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Sunday, February 13, 2011

Click! A Small Big Improvement in Your Machine Knitting

When I first learned to machine knit, I knitted very fast.  I was excited.  I was fascinated at how fast the machine produced knitted fabric.

Well, sort of.

That is, I pushed the carriage very fast until something went wrong.  Something went wrong quite often.  I got edge loops, jams, weights on feet, you name it.  My knitting was also uneven.

Then I learned two small tips that made big improvements.
  1. Push the carriage s l o w l y.  Oh, not crawlingly slow, just reasonably slow.  You're looking for a calm, patient frame of mind.  Repeat after me: "I am not a fast knitter. I don't make a 7-minute anything.  I am a good knitter."  
  2. Stop at the click.  Almost all machines make an audible clicking sound when you have pushed far enough.  Stop there.  It's a short distance past the needles.  Listening for this will help with speed, tension and edge problems.


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1 comment:

  1. BellaFebruary 13, 2011 at 9:37 AM

    That's one thing you have taught me by example alone - to knit at a cautious and observant pace.
    I was very taken with speed before, but too many projects were landing on my toes, weights and all.
    The carriage "forgot to knit the stitches" in it's frantic dash across the bed.
    One thing I still can't do while I knit is talk!

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