Tag: machine knitting

Why Machine Knitting – The Essential Facts You Need To Consider

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Machine KnittingWhile most knitters are dedicated to hand knitting, machine knitting is a great way to become fast efficient, and accurate in your work. The knitting hobbyist may not find much of a use for a knitting machine, but if you knit in order to make money, or make garments for your family, you may want to consider this purchase. Many large manufacturers use machines for knit fabrics, but you can also find knitting machines intended for household use. Not only will you be able to easily figure out the ins and outs of using your machine at home, but also you’ll be able to quickly create knitted goods without working day and night on each project.

Benefits of Using a Knitting Machine

Many hand knitters despise the idea of machine knitting, and consider it to be cheating. All you should know on this topic is that once you have tried it, you will know that it is not cheating! Learning the ins and outs of a knitting machine can be a lot of work, and converting your knowledge of hand knitting to machine knitting can be extremely complicated. Still, once the initial learning hurdle is passed, you’ll find that there are many benefits to knitting on a machine.

The Speed Of Creation!

The most obvious benefit to knitting with a machine is the speed at which you can finish each project. Using a machine to knit sweaters, scarves, or other goods for your family will speed up the process immensely, meaning less money spent in department stores on over-priced winter garments. This of course can also be a most useful factor to consider if you are looking at starting a knitting business or if you want to make money knitting.

No More Slipped Stitches or Crooked Cables

Not only will a knitting machine increase your efficiency, but since most machines use programmed patterns, the ACCURACY will be high as well. While knitting by hand can produce slipped stitches or a crooked cable when you aren’t paying enough attention, a machine is made to accurately complete a job and is less likely to result in noticeable mistakes in your knit fabric.

Choose a Knitting Machine

Differences Between Hand Knitting and Machine Knitting

If you’re considering making the switch from hand knitting to knitting on a machine, there are a few differences you should first become aware of. First of all, not all stitches can be created the same way on a knitting machine, and some can’t be re-created at all, or are just too tedious to be worth it.

Gauge Differences

Another big difference in knitting with a machine is the gauge. Since knitting machines feature needles that are locked in place, you can’t just change their position or size to meet a different gauge. Instead, you have to create several gauge swatches before you can even consider knitting something sized on your machine. To find the proper gauge on a machine-knit gauge swatch, you have to first take it off the machine, roll it up, tug on it from top to bottom, and then let it set overnight to get an accurate size.

With a knitting machine, there is a lot more work in the preparation, but once you have gotten accustomed to your machine and how it works, the overall production will be much faster.

How to Choose a Knitting Machine

The most important aspect of choosing a knitting machine is to know what size yarn you prefer. Since the needles are locked into place, you can’t change them out with larger sizes for different yarns. It doesn’t really matter what projects you want to use your machine for, or what types of fiber you like best. Consider going into your local yarn store and saying “I want needles that knit wool.” That doesn’t make much sense, does it? It’s the same concept for a knitting machine. Rather than knowing what type of fiber you like, you need to know what size you like, so that you can choose a machine equipped to handle your yarn.

Making the switch from hand knitting to a knitting machine can take a bit of time. However, if you are looking at selling knitting or you’ve decided you need to become much more efficient for one reason or another, it can be worth the time needed to make the switch. If you find yourself wanting to produce your knitting faster than your hands can move, then you should be considering machine knitting as your newest hobby.

Weft and Warp Knitting Differences

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different knitting techniques

Weft and Warp knitting are technical terms that describe two different types of knitting used by either machine or hand. They refer to the widths and lengths of the thread and how many needles are used.  Knitting is typically done by hand, although some machines are used today.  These terms are technical terms mostly used when discussing machine knitting, although weft knitting can be done by hand, too. There are many differences between weft knitting and warp knitting, and since many knitters don’t commonly know these terms, we’ll discuss them here.  There is a lot to learn about weft and warp knitting, so continue reading to expand your knowledge of the ancient art of knitting.

Weft Knitting Versus Warp Knitting

Weft and warp knitting are completely different knitting techniques that result in two different types of fabrics.  The most obvious difference in these two techniques is that weft is a yarn that runs back and forth, while warp is a yarn that runs up and down. Due to these different techniques, the finished product is entirely different, too.  For example, weft knitting can produce shaped garments and highly drapeable fabrics while warp knitting produces only coarse yardage.

Weft Knitting

Weft knitting, which can be done by hand or machine, uses a continuous thread to form courses and loops in the fabric.  This technique can produce either fabric yardage or shaped garments such as circular fabrics.  Due to the fact that it uses one continuous thread to create a finished product, it is very hard to unravel and creates a very elastic and thin fabric.  However, this fabric is more likely to shrink than fabric created using warp knitting, and needs to be washed and dried by hand rather than in a machine.

knitting technique

While weft knitting offers many more options in terms of finished products, the technique is generally more complicated and takes a longer time to complete.

There are three fundamental stitches used in weft knitting, which are:
•    Plain knit
•    Rib knit
•    Purl knit

This knitting technique creates many of the classic knitting looks you’ve come to recognize, and is more likely used by hand knitters everywhere.

Warp Knitting

On the other side of the knitting spectrum is warp knitting.  Usually knitting machines are used for this technique. It is much simpler and faster than weft knitting, which makes it more likely for commercial knitting fabrics. Another advantage to warp knitting is that the finished fabric can be washed in a machine with much less risk of shrinkage.

Unlike with weft knitting, each needle on a knitting machine uses it’s own loop of yarn to form parallel rows.  These rows and loops are interlocked to form fabric like the knitted fabrics you can find in stores.  Due to the restrictions of this technique, warp knitting is only used for fabric yardage rather than shaped and fitted garments. Very large widths of fabric can be created using warp knitting.  In addition, the fabrics are generally coarse, and thicker than those produced using weft knitting.

There are six fundamental stitches used in warp knitting, which are:

•    Tricot knit, which is soft and less prone to wrinkles.
•    Milanese knit, which can be recognized by the rib pattern on the face.
•    Simplex knit, which is pretty thick and dense.
•    Raschel knit, which creates nets, veils, and lace.
•    Ketten raschel knit, which creates a raised pattern on the fabric.
•    Crochet knit, which is the basic hand-crochet stitch.

While these terms are most commonly used to refer to machine knit fabrics, warp and weft knitting can be used to describe some hand-knit pieces as well.  In fact, as mentioned above, weft knitting can be done by either machine or hand.  Knowing these terms can help you choose which techniques you need to use for your project, since they result in entirely different fabrics.  If you are looking for a thinner, more elastic fabric, or need to shape your project as you go, weft knitting is the way to go. However, if it is more important to you to have a fabric that can go in the washing machine, warp knitting will give you the finished product you are looking for.  Whichever way you go, it is important to know the differences between weft and warp knitting if you are creating commercial knitting fabrics.

Passap Knitting Machine Reviews

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Passap Knitting

The Passap Knitting Machines are one of the most diverse and flexible models insofar as the different threads that they will handle, the materials that you can create and the styles of knitting that you can perform with them. They are a bit on the pricey side but if you are knitting for money and want a machine that can keep up with your pace and the ever-changing pace of a growing knitting business, the Passup Knitting Machines are an excellent value and a very high-quality knitting machine to add to your production floor.

Many of the Passup Machines come fully equipped to deal with multiple types of yarn all the way down to lace and all the way up to the chunky yarns so popular for sweaters, caps and mittens. If you are looking for one single knitting machine that can create an entire ensemble than Passup Knitting Machines are definitely among the ones you want to examine closely. They may be a bit expensive for those who are new to the world of knitting but if you are looking for an all around incredible machine, then Passup has something in your league.

There is a bit of a learning curve for the Passup Knitting Machines but nothing that cannot be overcome by someone who has worked with automated knitting machines in the past. If you have not, it may take a little more patience and a little more time but you can still master the Passup without too many headaches and generally without breaking anything. While it may be difficult at first, once you have learned the subtle nuances of these machines, you have found your mark, you are already set and you are definitely ready to go.

finest knitting machines

(In my very personal opinion) One of the finest knitting machines available today is the Passup E-6000. This truly amazing knitting machine comes with well over six-hundred patterns already stored in its memory and has the capacity for you to create your very own patterns and designs in a most unique fashion. With the Passup E 6000 you can actually draw your very own design and implement and integrate any of your personal knitting designs with those that are already stored on the machine to create your very own special touch and truly make your mark on the fashion world.

The Passup E-6000 also has the added benefit of being able to work without weights so that all of your stitches are always equal and symmetrical and you do not get any of the variations that are so common with some machines and when knitting by hand. When you are knitting anything that requires incremental changes in shape, the machine itself tells you how many stitches you need to add or take away in order to obtain the exact shapes that you want. This makes it possible to create things with a knitting machine that would not only be time consuming but tedious and often frustrating when knitting by hand.

All things being equal; if you are serious about machine knitting and are looking for flexibility, production capacity and incredible workmanship, at least one of the Passup Knitting Machines will probably be your final choice.

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Passap Knitting Machine Image 1

Machine Knitting Patterns

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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.

6 Top Tips For Machine Knitting

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If this is your first time using a knitting machine, it’s natural to feel intimidated by the intricate controls you never encountered with hand knitting.

Learning to master your knitting machine takes practice and patience. I have listed below 6 top tips and tricks that can help you shortcut your way to lovely machine-knitted garments.

Punch Cards
If you are using punch cards for machine knitting, try covering with tape the holes that you are not using to prevent mistimed punching.

Zippers
Pins are inconvenient to use when you’re running fabric through a knitting machine. Fabric glue is a better alternative when trying to hold a zipper in place while machine knitting. Before applying glue, make sure that the fabric is treated so it doesn’t shrink after washing. When the glue dries out completely, you can sew the zipper onto the fabric smoothly.

Marker Row
A marker row is useful when you are machine knitting down a long train of garment. They enable you to spot the row wherein you can hang a hem easily. To knit one marker row, pull out alternating needles to the farthest point and set the knitting machine carriage to “Part” or “Slip”. When knitting two marker rows, do the second row on the needles that are not on the previous row.

Stitch Gauge
If your rows are shorter than the number of per-inch stitches required by your knitting machine pattern, you can hang ribber weights or claw weights on your garment swatch to adapt your work to the exact number of rows.

Ribbing
Ribbing on a knitting machine keeps your stitches tight and firm. To do this, knit one circular row after the first vvvv row. After you set your needles, knit across to create a classic vvvvv row. Hang a cast on weights and comb then push the “part” button. After knitting one row, remove part and continue ribbing on the knitting machine.

Steaming and Blocking
Machine-knitted garments should be finished with a steaming process. Steam secures the stitches in place and produces a smoother fabric finish. Blocking can be done if you want to alter the dimensions or shape of your machine knitted garment. To block, pull the garment to the size you want as you steam. Not all garments are blocked but they all have to be steamed. Steam pieces one by one then stack them together and steam the seams.

How To Make Money From Machine Knitting

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Many machine knitting enthusiasts have turned their favorite pastime into a profitable business. If you have a passion for knitting and have lots of downtime, a knitting machine can help you jump-start your home knitting business and begin making money from your masterpieces.

A great way to start is by machine knitting little items such as socks, bonnets, mittens and scarves. Family members, friends, and the local community can help you build a stable customer base. As your knitting business grows, you can move on to more challenging pieces such as sweaters, cardigans, tea cozy sets, shawls, vests, throws, and afghans.

As with any other sales venture, pricing is crucial to a home knitting business. If knitting for money is your goal, treat your creations as works of art rather than clothes sold off the mill. Make sure the price of your machine-knitted garments reflect the true value of your skill and effort. If you charge too little you’ll end up losing money. If you charge too much, you won’t attract as many customers. Balance your expenses and pricing to produce a healthy profit.

Costing involves two factors: time and materials. Calculate the amount of machine knitting time you will spend on the creation of a piece. The price of your socks should be different from the price of your afghan line because of the obvious disparity in knitting time needed. Set an hourly rate for your work based on the minimum wage in your country. Your hourly rate should never be lower than $7.25 in the US, and £5.73 in the UK.

Knitting machine yarn will make up the bulk of your material expenses. Always count knitting yarn as a whole, even though you’re only using 75% of the batch. This way your yarn cost is completely covered whether you use the remaining 25% or not. Other expenses you may incur in your home knitting business include trimmings, fastenings, linings, labels, packing materials and shipping.

Don’t worry about pricing your homemade machine knitted pieces higher that those sold online or in shopping malls. Although you’re using a knitting machine, each garment you knit is crafted especially for your customer and not mass-produced for the general public.

With a knitting machine, you make money and save money. Machine knitting socks, mitts, scarves, hats and sweaters for you and your family can save you hundreds of dollars in wardrobe expenses. Your machine knitting skills should also come in handy during special occasions such as Christmas and birthdays that call for personalized gifts.

There are also some great resources online where you can learn more about how to make money knitting. I would strongly recommend you visit Liz Raad’s blog www.knittingforprofit.com/blog for lots of great free information on how you can make money from knitting. She has also written an extensive E-Book on the topic of making money from knitting and you can get all the details plus order a copy for yourself by visiting: www.knittingforprofit.com.

Do Hand Knitters Need A Knitting Machine?

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Machine knitting fans are ecstatic about how fast their equipment can produce elaborate stitches. But even with speed and volume advantages, machine knitting can’t absolutely replace hand knitting. They are two totally different crafts and, often, you will need to do a combination of hand knitting, machine knitting and crochet trim to finish a project.

With a knitting machine, you can weave large pieces with knitting machine yarn in a short amount of time without inflicting your hand with carpal tunnel syndrome. Machine knitting brings out your creative side – blending delicate lace with fancy patterns in exotic color mixes that might otherwise be tough to achieve when knitting by hand. Machine knitting also provides you with hundreds of patterns to choose from, pre-installed with your equipment so you don’t have to browse through several shelves in a crafts shop. A Brother knitting machine has more than 500 pre-set pattern options.

Despite these benefits, there is a downside to machine knitting. And it’s important to know about these disadvantages before you fork over all that cash on a knitting machine. First of all, knitting machines are way too bulky to sit on your lap. They would take up a large amount of space in your house. Also, knitting machines require tons of spare time when setting up and learning their complicated features.

Knitting machines can mean a large investment of money. Brother knitting machines can cost around $500 or more, depending on how fancy the features are. A knitting machine works with only one weight class, so you will need a different knitting machine for each different yarn weight you will use, plus expensive special attachments for ribbing or working knit/purl mixes. A Silver Reed ribbing attachment goes for around $700, an Intarsia carriage for $90, and yarn changer for $300 – these are all added costs that could drive your costs through the roof.

Flexibility is one advantage that hand knitting has over machine knitting. You can increase or decrease as many stitches as you want in the middle of a row just as easily as the beginning or the end. But to do ribbing or purl stitches on a knitting machine, you have got to drop all of the stitches on the row that you need purled and work them back up again. You can see both sides of the pattern while you are hand knitting, but you can only see the purl side when you’re machine knitting, making it difficult to see how the final result would actually look like.

If you are still set on buying a knitting machine, try out several brands and models as you begin your search. Ask other machine knitters for recommendations or attend knitting seminars. Machine knitting chat groups online are also great sources of info when deciding on the appropriate knitting machine for you.

How To Use A Sock Knitting Machine

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Knitting socks is a great hobby and it can also be a profitable side business for stay-at-home moms who have been practicing the craft for years. If you want to make money from knitting socks, mittens, or scarves, you will need a sock knitting machine.

Finding one can be a challenge because the sock knitting machine is obsolete. No one makes them anymore so you will have to look for a restored machine through antique dealers or a used furniture store. When buying a sock knitting machine, make sure it was thoroughly cleaned, polished, adjusted, timed and knitted on.

Now that you have a sock knitting machine sitting in front of you, learn first how to knit tubes, then heels and toes, using practice knitting machine yarn. Sock weight knitting yarn is ideal, but you can also use sport and worsted. Opal, Regia, Loma’s Laces, Trekking XXL, Fortissima and Alpaca are some of the popular types you can apply. Loose the tension when working with thicker knitting yarns.

In the sock knitting machine is a cylinder with slots for needles. Latches on these needles do the knitting as each needle passes through the cam shell path. To make socks on a knitting machine, set up a bonnet or webbing on the middle of the machine to make the needle move continuously. Thread some brightly colored scrap yarn and knit about two to three inches. Later on when your sock is done, you can clip and rip this scrap yarn from the hem of your sock.

Set the yarn firmly on the yarn ball winder to maintain an even tension. Turn the crank and count the number of rows made as the carrier goes around the cylinder. Take a stitch from the first row and hang it on the needle to knit the hem top.

Once the hem stitches of your machine knitted sock are done, you can put a ribber on the machine to produce purl stitches. With the ribber on, crank the machine to the desired length of the leg part of your sock. As you knit the ankle part of the sock, half of the stitches on the ribber needle will transfer to the cylinder needle. Note the red marks on the cylinder as your start and stop points for the heel and toes.

To knit the heel, raise the back half of the needles so you only work on the front of the machine. Raise a needle on one side and crank around. Raise the other side and knit back. Repeat this process until you reach the red mark. After the heel is knitted, move on to the foot of the sock. The toes are also knitted on the front half of the knitting machine, just like you did with the heels. Sew up the top of the toe with a Kitchener stitch and you’re done.

Learning the intricacies of a sock knitting machine takes patience and a lot of practice. But once you get the hang of it, you’ll enjoy your hobby more than you ever did.

The Right Knitting Machine For You

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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.

Welcome To Machine Knitting Advice

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Welcome to Machine Knitting Advice! Here you will find lots of great information and advice about machine knitting, including tips on buying a knitting machine, how to choose the best knitting machine for your needs, how to maintain and run your knitting machine, and where to find machine knitting patterns, help and support. If you have any questions about machine knitting, please reply in the comments section of any post. I hope you find Machine Knitting Advice a helpful and informative resource!