ArahPaint in knit design 6: color separations

Update releases after this post was published
ArahPaint April 23, 2025
Gimp March 16, 2025 has many menu and command changes, perhaps making some reinterpretation necessary when following previously published blog posts. A quick tutorial, and a video.

I remember graph paper, colored pencil, acetate transparency days, and the achingly slow first experiments using Excel to attempt to fill in motifs cell by cell, row by row. A better understanding of knit structures evolved along with tools to make them possible, and the process has become quick and satisfying when those black squares or punched holes make the planned knit fabric possible.

More separations for various knits using Gimp, color to alpha included this method for knitting each color in each design row twice. I have not duplicated the process using ArahPaint in the past. The previous failed attempts appear to have resulted from rendering a color transparent before copying and pasting the chosen file onto another in a new window.
The experiments that follow use the same repeats explored in the Gimp posts, which included the knit swatch proofs of concepts following their use.

At the bottom of ArahPaint in knit design 5 exploring rendering colors transparent began with creating and saving one or more brushes in 2 colors and involved steps in multiple open windows.
The brushes need not match the design in width, plan its magnification and size for easy visibility ie this 12X2 A reminder: magnification used appears at the top of each window, selecting 0 on the keyboard will enlarge the starting image X1000, use select + or – for custom values  From the Kinder book
1. a 12X18 repeat
2. the published separation for knitting as a mosaic
3. #2, color inverted for knitting using the tuck or slip setting
4. the brush used to bucket fill a 12X18 picture, and the palette window illustrates each of the 2 colors alternately rendered transparent 1. in the first window, open the 12X18 PNG2. in the second window, Colors >Invert all 3. in the third window, 12X18 filled with the brush pattern A. copy # 3, as you move to paste #2 before moving it permanently in place, shadows of both brush colors will be slightly visible, select the color for row 2 and even rows in the palette window repeatedly until it is shown as rendered transparent (color to alpha)
B. paste the result in place and select the merge down/drop selection tool by clicking on its icon in the toolbox, pressing the Command+d  on the Mac Keyboard, or right-clicking outside the selection somewhere in the background image to merge the selection into the image in its current location. The dotted lines, sometimes referred to as walking ants, will disappear.
C. copy B, repeat the process positioning it on A, rendering the purple transparent to complete the color separation.

For knitting as a tuck or slip-stitch mosaic, the 12X18 file must be doubled in height to 12X36. The approach for developing separations for large-scale mosaics is the same, taking care that when images are pasted from one window to another, they are not placed a row or a column off.
From a free online pattern, the adapted repeat:  the repeat, 100X100 color inverted same size image brush filled copied and pasted on color inverted file, after light blue color to alpha copied and pasted on the original, after purple color to alpha rendered double length (or set the double length button in the machine) Proof of concept swatch found in Color separations for larger scale mosaics and mazes
DBJ work: using Stitchworld # 548 is a 24X40 design The three ArahPaint windows.  To be separated for use in DBJ with each color in each row knitting twice, begin with # 548 doubled in height to 24X80 invert colors copy the 20X80 brush-filled image, and move it in place over the color inverted file, blue to alpha, merge layers copy and paste it on the original rendered double height>20X80, first changing purple to alpha, merge colors, set the number of colors to 2> BW, the 24X80 file doubled in height (Multiply YX2) to 24X160, matching the Gimp results. Duplicating the punchcard design separation for knitting each color in each design row only once, the original methods followed using a shifting template, as follows:
the original 24X6 complete row of repeat is doubled in height to 24X12 and in turn, is repeated to an adequate height for the punchcard to roll smoothly in the reader, 24X36. Begin  the color separation by creating a 4-row brush in 2 colors ie May 2025 edit is the result of a lightbulb moment when attempting to answer a FB question shortens the process:
the new brush 1: first window, 24X36  2-3: in the second window, open another 24X36 file, color invert all content 4: in the third window, open a new file, 24X36, fill with the custom brush, and select all 5: copy and paste the brush-filled image on the color inverted one after rendering the cyan color transparent using color to alpha, merge to new content 6: copy and paste it on the first image after rendering the magenta color transparent, merge the content for the end-result. To knit on electronic models, change mode to indexed, BW, and save.
If preferred, save a scaled result to print and aid in tracing and marking a card for punching.
The “old” method,   
and the “new”, resulting in a matching result with fewer steps, with both matching the punchcard separated the low-tech way. The approach used to emulate pile knit designs using large-scale repeats as seen in Geometric shapes on ribber fabrics formed with tuck stitches 4, where proof of concept swatches are also found. Using the same design for embossed fisherman rib A 25X25 pixel file based on Truchet tiles was drawn in repeat using the random >preview option until a final version was chosen and rendered double height. A 2-row brush fill was used to expose every other row, the resulting 75X150 file.  was color-inverted for use with the tuck setting. Before being color inverted, the above design could be used in single-color drop-stitch lace or punch pile in machines with that capacity.
The spacing between lines of pixels can be varied for custom designs ie in the hand-formed loop version of a 24X48 file, adjusted in height and width by multiplying YX3 and multiplying X X2 the saved brush set the number of colors to 3 to include the added one used in the brush
in a new window open a new picture 48X144, fill it with the brush, and copy and paste it onto the first image, after rendering the third color transparent.   Set the number of colors to 2>BW, and the final 48X144 file will be ready for knitting. A new large-scale mosaic using the same approach, 32X86 PNG color inverted 32X8632X86 brush fill copied and pasted on color inverted file, white color to alpha copied and pasted on the original file, purple color to alpha double length for knitting using tuck stitch setting single bed, 32X172The swatch was knit on 60 stitches and for 182 rows, measured 9X11.25 inches. Multiple color drop stitch lace using img2track and more includes a cumulative list of links to previous posts investigating the technique including when using only one color. In Passapese the knit was often referred to as summer fair isle.
Shorthand for ArahPaint steps for attaining the same results as with the Gimp color separation: Other effects can be obtained using DBJ color separations, which knit each color in each row twice. An easy variation is seen in the post on Long stitch Passap and Brother DBJ design using thick and thin yarns.
ArahPaint drawing in repeat facilitates half-drop and brick variations of designs. Color separation often requires long images.
If a source separation is already available, ie this 40X80using offset it is possible to develop a brick repeat, 40X160 half drop repeat, 80X80 A proof of concept swatch has been added to the post on Long stitch Passap and Brother DBJ design using thick and thin yarns

ArahPaint in knit design 5

ArahPaint links
https://www.arahne.si
https://www.instagram.com/arahnecad/
https://www.facebook.com/arahneCAD/
https://www.pinterest.com/arahne0183/
https://www.youtube.com/user/arahpaint4#p/u

When this post began, I was working using ArahPaint Version 6.0.3688 on an iMac with an M1 chip, OS Sonoma 14.5, now upgraded to OS Sequoia 15.01.
Since the blog is a living document, I often add new tests or ideas to older posts, which can become quite lengthy, so this is intended as the home for the most recent observations and experiments.  The tool  has been demonstrated in many previous posts including in the early ArahPaint meets Gimp in knit design 1
and Developing designs using pattern fill for use on a range of machine models
A different approach for varying any original design, which reminded me of the drawing in repeat option in my old Stitch Painter days :
choose a repeat ie this 10X12 one. Load the picture, from the pull-down Colors >set the number of colors 2, BW palette, press the r (small case) keycap on the keyboard, and the file will be multiplied in a fixed tenfold of both height and width
make the following changes in sequence
A: the original tiled by the keyboard command r to 100X 120 pixels
B: use a single-pixel pencil, place single dots with the mouse, and release the mouse button
C: select the empty circle icon, and with the mouse click and drag to superimpose the chosen size in place on the previous design, release the mouse button
D: select the filled rectangle icon, and with the mouse, click and drag to superimpose the chosen size in place on the previous design, release the mouse button As a first option, use Tools > Find repeat, for a return to the smallest repeat unit matching the size of the original, and save the result.
A test with an 8X14 design with a superimposed filled oval The find repeat step can be eliminated, using “Save the picture as” will automatically isolate the smallest repeat, also 8X14 is now tiled using Drawing in repeat to produce a 24X42 possible punchcard design And one more 8X14 png, repeating the steps using the color white and the rectangle tool outline for another variation.  

Subsequent files and information are now developed on my iMac upgraded to OS Sequoia 15.0 in September 2024

Developing designs using pattern fill for use on a range of machine models reviewed Pattern Fill, and introduced modification mode to custom zoom and rotate brush-filled shapes using the Command key on the Mac.
In the program’s most recent updates, there is now an Interactive Rotate and Zoom feature.
Advice from the developer: “The M1 update version is lagging. If you want to use the latest version, which allows rotation /zoom of patterns, you have to install the Intel version. It works just fine with Rosetta on Apple Silicon.”
Create a brush, save it
10X5 pixels Open a new image large enough to accommodate multiple repeats, ie 120X120.
Select the brush drawing mode
Select any filled drawing tool and the brush, the angle and zoom parameters will appear.
The standard pattern fill:  Move the mouse pointer to the drawing start position
Hold down both the Control and Command buttons while drawing with the brush to enter the modification mode
Use the mouse scroll to change the angle in both clockwise or anti-clockwise directions and zoom by increasing or decreasing its size, changing values until satisfied.
To exit modification mode, click on any drawing tool.
The design was modified to these values on a 120X120 canvas
Use Tools >Find Repeat, 111X83 Check tiling using Image > Drawing in repeat, 222X249  Building collages by using custom brush fills on colored base shapes Skipping the colored collage, working simply with brush-filled shapes working from the background then adding decreasing sizes or shapes ie these circles
It is possible to work with added colors, which will factor in the changes in aspect ratios of the patterns in the final knit depending on the yarns and knitting techniques used.
Working with brush fill planned in 8X8 pixel blocks and using View >Grid Properties to 8X8:
sometimes the brush design needs to be rotated for successful placement ie this 16X16 was rotated to a second brush, also 16X16  planning for the full needle bed/200 needles/stitches, a multiple of 16+8, using brushes and filled rectangle tool, retaining square shapes with a 4-block border followed by a 3-block one experimenting with adding/subtracting color pixels, using the pencil or bucket fill tools 184X184, also a multiple of 16+8 with 3 block border.   the 200X200 tiling in both colorways Adding a fourth color also 16X16 tiling check to 136X136 filled rectangle placed on planned block design frame, 184X184.   Varying the diagonals, a 64X64 repeat tiled to 192X192 changing the colorway   aiming for chevrons, 128X64 tiled to 256X192A small 24X24 repeat for 2 color knitting with similar diagonal movement from Working with diagonal patterning in machine knitting  

could serve as the base for added color, easy using bucket fill following uninterrupted black or white cell lines  It is now possible to drag and drop selections from the internet browser or personal files into ArahPaint, working from my stash of BW-indexed files
160X160
the image was dragged and dropped from my desktop onto a new Arah picture, 244X244, the black color became transparent by default. The base ground was used both with the default number of colors at 17 and with the number of colors reduced to 2.  I was not able to drag and drop directly from ArahPaint into Gimp, but here is the image using the Command A, Command C, and Command V commands in Gimp The original BW png altered in Gimp, rendered in 2 colors in RGB Mode and saved to the desktop with palette different from the ground 2 color pattern.  When dragged and dropped onto the 244X244 background, the result is a 4-color file for knitting using 4 yarn colors.  Here there is added patterning viewed more easily when the design is enlarged, and in the dropped file, the white pixels are converted automatically to alpha   Another BW-indexed file, 132X132 the black is retained, and the result is visually in 3 colors, with the white pixels converted to alpha  Before the dragged image is fixed, the color to alpha selection can be altered.
The final palette will contain all four colors.
When working on a project where the actual final number of colors is 3, check that >set the number of colors is on #3 before downloading the design to avoid patterning errors in knitting after downloading to KMs.  The placement of the shapes in these variations is not knit-ready.  The designs are simplified for 2 color knitting and using the built-in electronic KM separation Building patterns using blocks requires attention to eliminating or halving them if the goal is to avoid shapes doubled in height, width, or both and to meet personal design preferences.
A series of related files beginning with a 12X20 motif  24X20
24X20 color reversed 23X37 tiled to 138X148  playing with color reversed segments, 24X20, suitable for punchcard models as well tiled to 168X160 Building diagonals with color inverted blocks
16X16 color inverted 32X32 in repeat X4 Seeking triangular modules that do not intersect with multiple stitches as seen in the formerly shared truchet tiles. This motif inspiration was found in https://www.mi.sanu.ac.rs/vismath/sarhangi/ Hand building repeats beginning with colored 5X5 blocks converting all to single-color isolating the 30X30 repeat the tiled design, 150X150 A 60X60 design isolated from the 30-pixel image drawn in random, best viewed with a 5X5 grid trimmed to 58X58 eliminating areas with double rows,
A small design, 10X10,  with a few added pixels, two views of secondary shapes with the design drawn in repeat X4.  Adding a third color to form straight-line diagonal outlines of shapes and frames can help circumvent those doubled-up stitches and retain aspect ratios.
A 21X17 repeat trimmed to 21X16  tiled to 147X144, followed by a partial magnified view  A simple 24X24 two colors per row design may be varied using the fair isle setting with changing colors in the A and/or/both yarn feeders,  adding a third color per row will require a color separation It is possible to work on a block pattern filled ground, using colors to replace, add or remove pixels to produce a file for knitting in only 2 colors. A new 24X24 start Again, adding a third or 4th color in each row will require a color separation even if knit on a single bed.
These designs were generated in a spreadsheet and also rotated counterclockwise. Single repeats are bordered in red and were trimmed to avoid any double rows or columns.   A series of modules to download and play with, check that the repeat selection is not checked when drawing with them. Building a series of diagonals with shapes that can be used as they are or further edited to form secondary shapes, a starting file for DIY, providing a base for the possibility of filling in segments with added colors
38X36 tiled to 152X144 edited to keep the same general shapes but with smaller repeats: the first eliminates the single-pixel square frame, 36X36 tiled to 144X144  some pixel edits and trimmed to 24X30  tiled to 144X150 new diagonal shapes, 24X24
tiled to 144X144 forming a chevron, 47X48 tiled to 141X144 Occasionally published sources ie this from one of the punchcard volumes can be converted by using tools ie guess weave from grid and knit as provided or serve as germs for other DIY designs Using added colors only in developing designs: this repeat was shared in the post on Developing tiled repeats suitable for multiple stitch types, including tuck
31X31 now mirrored with double rows eliminated, adjusted to 60X58, with the central diamond black and white pixels selectively replaced by a single color the cyan shape is now filled with a repeat from my stash saved as a brush,    the choice could be made to clean up pixels or use the result as is. An alternate method for more flexibility in placement and less cleanup requires working in multiple windows:
in the first window draw the BW repeat used for the brush in repeat several times
in a second window, the starting 60X58 design is rendered in 2 colors select all >copy, and return to the first window, the colored image will appear over the larger black one.
Before moving it in position and pasting it in place, click on the color matching the center diamond in the palette window until the small checkered interior box appears, indicating that the color is now transparent.   Using the mouse, drag >move the smaller image and paste it in place, undoing and repeating the process until satisfied.
Select the merge down/drop selection tool by clicking on its icon in the toolbox, pressing the Command+d  on the Mac Keyboard, or right-clicking outside the selection somewhere in the background image to merge the selection into the image in its current location. The dotted lines, sometimes referred to as walking ants, will disappear.
The purple pixels are guides for cropping the design to a new 60X58 repeat.
The purple is replaced with black, the color number is verified and set to 2, and the final BW PNG is saved, ready for download  Using rendering colors transparent to achieve color separations for specific fabrics will follow in a future post.

 

Knit weaving 5: manipulated floats

Most pubs include variations of sequences such as in this illustration showing the first float traveling under subsequent ones. This chart visualizing the process for a specific repeat was generated using Mac Numbers.
The side edges need to be planned for the best effect, the columns marked with yellow cells indicate possible repeat starts and stops.
The 8X16 design is suitable for use on electronic and punch card models,   A minimum punchcard repeat is 24stitches X32 rows  This swatch was knit using a chenille yarn for weaving, its fibers expand as the fabric rests, lessening the space that can enhance the definition between the floats
Translating published patterns sometimes requires testing the process by hand-selecting needles to develop programmable DIY designs.  The Brother cassette knitting pattern book  includes a series of samples utilizing the technique, and these illustrations
In fabrics such as these, the latch hook is inserted under floats from the first formed up, the last float is caught in the hook of the tool, pulled down behind them, brought forward, up, and lifted onto specific needle locations before further weaving or plain knitting resumes on all needles in work. A random selection:   The repeats are represented in a clockwise rotation,  the first swatch however, disregarded that fact and was a best guess at DIY based on hand-selection of needles.
As already mentioned, the latch tool is used to slide under the first 3 floats grabbing the yarn in the newly created longer float, bringing it under and then to the front of the group of three, and the single loop in the tool hook is lifted onto the hook of the needle in the center position between groups of newly preselected needles. That needle must be pushed back to the B position before knitting the next row so as not to pick up the weaving yarn.  the 6X8 repeat    The swatch on the left is the result of hand selection, and to its right both sides of the result from knitting with the programmed repeat As a general principle when multiple colors are used, if they are planned for color changes occurring for odd numbers of passes, the yarn may need to be cut and brought to the opposite side regularly, or 2 different ends starting from opposite sides may in some cases make the process easier and reduce yarn ends.
For speed and ease in tracking, the compromise choice can be made to change the repeat so that actions happen after knitting even numbers of rows.
End needle selection is on with selective hand moving end needles out to catch the weaving yarn if the repeat is used as provided.
A new, 6X8 repeat:  the 24X40 full punchcard,   If programming the width of the finished piece on electronic machines, pixels for border needle selections can be added, knit with end needle selection off.   Some steps in the process, with # 4 showing the single chained through loops rehung across the row The 930 automatically mirrors any design horizontally. When an odd-numbered design is downloaded and centered with no subsequent changes, the odd-number half of the repeat occurs on the right of 0.
The proof of concept was knit on needles 20 L to 21 R  Here the background yarn is switched to a far thinner cotton, making the woven threads and their bleed-through on the knit side more prominent. In a final piece planned for this effect, side borders could be planned for better edges.   From a Brother electronic pub, an illustration of hooking up multiple loops at once If the needle onto which the floats are transferred is left in work, it will pick up the weaving yarn on the next pass as part of the design and should remain in D or be pulled to E position if preferred.  If that is not the goal, that same needle is pushed back to the B position.  Just as in managing long floats in FI, in this fabric, they may be latched up as well Lifting the stitch in the latch hook onto a needle other than in the center of the space between needle selection or one of the preselected needles, will result in the chain moving permanently in different directions.
A second early resource for samples of these techniques offered this version along with advice on how to knit it. Such translations are not always understandable. Based on row counts of patterning in the accompanying swatch it is possible to develop a repeat by assigning black pixel locations to specific squares in the stitch symbol chart rather than using the repeat provided.
The horizontal marks for purl stitches can be thought of as needles on the machine.
The squares where the traveling weaving thread “wave” in the position above the line are filled are represented with green cells in the spreadsheet and will be converted to black pixels in BW pngs for use in download programs, or punched holes in cards.
The under “waves” symbolize floats and are disregarded in final repeats.
Yellow is used to mark spots for visual reminders of where the floats are to be rehung. They are disregarded in the final BW single repeat. The corresponding needles in those locations must pushed back to the B position before knitting the next row.  

The 8X14 smallest repeat was tested on 48 stitches hand selecting end needles if needed.   Working in vertical columns, a 9X12 design planned on 39 stitches for equal side edges the floats are lifted in pairs every 2 rows, in alternate directions onto preselected needles, which can be brought out to the E position after the transfer.  Those needles are marked with red dots.   The swatch was knit in wool yarns of equal weight. The weaving yarn split easily. Each row should be checked for any errors after hooking before continuing to knit to avoid permanent errors. The result of both is marked with red dots in the photo on the left In summary, black squares indicate yarn over selected needles, and white squares the yarn slipping under non-selected needles, represented in this chart for a 2X2 design repeat/ paintbrush in DIY.  Side by side punched holes or black pixels produce floats in a corresponding stitch width. Blocks of either color can be planned in any direction, with the floats left alone as color blocks or manipulated to echo their movement ie in this illustration

Knit weaving 4: combining stitch types

Knit weaving 3  reviews some basics, and a list of associated blog post links is provided at the bottom of the page, including
Lace meets weaving on Brother Machines 2
Lace meets weaving on Brother Machines

Tuck stitch meets knit-weaving introduced the combined technique.
Many of these repeats are suitable for punchcard models as well. The caveat there is that there is no option for eliminating knit carriage cam button setting changes by using a second carriage to select and knit. They would need to be performed manually.
More on DIY combinations of tuck and knit weaving: if using a single carriage to execute these designs, then it is necessary to switch cam button settings from tuck in both directions to knit with needle selection for the knit woven rows frequently, as in this first swatch.
Actions: Altering the repeat while planning on cam settings to be changed every even number of rows also brings the possibility of using 2 carriages in electronic models, with one set to tuck in both directions, the other to normal knit (no cam buttons) but with needle selection for weaving rows, KCII  Here tuck shapes are introduced, again planning for setting or carriage changes every even number of rows, in this case every 6, The tuck diamond is surrounded by a vertically woven one. The original design repeat was color inverted observing tuck “rules”.
The 1X2 white pixels will tuck, and the 2X1 side-by-side ones will serve as guides to the placement of the vertical weaving yarn. They are placed on rows with no conflicting selections.  When the side-by-side needles are not selected, they are manually pushed forward to E and needles are double-wrapped away from the center at the bottom of each shape, toward the center (row30) when the top of the shape is reached.
Start of the second shape in the swatch: While retaining the outer shape of the design, the inner content may altered to provide a guide for horizontal weaving. The 24X48 design The PNG was isolated in the center of 40 stitches.
The surface woven floats may become visually lost when using space-dyed yarns with shades in similar families to the background, as seen in the bottom center diamond.
In the second center diamond, a different color-way yarn was also used double thickness without any change in tension. This resulted in the second thread not always getting caught properly, slowing speed and added caution improved the result.
The swatch was narrower than the sample knit using tuck stitch. The best way to weave in yarn ends would need working out. Combining weaving types with the intent to create a plaid effect:
the starting chart created in Mac Numbers  The 24X28 repeat  The choice of the yarns may require tension or color choice adjustments, when the weaving yarn is not caught properly, the longer floats are formed.  Here simple color striping is added. The background red yarn is a thin 2/10 wool, the horizontal weaving yarn a space-dyed sock one, and the vertical weaving one a varied fiber space dyed hand knitting yarn by Noro.
The image on the left shows the vertical weaving setup work on the machine, the ribber gate pegs and needle butts appeared to help to keep the yarn lengths from twisting around each other as the work progressed.  Adding needles out of work:
A common base for knit-weave published patterns is seen in the pattern configuration seen in what is known to many punchcard knitters as card #1  When there are needles out of work in combination with patterning, end needle selection must be canceled.
The set up row for adding ladder spaces is planned so that patterning in 3 stitch columns begins and ends on a pair of selected needle In this sample with horizontally woven rows, the ground yarn is a 2/20 wool, the weaving yarn a space dyed sock yarn resulting in random color blocking. Relaxed the knit resembled shadow pleating, here it is shown after pressing and steaming Using separate strands, vertical weaving may be performed along each 3 stitch vertical columns.
The work on the machine: the ribber gate pegs and needle butts helped keep the yarn lengths separate.
Yarn is always laid over needles with the continuing, long end away from the carriage. In this case, the it was lifted over single selected needles to the right, then over pairs of selected needles to the left. Slip stitch is known for compressing the height of the knit and narrowing its width. This attempts to alternate knit woven stripes with slip-stitch ones utilizing a similar repeat. For the slip texture to be more visible, the related segment is rendered double height, and color reversed.
Here setting changes to occur in even-numbered blocks of rows. The design is shared repeating across a punchcard width, 24, X 24 rows in height.  Eight rows are knit with the carriage set to knit but selecting needles, and 16 rows with the carriage set to slip in both directions. Comparable or the same yarns are used to evaluate the results when varying techniques and stitch types.
Here a 2/20 wool in a color similar to that used in the above sample forms the ground.
The woven section has some drape and stretch, the stitches are forced apart producing interesting bleed-through on the knit side and making the fabric reversible.
The same repeat and yarns are used in the top half of the swatch as a fair isle, without any change in tension. The knit is dense, stiff, and narrower with no stretch to speak of.
The 10X10 design

Developing designs using pattern fill for use on a range of machine models

When drawing with brushes in ArahPaint 6 you can now set the angle and zoom of the brush pattern, and even if rotated at different angles, the pattern will flow seamlessly across the canvas.
Excellent videos illustrating the methods in general and new features including this one may be found on Instagram and Facebook.
Currently, though there is an Apple Silicon version, some features are being updated only for the Mac Intel one due to some issues with code signing, and  Apple finances, so to use the latest version which allows rotation /zoom of patterns, you have to install the Intel version which works well with Rosetta on Apple silicon.

Investing time in “playing” with software tools aids in finding personal methods for developing DIY designs. Who needs Wordle, or Crossword puzzles?!
The same goals may usually be achieved in a variety of ways.
Pattern fill was introduced in  ArahPaint meets Gimp in knit design 1 as a method for developing tuck designs, and a post following this one, ArahPaint in knit design 5
here the beginning goal is to develop larger-scale electronic patterns that to some degree fool the eye into visual shifts.
Reviewing and expanding on the concept: to save a brush, click on the brushes panel tab, the small highlighted stamp tool. In this instance, a previously saved brush was stored and appears automatically.  To save a custom brush, build a small file or use one from the program’s weaving library, ie this 4X6 pixel one Create a layer and send it to the brushes panel by using Tool> Layer to Brush and it will appear in the brushes panel or by clicking on the right blue triangle in the brushes panel toolbar toward the bottom right. To edit the brush you can use Tools> Brush to Layer or click on the left blue triangle in the brushes toolbar.  After editing, the new brush can be sent to the brushes panel. If the Keep checkbox is checked, the old previous version is retained To edit a brush in a new window, select a brush in the palette, click on the ArahPaint icon on the right of the blue arrows in the brushes panel, and a new window will appear with the brush already loaded. It can be edited, saved, and available in the previous window.
To delete a brush from the panel, click on its icon to select it, and then click on the delete icon, the red X in the brushes panel toolbar, or hit delete on the keyboard.
An exercise beginning with two small brushes, once again to achieve movement of lines if not a full-on illusion, while keeping in mind the repeat will be worked on a canvas no larger than 200 pixels. To follow along, working in a chosen palette, begin with a filled rectangle in a base color, 60X60 pixels.
Select brush drawing mode Choose the filled rectangle drawing tool, select the brush, hold down Ctrl (Cmd on Mac), and draw the brush across the canvas.
The relevant settings and alternating 2-pixel brushes
For the circle, repeat the process, choosing fill from the center first from the menu on the right  reduce the palette to BW, clean up the edges

to expand the design, draw it in repeat, offset 28 pixels 120X120

Tools > Find  Repeat > 60X114Tiled to 180X228  The shapes and their placement can be varied, using the same general ones helps the eye recognize differences and develop sequence in design preferences.
Here single-pixel vertical and horizontal lines brushes were used on a 60-pixel canvas, then cropped to 54X51 Adding another shape, still 54X51Developing brick repeats The respective 54X102 files  

Removing pixels from 4X4 blocks, beginning with a 30X26 quarter repeat select the empty circle tool, the pixel color, and check off   The cyan pixels are for convenience, and will be changed to white in the final designs
View > Grid Properties may be adjusted to block size and for increased visibility.  mirrored horizontally, 60X26
drawn in repeat  to 60X52 with blocks added for proper alignment to 64X64 its brick 64X128 companion
it takes a bit of squinting to see the subtle effect  

More adding and subtracting pixels from small blocks and starting with quarter shapes:
in a first slow look at some of what can happen with a bit of math and multiples of 3X3, the black pixels are added to selected spots, the magenta will be swapped to white, with the ultimate plan to end up with a black and white png, measuring 39 X39 pixels in width. The abbreviated visual summary: the associated files: 20X20
mirrored X-1, 39X20
drawn in repeat, 39X40 working between 2 windows, open a new picture, 39X39 in the second window. Use rectangle tool in the first, selecting half vertical segments, and copy and paste on the new file eliminate one of those two doubled central rows, 39X39 In a new window, open a new picture, 48X48, (a multiple of 6), fill with pattern  copy the 39X39 image and paste it in place, it is not necessary to reduce any color to alpha, the final 48X48pngdrawn in repeat, BW, 192X192Achieving a similar file more quickly and easily a 6X6 pattern is saved Using brush fills, begin with a 20X20 picture, using the 6X6 blocks, selecting the filled square icon, place blocks from the upper left corner down, it is not necessary to fill the wholecanvasusing the 6X6 color pattern, the filled circle icon, selecting fill from center, begin in lower right corner, filling the quarter 20X20 shape   mirror X-1 to 39X20draw in repeat as in previous patterns to 39X40 eliminate one of the 2 center rows, to 39X39 working in separate windows or selecting either half, ie the top, move it down a row, and rop the extra top row  4 magenta pixels added to the repeat the file converted to indexed BW copied and pasted on a 48X48 checkered ground A visual summary of the steps The file drawn in repeat to 192X192 Similarities, and differences in density of markings by the addition of single pixel lines, playing with what ifs:
the last 48X48 image, all pixels to red rotating 180 degrees in ArahPaint shifts the design one row down, and one column to the right while using Image >Transform > Rotate 180 in Gimp white color to alpha with the result copied and pasted onto the alternate 48X48 repeat.   All pixels to black/white in a new 48X48 drawn in repeat to 192X192 the brick 48X96 version,    also drawn in repeat to 192X192  the 48X48 checkered ground is cropped to 45X45 drawn in repeat to 180X180,  and what of that 39X39 design that started so much of this? trimmed to 38X38 drawn in repeat to 190X190 Returning to smaller design repeats, testing modification mode zoom and rotate:
open a new picture, 60X60
draw a repeat and export it to Brush, ie 7X7 select the brush drawing mode.
choose a filled rectangle drawing tool
select the brush, hold down Ctrl (Cmd on Mac), and draw the brush across the canvas. release Cmd key; the program is in modification mode.
set the angle and zoom manually by typing in values, or holding the mouse pointer on up and down arrows,    while observing how the image changes in the main window to exit the modification mode, click on any drawing tool
use Tools > Find Repeat > 24X52check alignments, 154X156 The same brush, 60X60 filled canvas Tools >Find Repeat > 21X1 check alignments, 147X147 Working with small identifiable shapes: 80X80 canvas, repeating the process with an 8X8 repeat standard rectangle fill: use the command key on Mac, Angle 60, Zoom 200 find Repeat, 47X47 check alignment, 188X188 It is possible to overlay brushes using a series of them while working in multiple windows, my choices are random when testing concepts.
The first brush, 7X28 pixels,  the second, 8X8and the third, 60 x60 with white color to alpha The first brush is used to fill the first square, 60X60 In a new window, fill a matching size 60X60 square with the second brush To render a color transparent aka color to alpha, in the second window, below the palette icon, select the white color icon repeatedly until a checkered box appears in its center indicating that color is now transparent  The transitions: from the filled square, to the same with the white color to alpha, and the layer saved as a brush Use the 60X60 brush to bucket fill the very first square for a combined pattern and use Tools > find repeat, with the result: 24X48 The color inverted design: the appearance of both in repeat Working with diagonal patterning in machine knitting previously discussed some ways to obtain such patterns.
Developing diagonals using 45-degree angles and brush fill with pattern, using files matching in width and height, this began using a 12X12 image on a filled 100 X100 pixel canvas, and using Tools >Find Repeat X2 produced the final 17X17 design.
The process in shorthand:
the 17X17 png, also shown drawn in repeat to 102X102 Testing the same process on a canvas with a multiple of 24, 120X120 with a new brush also yields a 17X17 final repeat drawn in repeat to 136X136 The results are consistent when the approach is used on smaller canvases, here on a 40X40
Using multiple colors in uneven spacing also yielded a 17X17 final repeat checking alignments, 119X119

Some other effects with pattern fill:
dithering 

Developing 24 stitch optical illusion patterns for use on punchcard machines and more.

I have recently become obsessed with designs that fool the eye in any number of ways, and although knitting them in more than 2 colors is possible, I prefer the ease of only using 2.
Floats are likely to be too long in these knitting patterns for knitting them as single bed fair isle.
Software facilitates but is not necessary to develop repeats, the process may even be performed on graph pater with colored pencils if one so chooses.
Punchcard machine users are not always included in conversations, this post  addresses some ways of developing full 24 stitch designs and performing the necessary color separations for knitting them as DBJ where each color in each design row knits only once.
Brother KMs: punchcards and their use  reviews the basics including DIY development of simple motifs repeated in symmetrical tiled patterns.
The Manual for the Brother KR 830 offers this advice on DBJ knitting: Using lili buttons along with the slip stitch setting in both directions on the ribber carriage reduces motif elongation and keeps the aspect ratio of the planned designs closer to that in the originals than when choosing other DBJ techniques.
Ribber needle tapes are marked with lines followed by spaces. If the start under the first ribber needle on the left is on a blank space on the needle tape, simply end on the right with a needle over a line marking, or the reverse.
I am often asked why in my own illustrations the slide lever on the ribber carriage, a Brother “thing”, is always in the center position.
Reducing variables exponentially reduces errors.
If the lever position is not changed after those first rows or accidentally changed during knitting, the knit gauge will change. An example: working on final projects, more than one student in my knit studio design classes realized only after completing front and back or the second sleeve that the rib with the alternate lever setting not changed resulted in a visibly different rib height in the second piece.
Necessary adjustments can be made in yarn mast and respective carriage tensions, along with yarn choices appropriate for the technique.

ArahPaint and/with/or Gimp with a sprinkle of Mac Numbers have become my preferred go-tos for developing knit designs.
Designing can begin with simple drawings which do not require complex software knowledge and help to build confidence, using the electronic equivalent of graph paper and colored pencils.
Beginning with ArahPaint, with the goal of developing a 24 stitch pattern: load a new square picture, with an odd number of cells, in this case 13X13
Choose from the default palette, or set the number of colors to 3 and adjust the the results to include white, black, and one other clearly contrasting color Draw some starting lines/shapes that can be outlined with single pixels pencils Using the single pixel pencil tool, fill outlines in with color 3 To eliminate double pixels, mirror the image using the 25X13 pngrepeat mirroring using the 25X25 png Using the rectangle select tool, again to avoid double pixel lines, trim a row from the top and the right side of the design the 24X24 cropped result tiled as is with with the palette reduced to black and white The question remains as to how best to knit similar designs on any machine.
The floats are too long for FI, the repeat is best suited for DBJ.
The easiest color separation for DBJ is the one where each color in each design row knits twice.
To have each color in each design row knit only once, electronic machines offer the KRC button. The same result can be obtained in punchcard knitting by custom color separating the design.
When knitting DBJ with these separations, the 2 most common causes of stripes on both sides of the fabric are beginning the preselection row on the right, rather than the left, or as in my swatch, forgetting to push in both slip buttons.
This separation process for me is a very quick one using Gimp, I have not yet sorted a similar one in ArahPaint.
Using color to alpha as described in previous posts, the required files:
24X24 BW
24X48
24X48 color invert
24X4 with the top rows in a color picked from the program’s built in palette. Use Colors, white to alpha, to render the white see through. Copy the file to the clipboard, and use it to bucket fill with pattern  a new 24X49 (col inv png 48+1 blank row at top) bucket filled with the clipboard patternthe pink color to alpha, renders it see through, th last row is cropped, to 24X48, and is copied and pasted on the original 24X48 imageThe proof of concept swatchIf you enjoy designing with pencils in paint programs, the same approach can be used to produce a larger repeat, which makes the illusion more noticeable, ie in this 36X36 design.
Open a new window with an odd number of cells,  ie. 19. Copy and paste the upper left of the design on the new upper left corner, keep filling in linesRepeating the steps described previously, the 19X19 png is mirrored -1 in both directions, and trimmed to a final 36X36 design Modifications resulting in added shapes beginning to appear can be small in developing variations while continuing with the 24 stitch constraint.      Repeating the process, the files in sequence   The proof of concept was knit using the color white for the first preselection row to the right and as the first knit color row to the left, the color inverted version of the original repeat.  The KRC electronic separations are intended to begin with the white pixels in the designs, but the knitter can change that sequence based on their preferred placement of dark vs light colors.
Visualizing the reverse color placement in a knit swatch using Gimp  Mosaic and maze knitting, also known as floatless fair isle, has been discussed in many other posts.
The appropriate color separation shares much of the process with that for DBJ but the starting image is used as is, not rendered double length to start with.
The convention is the same as for fair isle, floats wider than 5 stitches are generally avoided.
In the 40 stitch design, there are spaces as wide as 15 cells with no contrasting color ones, which will be responsible for float formation.
Answering the “what if” question if the 24 stitch design design was used as a possible maze design.
The Gimp process in shorthand While the DDJ separation is used as is, this separation must be rendered double length in order for it to be executed single bed with the knit carriage set to slip in both directions, and color changes every 2 rows.
Using color invert on the final file, reduces the white cell, skip stitch float counts from a maximum of 15 to one of 6. Tiling will check on repeat alignments but has no relationship to the final look of the knit, where the slipped stitches will be gather the knit ones near them. The resulting swatch is highly textured, some of those extra long slipped stitches could be amended by making small changes in the design if it were to be developed further.  

For electronic models, the second 24 stitch repeat extended to 30X30
36X36  

ArahPaint in knit design 4 illustrates a way where following guidelines in Easily generate random weaves it is possible to quickly generate more random DIY designs for use in multiple techniques and stitch counts.

Lace edgings on Brother machines- automated with slip stitch 3

This website offers inspiration for hand-knitting 100 lace collars, edgings and insertions. 
The charts may be used by machine knitters who enjoy portable hand-knit projects to complement their machine-knitting ones, or machine knitters whose only option is hand manipulation, can follow the charts provided considering whether they are presented with knit side or purl side facing.
The images alone can be a springboard to variations of edgings that have already been worked out and tested.
Previous related posts:
Lace edgings on Brother machines- automated with slip stitch 2
Lace edgings on Brother machines- automated with slip stitch .
A recent FB discussion suggested my edging repeats were “missing rows.”
The edgings shared up to this point were often shaped with transfers along the left edge, with the straight edge of the pieces on the right, and began with transfers to the right rather than to the left, with a fixed number of passes for both the LC and KC carriages throughout.
They were intentionally designed to minimize the number of LC passes.
As with many other knitting techniques, there are multiple ways to achieve similar goals.
The number of LC passes and whether the starting selections result in a start with transfers to the right or to the left vary depending on the project and the designer’s published source inspiration, if any, their preference, and end use.
There are no fixed rules.
The trims may be executed on any brand and gauge knitting machine, using hand needle selection and transfer techniques guided by specific charts.
They are not a new find or invention, were popular in the late 80s and 90s on punchcard models, shaped with hand transfers, and frequently taught at MK seminars.
If the edging is used as a border, the latter can be created horizontally rather than vertically, even adding the use of the ribber in some cases.
Automated versions make production practical in forming lengths to be joined onto projects ie shawls and blankets.
Lace can be temperamental to knit, and when experimenting one can begin with what has already been worked out.
In this first design, the shaped edge of the trim occurs on the right during knitting, and the straight edge on the left.
Assigning color values to the direction of the transfers facilitates decisions in determining starting points.
Beginning at the widest part of the design, the cyan cells represent transfers to the left, the magenta transfers to the right, and the black the all knit rows that will be formed with slip stitch.
End needle selection is turned on in both directions in the LC, canceled with the KC set on KCII.
The first preselection row is from the left with the KC set to knit.
When it reaches the right, the carriage is set to slip in both directions, makes 2 more passes, returning to rest on the right.
In the bottom of the design, at the decreasing angle, the LC starting from the left preselects but does not transfer any stitches on its way to the right, transfers to the left and preselects for all knit stitches as it returns to the left making only 2 passes to complete required transfers.
As the top of the design and the increasing angle are reached, four lace passes/rows in the design are required to make the necessary transfers to the right and allow the LC to return to its place on the left.
The charts are oriented this way to visualize how the direction of the transfers relates to the shaping. The 20X70 PNG may need mirroring depending on the KM model being used and/or the download program. When in doubt, the needle selections are easy to recognize and some air knitting helps ensure that the pngs are oriented properly on your needle bed.  The proof of concept swatch To begin at the narrow end of the trim with the LC making the first preselection row from the left, the repeat, provided here in a larger view, can be shifted as indicated by red markings and used after several rows of base knit This 22X60 png, is charted with a start at the narrow for use with the LC preselecting the first row from the left for the increasing angle, then divided in for a start with the decreasing angle and the KC preselecting the first row, also from the left. The chart on the right shows the BW pixels programmed.
The LC makes 4 passes followed by 2 passes of the KC throughout the piece.
The shared version of the PNG did not require added mirroring on the 930, which was done automatically by the machine.
Shaping occurs on the right, with the straight edge on the left. When charting in spreadsheets, in addition to assigning a color to the direction of transfers made by the LC, arrows may be added to indicate the direction of the respective carriage movements.
This design was published on a Brother Mylar sheet when the 910 was new to the market. It is wider than most such borders, intended for use in a blanket or afghan edge. The transfers were to be made by hand to attain the curved edge.

Working in Numbers the image was mirrored and duplicated, planned for a shaped edge on the left. Arrows mark the direction of movements for each of the carriages The repeat is adjusted for automated shaping The 40X40 png required mirroring on my 930  There is a non-selected needle on the left near the center of the design, it is not a selection error The proof of concept swatch If the chosen design inspiration is from a punchcard pattern and the goal is to match the transfer sequences intended by the pub beginning with the fist row of transfers to the left, the approach is different.
Using randomly chosen Brother 636 from Punchcard volume #5,  pairs of rows are added after each transfer segment, and in this case, a 42-row repeat becomes a 54-row one. In addition, pixels are shifted to form double eyelets along the straight edge on the right and added and subtracted for shaping with increases and decreases that form matching eyelets on the left.   The png 32X54 png used mirrored on the 930
and its proof-of-concept swatch

“Lace” patterning terms

This post was begun in 12/2020, but never published.
You can find a list of blog posts on lace knits by searching for specific topics or using the lists of related links provided in the “start of an index.”

The term lace is often used in machine knitting publications referring to fabrics created with techniques other than the familiar hand or automated transfers.
In turn, the ribber may be added to working with many of the same patterns, adding varying complexity.
Some variations are possible only with specific machine brands or model year carriages, but at times may be rendered possible on alternate brands or models with adaptations, hacks, or the addition of other techniques.

This post for the moment is a quick reference guide to associated terms
Hand transfers  used to create eyelets, possibly in combination with stitches out of work,  and moving stitches singly or in groups
Simple lace:  executed with carriages that transfer and knit, seen in Studio brand
Multiple transfers/ fashion/ fancy/ lace: executed with lace carriages that transfer only, Japanese machine models
Fine lace: stitches are shared between needles rather than completely transferred, brand-specific changes need to be made to carriage settings
Lace and fine lace: may be created combined with either simple or multiple transfers lace, stitches are episodically shared between needles rather than completely transferred, brand-specific changes need to be made to carriage settings and will require changing to shift from one type to the other
Variations using L point cams: punchcard machines method for isolating and/or spacing lace motifs or columns
Tuck and lace: transfers combined with tuck stitch patterning
Woven lace: transfer lace combined with the weaving technique
Lace and fair isle: reference in Toyota punchcard pubs
“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 function leads in the 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 a tuck pattern on the knit bed
Drive/drop stitch lace: all stitches are transferred to one of the two beds, loops are picked up on the empty bed and then dropped. The frequency of dropping the stitches varies with the specific design
Shadow lace: stitches are moved between beds in pattern to create knit stitches on purl ground or vice versa

Knit weaving 3

The first single-bed machines to produce what is now referred to as knit-weaving were the Japanese model ones from the early to mid-1960s.
The Knitmaster 302 had a separate brush unit operated manually to guide the yarn above and below stitches.
On the Brother 585 and 588 models the weaving brushes were built-in and were pressed into place.
Early patterns used aran-weight yarns as weft on 12-stitch machines.
From 1971 onward as 24 stitch machines came on the market, the wider repeat allowed for the use of thinner yarns in the technique.
Later manuals including those for some electronic models describe this achingly slow method when using a single-color weaving yarn fed through the yarn mast  The subsequent technique shift advice was made for using an intarsia-like method for more colors:  The method is so much faster than when using the mast and knit carriage it makes little sense to use the former.
The technique begins with the carriage on your preferred side,  from the right or left, the yarn is generally laid in starting on the carriage side, with the long end to cone or ball away from it.
The wraps are needed in each direction: For work on the machine, swatches, punchcards, tools, and more information on types of weaves, ie laying in the yarn with vertical wrappings Another illustration of the movements in the laying in of the yarn on specific needles.  For more info on horizontal weaving, see Knit Weaving 1.
The resulting knits often lose stretch and drape widthwise, a consideration when making garments. As an alternative, one may knit pieces sideways.

Some ways to push limits, and new swatches:
Knitweaving encompasses an extensive range of fabrics. At times the type of machine available places constraints on materials.
One way to use chunky and bulky yarns on standard machines when they do not work with the ground knit on every needle, an option is to use every other needle patterning.
A visual comparison of yarn thicknesses for beginning experiments Here a commercial twine is used, programming a 4X4 repeat,  and laying the weaving yarn over the preselected needles when the long end of the yarn is away from the knit carriage, thus adding extra all-knit rows between woven ones.  This yarn has been in my stash for decades unused, it is 92% wool, and 8% polyamide. It was e-wrapped in alternate directions on every row, with care to maintain the thrumbs below sinker plate levels during carriage passes.  An option for electronic models: open a PNG suitable for knit weaving, as this 24X24 one, double the PNG in width before downloading it, or use the double-wide button after the fact, cast on every other needle, and continue in the technique. Planning the repeat on the needle bed would render better edges than in my swatch, if there are multiple non-selected needles on either side, bring the last needle on that side out to E before laying the yarn for the next row of pattern.  The floats created through knit weaving can share similarities with those from fair isle or slip stitch.
Slip stitch textures compress the knit lengthwise, and narrow it, while knit woven pieces lie flat, and provide far more predictable gauges.
This sample explores various float widths, beginning with a 24X24 pixel PNG.
When sampling on an electronic, one can plan for repeat widths equal in number to the needles in work or greater based on preference or a requirement by some software.
In designing for planned fabric widths, borders for better side edges than those resulting only from engaging end needle selection may be isolated or added with a preferred pattern fill.
The 24-stitch repeat was drawn in repeat X4  and cropped to 50X48, retaining a 2-stitch vertical border on each side and shared repeated in height X2, a final 50X48  Samples of the three yarn thicknesses used in the test swatch are shown at the bottom of the image on the right

More links for browsing
A return to loopy knits
Machine knit fringes 4, long loop patterning 
Long loops: a bit on method
Knit weaving 2: swatches, experiments
Knit weaving 1
Tuck stitch meets knit-weaving
Lace meets weaving on Brother Machines 2 
Lace meets weaving on Brother Machines

2024: lately I have been obsessed with designing seasonal repeats and expanded my initial library of them to include more “star’ designs in Seasonal knits inspired by published repeats 1
This design, 36X56, was knit first using a worsted-weight acrylic as the weaving yarn and a 20/2 wool for the background, then replacing the worsted with a 2/8 wool.
The design has long floats that tend to droop in front of the small stitches in the red ground as the knit is removed from the machine and rests.
The white acrylic was hard to knit, resulting in patterning errors because of its quality, noticeable on both sides.
In a final piece, borders could be added to make side edges cleaner than in this first swatch.  For use in a scarf or table runner, the repeat was altered slightly, and vertical side borders were added to 82X56Visualizing the repeat multiplied in height The yarns used in the swatch were a 2/8 wool and a softly spun worsted, challenging to work with even at the loosest tension.
The worsted wanted to split and knit with the ground yarn while forming the floats in front of those same needles, occasionally mounting a few gatepegs or jamming.
The mispatterning in the lower part of the swatch improved as the numbers were slowly adjusted to more than 10 on the knit carriage dial.
This time of year static can also be a problem, the humidifier got turned on. Both steps led to better results.
As with any technique, good yarn choices, and knitting machine gauge considerations make for successful projects.

Working with needles out of work, NOOW
In this first sample, after a crochet cast on, every 3d stitch based on pattern preselection is dropped, and the corresponding needle (grey columns) is pushed out of work (OOW), back to the A position. Ladders will form in those locations on the needle bed.
The yellow cells mark the stitch columns left undisturbed, while the pink and blue mark the stitch/needle locations involved in the cable crossings. The latter are consistently made in the same direction.
After each cable is made, restore needle preselection to maintain correct patterning.  The swatch may be knit monochromatic or as here, using contrasting colors

More separations for various knits using Gimp, color to alpha

Gimp March 16, 2025 has many menu and command changes, making some reinterpretation necessary when following previously published blogposts, a quick tutorial

a caution: 4/26/24 Gimp repeatedly crashed at the step when I tried to copy the brush from the clipboard to bucket fill any images with the pattern. The same reoccurred after an iMac restart and after a Gimp reinstall. The problems appear to have been eliminated by uninstalling 2.10.36 and downloading and installing the previous, stable version 2.10.34.

11/24 The issue of frequent crashes was later identified as a bug.
The program was updated later this year,  2.10.38 (revision1), which appears to have eliminated the unexplained crashes.

Other posts have used the Layer> Transparency> Color to Alpha or Colors> Color to Alpha as part of other menu options, but in the last post and here the selection is the primary tool in developing transparencies.
This design was originally shared in the post: Gimp Update for Mac 3_more on color separations, where the goal had been to reproduce a published 12X18 chart. 

The PNG matching the chart on the right may be used in several ways. On electronic machines, it would be ready for knitting using both the color reverse and the double length buttons if planning to use tuck or slip settings with color changes every 2 rows.
Punch card machine users must punch the color-reversed file and set their models for double length,  but punching out the lengthened version 36 rows in length provides enough for the card to advance properly in the drum and makes correcting errors easier.
Revisiting the photograph of a swatch using the design using wire and chenille in half, and wool rayons in the other, I was bothered by the breaks at the midline of each repeat. Tiling the first design provides evidence of the area at issue, led to adding/subtracting a few pixels at a time, seeking slight changes, and ending with two final variations:  
Variation 1
Variation 2  The Gimp color to alpha process in RGB Mode for mosaic knitting: file 1 is opened. Several new files may be opened in sequence for altering, copying, and pasting onto each other, with steps performed as a continuous process or with saving results and returning to them in separate steps    file 2: its color reverse
file 3: a 2-row brush with white color to alpha file 4: file 3 used to bucket fill 2 with pattern file 5: magenta color in 4 to alpha

file 6: file 5 copied and pasted onto file 1.
Change Mode to BW Indexed
file 7: file 6 color-reversed for knitting with the tuck or slip setting,   will need to be doubled in height for color changes every 2 rows using the double height button or use the file rendered double height to 18X36 pixels using Image> Scale in Gimp The proof of concept:  1: The StitchWorld #548, 24X40 pattern was also used in that post, it is suitable for punchcard machines as well  Using bucket fill with pattern makes the process faster than using the pencil tool to fill in color manually before converting colors to alpha in separating it.
While mosaics are processed in their original length, DBJ files are doubled in height.
2: the file is scaled to 24X80 3: and color reversed 4: a 2-row brush with white color to alpha 5: is copied to the clipboard and is used to bucket fill with pattern the color reversed image   6: the cyan is rendered transparent by using color to alpha again,  7: and 6 is copied and pasted on #2, the first 40X80 image,  8: and doubled in length to 40X160, it is exported as a BW PNG for knitting as DBJ. The results with both methods match.   Each color in each design row will be knit twice.
The method for emulating the separation that is built-in in Japanese electronic models, where each color knits once reducing elongation is a bit more fiddly to perform.
Charts from left to right:
1: the scaled 24X80
2: is color reversed
3: a new file, 1 row longer, 24X81 is opened, 2 is pasted onto it, leaving an all white pixel row at the top of the design
open a 24X4 row file, with two top white rows to alpha, use it as brush to bucket fill 3 with pattern
4: magenta color to alpha
5: crop that last blank row from the file, now 24X80 once more, copy and paste it onto 1.
The green grid is to differentiate this result from the one obtained in the other post, shown at its right
Change image mode to BW Indexed, export as png for knitting.
The proof of concept Gimp update 2025 has changed menu and window selections. Using the newer, alternate brush: when using color to alpha, select colors from default palette.
The new brush, used with white color to alpha  the steps summarized, all repeats 24X80The final PNG matches the results obtained using the previously described method Returning to the repeat used to produce this punchcard the very low tech wayPlease see edit published in May 2025 post using a different brush, eliminating the need for the extra row and requiring fewer steps.  
Repeating the steps using the added blank row.Working in RGB Mode the 24X6 starting repeat was lengthened X2 to 24X12, and colors exchanged to black and white, because using color invert in RGB mode introduces a different palette confusing the process.
1: To produce the separation for a full punchcard, the image is tiled X3 in height to meet the 36 row minimum card length and 2: is copied and pasted on a new file of the same dimension, and color inverted 3: the color inverted file is copied onto a new 24X37 one with with an added blank row at the top 4: a new file 24X4 is opened, the bottom 2 white rows are rendered transparent using color to alpha, and saved to clipboard 5: to be used to bucket fill in pattern the color inverted 24X37 image (3) with pattern  6: the pink color is now rendered transparent as well using color to alpha crop the last blank row, the file will now be 24X36 again,
7: copy and paste it on the first image for the final KRC emulating PNG, check the file mode, and save as indexed BW for use in electronic models. When color-inverted the repeat matches the punchcard separation. It is possible to magnify, screengrab, and scale the pngs to print templates for counting stitches or even tracing to mark cards before punching holes.