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Master’s Designer, LLC

Marjorie J McDonald Knitwear Designer

Heavy Yarn Techniques for Passap Knitters

Websites: www.passapknitter.com www.passapknitter.com/members www.esix.knittingtofit.com

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No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, mechanical or electronic, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without express written permission from Master’s Designer, LLC and or our legal representatives.

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Legal Notices

While all attempts have been made to verify information provided in this publication, neither Master’s Designer, LLC or the partners thereof, assume any responsibility for errors, omissions, or contrary interpretation of the subject matter herein.

The purchaser or reader of this publication assumes responsibility for the use of these materials and information. The author and/or partners of Master’s Designer, LLC assume no responsibility or liability whatsoever on the behalf of any purchaser or reader of these materials.

This publication is intended to provide information about how to begin or how to improve your Passap machine knitting skills.

Adherence to all applicable copyright laws and regulations in the United States or any other jurisdiction is the sole responsibility of the purchaser or reader. The author and instructor of Passap Knitter assumes no responsibility or liability whatsoever on the behalf of any purchaser or reader of these materials. This information may not under any circumstances be used or be copied by any persons other than the original author in whole or in part for any teaching purposes whatsoever nor supplied to others as written notes or handouts.

Any perceived slights of specific individuals or organizations are unintentional.

Passap is a registered trademark of MADAG Maschinen-und Apparatebau Dietikon AG. CH- 8953 Dietikon / Switzerland

This material is about my experience with this machine and how I have used it successfully. I am not a representative for the company nor do I speak on their behalf.

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Heavy Yarn Techniques for Passap Knitters

Foreword from Marjorie J McDonald

I would like to THANK YOU for your interest in finding ways to increase your Passap machine knitting skills…

In my Heavy Yarn Techniques for Passap Knitters, I teach several ways to help you accelerate your search for what type of knitting techniques you prefer and show you how to get started. You see, when it comes to knitting, it is all about the relationship you are creating with your selection of stitch patterns and techniques and color and texture combinations. Which pattern and technique are the best for the type of knit fabric you want to create? What colors or textures will enhance your finished knit item? But the most important, what yarn is going to give you the effect you are looking to create in the finished knit item.

It is this ‘inside’ information that I want to share with you here in this Heavy Yarn Techniques for Passap Knitters, I have parted the curtains to bring you the inside scoop on the multi-billion dollar fashion industry and what part knitting has played in the industry. Showing you the value of using your knitting machine and creating color and texture in your knitting, using yarns that are not the usual to give you a complete understanding of the process of how to start and sustain your ability to use your Passap knitting machine and to combine colors and textures in your knits and find ways to use yarns most others do not feel they could use.

Whether you are just starting out in machine knitting or you are a seasoned machine knitter, Heavy Yarns for Passap Knitters brings you the latest in machine knitting with yarns most others have not tried. You will be increasing your use of stitch patterns and techniques to create texture with the latest information, strategies, and techniques that can either get you started in using your Passap knitting machine or in combining stitch patterns and techniques done in unusual yarns or yarn combinations in your knits to take the machine knitting you already do to the next level!

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Congratulations on taking this first step by getting this ebook about Heavy Yarns for Passap Knitters. This is the key to tapping into the System on how you are going to learn to use your Passap knitting machine with yarns that are not the average that are used.

You must start at the beginning with the very basics of the machine if you are going to be successful. Once you have a good understanding of the mechanics and what the stitches do in relationship to how the knitting needles travel the needle path through the back and front locks on the Duomatic 80 and the back lock on the E 6000. Once you are aware of that you can move on to the next steps in using the machine and expand your yarn choices.

Once you understand how to use the yarns that are usually used on the knitting machine you will know what to adjust for the heavier yarns not commonly known to work for the Passap.

I am looking forward to taking you to the next level and teaching you the basics to get started on a new adventure and opening up your range of yarn choices.

Happy Knitting and Best Success,

Marjorie J McDonald

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Table of Contents

Introduction to Passap Knitting Basics Foreword 4

Introduction 7

Chapter 1: Expanding Your Yarn Range 8

Chapter 2: What Are Grouchy Yarns 13

Chapter 3: Sort Your Yarn Stash 14

Chapter 4: About Stitch Size 15

Chapter 5: Your Only Limitation 17

Chapter 6: Let’s Get Started 20

Chapter 7: After The Swatch 26

Chapter 8: General Tips 29

Chapter 9: Your Next Steps 31

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Introduction to Passap Knitting

As a knitwear designer and fiber artist, I often hear, “I LOVE how you used colors and/or textures in that scarf or shawl or wrap or sweater, but could never do it myself.” Well, today I are going to share with you some insider tips and skills so that you really CAN do it yourself.

So, let’s get started!

This information offers the “Why” as well as the “How”.

This information is for all of you out there who love beautiful yarn. Sometimes we are being stopped by the feeling that “oh, I can’t knit THAT yarn on my knitting machine” and do not know it is possible to do just that.

Your Passap knitting machine is an incredibly versatile machine, and with a little knowledge and patience from you, can knit yarns which no other knitting machine can knit.

The stripper system is what gives someone the ability to knit a lightweight and a heavyweight yarn in the same row, allowing you to knit much heavier yarn than you would think.

A trip to your local yarn shop will give you all kinds of possibilities for interesting yarns to try. Look through the choices on the shelves; check the bargain bin or where they have just a few balls or skeins left that you could select from for your project. You don’t need much to practice and the resulting swatches will help you determine which techniques to try on your special yarns.

Even if you never knit anything but a swatch with the yarn, you will learn how to deal with that type of yarn. You could take a feeding eyelet with you as a guide. Try fuzzy mohair, shiny rayon, nubby boucle, lovely cottons and exquisite wools.

NOTE: If the yarn will go through the feeding eyelet, you can probably knit it with at least one of the following methods!

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Chapter 1: Expanding Your Yarn Range

The model books for your knitting machine always give you the yarn yardages for every pattern. Since many of the yarns they used to knit those model garments are no longer available to us, we have to find substitutions from the yarns we can find today.

If you are not familiar with figuring out the yardages of common machine knitting yarns as well as yarns at the local yarn shop that might be great choices to try on the knitting machine, that is important to know how to do.

Most yarns usually either have the number of ounces on the skein or the yards per pound for the cone but this is not always what you find. If you can have a calculation system to use, you can determine what you have to work with for every yarn so you will have an idea if it would work with your knitting machine and what stitch size might be suitable to start with when you begin your knitting.

Machine Knitting Yarns

Very Fine machine knitting yarns 6000-8000 yards per pound Ex: petite 2/30, 2/20, 2/24, and 2/30 acrylic yarns

Fine machine knitting yarns 3000-4000 yards per pound Ex: cotton flake, estilo, kitty 2/14

Yarns usually selected for machine knitting yarns 2000-3000 yards per pound Ex: 5/2 cotton, wool-ray, Tamm Diamante, Astracryl, Cristal, Rayito, Trenzi, Varsity, Spirit Medium yarns 1100-2000 yards per pound Ex: Nordic, Sport 2/7, Can Cun, Micro-Tamm Tamm perle` (this yarn is available in ½# 735 yards)

Hand Knitting Yarns

To find the yards per pound for hand knitting yarns, multiply the yards per ounce by 16 to get the yards per pound.

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If the yardage given is for 1.75 ounces, then multiply by 9.1 16 divided by 1.75 = 9.1 is how I got that figure and what to do if your yarn label is not in even number of ounces (oz) = your yardage.

Here are common listings found on hand knitting yarn converted to yards per pound using this method.

50 yards per 1 ounce X 16 = 800 yards per pound 75 yards per 1 ounce X 16 = 1200 yards per pound 100 yards per 1 ounce X 16 = 1600 yards per pound 150 yards per 1 ounce X 16 = 2500 yards per pound 188 yards per 1 ounce X 16 = 3000 yards per pound 250 yards per 1 ounce X 16 = 4000 yards per pound

Measurement Systems

Different manufacturers use different measurement systems so that can further confuse the discovery of what yarns will work on your machine. Since yarn count is tied to the type of fiber, this is an important determination to make.

You can go online or to your local library and find information about burn tests for fibers that will help you identify your fiber content. Sometimes the burn test will yield odd results if the yarn is a blend so just be alert to what is happening when you do this.

That will also allow you to know how to care for your knit items once they are completed.

Understanding More About Yards per Pound or Yarn Count

Yarn Count

All yarn manufacturers identify yarn in terms of size and weight with a number system.

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Yarn count, sometimes referred to as thread count, is the number of yards required to make one pound of size 1 cotton, linen or wool using these assigned numbers.

Manufacturers Assigned Numbers by Type of Yarn

Cotton, spun silk 840 Linen, help, jute, ramie 300 Woolen spun wool 256 Worsted spun wool 560

There are three factors that affect the number of yards per pound or YPP

 The type of fiber  The number of plies  The size of a single ply

Since the count system is mathematically accurate, it provides the foundation for identifying unlabelled yarn and calculating yarn factors that aren’t listed on the label.

Given 3 of the 4 factors (count, size, plies and yards per pound) you can easily calculate the missing information.

YPP = size divided by plies x count

Count = YPP divided by size x plies

Size = YPP divided by count x plies

Plies = count divided by YPP x size

Yarn that is measured by the count system will have a label that reads something like: 10/3 cotton

This label identifies the yarn as a: 3-ply # 10 cotton at 2800 YPP 840 X 10 =8400 / 3 = 2800 yards / pound

To use the system and find the yardage, multiply the count times the yardage of size.

A size 20 cotton labeled 20/1 840 X 20 = 16,800 yards / pound

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For a plied yarn, multiply the count times the yardage of size 1 and divide by the number.

A size 20 cotton 2 ply 20/2 sometimes written (2/20) 840 X 20 = 16,800 / 2 = 8,400 yards / pound

Wraps per Inch

WPI is another way to determine which yarns can be substituted for each other, especially where one of the yarns is a blend or when two yarns have different fiber content.

Because it is easier to see the size of a yarn from its WPI rather than its count or YPP, knowing how to determine WPI is an excellent tool for selecting new yarns or sorting your yarn stash.

Common WPI measurements are: Lace 18 or more Sock/Fingering 16 Sport 14

If you have been machine knitting for awhile you may be familiar with some of the common yarns used earlier in the machine knitting magazines and patterns. Some are no longer available but substitutions for them are usually available when you know the yards per pound of those yarns. You may hear them referenced in the posts or in patterns others are recommending.

Bramwell Duomagic was 4100 yards per pound and knit double bed at stitch size 3 to 4

Wool/rayon referred to as woolray was 2200 yards per pound and knit up well at stitch size 5 or 5.1 (meaning 1 click above the 5)

Sport weight yarns, about 1600 yards per pound knit well single bed at stitch size 6.5 and up (meaning 2 clicks above the 6)

Wool yarn, about 1100 yards per pound knits well at single bed stitch size of 7.5 to 8

Cotton yarn of this same yardage knits well with fine yarn and gives great texture.

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Weighing Your Yarn or Garment

Occasionally, I use a scale if I have knit a sweater and do not have quick access to the information to see how much I used in yarn when I knit the original. By weighing the sweater and then weighing the yarn, I can tell if I have or am buying enough yarn to make a sweater in the same or smaller size. This is very useful when purchasing more expensive yarns when you do not want to have a lot left over.

Just the simple calculations shown will help you increase your flexibility considerably. This gives you the confidence to move forward and reduces the stress of sorting out the information that is currently still available if the yarn suggested is not.

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Chapter 2: What Are Grouchy Yarns

What makes a yarn difficult to knit?

 The size of the yarn  The lack of resilience of the yarn o Cotton o Chenille  Hairy yarns o mohair  Fragile yarns o Chenille o Fine angora  Nubby yarns o Boucle o Slubs o Some Tweeds  The lack of the memory of the yarn o Chenille o Rayon o Cotton o Acrylic

Some yarns have 2 or more of these characteristics so that contributes to your knowledge base when selecting so you know in advance what to watch as you knit with them.

What makes a yarn easier to knit?

 Resilience  Memory o Will stretch then return to original shape

Knitting with difficult yarns requires patience and practice but it is so worth it to knit with them because of what you are able to achieve in the resulting knit fabrics.

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Chapter 3: Sort Your Stash

If you have a reasonably large stash of yarn, chances are good that you have a variety of labels and a combination of skeins, balls and cones. Occasionally when yarns come with a machine you have purchased from someone else, your items may not have labels at all.

Common Yarn Sizes WC = worsted count CC = cotton count

Fine 1 ply = 2/36 WC or 42/2 CC = ~10,080 yd/lb

Full 1 ply = 2/30 WC or 20/2 CC = ~ 8400 yd/lb

Fine 2 ply = 2/20 WC or 14/2 CC = ~ 5600 – 5880 yd/lb

Full 2 ply = 2/16 WC or 10/2 CC = ~ 4200 – 4480 yd/lb

3 ply = 2/12 WC or 8/2 CC = ~ 3360 yd/lb (fingering weight)

4 ply = 2/8 WC or 5/2 CC = ~ 2100 – 2240 yd/lb (sport weight)

Yes, the DM 80 and the E 6000 can be used to knit these yarns.

You can use any size yarn as long as it will fit into the needle and is not hard to pull down when you have the yarn on the machine doing a sample. Occasionally, I have found that even though it will fit into the needle because of the stickiness of the yarn it is hard to move the lock over it and knit with it. In this instance, if you really want to knit with the yarn you can try waxing or yarn spray. If it is still too difficult try one on the 1 strand thin 1 strand heavy techniques before you give up on working with it.

The details of the yarn and the way it feels will help you zero in on what might be the problem if you are encountering one. If the locks moved easily across the bed without any yarn you then can immediately identify that it has to be something to do with the yarn.

If you need additional help in sorting your yarn you can find a great 2 eBooks at http://www.knittingcolor.com/options/ One is about knitting with color and a touch of texture which gives you tools to learn how to combine colors and put new color combinations together and the second one is turn yarn piles into scrumptious styles which shows you how to sort and organize your yarns so you have them ready when you want to knit. Both of them are essential to helping you to apply this information.

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Chapter 4: About Stitch Size

Approximate stitch sizes for where to start are on page 9 in the E 6 manual for smooth yarns. Because this is shown in the metric system we need to add in some additional factors if you are not familiar with the metric system. For those who use the metric system, this information can help you calculate yarn for patterns not written that way.

The gauge swatch measurements are calculated using a 10-centimeters, or 4 inch square.

Listed below are important metric conversion facts. Rounded up to the next decimal, these additional measurements will come in handy when determining yardage per skein or calculating an accurate stitch and row gauge swatch measurement.

1 lb. = 454 [453.6] grams 1 oz. = 28 [28.4] grams 8.8 oz. = 250 grams 15.9 oz = 450 grams 3.57 oz. = 100 grams 1 inch = 2.54 cm 1 cm = .3937 inches 10 cm = 3.937 inches 1 meter = 100 cm = 39.37 inches = 1.0936 [1.094] yards

Ex: Using the sports yarn 3-ply shown on page 9 in your E 6000 manual you will know how much yarn and what approximate stitch size to use to start knitting your item.

Sports yarn 3-ply 310-320 m = length metres per 100 g 100 g = 3.57 oz which will help you calculate amount of yarn Mast tension 3 - 4 Stitch size for Stockinette 6.5 - 7.5 Stitch size for K / K 4.5 – 4.75 Stitch size for 1:1 rib 3.5 – 4

Medium yarn 2-ply 430-440 m = length per 100 g 100g = 3.57 oz which will help you calculate amount of yarn Mast tension 2.5 - 3 Stitch size for stockinette 5.75 - 6.25 Stitch size for K / K 3.25 - 3.5 Stitch size for 1:1 rib 2.5 - 3

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Industrial Yarn 800 m = length per 100 g 100g = 3.57 oz which will help you calculate amount of yarn Stitch size for stockinette 4.5 - 5.25 Stitch size for K / K 1.75 - 2

This gives you a place to start but you will need to try different stitch sizes in the yarn swatches you are knitting to get the exact stitch size for the yarn on your particular knitting machine as each of the machines vary slightly.

If a yarn is dense and tightly spun it will knit up different than one that is spun loosely and is a fluffy so exact yard per pound will need to be adjusted to be sure you have enough yarn to complete your project.

Once you have sorted your yarns into types and weights, begin with the simplest stitch techniques and easiest yarns and work your way through the techniques given.

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Chapter 5: Your Only Limitation

Physical limitations of the knitting machine itself determine what ultimately can be knitted.

 The needles are spaced 5 mm apart  The hooks of the needles hold a finite amount of yarn  The needle can pull down a loop of yarn to make the stitch only so big

However, there are many other variables to explore in the quest to expand the range of yarns which may be knitted on the machine.

By knitting one stitch heavy yarn and one stitch of a lightweight yarn the heavy yarn can ‘borrow’ space from the light yarn. Keep this in mind as you work through the techniques.

Don’t overlook the possibility of knitting 1 heavy yarn with 2, 3 or 4 color double bed knitting. Using 1 yarn, 1100-1400 yards per pound with others that are lighter can make a beautiful textured fabric.

Use the finest yarn as the main yarn and the others will peek through, creating an interesting effect. Rayon chenille and rayon work especially well for this technique.

Using an eyelash yarn as the contrast yarn and a fine yarn as the main yarn will allow the eyelashes to expand through all of the stitches making a soft textured knit fabric.

There is a fine line between extending the range of what your machine can knit and damaging your machine. Use only good quality yarns for this so you give yourself every opportunity to succeed. It may be necessary to give a good push to the lock to get the first row started but if it continues to be very difficult you would want to try a different technique or others that are shown to see if one of them might work.

Keep records of your swatches with these heavier yarns so if you want to do a knit project in the future you will have a place to start. Any additional notes will help you have a more fun experience in the real project too.

How and What to Record

 What kind of yarn  Single bed or double bed  Which strippers black, orange or blue

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 Tension on the mast  How many stitches  How many rows  What stitch pattern you used  If you did a 1X1 rib before you started the knitting how many rows did you knit  Any special notes for handling the yarn you needed to do

This will be a valuable resource for you with all of your knitting but especially with the heavier yarns.

Play with a number of combinations to really stimulate your creativity. It is so satisfying to have your results in your samples so you can begin to increase your design choices with ease. You might not want to do that color scheme right now but at a later time it might be the one you go for immediately. Different events and times of the year can spark the interest you may have in putting those colors together for that season or time of the year.

Having this done in advance does several things for you. You become familiar with the pattern, you can really have a sense of if you like the texture and you will know what things might be problems that you might encounter when you get ready to do the actual knitting. You will have a sense of how much time to allow for the knit project so you do not cut your time short and not get it competed for the date and time you wanted.

You will have the confidence you need to approach this project and know you will be able to complete it with ease which makes the satisfaction level go way up for you. Most of all you will feel like you have a number of things to choose from and that is always a great feeling.

Start your first test swatch over 20 needles on the right side of the middle to save time and energy especially if you are using several yarns and have to be in and out of the color changer frequently. Once you determine that the yarn will work then you can set up your larger swatch to determine your gauge.

Casting – On

Always cast-on with a contrast yarn. I often in the real piece use a blending color that I can turn up for the hem so the weight is reduced in that area.

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1:1 makes it easy to add weights and then to transfer to the desired needle bed set up when you get to the yarns you want to try out.

Handle up  1:1 set up in needle rule  Orange strippers  Contrast yarn SS 2  RC 000 knit one row to left. Hang on comb and weights  RC1 Lock to left. Increase SS to 4 Change lock setting to CX/CX Remove strippers, knit 2 rows. Lock on left.  RC 3 Change to N/N knit to right  Cast on complete Add orange strippers knit to RC12  RC 12 Increase Stitch size to at least 5. Transfer, if necessary, to desired needle bed set-up. Knit at least 4 rows with your specialty yarn. Increase SS if needed.  Determine if SS needs to be adjusted and see what SS will work best  Now you are ready to knit the gauge swatch  Keep notes of all of the steps especially SS for your future reference.

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Chapter 6: Let’s Get Started

Single Bed Knitting

Single bed knitting (stocking stitch or stockinette) and its variations may give surprisingly beautiful results. These work well for yarn I call borderline yarns that are 1000 – 1600 YPP that range in stitch size from 6.5 – 8 Just let the yarn do the work by itself using the basic stitch patterns.

Starting Steps

 Cast on as above.  Transfer all stitches to the front bed.  Use the black strippers  Change to main yarn  SS 7- 8  Locks N /GX  Knit 10 rows  Lower front bed to look at knitting – If knitting OK raise front bed  Try one of the following

Intarsia

 2 colors for the DM 80  2, 3 or 4 colors for the E 6000 see pictures starting on page 115 in pattern manual  Look at knitting techniques page 169-170 in E 6 pattern book # 245-248

Rib Set- Up

 Transfer to 4 X 6 or 8 X 8 o NOTE: the more stitches in the group the less elasticity the knit fabric will have

 Experiment with different combinations alone and mixed together EX: l . l . l l . . l l . . l l l . . . l . l . . l . l . . l l . . l l . . . l l l . l . l

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Cables Stitches

Cables can take time but, if you enjoy them, it is worth the time you spend to create them. 4 stitch cables are the easiest to do. Purl stitches are on one bed and the stockinette stitches are on the other bed. You can turn the cables o n either bed, just make a note of which are easiest for you to do so in the future you can do the set-up without getting everything done and recognizing the reverse set up was the easier one for you to do.

 Machine knit cables look the best with at least 1 purl stitch on either side.  Try turning the cables every 8-10 rows  You do not need to cable on every group of 4 needles  With 2 of your yellow tools, take the stitches off of their needles o Put the 2 stitches from the right tool onto the left needles o Put the 2 stitches from the left tool onto the right needles  Remember your order so you can repeat it the same way

Baby Cables

 Use 2 decker tool  Take stitches off needles  Turn 360 degrees  Return stitches to their same needles  Can be done in groups of 2 with 4 stitches next to each other o Turn one pair and then the other  Can be done on single needles in 1 X 1 rib o Make the twists on the needle bed that will be the right side of your item o Use orange tool or double eyed bodkin

Drop Stitch Lace

 Single bed technique done on double bed  Cast on  Be sure there are 2 stitches fewer on the front bed on each side of the knitting  Move all stitches to back bed  Program drop stitch pattern T 256 is nice see page 173 E 6 pattern manual  Back bed pusher in rest under every needle in work  Black strippers

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 Back Lock to BX   Front Lock to LX  Knit 2 rows with yarn  Knit 2 rows without yarn o On the rows with no yarn, the back bed arrow key will put all of the pushers down, nothing will knit on the front bed, all stitches will drop making lace  Give a tug to the cast on comb to be sure the stitches are dropping off

For DM 80  N / HX knit 2 rows  Knit 2 rows front lock only Deco on 4

Drop Stitch

 Set up for double bed knitting  Use a smaller stitch size Try 5-6  Knit 2 rows  Drop all front bed stitches  Back bed stitches will now be longer  All stitches on back bed  Black strippers  Pusher in rest under every back bed needle  Front bed needle in work for every back bed needle  Back Lock BX   Front Lock N  Knit 2 rows with yarn  Knit 2 rows without yarn  All front bed stitches will drop  Tug on cast on comb to pull yarn off front bed stitches

Every Other Needle

 Use every 4th needle to cast on for 1 X 1 rib with cast on 5  Hang cast on comb, weights  Knit a few rows and transfer to 1 bed  Knit with every other needle single bed  Try SS 5 or 6

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 Try Knitting techniques 135, 136 on page 144 of E 6 pattern book  To knit fairisle on every other needle, enlarge pattern in width X 2 for the E 6 and for the DM 80 use a punch card with pattern doubled in width. Make sure your pattern is only 20 stitches wide for your swatch and multiples of 20 for larger knit.

Combine Heavy and Fine Yarn

For interesting textures the following techniques will give you very interesting knit fabrics. You will be knitting 2 rows with the heavy yarns and 2 rows for the fine yarn. The fine yarn can be a contrast or a similar color. Try some combinations of each to see which you like and select what will give the project result that you will enjoy.

 Blend colors with sewing thread for extra interest especially if you have a yarn color that is hard to match with the heavy yarn  Add 1 thread to finer yarn for color and more strength

For Single Bed Combination

Use the same color of yarn for a nicely textured knit fabric  Use the same stitch size for both fine and heavy yarn  Knit 2 rows fine yarn  Knit 2 rows heavy yarn

Try variegated yarn and one plain yarn  Chenille for plain - rayon for variegated  Cotton tweed – one plain yarn

Programmed Stitch Patterns

Cast On Group 1  SS 5  Orange strippers  All needles between end needles in working position  Handle down  RC 000 N /N knit 1 row to left  Hang cast on comb and weights  Remove strippers  CX /CX Knit to right and back to left  RC 3 lock to right  When teeth from the cast on comb are no longer visible add orange strippers  Cast on complete

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Stitch Pattern 1

E-6000  Stitch Pattern 1000 Technique 180  Decrease stitch size for tuck pattern stitches on front bed  Front bed pushers 1 up 1 down  Back bed pushers 1 in rest 1 in work

DM80  Pushers 1 up and 1 down on both beds

Possible Options:

 Boucle or tweed for heavy yarn  Try different colors for the fine yarn matching colors in the boucle or tweed  3 or 4 very fine yarns together for the 1 fine yarn. Try 3 of same color o Knit 40 rows break 1 strand and change to another color or shade o Knit 40 rows break another one of strands and add 1 of second color . You will have 1 strand of first color and 2 strands of 2nd color o Knit 40 rows Break the 3rd yarn and add 3rd yarn of second color o Knit 40 rows with all color 2  Keep 1 strand of the same color throughout the same garment

Cast On Group 2

 SS 2  1:1 rib  Racking Handle up  Orange strippers  RC 000 N /N knit 1 row to left  Hang cast on comb and weights  Remove strippers  CX /CX SS 4 Knit to right and back to left  RC 3 N / N lock to right Cast on complete  Add orange strippers knit to  RC 11 increase stitch size to size 6 or more  Set up St Pat A with no transfer

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Stitch Pattern 2

E 6000 St Pat A 1000 Technique 180  Enlarge width X 2  Every other needle

DM 80  1 X 1 cast on  1 pusher in work, 1 pusher in rest under needles in work  Every other needle both beds put in the rail

These techniques use every other needle  Have several inches  Cast on over a width of 40 needles to have 20 needles in work  For tuck stitches, decrease stitch size

DM 80 E 6000

BX  \ BX  BX  \ LX

BX   \ BX  BX   \ LX

AX   \ BX  AX   \ LX

AX  \ BX  AX  \ LX

AX   \ AX  AX   \ KX

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Chapter 7: After the Swatch

You can use a garment that you like the shape of to calculate your specialty yarn knit section.

Schematics from hand knitting patterns work well to determine the row and stitches needed.

The large piece right off the knitting machine might be much larger than after it rests and the yarn relaxes so allow extra time for this. Because of the weight and length of the pieces, wearing may influence the yarn sections. Hang before assembling to make sure the pieces do not grow excessively.

A great way to contain the pieces and support them so they do not grow is to do a pad stitch with the pieces for the garment cut out the right size from a sheer fabric like an organza or chiffon. Pad stitch the entire piece. When this is done you might want to plan to put in a lining to cover the pad stitching. This is very effective to allow the garment pieces to keep their shape. If you do not know how to do this, find someone who does tailoring and have them pad stitch your sections.

Ribs and Welts-Every Needle

Novelty yarns no not generally do well with ribbing. If you are using light weight and heavy weight yarns here are some suggestions:

 Several strands of the fine yarn for ribs  Hand crochet the hem and trim. Use a ravel cord for the last row before beginning main yarn. Pick up these open stitches with a crochet hook and matching of contrast yarn.  Practice the rib and trim on the swatch before you knit the garment pieces so you will know how it is finished and how many stitches you will need to get the effect you would like.

Ribs and Welts-Every other Needle

 Fabric will be quite wide o Do you want the rib or welt to do . Pull in the bottom of your garment . Allow the pieces to hang straight without pulling in at all . Will the welt or rib be functional . Will the welt or rib be a design element

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Ideas to consider:

Full Needle Rib- use when you don’t want the hem of the garment to pull in. Begin with full needle rib and weights.  RC 00 Cast on every needle both beds  Racking handle down  Orange strippers  SS 2 in lighter yarn  N /N Knit 1 row to left  Hang on cast on comb and weights  Remove strippers  SS 4 CX / CX knit 2 rows  RC 3 EX / N or N / EX (the plain side of the knit is EX side) Knit to right, add orange strippers Knit the length desired for the rib. Last row N / N or N / EX Transfer to every other needle set up

Fairisle Rib

 Every needle fairisle for welt  Every other needle for main knitting using same fairisle pattern  2 colors finer complimentary yarn for welt  Heavy and light yarn for main knitting  Program desired fairisle pattern  RC00 Cast on every needle both beds  Racking handle down  Orange strippers  SS 2 lighter yarn  Knit 1 row to left  Hang cast on comb and weights  Remove strippers  CX / CX SS 4 Knit 2 rows  RC 3 N / N Knit to right Add orange strippers  Change to fairisle pattern and knit the number of rows desired for welt.  Change to 1 X 1 set up (or whatever you are using for the main knitting) Use the same fairisle pattern for main knitting that you have used for the welt, but double the width (because you are using every other needle)

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Adding 1 X 1 Rib after the main knitting is completed

Lower the front bed. With the wrong side of the knit facing you, hang the cast on edge of the piece onto the back bed needles, stretching the piece to use as many needles as possible.  Black strippers  Finer yarn May need to be 2-3 strands  SS 5-6  Close front bed  Lock N / GX Knit 1 row to left pulling down of fabric while pushing the lock  Transfer to 1 X 1 rib set up  Orange strippers  Racking handle up  Knit desired number of rows of rib with heavy yarn SS 6-8 as needed  Bind off rib with lock on right  If possible increase stitch size, knit 1 row to left  With orange ruler, push up all needles on both beds until stitches almost ready to drop behind latches. With crochet tool, bind off by pulling one stitch through the next beginning at right of bed.

Keep your swatches with the important details. Use them to advance your knowledge of yarns and of the machine. If a technique does not work try to figure out why it didn’t. You will discover perhaps a way to have it work.

All of these techniques are just the beginning of your yarn adventure and knitting machine exploration. You can really have fun with yarns that no-one thought could possibly work on this knitting machine

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Chapter 8: General Tips

Always begin with a contrast color of yarn

Use cast on comb and weights

Cast on with a 1 x 1 rib

Start with your mast tension on 1-Change as needed

If you are using yarn that is hairy or nubby you may want to use the paraffin disk on wire eyelet to prevent these nubs or hairs from the yarn from getting caught

Transfer to needle bed set up, increase stitch size you will be using for main yarn, knit a few rows then switch to main yarn

Wind your skein or re-wind your ball a second time so you have a center pull you can put into your plastic cups on your mast. Leaving a center pull from the factory and using that sometimes causes the yarn to catch on itself. Re-winding will eliminate that from happening.

Knit slowly and carefully. Watch for loops in the yarn.

A yarn close to the machines capability may need to have you pull down on the cast on comb every few rows so you are sure all of the stitches are knitting off.

Take extra care when:  knitting with a nubby yarn o if one nub knits on top of another nub pull the heel of the needle down to pull the yarn through the stitch  knitting with fuzzy yarn o if the stitches are not knitting off, tug on the cast on comb every row

Tension wire should not touch the mast

Steam all swatches if the yarn content allows for steam.

To steam some yarns creates a soft fabric that drapes and is sometimes referred to as ‘killing’ the yarn. Once you have done this there is no going back to what you had before so really be sure this is what you want for the end fabric.

Keep all of your notes with your swatch in a swatch book you are creating.

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REMINDER: To find out what technique you want to use, make a swatch over 20 needles to determine if the yarn and the technique are working together.

Larger swatches can be made to get the gauge after you know which technique you are going to do.

You can knit to the right of the center when you are doing these swatches to help you with save time and energy if you are using more than one eyelet and need to keep changing

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Chapter 9: Your Next Steps

Because of the choices of what you can do I recommend that you start with one area and increase your confidence by building on your knowledge base.

Start without the console and get the feel of the machine first before you launch into a project that you are not clear about doing. Start simple and then move to more complex.

When you do start programming your console select one stitch pattern and do all of the knit techniques that can be added to it. Try solid colors and then advance into 2 colors, then to 3 colors, then to 4 colors.

Separate your knitting swatch with the different patterns and techniques with a contrast color so you can clearly see the end result and put a label on it for future reference. Using the example of a cookbook, the strip of your stitch patterns and techniques acts like a cookbook so you can make a decision about what you want to do without spending half of the time you have to knit trying to get to what you want to do for that knitting session.

Machine knitting takes perseverance and determination so keep at it until you get the results that you hoped you would get when you decided to begin on this journey.

I have a member site where I do 3 weeks of content about a specific topic and on week 4 I do a recorded webinar/video pulling all of the information together so you can learn to build on your skills as a knitter more quickly. You have access to the materials on your time schedule and can review the materials as often as you need for it to click for you. You can find more information at http://www.passapknitter.com/members

If you want to take a free mini-course about knitting on the Passap you can find that at http://www.passapknitter.com Put in your name and email address in the opt in box.

Or if you prefer video instruction about garments and how to use your machine easily to get fabulous items to wear, you can find that at http://www.esix.knittingtofit.com Look under monthly to get a video per month or under individual to select the garments you prefer by the picture with the explanation of the item.

My goal has been to help you become more familiar with your machine, gain confidence, build your skill and stretch your yarn exploration and choices.

Happy Knitting,

Marjorie J McDonald

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