I first put beginner machine knitting lessons on YouTube to help people learn because I didn't have time to give personal lessons, and hardly anyone else is giving lessons, either. People were stranded with machines and no one to teach them to knit.
Many, many new knitters have actually learned to knit from my original YouTube lessons. With these YouTube videos, knitting machines came out of closets, and knitters who never made an actual project before started turning out all sorts of quality items.
From the very start, I got requests for the beginner course on DVDs. If you have a DVD, playing it on a bigger TV or carrying a computer or player next to the knitting machine is easy. Also, some people just don't have the bandwidth to deal with YouTube.
The original videos are okay in a YouTube window, but much too low resolution to put on a bigger TV.
I have now re-filmed all the beginner lessons and added some additional material, using the equipment and software we purchased when we went "professional," in high-definition and with the extra lighting we've learned to use. I've also made some changes and improvements, using some of the things I've learned along the way.
These are filmed very close-up in sharp detail, and I go slowly and explain everything. I did everything but the gauge swatch lesson on a bulky machine with big needles to make things easy-to-see. They are intended for people who never machine knitted before. In other words, this is several hours of closeups of needles, yarn and hands. There are no car crashes or love interest, and no story, but you will be able to see exactly how to do each technique. Here's a sample:
To get the most out of the course, I recommend that you work at least a lesson a day. Watch it, then knit it. Each lesson takes only a few minutes to watch and a few minutes to knit. Your mind continues to process the information and fill in the gaps between knitting sessions if you do a little each day - it's just something about the way we learn. After a month or so, you'd have the hand-and-eye movements mastered, have learned the jargon, and be well beyond the beginner stage. In fact, you will probably know more basic knitting techniques than lots of people who have knitted for years but didn't have the opportunity to learn in a systematic way.
The DVDs are also useful for intermediate knitters who need a reference. That is, if you need a particular technique, you can go to that lesson directly using the menus on the DVDs and the table of contents on the back of the box.
What's included in the DVDs?
Lessons on Disk One:
Thread the Machine
#1 Open Cast-On
#2 E-Wrap Cast-On
#3 Diana’s Cast-On
#4 Latch Tool Cast-On
#5 Plain Hem
#6 Mock Rib Hem
#7 Picot Hem
#8 Shortcut Picot Hem
#9 latch Tool Bind-Off
#10 Tapestry Needle Bind-Off
#11 Tapestry Bind-Off #2
#12 Loop-Through-A-Loop Bind-Off
#13 Crocheting to Cast Off
#14 Transfer Tool Chain Edge BO
#15 Holey Bind-Off
#16 Increasing and Decreasing
 |
| Front & Back of DVD Box |
#17 Short Rowing a Toe
#18 Short Row Shoulder Method #1
#19 Short Row Shoulder Method #2
#20 Short Row a Dart
#21 Carriage Jams, Ripping Out, and Fixing Dropped Stitches
Lessons on Disk Two:
#22 Kitchener Stitch
#23 Mattress Stitch
#24 Shoulder Join Method #1
#25 Shoulder Join Method #2
#26 Idiot Cord
#27 Latched Ribbing
#28 Sew As You Go Seam
#29 Divide & Knit Neck
#30 Gauge Swatch
#31 Turning a Cable
#32 Increase Several Sts at Edge
#33 Decrease Several Sts at Edge
#34 Gather Stitches
#35 Increase Stitches Across Row
Purchase with PayPal:
Knitting Machine Dealers: As a former machine knitting dealer, I am certain these DVDs will get your customers knitting and well past any frustration in the shorted possible amount of time. If you want to purchase in quantity, email me for quantity prices, diana_knits "at" sbcglobal "dot" net.
Purchase with PayPal:
Diana! You are amazing, this is wonderful DVD set; so clear and detailed, you make us feel as if we are looking right over your shoulder. I received mine last night and have already gone through them.
ReplyDeleteNot being a brand new MK'r I have already learned a lot from you when I started, this, is an awesome tool for new and experienced MK'rs. Will be using the DVD's for reference (to keep me focused I guess! LOL) when I run across something I do not do often. Quite a few things on the DVD's I have never seen or done prior.
HIGHLY recommend to anyone thinking about it. Great value too.
Thanks so much as always!
Tom
Diana, please can you tell me where I might find a pictorial tutorial for how to mount a knitting machine on a metal stand. I just got one and while the instructions show clearly how to put it together, it's not so clear how to put the machine on the stand once it's assembled.
ReplyDeleteThank you
Charlene
I like those stands. I don't know about a pictorial on that. Most metal stands have about 1-1/2" square steel tops. Try securing the clamps on the bottom of the machine first and then have a friend help you clamp them to the stand.
ReplyDeleteI am SO excited about these DVDs... I ordered a set and will be waiting anxiously... I'm a very new MKer and have been gleaning a bit of info here and there and with books and web groups and even a video specific to my machine... but I was longing for a "live" teacher to help me with some basic moves that were just seeming so tedious to learn when I'm reading word by word and moving along so slowly. Even the manufacturer video misses so many basic things I'd like to learn. I have a very slow, rural dial-up connection so all those you-tube videos were of no use to me. THANK YOU for providing something to fill in the gaps for those of us who can't find a live local mentor. I ran across you mentioning your blog in one of the Yahoo groups I was skimming through. I'm so glad your post caught my eye and I found you!
ReplyDeletehello diane can you help me please can you let me know if you a dvd for beginers km course for toyota knitting machine and ribber ks950/kr506 as i know i cant get anything here in the uk.do you ship to the uk?....heres hopeing you can help ....susan
ReplyDeleteMy beginner lessons were all done on Brother machines. Toyota and Brother have a lot in common, and most Toyota and Studio knitters have been happy with the lessons. There are differences, of course, but most of the information is still very useful.
ReplyDeleteI used to be a Toyota dealer. As I recall, the punch cards interchange, but you have to turn them over for lace. The ribber has Simulknit (but ribbing is not covered in the beginner course). Toyota has a better, weight cast-on comb. Those are the primary differences.