Category: blog posts

ACCESSORIES This meeting was arranged to demonstrate some different kinds of machine knitted accessories, in time for knitting a few gifts for Christmas, perhaps! Various items knitted from patterns on this website were on display and being demonstrated, as well as Erica Thomson’s method of wire knitting.   A few items of jewellery were demonstrated,…

Knitting in different directions   Before we started with the main event, we watched a slide show of the Guild of Machine Knitters annual meeting, and had a presentation to deliver, as Lynn Timmins stole the show with her wonderful knitting: seen below, she won the Alison Lee Award, the Creativity Cup and the Members’…

June 2016 Yarns We started with a brief look at yarn and its composition, then Pat showed us different ways of twisting yarns to combine them.  She also used the Knitmaster automatic weaving arm to do a little Knitweave. Kathy followed on with a look at plating, specifically looking at using the feeder to make…

May 2016 Holes We demonstrated lace knitting on both Knitmaster and Brother machines. Knitmaster machines are able to do transfer lace via a lace carriage which knits and transfers in the same pass, as well as fashion lace, which requires a bit more thought.  Pat did show this, but we all felt it was quite…

Charting Devices We discussed how to knit a tension swatch, then measure it for setting up the different machines and charting devices. On show were a Knitmaster with Knit Radar, a Brother electronic with a full-sized Knitleader, and a Brother 881 with a built in half-sized Knitleader. We demonstrated how to use the charting device,…

Ribbers This meeting was in a different format from our usual one, and we were a little nervous about how it would go. But it was a great success, even with a few glitches. We divided the room up into three sections, each one a mini-meeting round a knitting machine, two Brothers and a Knitmaster.…

In the Beginning and at the End This meeting focused on casting on and off. Basic methods were demonstrated: weaving cast on[video here], e-wrap cast on, behind the gatepegs cast off [video here]and latch tool cast off [video here]. Other techniques were also demonstrated, including using an i-cord to cast on and off with, using…

January 2016 Add Ons This meeting was about pockets, bands and buttonholes. Pat showed us an integral Ladder Pocket.  Lynda went on to a pocket which could be added on as an afterthought, Kathy knitted bands using tuck stitch as faux ribbing, with eyelet buttonholes integrated, and Lynda went on to knitting a buttonhole into…

Celebration Day! Apart from some festive refreshments, and a totally tempting display of yarn for sale from Wendy Piper, we were into the serious business of displaying members’ knitting, and choosing the winner of the Long Buckby trophy, chosen by members. Lynn had knitted a jumper and skirt combination, with a separate cowl neck. 3…