is from Kathleen Kinder’s (24-stitch) Floatless Fair-Isle book, p.86the repeat of the design separation on the right is intended for use in electronics with color reverse and double length chart separated using GIMP for mosaic knitting matches her repeat Recently on Facebook mazes turned up as a topic in machine knitting once more. Most maze generators online that I have found are designed for printing out game solving images ie here is one from http://hereandabove.com/maze/mazeorig.form.htmlfor knitting purposes unikatissima and Laura Kogler offer alternatives. Years have gone by since I first wrote on mazes and mosaics. The repeat worked with below was used in my post.

Here I am revisiting the same image. To begin with, a repeat is isolated and processed in numbers (top row), and then in turn in Gimp. Always tile repeat to check for any errors and to see if the final image represents what was planned.
The repeat (8X16) is then doubled in length for knitting after that single all-white row was edited out (middle images). The repeat is now 8 rows wide by 32 rows in height
One of the yarns is chenille, the other a wool. The chenille is slightly thicker and fuzzy, so some of the yellow rows are almost hidden but the pattern is definitely there. Here the design is knit using both slip (bottom) and tuck (top) settings. Again, there is a noticeable difference in width produced by each stitch type. Observations: make certain that after the image is isolated in Numbers cell size is converted to square/ equal measurements in width and height before importing and scaling its screen grab in GIMP if not already so. It will likely load in RGB mode, convert to Indexed before scaling. Added colored squares are only possible if you return to RGB mode. After rows with colored squares are cut, return the image to indexed before saving as BMP for knitting. If any pairs of rows do not have 2 consecutive rows of cells in either color check your pattern. In DBJ the final repeat should be 4 times in numbers of rows in height to the original one, and thus divisible by four. The separation first doubles height for each row for 2 colors. Then height is doubled once more to allow for color changes every 2 rows. In Mosaics and Mazes, the color reversal happens on every other row in the original design. When that is completed, the height will be doubled for actual knitting to allow for color changes every 2 rows, with the final row count double that of the original motif. Rules for tuck knitting apply here as in any other technique. If white squares in the final chart have black ones on either side of them, the appearance is that tuck would be possible. Examining needle preselection is an easy way to assess that possibility. Reversing the colors used in actual knitting may yield interesting changes in the appearance of the fabric.

Julie Haveland Beer shared a file on how to Convert Mosaic Knitting Chart to KM Skip Stitch Diagram (shared with her permission), as mentioned in my post on numbers-to-gimp-to-create-images-for-electronic-download/