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naomij

Joined: 03 Mar 2011
Posts: 379
Location: Kent coast

Posted: Thu Sep 22, 11 8:05 pm Post subject: Knitting machines

I have one on loan with a view to buy (v cheaply) and many cones of yarn into the bargain.

Spent an evening setting it up.
Spent most of today with a friend who had one trying to make it work. We managed to do a lot of swearing whilst the children dismantled various things in other parts of the house, but no knitting.

This evening I cracked it! Yay! Can I do it again? No.

I will get this working if it kills me (I think it'll be a close call)

cir3ngirl

Joined: 13 Aug 2006
Posts: 4846
Location: Cirencester

Posted: Thu Sep 22, 11 8:09 pm Post subject:
Good luck I bought one cheap a couple of years ago and it just sits in the corner

naomij

Joined: 03 Mar 2011
Posts: 379
Location: Kent coast

Posted: Thu Sep 22, 11 8:21 pm Post subject:

cir3ngirl wrote:

Good luck I bought one cheap a couple of years ago and it just sits in the corner

Not surprised, they seem to be contraptions contrived by the devil. However I will make it work as I have plans for it, and when it was going it was v fun. I made a v long narrow bit of st st, sewed the ends together, looped it a few times and it looks like those statement necklaces you see in the grauniad, yay.

frewen

Joined: 08 Sep 2005
Posts: 11405

Posted: Thu Sep 22, 11 8:26 pm Post subject:
I am looking forward to playing with the knitting machine that is still glaring at me from a corner of my workroom

Dogwalker

Joined: 20 Mar 2007
Posts: 1231
Location: Mid Wales

Posted: Thu Sep 22, 11 8:38 pm Post subject:
I think the key thing is use the weights and keep moving them up as knitting progresses. Stops the dropped stitches which is usually the problem and just go smoothly don't jerk the 'whatsitsname' across the needle bed. (What is that bit called? work brain why don't you.)

bibbster

Joined: 17 Apr 2009
Posts: 1233
Location: Just a bit inland from Aberaeron

Posted: Thu Sep 22, 11 8:40 pm Post subject:

Dogwalker wrote:

I think the key thing is use the weights and keep moving them up as knitting progresses. Stops the dropped stitches which is usually the problem and just go smoothly don't jerk the 'whatsitsname' across the needle bed.

(What is that bit called? work brain why don't you.)

Carriage

naomij

Joined: 03 Mar 2011
Posts: 379
Location: Kent coast

Posted: Thu Sep 22, 11 8:48 pm Post subject:

Dogwalker wrote:

Thanks, I think this is partly why I had more success with the narrow width than a wider one, it was easier to keep tension even.
However I reckon the main issue is the long bit with runs over the needles... Just read online the sponge should be significantly deeper than bar, whereas the sponge on mine is not only flush but frankly depressed. I think this is a big problem actually and friend reckon she had a spare

Just knitted about 6" on 40 sts, then it magically cast itself off! But actually the yarn broke without me noticing so it all just fell in my lap

Exciting stuff!

Also starting to see there might be a reason that all th beautiful samples the previous owner showed me were thoroughly felted, possibly to conceal any mistakes/drops etc

Dogwalker

Joined: 20 Mar 2007
Posts: 1231
Location: Mid Wales

Posted: Thu Sep 22, 11 8:48 pm Post subject:
Thank you, I knew that really didn't I.

alice

Joined: 18 Feb 2006
Posts: 2820

Posted: Thu Sep 22, 11 9:08 pm Post subject:
I had a basic Bond back in the late 70's, when I was a penniless teenager. I made myself several knitted 'suits' - skirt and jumper combos, from dreadful synthetic coned yarn. God forgive me If I had one now I'd just knit sheets and sheets of pure wool stocking stitch in fabulous colours and 'felt' it. Then make things out of that.

naomij

Joined: 03 Mar 2011
Posts: 379
Location: Kent coast

Posted: Thu Sep 22, 11 9:13 pm Post subject:

alice wrote:

I had a basic Bond back in the late 70's, when I was a penniless teenager.
I made myself several knitted 'suits' - skirt and jumper combos, from dreadful synthetic coned yarn. God forgive me

If I had one now I'd just knit sheets and sheets of pure wool stocking stitch in fabulous colours and 'felt' it. Then make things out of that.

Need a photo of the suits please, just for educational purposes of course

So far it's a very fast but impractical I-cord machine

The yarn isn't actually grubby, just an awful phone picture.

sally_in_wales
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 06 Mar 2005
Posts: 20809
Location: sunny wales

Posted: Fri Sep 23, 11 7:37 am Post subject:
it sounds like a new sponge bar might be needed, they only last a few years and often solve everything. That and adding more weight if you are getting skipping

naomij

Joined: 03 Mar 2011
Posts: 379
Location: Kent coast

Posted: Fri Sep 23, 11 8:01 am Post subject:

sally_in_wales wrote:

it sounds like a new sponge bar might be needed, they only last a few years and often solve everything. That and adding more weight if you are getting skipping

Thanks, I think that's def the problem. Mine is ancient. I ripped the sponge out and laid it back in so it was less flush and it ran a little better, but needs a new one really. It looks old so not sure whether to try and just replace the sponge bit with something, seems to be lots online about doing this

sally_in_wales
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 06 Mar 2005
Posts: 20809
Location: sunny wales

Posted: Fri Sep 23, 11 8:09 am Post subject:
you can get new ones on ebay for most machines, my last one cost about a tenner

Woodburner

Joined: 28 Apr 2006
Posts: 2904
Location: Essex

Posted: Fri Sep 23, 11 8:18 am Post subject:
Sponge bar?? I don't think ours ever had one of those. Where does it go? eta Ours was antique when we bought it, and that was when I was a teenager! Quite sophisticated though for all that.

lettucewoman

Joined: 26 Sep 2006
Posts: 7834
Location: Tiptoe in the Forest!!

Posted: Fri Sep 23, 11 8:24 am Post subject:
Ive got one behind the fridge....

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