Needle Quest – Part 2
If you read Part 1 of this series, you will know that I was on a quest for suitable needles for a Bellinky linker. They are virtually impossible to get as it turns out, and although I have a stash, they won’t last forever, and other people are in need of them as well. I won’t keep you reading for no reason: the new needles work perfectly! But not without a few adjustments, so read on if you’d like details. I received the 88×1 needles (very quickly might I add) and look how closely they resemble the Orange PYE-2 needles: I apologize in advance, by the way, for these photos.…
Ten-Minute Dishcloth
This is a pattern I came up with out of necessity. What do you do when all the dishcloths are dirty or have wandered away, the washing machine is full, the dryer is broken, and you just want to clean something? Well in my case, you make a dishcloth. OK that, plus I have a lot of worsted weight cotton I want to use up. For me a dishcloth has to have some specific requirements: It has to hang over my tap or sink nicely, without dangling too much. Too big and it hangs all in the way of the handle, too small and it falls off into the sink.…
New Toy: The Bellinky Linker
Have you heard of a linker/linking machine? Some of the hardcore knitters probably have, and probably use one. Maybe you’ve seen the Hague style – a big cylinder type thing with spikes all around the outside? Looks like a torture device or something for making sausage? Anyway, linkers are machines that are used for linking or seaming together pieces of knitting with a chain stitch instead of hand sewing. There are different things referred to as linkers – some which operate on the knitting machine and move along the bed, linking together open stitches, like the SC-3 carriage for Silver Reed type machines, or the Hague cylinder style linker (although…
So I picked up two Brothers the other day…
Look at that capital B doing a LOT of heavy lifting. If you follow my Instagram you already know I am talking about knitting machines and not anything more salacious. A Brother KH940 standard gauge and a Brother KH260 chunky/bulky gauge machine both came to live with me recently. I wasn’t looking for more machines, but the ad came up for me on F*ce*ook Marketplace, and with a price so good I initially thought it was a scam, or the machines were smashed to pieces. Not a scam, just a really, really good deal, and it HAD to be mine. I received: The Brother 260 main bed, including all parts,…
Mini Santa Hat Knitting Pattern for the Superba with GLTC
Hello! It’s been a hot minute since I posted here, but I have a new pattern for you today, just in time for the holiday season. This pattern is for mini Santa hats, in two sizes, knit circular on the Superba double bed machine. It has garter stitch trim, so you’ll want the GLTC or regular transfer carriage to make it easier. Download the free PDF from here or my Ravelry store, (Username: HeatherMakesStuff) and give them a whirl! Cheers! Heather
Adjusting Sensors and Cursor Timing if SuperbaKnit is Mispatterning
Hello again everyone! I didn’t get much knitting done over the summer (funny how I don’t want to be locked away in a basement making winter clothes when the sun is shining, birds singing, etc.) but some of you may know from my Instagram that our basement overhaul was finally completed, and I moved my beloved Superba knitting machine back downstairs. Because I wasn’t using it very much, and hadn’t tried to knit fair isle at all, I didn’t realize that I was having a problem with SuperbaKnit mispatterning, until a month or two later when I went to knit a couple of hats. I took the first one off…
Knitting with the Superba Forma
If you saw my last post, about installing the Forma, this post is probably not coming as a shock to you 😉 This video is a bit longer than my others have been, and I swear it’s cursed, because it took me about ten tries to film each chunk. However, I think it covers most of what you need to know to start knitting using your Superba Forma. I will upload another video if I ever finish the garment – maybe I’ll cover how to knit the front and back, because I STILL can’t figure out how you’re meant to do it. As always with new equipment, the best place…
The Superba Forma
This green beauty is the Superba Forma. If you are not familiar with it, it is Superba’s version of a knitleader or knit radar, that is, a device that allows you to knit from a drawing of a garment instead of from written instructions. This particular unit is new to me, and I was THRILLED to find someone who had one for sale. I know there are computer programs that do this kind of thing, but I enjoy the simplicity of putting a piece of paper in the unit, setting it up, and knitting along. I had a knit radar on my Singer 360 (they are built into the machine),…
“RetroBrite”: Lightening up Old, Yellowed Plastics
If you follow me on Instagram (and you should!) you will have seen these photos already, but I thought I’d throw a post together with some more details. My basement knitting/sewing room has been recently renovated, and I am finally getting all my things back out that have been packed away for almost a year, including my Singer SK155 bulky/chunky machine and ribber combo. I bought that machine for a song, and it knits perfectly, but it was extremely yellowed from being exposed to sunlight. (This is normal, and due to a chemical added to these old plastics to enhance fire retardant abilities.) It doesn’t affect anything knitting-wise, but cosmetically…
More Lace Knitting on the Superba
I’m back at it again, this time showing you how to knit a different lace pattern. Instead of knitting two rows and then transferring stitches back to the front bed, this style tucks three rows on the back bed, then knits through the loops, before transferring back to the front bed. The result is a different looking lace, with larger holes: I think it’s quite beautiful, and it’s so simple to knit. All you need is your machine, the GLTC, and the instruction book for the GLTC, which can be found here if you don’t have a hard copy. You can apply the same instructions to a multitude of stitch…
