My mother had collected this KH930 after it had stopped working, hoping I might be able to fix it. The previous owners had removed the needles for use as spares on other machines, that is why there are none in the photos. You do not have to remove the needles to perform this repair.

This fix may work for other models too, I would guess any that have the power lead that plugs directly into the side of the knitting machine. Not ones that use a “plug pack” or “power adapter”. 230/240/250v AC models should be the same components, 110v I don’t think would be the same value capacitors.

WARNING: Seek professional advice if unsure! 240v is dangerous.

Always unplug the knitting machine, or anything electrical for that matter, before opening! Switch it on and off (while unplugged) a couple of times to help discharge any electronic components that may hold a charge. Even though I had no issues with this repair, I will not be held responsible for any injuries sustained performing this repair.

Very basic soldering skills are all thats needed, and if you have never used a soldering iron before, it is quite easy to learn, just grab a cheap fine tipped soldering iron (under AU$10) and I think you will do OK! I will try to get a video online soon showing the basic skills required.

Each photo can be clicked on to enlarge, click the “BACK” button on your browser to return to the page.

We may as well go into the tools required for this particular job.
1. A fine tipped soldering iron suitable for electronics.
2. Some suitable solder (mine says 0.71mm diameter, 60% Tin, 40% Lead).
3. A Number 2 Phillips Head Screwdriver (maybe a smaller one too depending on your machine).
4. A small flat blade screwdriver.
5. Small sidecutters
6. Very narrow blade (optional)
7. Adjustable work holder (optional)

Step 1: Disassemble the Knitting Machine.

Carefully turn the machine over. At the end where the power lead plugs in you should see the 2 plastic rivets indicated. Carefully slip a fine blade under the edge and lever outward. The second shot shows how the plastic rivets work. The centre/cap slides out leaving a small hole in a smaller part of the rivet, remove the smaller part too. There is one to remove on the back of the machine also. 3 plastic rivets in total.

Next, flip the knitting machine back over to the correct side facing up and remove the 3 screws from the bed. Take note of which screws come from where, they are different! On the Brother KH930, the 2 in the main bed are countersunk, the one near the gate pegs is ‘pan head’.

Slowly work the plastic end of the knitting machine apart from the metal bed. The power switch may want to stay behind, thats fine, it should wiggle free eventually, it is held back by the transformer inside.

Next, remove the screws holding the power socket in place. There is actually a metal plate around the back of the socket so as you unscrew, it sort of feels like the screw is just spinning because there is no outward pressure to push the screw out. You can see inside that unscrewing is pushing the metal backing plate backwards instead. Keep going until it is free of the screws.

Inside where the power cables go, there is a plastic retainer with two screws holding the cables in place, remove the screws to release the retainer and allow the circuit board to slide out of its little hidey hole. Take a mental note of which way up it fits in. Set the plastic case aside.

Now we can see the top of the circuit board. The fuse can be popped out (it was blown) and the capacitors were visibly damaged, one of them was split open. Luckily the details of the capacitors were still legible, take a photo or write down the details before touching them as they may turn to dust when touched and those seemingly random numbers and letters are very helpful! If you live near an electronics store, take the components with you once they are removed. Hopefully the sales people will know what to replace them with. The 2 capacitors and one fuse should cost you much less than AU$10. I got 5 of each for AU$15.

The Brother KH930 Knitting Machine I am working on used one 0.047uF 250V AC Mains, Metallised Polypropylene Capacitor, X2. One 0.1uF 250V AC Mains, Metallised Polypropylene Capacitor, X2. Oh, and one 500mA M205 Quick Blow Fuse, 5mm round x 20mm long.

The Soldering Stage

Plug in your soldering iron, the fun is about to start! Make sure it is away from anything that might melt or catch on fire, including children. As long as the tip stays up off the table by about 30mm, it should be fine. If you have a brand new soldering iron, touch some solder onto the tip until it melts and coats the tip a bit, this aids in the transfer of heat.

OK, locate the legs of the capacitors and turn the circuit board over, find the spot where each leg is soldered on the bottom. Mark with a permanent marker if you like, in case you get going and unsolder all the components

Carefully touch the tip of the iron onto the blob of solder holding one of the legs, at the same time rock the capacitor slightly back and forth with your other hand, with your third hand, try to push the flat screwdriver under the capacitor without scratching the circuit board! This is where I decided to use the adjustable job holder thingo. It can also be done without the screwdriver, but it does make it easier. With some careful levering, not scratching the board, the combination of rocking the capacitor and lightly pushing with the soldering iron, the offending leg should eventually pop free out the side where the capacitor is. Repeat for the other 3 legs.
Try not to overheat the board, the solder just has to be soft/liquified, not boiling.

If you have loads of solder on the iron tip, wiping quickly on a piece of paper or slightly damp sponge will remove it. You do want a thin coating of solder on the iron as this transfers heat better to the solder job.

The new capacitors I bought were slightly smaller width ways than the original, but there were extra holes on the circuit board for smaller caps! Fresh solder jobs require “tinning”, this means applying a thin layer of solder onto each surface for ease of joining when the time comes. As you can see, the closer hole is copper coloured eg. no solder on it. Using the soldering iron tip, heat the copper surface and slowly feed the solder wire onto the copper, not the iron. The surface should get hot enough to melt the solder. By heating the job to melt the solder you ensure the solder is making excellent contact with the surface, otherwise the might be floating on the “flux”, the liquid brown stuff that creates the smoke (There is a more technical explaination…)

We also want to make sure the holes are free from solder, just use the tip of the iron and lightly sweep across the holes, removing excess solder from the iron each time, until the hole opens. You do not have to scratch away at the solder with the iron, it will just wipe away when hot, with the iron, don’t touch it with your fingers!

Insert your new capacitors into the relevant locations (the 0.047uF into C602, 0.1uF into the top spot).

Bending the legs outward slightly holds them in position for soldering, do not cut the legs shorter just yet.

Solder the legs in place by heating the leg, down near the joint, with the tip of the iron. The capacitors I got were pre-tinned, so I required very little extra solder to make the join.

You may have to feed a little of the solder along the leg (while the iron is making the leg hot) so it creates a small mound up the leg. A good solder joint is pointy like a volcano rather than rounded like half a ball.

Give your freshly soldered legs 10 to 30 seconds to cool, then trim them off with some sidecutters. The less sharp leg sticking out, the better, although its not critical.

Thats it! Snap your new fuse in and you are finished! Easy! You can now do the reverse of the Disassemble a Knitting Machine to put it back together. I like to test things before they go back together, but if you accidently touch something while the power is plugged in you could be in for a nasty shock, or your family will be… Put it back together first!

I don’t believe it, I fixed a knitting machine!

Once everything is screwed together and plastic rivets are pressed back in, plug it in and turn it on! If more smoke comes out, or it still doesn’t work, start from the top and see if the fuse is blown, there may be something more serious wrong with your knitting machine… sorry about that!

Please feel free to leave a comment or ask a question about the above procedure! Thanks for reading!

Article By: Diane Palmer

Do you love to knit?.. love to create?… but maybe its too hard on the hands?.. then why not try investing in a knitting machine?

Knitting, like any creating, is good for the soul, but can be hard for some people to do, and they end up with half finished projects laying around, and feeling stressed about it, which is the opposite of what crafting is suppose to do for the heart and soul!

There are some great machines out on the market now, and there are a lot more patterns that are dedicated to machine knitting. The machines have been around for a while, but were basically reserved for scarves and blankets, but now there are some great machines with lots of features and you can make garments, sweaters, crafts and more.

You need to get a good brand name machine, that is heavy duty if you plan on machine knitting a lot, and search out some machine knitting patterns, they are popping up everywhere now as knitting becomes more popular, just make sure the pattern says for machine knitting and you should be fine..

With the advance of the internet, it is now easier to find machines and supplies. If you love crafting and especially knitted garments, then why not check out knitting machines as an alternative to hand knitting. I personally would not totally replace hand knitting, as its a stress reliever for me!… but for those larger garments like dresses, knitted coats etc, you don’t want to be knitting for so long, you miss the seasons!.. Knitting has made a return as a great winter hobby, and there are so many great wools and supplies on the market now, especially the internet, that you don’t even have to leave home to get your supplies anymore! If you knit for your craft business, this would speed things up.

Get knitting, by hand or machine, and get creating!

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

OK folks! At first I am just going to paste the pattern instructions straight in here, for those of you who know what a Knitting Machine is all about, go for it!

For beginners wanting to learn how to machine knit a Baby Set, I will slowly add the full instructions with photos and movies as I get the time.

After completing the Baby Booties, please continue to the Baby Jacket or the Baby Beanie.

Fae Mason’s Passap Baby Set – Booties

One end Cashmillon & one end silky (low bulk)

26/25
Tension 3/3
Pink Strippers.
**Zig zag row from right to left.  Cast on comb in. Small weight outside each end of knitting.
Pushers on back bed 1 up 1 down
AX/N  – no arrows K 5 rows (no strippers in for 3 rows)
AX/N  – left arrow in K 2 rows.**   This = 8 r.
Tension 2½/2½
N/N K 12 r.
From left hand side on back bed place 3rd stitch on 4th, leave 2 stitches in between all along bed, leave needles in working position and K 2 r = 14 r.
COR, increase 1 stitch on both beds on opposite side of carriage 5 times = 10 r.
Tension 3½/3½
Bring pushers up on front bed 3 up x 1 down all along bed (or 2 & 1 or 1 & 1)
*N/AX – K 2 rows
N/AX – left arrow in, K 2 rows*
Repeat from * to * for 28 rows .
Tension 3/3
N/N K 3 rows.
COL, place stitches from front bed onto back bed.  Bring all needles back into working position on front bed, handle down.
K 1 row .
Knit 4 rows waste, drop stitches off needles on front bed, black strippers knit few rows waste, take off machine and then latch tool last bootee row.

Ties – t4, 3 sts, 180 rows, same yarn as bootees (I knit this on the Brother)

OK folks! At first I am just going to paste the pattern instructions straight in here, for those of you who know what a Knitting Machine is all about, go for it!

For beginners wanting to learn how to machine knit a Baby Set, I will slowly add the full instructions with photos and movies as I get the time.

After completing the Baby Beanie, please continue to the Baby Jacket or the Baby Booties.

Fae Mason’s Passap Baby Set – Beanie

One end Cashmillon & one end silky (low bulk)

52/51 (if you feel it is too small try 56/55)
Tension 3/3
Pink Strippers.
**Zig zag row from right to left.  Cast on comb in. Small weight outside each end of knitting.
Pushers on back bed 1 up 1 down
AX/N  – no arrows K 5 rows (no strippers in for 3 rows)
AX/N  – left arrow in K 2 rows.**   This = 8 r.
Tension 2½/2½
N/N K 20 r.
Tension 3½/3½
Pushers on front bed 3 up & 1 down (or 2 & 1 or 1 & 1)
*N/AX – K 2 rows
N/AX – left arrow in, K 2 rows*
Repeat from * to * for 52 rows (or 56 or 60 rows)
Tension 2½/2½
N/N K 10 r
Tension 2¼/2¼
Handle up Rib 1 x 1 for 10 r. Latch tool off or thread yarn through each stitch and pull up.

OK folks! At first I am just going to paste the pattern instructions straight in here, for those of you who know what a Knitting Machine is all about, go for it!

For beginners wanting to learn how to machine knit a Baby Set, I will slowly add the full instructions with photos and movies as I get the time.

After completing the Baby Jacket, please continue to the Baby Beanie or the Baby Booties.

Fae Mason’s Passap Baby Set – Jacket

One end Cashmillon & one end silky (low bulk)

Back  -  56/55 sts                     Fronts  -  28/27
Tension 3/3
Pink Strippers.
**Zig zag row from right to left.  Cast on comb in. Small weight outside each end of knitting.
Pushers on front bed 1 up 1 down
N/AX  – no arrows K 5 rows (no strippers in for 3 rows)
N/AX  – left arrow in K 2 rows.**   This = 8 r.
Tension 3½/3½
Pushers for Pattern 3 up & 1 down (or 2 & 1 or 1 & 1) on front bed
*N/AX – K 2 rows
N/AX – left arrow in, knit 2 rows*
Repeat from * to * for 112 rows
Tension 3/3
Transfer 2 sts from each end on front bed to back bed.
N/N knit 20 rows (all needle rib)
Tension 2½/2½
N/N, handle up, 1 x 1 rib. Starting from the left transfer first st from front bed to 3rd st on back bed and push the now empty needle out of work, then the 4th on the back to the new 1st on the front bed. Repeat every alternate st to end. When you reach the end (right) you need to transfer the 2nd last stitch on the back bed to the 3rd last position, then the last st to the 2nd last st.
Needles should look like this (“.” Represent “out of work” needles)
111.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.111 Back Bed 30 stitches.
1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1      Front Bed
Knit 20 rows.
N/N transfer front bed stitches to needles on back bed with stitch on them,
(black strippers).
Tension 3, knit 1 row right to left.
Few rows waste yarn, cast off last row of garment with size 14 needles.
25-26 cm finished neck.  Crochet 3 treble, 2 chain, 3 treble around neck/part fronts

Sleeves  -  28/27
Tension 3/3
Pink Strippers.
**Zig zag row from right to left.  Cast on comb in. Small weight outside each end of knitting.
Pushers on front bed 1 up 1 down
N/AX  – no arrows K 5 rows (no strippers in for 3 rows)
N/AX  – left arrow in K 2 rows.**   This = 8 r.
Tension 5½/5½
CX/CX, K 12 r.

Tension 3½/3½

Pushers for Pattern 3 up & 1 down (or 2 & 1 or 1 & 1) on front bed

* N/AX – K 2 rows
N/AX – left arrow in, K 2 rows *
Repeat from * to * for 72 r.
Tension 3/3
N/N K 20 rows (all needle rib)
Tension 2½/2½
N/N, handle up, 1 x 1 rib K 20 rows
N/N transfer front bed stitches to needles on back bed with stitch on them,
(black strippers), 111.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.111-16 sts for sleeves & fronts.
Tension 3, K 1 row right to left.
Few rows waste yarn, cast off last row of garment with size 14 needles.

fin.

To open the pattern as a PDF in your browser, just click on the pattern and it should open. Once you have viewed the pattern, just click back on your browser to return to this page.

To download the pattern as a PDF for printing or viewing later, simply right mouse click on the pattern and choose “Save Target/Link As…”

Machine Knitting a Sock Pattern

If you have trouble opening the PDF, the latest version of Adobe Reader can be found here.

Those familiar with machine knitting, knitting machine patterns and the terms they use, follow the Pattern lines. Otherwise, the Beginner sections are best Towards the end, Pattern and Beginner begin to merge, mainly because there is no short way to explain what the steps are and hopefully the leaners are becoming more familliar with the machine knitting process by the end.

The short version as a PDF can be downloaded by right clicking and “Save Target/Link As..” here Machine Knitting a Sock Pattern , other patterns can be found on the Machine Knitting Patterns, Free! page

Yarn: 4 ply (Sock yarn, wool containing some synthetic for better wear)

Tensions (shortened to T for the remainder):

For the 1 x 1 Rib Band ’0′ (for cast on & circular row)
’3′ for main rib
’6′ stocking stitch (st = stitch)
NOTE: Set the tensions on both main carriage and ribber to be the same.

Pattern: With main yarn, T ‘0′ cast on 75 stitches in 1 x 1 rib (zig zag row right to left).

Beginner: Prepare to cast on by moving every second needle to the B position, working from the middle for 75 needles width (do to the 37 mark on the left, and 38 on the right, both beds, the bottom bed will be offset slightly to the left) . Moving the carriage side to side once will line them up nicely, finish with the carriage on your right, reset your row counter to zero.

Now thread the yarn through the carriage, and between the 2 beds, and hold it firmly under the knitting machine beds.

Set the tension to ’0′ and slide the carriage and ribber left over the needles, this will knit the yarn creating a zig zag row.

NOTE: Put your ribber cast on comb on. Simply remove the fine wire and feed the comb up from under the beds so that the ‘teeth’ seperate each zig zag, then feed the wire back through the weight comb and let it hang. Add 2 weights evenly near the sock.

Pattern: Knit ’1′ circular row.
Beginner: With the carriage still on the left, set the carriage to do a circular row. Press in right hand Part button on main carriage, this means it will only knit from right to left on the main bed. On the ribber, push up the left Part button to P-R, this will only knit from left to right on the ribber bed. Now slide the carriages right, then back to the left. Set counter to zero.

Pattern: Remove circular setting, T ’3′, knit 33 rows in rib.
Beginner: Remove circular settings on the carriage and ribber by setting it back to normal, change the tension setting on the carriage to ’3′ and knit to 33 rows.

Pattern: Transfer all stitches to main bed, decrease 7 stitches evenly along bed.
Beginner: Using the double eyed tool, move the stitches from the bottom bed to the main bed, thus creating a whole row. Drop the ribber bed down one notch. Then decrease 7 stitches evenly along bed. See the video below for a demo.

NOTE: This produces a rib at the top of the sock that is better shaped to the body of the sock than if you don’t do this decrease.

You should end up with something like this.

Pattern: Close gaps keeping centered.
Beginner: Using a transfer tool, move all stitches from each end, towards the middle to close gaps, this is time consuming and fiddly. See below.

Pattern: T ’6′, knit 1 row in stocking st.
Beginner: Change the tension setting on the carriage to ’6′ and knit 1 row (right to left) stocking (normal/plain) stitch using the main carriage only.

Pattern: Take work off with a few rows of contrasting waste yarn.
Beginner: Break or cut the yarn and replace with waste yarn, using a contrasting colour is highly recommended. Knit a few rows with the waste yarn, 6 to 10 rows will be ample. Break waste yarn and knit until the sock falls off. Remove cast on comb and weights. Leave the carriage on your right.

Pattern: H pitch on ribber, 34 needles on each bed to working position.
Beginner: To the left of the knitting machine bottom bed / ribber, you should see a slider shaped like a smile that has P – H, slide it right to H, this is so that the needles don’t touch each other when protruding. Now bring 34 needles on each bed to working position B.
NOTE: The main bed right most needle must be outside (to the right) of the ribber bed right most needle.

Pattern and Beginner: With the wrong side of the last knitted row facing you, start on the right centre needle and place the left most loop of the sock onto that needle (NOT the waste, fold it under, away from you). Now roll the rib into a circle and place what was the right most loop onto left centre needle and 1 loop onto all remaining needles along the main bed. This should put the center seam of the rib at the back of the sock and on the main bed.

Pattern and Beginner: Now work your way along the bottom bed, 1 loop from the sock (NOT the waste) onto each needle.

For those only just learning Machine Knitting, maybe this will help.

Pattern: T ’6′ knit 40 circular rows (80 on row counter) keep downward pressure.
Beginner: Set your tensions to ’6′, set your row counter to zero. Set your carriages to do a circular row again, if you have forgotten, see just under the casting on instructions, it involves the Part buttons. Thread your main yarn back on, knit 40 circular rows (80 on row counter) keep downward pressure. This will be the length up your leg of the sock.

Machine knitting the sock heel

Pattern and Beginner: Drop the ribber bed half way only, change to main bed only (presser). T ’5′ on main carriage. Set “holding cam lever” (N-H-I) to (H). Remove the circular knitting setting on the main carriage.

On the top bed, assuming your carriage is on the right, bring the furthest needle from the carriage to holding position (left most needle, all the way out), knit 1 row (from right to left), place yarn under the protruding needle (now closest to carriage), bring furthest needle from carriage (right most) to holding position, knit 1 row, place yarn under right most needle, protrude 2nd left needle, knit 1 row, now place the yarn under the 2nd left needle but over the 1st…
Repeat until there are 8 needles in holding position on each side of the sock. Main bed only!

NOTE: Keep downward pressure on the sock underneath the main bed throughout the knitting of the sock heel as the sock will grow longer under the main bed as the heel takes shape, ribber bed side will not.

Pattern and Beginner: You should have 8 needles out on each side with the carriage on your right, and the yarn under the 8th innermost right needle but over the first 7 needles on the right…
Push the innermost (8th) left needle back to knitting position D. Knit 1 row, place the yarn under the new innermost (7th) left needle but over the remaining 6 left needles. Push the innermost right needle to knitting position D. Knit 1 row.
Place the yarn under the new innermost (7th) right needle but over the remaining 6 right needles. Push the innermost (7th) left needle back to knitting position D. Knit 1 row. Repeat until all needles are in except the rightmost needle the carriage should end up on the left with rightmost needle only remaining out.
Remove presser, replacing with ribber, raise ribber bed to knitting position and set main carriage back to circular knitting.

NOTE: Next row has to be worked on the ribber only, which it should because in circular knitting settings from the above step, moving from left to right only knits on the ribber bed. Make sure the remaining needle in the holding position on the main bed is on the outside of the needles on the ribber bed.

Pattern and Beginner: T ’6′, knit 1 row (left to right). Place yarn under remaining needle. Set “holding cam lever” (N-H-I) to N and set knitting machine for circular knitting again. Reset counter.

Knit 60 circular rows (120 on row counter). This will be the foot.

Machine knitting the sock toe

Pattern and Beginner: Using a double pointed transfer tool, decrease 1 stitch each end on both beds (pick up 2 stitches, but only move 1 needle space inward, meaning the 2nd last needle has the last stitch on it but the 3rd last has 2 stitches). Knit 2 circular rows (twice back and forth with the carriage, ends on same side). Do this 5 times.

Pattern and Beginner: Using a double pointed transfer tool, decrease 1 stitch each end on both beds again. Knit 1 circular rows (twice back and forth with the carriage, ends on same side). Do this 6 times. Hopefully you have 12 stitches remaining!

Break yarn leaving about 30cm and replace with more waste yarn, knit a few circular rows and break waste, knit until sock falls off!

Grafting the sock toe by hand

Pattern and Beginner: The video explains it best, its hard to put into words! This grafting method leaves no seam, the most comfortable sock you will ever knit! Grab a needle and thread the 30cm of yarn you had left onto a needle. Poke it through from the outside into the space beside the last knitted stitch, so that it comes out on the inside.
Fold the waste yarn out over the toe to expose the single row of main colour, stitching from inside to outside of the sock (out of stitch), starting with the stitch nearest you and closest to the end you came through on. Another out of stitch through the opposing side of the toe.
In to stitch (from outside to inside) you came out of first (closest to you), then out of stitch in the next one along (2nd closest to you). In to stitch first stitch on opposite side, then out of stitch in the next one along (2nd one opposing side). Repeat this until toe hole is closed! Poke the needle through to the inside of the sock at the end of the last graft.

Remove the waste yarn from the sock toe. Remove waste yarn from rib.
Sew up the rib and end all threads!

Hooray!

One Sock! Repeat for a 2nd one, or put eyes on the toe for a sock puppet

You could also try using “Variegated sock yarn” for some fancy coloured socks! Christmas happens every year!

The whole “machine knitting a sock for beginners” process, with me asking questions, taking photos and video, redoing parts that I didn’t understand, and the final hand stitching parts, took a little over an hour. Without me “helping”, I’m sure a pair of machine knitted socks could be produced in this time. The time it took to get all this onto a website, a football team could be wearing new socks…

The knitting machine being used for the guide is the Brother KH-940 without the ribber attached, and acrylic 4 ply yarn. If you are using acrylic, and the single bed, like this example, the finished product will have rolled edges, pressing will fix that. We will assume you have some documentation regarding how to thread your particular knitting machine and have threaded it. For casting on, the “simple cast on” will work on Brother knitting machines and the “e” wrap method should work on the majority of Japanese machines eg. Brother, Singer, Toyota and Empersal. Passap knitting machines use a different method which will be covered in the Passap pages.

I find using photos and videos as a learning tool easier than a whole lot of writing, so I have included them also.

Learn how to cast on

Simple Machine Knitting Cast On

Move your K-Carriage to the right of the needle bed (knitting carriage, the bit you grab onto and move side to side to knit). Locate all the needles to the A position (positions are marked on each side of the needle bed). Click your weaving brush levers into the up position.

Working from the center (so the counter works reliably) push every needle for your required width (the width of the finished product will be smaller that the width the needles represent) to the B position. Now push alternate needles to position E (all the way out). Pull your pre threaded yarn from under the K-Carriage, across the E needles, resting it in front of the bed but behind the hooks of the needles. Angle the end of the yarn you are holding down and away from the K-Carriage.

Be sure to hang onto the end, not pull tight, just don’t let it go. Slide the carriage from right to left, it might feel like things aren’t right, but it should go fairly easily, slide it until you have cleared the pushed out needles.

The carriage will move the needles automatically so don’t panic that they aren’t in the same position as where you left them. Keep holding the end of the yarn and move the carriage back to the right, once again moving all the way past the moved needles.

Guess what? You have cast on! Keep a grip on the end of the yarn for another couple of rows. Return the weaving brush levers to the down position, now is also a good time to add some weights to the emerging knitted product to keep an even tension on it. Try using a cast on comb if you have one. Uneven tension makes the finished product knit unevenly with some holes larger than others. If you don’t have any weights, pull lightly downward on the knitted article as you knit so it doesn’t drop stitches due to the lack of downward pressure keeping the yarn on the needles.

This simple cast on is great for making quick swatches of machine knitted fabric to assess the tension and also the number of stitches and rows required to create a finished article from a particular yarn, the results do vary from yarn to yarn.

Learn how to “e” Wrap Cast On

Named from the shape the yarn makes on the needles, it gives a nicer finish, but is a bit more fiddly. Putting this process into words may come later, but I find it easier to see whats going on rather than read it. Simply click the play button below to see e wrap casting on being performed.

Learn how to cast off

Simple Machine Knitting Cast Off

Once again, a text translation may come after, but for now, the video below will give a visual guide to a simple machine knitting cast off.

Looser Machine Knitting Cast Off around gate pegs

This method of casting off produces a nicer finish more reliably keeps a uniform tension. It achieves this by keeping the but the stitches you are casting off on the knitted article on or near its needles on the gate pegs that protrude from the front of the bed. The result is the article cannot bunch up or fall down, pulling the yarn unevenly.

So, to (hopefully) help first timers buy a knitting machine that does mostly what they want, I am putting together a small sample of common (available 2nd hand) knitting machines with pro’s and con’s on each. Oh, and if you already have one of these, maybe you need a different one as well when you find out what they can do

Stay tuned…

Firstly, I found that once I removed the folding legs, they themselves were quite ok. Only a little surface rust and scuffing from the occasional boot (when things weren’t going well).

A light sanding with some fine grit sandpaper to smooth it all out was all that was required.

A quick look around the shed found some spray paint with rust inhibitor built in, in a nice neutral grey matt finish.

TIP: when applying spray paint, follow the directions on the can, they always say apply light coats. It works, you get a much better finish from many fine coats than from one thick, running coat.

Next was the table top. Being chipboard or partical board, and probably from the Dark Ages, it had swollen, flaked, desintegrated, broken, lifted etc. if you knocked on it, more fell off, if it weren’t for the structurally sound floral wallpaper on the top surface, the knitting machine would have ended up in someones lap years ago. To the garbage pile it went!

From previous “DIY handy person” projects of mine, I had some Melamine sheet left over. Maybe called something different in other countries, the white, laminated on each side stuff they make kitchen cupboards out of.

Anywho, after checking out a different table with a knitting machine still attached (there are a few to look at in mums house) I decided improvements could be made.

For one thing, seeing someone, crawling under a table to get something that has fallen off the back, is well, disturbing The fact that knitting machines are a very narrow item, means the typical table for them is also narrow. Obviously someone way back in time said “just make me a narrow table for my knitting machine to go on” and no more planning was done.

Idea No. 1 More table space for those handy items you like to have close by. As you can see, plenty of space for a yarn cone winder thingy or that G-Carriage you aren’t using at the moment.  Also if the table is pushed up against a wall or mountains of balls of wool and yarn, you can sit the cones of wool you are working with on top of the table, although apparently on the floor is a better spot for them, I’m just saying you could.

Idea No. 2 Why not put a small rail along the back so things can’t fall off? I chose a piece of pine timber which, when lacquered, gives it a bit of a feature, rather than a table-made-out-of-that-kitchen-stuff look.

Idea No. 3 Rounded front corners might be a little more friendly too. Ironing the edge stripping on the curved surface tested my ironing skills, but I was pretty pleased with the result. Be sure the make the radius a decent size so when ironing the edging around it, you don’t crack or break the edge stripping stuff. Its a laminate as well so it just snaps if bent too far.

Tip : When mounting a larger top than normal, on existing legs designed for a knitting machine table, set the legs forward or closer to the knitter. The weight of the knitting machine is more than the counter weight of the back of the table top. You can’t see the other holes under the table in the photo, but I had to move the legs from their initial position after one “experiment” suggested the whole table, (knitting machine included) “would” fall forward.

Finished Product!

Or so I thought… The day I took the photos I was informed of some marvellous invention that allows you to move the whole setup around easily, knitting machine and all. What was it again? Wheels maybe? Yeah I can do it… Next time…