Welcome

... to the Machine Knitting 101 blog. Over the next few months I'm going to post pictures of various MK techniques, so this will become an online reference guide for how things look!

There will be pictures of various cast-ons, cast-offs, cables etc. It should be an interesting resource!

Anatomy of a carriage - main bed and ribber

A - tension dial. Higher numbers = looser stitches
B - Normal/Hold - to select partial knitting
D - cam buttons - tuck, slip, fair-isle etc
E - main yarn feeder
G - colour change lever. When raised, will activate colour changer
H - pile knitting lever
I - carriage disengage. Will unlock ribber carriage from main carriage
J - Normal/Hold - to select partial knitting
K - tension dial. Higher numbers = looser stitches
L - Slip levers. Carriage will slip stitches in that direction, if lever set to 0. Used for circular knitting.
Z - electronic cable connection (obscured by handle)

Carriage shown is an SK840 electronic machine, and SRP60N ribber

Anatomy of a carriage - main bed

A - tension dial. Higher numbers = looser stitches
B - Normal/Hold - to select partial knitting
C - card select, normal knitting, carriage release
D - cam buttons - tuck, slip, fair-isle etc*
E - main yarn feeder
F - contrast yarn feeder

* carriage shown is a Brother chunky KH260. As this machine has no lace, the fair-isle button is split in two, and can also do punchlace

Short-rowing: photo tutorials

Short rowing part 1 - one side only - useful for shoulder shapings, sideways-knit skirts, mitred corners.

Short rowing part 2 - diagonal

Short rowing part 3 - both sides - useful for sock toes.

Cast off: Figure of 8

Figureof8a, originally uploaded by steel breeze.

Figureof8b, originally uploaded by steel breeze.

Knit last row as normal.
Needles in WP.
*Knit nd1 back by hand to make loose stitch. Bring needle out to Holding, Fig A, insert transfer tool from back to front towards yourself, turn transfer tool round, and leaving stitch on 1st needle, hang loop on transfer tool onto needle 2.* Two loops on needle 2. Rept. from*

You have total control over slackness of loop.

Useful for full needle rib cast offs, also useful to bind two edges together where stretch is needed.

Thanks to Alison Lee for sending this!

Increase: simple

inc-simple, originally uploaded by steel breeze.

Move an extra needle into work on the edge of the knitting. Produces a ragged edge.

Increase: Fully fashioned with 3 prong tool

inc-fully3, originally uploaded by steel breeze.

Using the three-pronged tool, increase three stitches and place the heel of the 4th stitch onto the empty needle. Kind of equivalent of kfb (knit forwards and back into same stitch).