2 Flat Knitting Definitions You Should Know

begin knitting

When you begin knitting, you soon realize that there is a whole new vocabulary to learn as you go, such as the different flat knitting definitions. Flat knitting is a term used in both hand knitting and industrial knitting to describe a common technique. Of course, depending on what type of knitting you perform, there are different flat knitting definitions. We’ll discuss the two most common definitions in this article in detail.

Flat Knitting Definitions for Hand Knitting

In hand knitting, the term flat knitting refers to a piece of knitting that is turned periodically, usually every row. This technique is also sometimes referred to as back and forth knitting, which is a pretty self-explanatory name. It basically just means that at the end of each row, you turn your work and work backwards until you reach the starting point again. In other words, you work the piece back and forth.

Another way to describe flat knitting is to create a piece of knit fabric that has sides. This can refer to many different types of projects, such as:

• Knit baby blankets
• Knit afghans
• Knit scarves
• Knit throw pillows
• Knit headbands

It can also refer to many other projects, depending on how they are made. For example, while a knit hat is a circular garment, it can be knit flat and then sewn up. Many beginner knitters do this before they feel practiced enough to knit in the round.

Flat knitting

How to Knit Flat

Flat knitting is usually done on two straight needles, although some knitters prefer to work with one set of circular needles instead. The biggest advantage to using circular needles is that you don’t risk losing one of your needles, but it is also easier when working with a large piece of work such as an afghan since circular needles can hold more stitches. Regardless of your needle preference, the technique is still done by turning your work.

The most common stitch in knitting is the stockinette stitch, where all of the little “v’s” are on one side of the fabric. While this is called a knitting stitch, it is actually a stitch combination, since you have to use two different stitches to create the look. These stitches are the knit stitch, and the purl stitch. When looking at the right side of your work, or the side that will face out and be seen, you will use the knit stitch, but once you turn your work, you must use a purl stitch for the next row, since that is basically a knit stitch performed backwards. This allows all of the “v’s” to line up on the right side of the fabric and all of the bumps to line up on the wrong side. This technique provides you with a smooth, elastic finished piece, such as the one commonly seen on sweaters and hats.

Flat Knitting Definitions for Industrial Knitting

While the term flat knitting is pretty self-explanatory when you look at it in terms of hand knitting, it holds a completely different meaning when you consider industrial knitting. Industrial knitting is the process of using knitting machines in order to mass-produce knit material and garments found in stores.

Flat knitting machines use two needle beds to quickly create complex designs and shaped garments for commercial use.

Industrial flat knitting, also referred to as weft knitting, is slower than using a circular knitting machine, but the ability to create more complicated stitch patterns and fitted garments makes up for the lack of speed these machines use.

The advantages of using a flat knitting machine include:

• Flat knitting machines are the most versatile knitting machines available
• Flat knitting machines allow for many different yarns to be used.
• Flat knitting machines are simple to supervise and operate.

As you can see, flat knitting definitions vary depending on the technique you use. As an industrial knitter, using machinery to produce commercial knits, flat knitting refers to what sort of knitting machine is used and what sort of detail can go into your project. For the more common hand-knitter, flat knitting is just the basic knitting. By working back and forth across your rows of knitting, using knit and purl stitches, you can easily master the most common of flat knitting definitions.

Bond Knitting Machine Reviews

Knitting Machine Reviews

Bond Knitting Machines are very popular across the US and the UK. They are especially handy if you want to supplement or add to your handmade knitting work. The reason for this is that most of the Bond Knitting Machines are especially adept at working with the larger yarn generally used for hand-knitting. If you have grown up using the 4-ply or heavier yarns all the way up to the chunky yarns, the Bond Knitting Machine may well be the one you need to enhance your knitting repertoire.

While they claim that you can set everything up and begin using it the first night and complete an entire sweater by the second evening, unless you have previous experience with Knitting Machines, do not expect this will work for you. Still, the Bond Machines are extremely easy to use and provide many excellent features as well as additional patterns and projects available on their website.

One very popular product from Bond is the Pocket Knitter. While this is certainly not the best knitting tool for everyone, it can be especially valuable to introduce someone to the world of knitting who may not be coordinated or otherwise capable of using the two needles by hand. It has also been shown to be extremely helpful to certain people who may suffer from arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome or other issues that prevent them from having more flexibility in their hands.

While the Pocket Knitter is not going to be right for everyone, it is certainly an ingenious device and one that does serve many different purposes quite well. Its real beauty lies in its simplicity based on a simple “wrap and lift” technique that makes it possible for nearly anyone to use … even if they may have difficult holding or handling the more traditional knitting needles.

Bond Knitting Machine

If you have a young “Fashionista” in your family and you have had difficulties getting them to join you with something so “droll” as knitting. The Bond Cool Corder will simply amaze them and get their interest in a hurry. Not only can they make “cool” jewelry items in a matter of moments and sell them for extra cash (school colors work great for keychains, bracelets, necklaces for holding ID cards or cell phones and many other uses) but they can even make fully custom shoelaces for those overly priced (and probably very ugly) tennis shoes or sneakers. Once they see what they can do and what they can earn, you can rest assured that you will have gotten their attention. When they discover how easy and rewarding knitting can be, you may have just started a new family tradition … or brought back an old one.

Bond’s Embellish Knit is another incredibly simple yet extremely handy device. Whether you want to make fancy trimming for your scarves or around the openings in a sweater, they are a snap with this handy and easy to use device. Furthermore, you can make a pretty amazing selections of decorative knots and other embellishments to give your pillows, clothes or anything else that you can knit or sew items onto to highlight it and make it stand out as exceptional rather than being “plain”.

The “Granddaddy” of the Bond Knitting Machines is the Ultimate Sweater Machine. Imagine being able to stitch from 600 to 1200 stitches a minute. With the Ultimate Sweater Machine, you do not have to imagine it anymore. This (incredibly simple) Knitting Machine has proven itself capable of stitching almost twenty inches of cloth in five short minutes. It handles the Chunky Weight Yarns all the way down to the Sport Weight Yarn. It even handles many of the fancy yarns that can be so difficult to manage manually.

While the Bond Knitting Machines may not give you all of the versatility that you had hoped for, they do provide an extreme ease of use and surprising functionality that still makes them valuable tools and an incredible bargain for the price. If you are trying to get someone involved with knitting for the very first time, the Bond Knitting Machines may truly be just the ticket that you need to get them on board.

Machine Knitting Patterns

People who are new to the world of knitting altogether or more specifically to the world of machine knitting may not know this, but machine-knitting patterns can be substantially different from the more traditional Hand-Knit patterns. Still, as the knitting machines become more advanced, they are very handy tools for both product creation and for making really beautiful embellishments for knitted materials or to decorate almost any common household item.

On a more personal note, my favorites are the numerous machine patterns for the knots. I have a very difficult time knitting these by hand but there are numerous knitting machines available at very reasonable prices that have allowed me to create some of the most beautiful adornments for many household items. I use these knots that are created from the machine patterns to adorn throw-pillows, pot-holders, cookie jars and even in the creation of shadow-boxes and some of my other wall hangings.

Knitting machine patterns are not relegated to the simple knots or other smaller jewelry or otherwise decorative items that many people believe them to be. While knitting machines do have their limitations based on numerous factors, they are really quite adept at helping to create some really beautiful works of art and clothing. While many of the knitting machines come with a wide selection of patterns, there are also many more patterns readily available as well as options for creating fully custom knitting patterns.

Knitting machine patterns are also available for many of the fancy yarns that are so difficult to work by hand. The ribbon yarn has long been the bane of many knitters (and hats off to you if you have mastered this) but some of the knitting machines can almost fully automate the process while others make it substantially easier to work this and with some of the other more difficult fancy yarns. While you may not want to create an entire garment from these, you can now create some very beautiful trim and seams for your garments to enhance them and make them even more lovely than they were before.

Some people have a difficult time with the tight knitting on many blouses, capes, socks and other knitting projects that use the sports weight or other lighter yarns. The uniformity of the machines makes these worries and troubles a thing of the past. Machine knitting patterns are readily available for every type of yarn and every type of knitting project. If you were ever concerned that knitting machine patterns would be limited to small knots and other embellishments, you need worry no more. The entire spectrum of knitting projects can be completed in part or in whole with some of the knitting machines that are available these days.

One of the knitting machines that are not often the first thing people think of when thinking about knitting machine patterns are is the flat knitting machines and the numerous patterns that are available for them. Some of the flat knitting machines will require some special attention and maybe changing the yarn(s) a few times, but these patterns can be used to create actual cloth to be used in any number of different projects.

These days, the question is not so much what kinds of machine knitting  patterns are available but what you want to create.

How to Choose a Knitting Machine

There are many commonly held misconceptions about knitting machines. In order to decide which knitting machine will or will not work for you, it is first important to know exactly what you plan to be doing with the knitting machine. You also need to factor in what types of yarn you will be using to knit with as the different knitting machines are set up only for specific types and sizes of yarn. In short, before you decide which knitting machine is the one that you are going to purchase, you need to make certain that it will fit your personal needs.

If you are a very versatile person and commonly knit with many different types, sizes and styles of knitting yarn, it is highly unlikely that you are going to find any single knitting machine that will do everything that you are already able to complete by hand. Furthermore, the knitting machines are not going to be able to create all of the specific knots and stitches that you do. Again, the basic mechanics of knitting make it extremely difficult for all but the most expensive commercial knitting machines to perform even a fraction of what you are currently doing by hand.

Even then, the knitting machines will have different uses and there is still a need for many different and “specialized” knitting machines. Contrary to popular belief, the knitting machines will not fully automate the entire process and greatly increase your output … at least not until you learn all of the little quirks in regards to whatever brand knitting machine you ultimately decide on purchasing. That is because each individual machine is going to be different for more than just the types and sizes of yarn that you are using.

The needles will all be spaced at different intervals depending on the knitting machine that you choose. The latch hooks are all firmly locked into place so the number of threads and the stitch size will always be constrained by this. Thus, you can purchase a knitting machine to stitch heavy yarn for sweaters and such or a knitting machine that will allow you to knit socks but unless you want some really strange looking clothes, you are going to have to compromise some.

Patterns may also be substantially different for knitting by hand than it is for the knitting machines. When you are knitting by hand, all of your stitches will be measured as you go and you have at least a modicum of control over what the final product ends up as. With a knitting machine, you may still have the same control but you lose some of the flexibility that you would have when knitting by hand. The knitting machine cannot see and think the way that a human can so by its very nature, there are always going to be some limitations.

If you only want or need a knitting machine to perform one single function in your production, you will have a much easier time selecting the proper knitting machine. However, if you are looking for a flexible knitting machine that can handle a number of tasks for you, the decision may be a bit more difficult. The two most important things for you to remember are to clearly define what you need the knitting machine to handle and then to learn enough about the knitting machines so that you know which machine will perform that function with the least probability of additional work on your part. Then again, that is why we built this site … so that you could get all of the relevant information and make an informed decision regarding which knitting machine will be best for you. There is unfortunately, no simple answer to this question.

The Right Knitting Machine For You

Hand knitting is a craft that is enjoyed by many people, but if you’re way past the novice level and want to take on the challenge of knitting larger patterns, or your knitting business is at the stage where you can’t keep up with demand by hand knitting alone, or you just want to be able to knit up more items per hour, then maybe it’s time for you to invest in a knitting machine.

When you knit by hand, you create one stitch using two needles. Imagine how much work you can do with a knitting machine that constructs an entire row all at once!

There are three common types of knitting machines: bulky machines, standard beds, and mid-gauge versions. Some are simple looms while some can be highly complex with buttons and dials operating computerized functions.

Heavy sweaters are knitted on a bulky machine, which has needles set 9mm apart and hook and latches that are large enough to work on thick yarns. Bulky machines can also carry out Fair Isle, tuck, slip, lace, intarsia, and other knitting techniques. Studio, Brother knitting machines, and Silver Reed are popular brands of chunky machines.

These knitting machines can be mechanical knitting machines, which allow you to choose from selection of pre-punched cards as well as create your own patterns. Electronic knitting machines have more flexibility and a wider range of uses. They can have around 300 patterns stored in memory which you can turn upside down, mirror, reverse, or double the width or length.

Standard knitting machine beds are typically used to knit suits and lace curtains. Needles are placed 4.5mm apart and the hook and latches are smaller than those on bulky or mid-gauge machines. A standard bed knitting machine usually offers numerous stitch type options and can accommodate very thin yarns.

Electronic standard bed knitting machines allow you to choose from more than 650 templates with more room for customized patterns. Advanced models like the Brother KH970 come with an automatic lace carriage and a computer program that enables you to knit the same sweater with different yarns, gauges and stitch design without re-entering the garment piece.

Mid-gauge knitting machines produce the closest quality to hand-knitted fabrics. With needles set 6.5mm apart, these machines can knit a wide variety of yarns, including baby, sport and worsted types. Lace is done by hand and most models do not have stored patterns or automatic selection of needles. Mid-gauge machines can do some of the most common knitting stitches like stockinet, slip and tuck, as well as techniques involving weaving, plating and ribbing.

When choosing a knitting machine, decide on what type of yarn you want to use, what features you need, and how much you’re willing to spend. A row counter, ribber, and tension mast are necessities in a knitting machine. Some special features you may want to consider are lace carriages, garter bars, punch cards, automatic color changers, and intarsia carriages.

It is best to get a knitting machine with these extended features so that as you get more confident with machine knitting, your machine will be able to grow with you and allow you to take on more challenging projects.