Struggling with Fair-isle Knitting on a Basic Machine (its ✨A LOT✨ of work)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 20 พ.ย. 2024
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I've gotten myself a Bond Incredible Sweater Machine, and I don't know if I've bitten off more than I can chew! Is it possible to knit a fair-isle sweater on a very, very basic machine? Even if it is possible, should I? Just because I can, doesn't mean I should...
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Engineering knits is a place for people who enjoy all kinds of vintage and antique crafts - from sewing to knitting, crochet to embroidery I like to try it all. I definitely have a preference for historical fibre crafts, and it is my dream to one day make an entire outfit from sheep to sweater. I hope you enjoy watching me and my favorite companion, Nutella, struggle through some fascinating projects!
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The full video of the VHS tape is on TH-cam. I watched it learn how to use my bond.
I have knit over 100 sweaters on my Bond machine for the "Knit for Kids" charity project. I limited my creativity to various stripe combinations. I eventually bought a Singer 150 and punched cards with hearts, bunnies and snowflakes to add across the top neck and shoulders. I am going to make another 100 sweaters. 🧶🪡🧵
The Singer SK150 is not a punchcard machine. Maybe you have the SK155.
@molahi5779 yep, 155 👍🥳🤗
One of my favourite things is hearing knitters say, "Should I do a gauge swatch? Yes. Will I do a gauge swatch? No." It's so relatable 🤣
Thank you, thank you for this video. I have one of those Bond machines I bought ages ago (when they came out) and hardly used it and was going to sell it but decided to keep it and try again now that you have inspired me. Not sure I would be so ambitious to do a fair isle....but who knows lol
I have one too and this video takes me back to the eighties and creating jumpers for my nephew and niece with their names on. Gosh, 40 years ago!
Lucky you 🙂 I'm going to check on Facebook market or eBay if they have one and price it out.
Theres a way to weave your ends in as you go.
Im not sure I've seen you talk about this technique on other videos so I thought I'd mention it.
If you bump your last 8- 10 needles out on the side you are doing your color change , carefully wrap your cut yarn over under over under those 8-10 needles and then push them back to working position.
When you knit the next row with your new color, that cut end will be woven between the knit loops and disappears very beautifully.
One of my first projects is still laying around unfinished because I did a rather stripey scarf with no concept that the ends would need to be woven lmao.
If you're not doing faireisle and are using a machine with carriage levers the technique i mentioned is even easier. Push the end needles all the way out to hold , weave the needles with the cut yarn and then just have your carriage set to knit all needles back when you do the next color.
That tip changed my project trajectory, I hope it's helpful to someone reading!
I'm learning how to use one now. This is a GREAT tip! Thank you!
This is so helpful, thank you!
You did that on THAT machine? Wow. I donated mine. All I did was swear at it.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?! THATS HOW ITS DONE?!?! 😱😱😱
I’m shook
For the VHS might I recommend that you head to your public library and see if they have a way to digitize it. I know that my local branch offers something but even if yours doesn't you could at least view the tape! 🥰
I love my Bond. It's slow by machine knitting standards, but still much faster than I can hand knit and as a bonus, doesn't irritate the carpel tunnels the way knitting needles do.
Hahahah I was internally screaming: "That float is on the front of the work!" while you were doing the ribbing. You did a great job of fixing it. I have one of these Incredible Sweater Machines and could never get it to work despite having very few issues with my other knitting machines so well done, the sweater looks great. I ended up investing in an LK150 to knit the thicker yarns. I love that machine. :)
OMG! IM SCREAMING!😮🎉 i *LITERALLY* discovered this machine on yt 2 weeks ago and i watched *all the videos* from the 80’s lady and some other yt’er and seriously considered buying this! you’re like *reading* my mind or something!!!! ahh! i’m *only* 2 seconds into the video and i’m *sooooo* excited!!!!!😊👏🤩😂you are so fun and exciting! your videos make me so happy!😃
Even in full flow state, I have to force myself to take breaks every 20 minutes or I'm sore later. This is while sewing and free motion quilting on a sewing machine. You're much younger than I am, so it's good that you are paying close attention to the limits of your body!
Thanks to your contagious enthusiasm, and despite my initial reaction of rejection of the very idea of machine knitting when I saw your first videos on the subject a year or so ago, I purchased a vintage knitting machine last week, a Knittax to be precise, which is very similar to this one. The machine is in pristine condition and has even the ribber attachment, I'm so happy with it. Thank you for sharing your knitting and sewing adventures with so much passion with us! Greetings from Switzerland ❤
Would love to see a video comparing your punch card machine vs this one!
I used a somewhat similar machine when I was studying clothing/costume design at university.
I didn’t do color work (I’d never knitted before, so that was a challenge too far), but I made my own pattern (vest and skirt), which had ribbing. The ribbing was a bit challenging for me because I had to manually move the loops of the ribbed section for each row… I don’t know whether that’s also true for the more expensive machines. But I learned a lot!
This project was part of the children’s wear section, where we each invited a classroom of kids (each of us in a different class), to design clothes that they wanted but weren’t available in stores. This was the 1980’s, when kids clothes were still rather child-like.
Ha, there were SO many princesses, though I’d explained the idea behind the design project. 😉 And I’d told the class from the start that I would be making one boy’s outfit and one girl’s outfit. That the decision wouldn’t be based on what I thought would be the “best design,” but it had to be something that I could make in the assigned time, etc.
Anyway,the winning girl design was very hip and modern but sophisticated too; not at all childish. I hardly had to discuss changes with her, except to have her design her braided pattern. When the day came for me to bring the clothes, she was so extremely happy. She looked great and clearly felt great too. We took photos, but her Mom was there and got quite upset, because her daughter “didn’t look like a kid.” She wouldn’t let her take her outfit home. I pointed out that the skirt was barely above knee length, no shorter than what other girls wore, and it was fitted, but not tight. And the vest was no more “sexy” than a sleeveless Tshirt, if anything, less so. Sigh, I hope she was still inspired to carve her own path later in life.
The boy’s outfit was a sports knit fabric jacket and slacks, black and red, with many zippered triangular pockets. We discussed the pros and cons of that pocket shape, etc. I did get him to agree to move the pockets from the kneecaps, describing how painful it would be to fall with stuff in those pockets, or even just with the hard plastic zipper. But he was great, because he’d clearly really thought through his design, and had reasons for every choice. And the bright triangles were well balanced, though the design wasn’t completely symmetrical. He was really, really happy with the result, and it looked good. Per his request, the sleeves are pants were too long, though held up by the cuffs, “but I’m growing, and I can’t go buy another one.” His parents were a bit shocked that it was black, “because kids don’t wear black.” The whole class responded in a chorus, “But we WANT to!” 😁 The parents let him keep it, and his ear-to-ear grin never left his face.
While this machine may have required much more hands-on action than your others, it's amazing that it included the pattern you chose to work. Wow. I've only done two color-work sweaters, and the color work on them was limited. You are an amazing knitter for all those you make, by hand and machine. I hope your Mother loves her sweater! I'm looking forward to seeing yours.
Times like these make me think you would benefit from that spinny storage carousel thing they have in the Wall-E movies. a machine per shelf, all on one wall! lol. Or maybe desks that are like compact library bookshelves. Cool cool knit!
this is an incredible feat! a beautiful design & loved seeing the POV of the project working up from the front under the desk! as a hand knitter watching this I genuinely thought “knitting this by hand probably would have been less stressful” - so I loved your chat about the levels of relaxing vs draining but doing it because it fascinates and entertains you! you have such a cool brain and I love your channel, it fills my cup to spend my crafty time with you.
Back in 1986 I bought me a Simplicity machine which was a Bond copy. It was the knitting machine that started my love of knitting machine. Using one taught me the mechanics of knitting machines. What I loved on this type of machine is intarsia. I could never accomplish it on my Singers. I still look at this basic machine with fondness. I created some wonderful creations with it.
Wow, I had one of these back in the 90’s. I remember the VHS cassette, the whole thing about doing the ribbing last, the vinyl thing you started the knitting on, and all the manual steps if you wanted anything other than stockinette. You did a great job on the Fair Isle vest! Like you, I realized that unless I could leave the thing set up someplace, it wasn’t very practical to use. I sew a lot of clothing, and that also takes up a LOT of space and it’s great to have the room to leave things ready for the next sewing session. I’ve come to appreciate hand knitting because it basically fits in your lap.
I'm a crocheter primarily, and while I don't think I have the patience to try machine knitting, your videos make it seem like such an interesting process. And today's sweater came out really lovely! :)
Your Mum was so right about the vest! It's gorgeous ❤
It seems like it doesn't matter if you knit by hand or machine, it's still time consuming 😂 Very well done with the colour work on this one, and I just love the chosen colours.
Yes please to duplicating on your punch card machine! Wonderful job on the sweater!
Watching you figure out how to use all the knitting machines is like magic! The finished vest is stunning!
I would LOVE to see the process of making the punch card and knitting it that way.
Thank you for all your wonderful videos!
I actually have one of these. I bought it at the thrift store. I have used a regular knitting machine but only fine thin yarns could be used. I got this one because it uses thicker yarns. Thanks for the test knit. I really appreciate it.
Flow will come with practice. And that pattern is more than introductory level!
I take my work off on scrap yarn and re-latch the ribbing sitting in a chair. Much easier on the back.
That is an impressive result, I certainly would not have the persistence to learn the ins and outs of so many machines. I also appreciate the end shots with the beautiful scenery, coordinating so well with the vest😉
I have a bond ultimate sweater machine and I made a monogram sweater for a Christmas gift last year. Having never done knitting color work before I decided to dive right in and make my own pattern. 😂 And oh boy was it an adventure. Thankfully you can still find bond videos free on TH-cam and there are some helpful people that still use their bond machines and create patterns for them. I also used a free row counting app that could be voice controlled, that way I didn't have to stop in-between rows.
I think I actually came across this model thrifting a few weeks ago for like $30 (AUD). I ended up leaving it behind because I dont really wear sweaters but I spent entirely too long looking at the box trying to figure out how it could do colour work when it was such a simple machine. And now I know!
If you haven’t heard already, the rabbitbrush you showed in your reveal (Ericameria nauseosa) makes a beautiful natural dye! I dyed with it this weekend and got an amazing and shocking lemon yellow on alum mordanted wool and a gorgeous army green when modified with iron.
I would absolutely LOVE a video on creating and using your own punchcard with one of your other machines 👀 I do love how you tied in the tidbit about punchcards and early computers, because I was thinking the exact same thing!
The vest turned out beautifully. I appreciate the peak into the carriage while it is doing its thing. Take care.
a lot of work, but gosh the result is AMAZING. i think i'm just about sold on getting a knitting machine!
Thank you so much for using this machine! It’s my only knitting machine and good lord it’s been frustrating some bug it IS mentally draining, I have to pay constant attention to the pattern and the machine
Aahhhh!!! I was so hoping you'd make a video with your Bond. Sorry haven't even really started the video but I'm so excited. I have a Fashion Knitter that I modified basically into an Ultimate Sweater machine. I finally got the hang of it & I love it to death.
Those colors on the vest with your natures scenery backdrop is so stunning. What a happy match!
I can only imagine the mental tolls keeping track of the pattern must take!
I have the bond ultimate sweater machine! Got it at Facebook market and have been looking for people on TH-cam that has one, you’re the second one!!
I have/had a fair isle key plate for my singer bond junior (same machine different name) that helped me alot ❤ I love my machine, it got me started to knit
Great job! Whichever way you cut it, knitting is a LOT of work!
That’s super cute. The colours go so well. You should definitely knit yourself a matching one.
Love that sweater! I'm curious if you time your projects, and how long this took vs how long handknitting it would have taken.
I do a similar thing, the LK150 has no ribber so I have done the ribs on my standard gauge at the larger number and made the rest on the LK150. Love your videos and your mind works the same way as mine, there’s always a way. Beautiful vest, it definitely my style ❤
Fixing mistakes takes more effort and I really admire that about you x .... thank you
The colors of this sweater reminds me of a native plant that’s also blooming where I live right now- goldenrod!
the vest is lovely. at first i was questioning the color choices but it really looked great with the oufit you had on. I am just a beginner knitter…I don’t know if I should abandon all of that and look into knitting machines lol
I love how you are so creative with machine knitting, I look at it and just know my brain would not be able to figure it out. It's so fun watching and I love the vest 😍😍. Also where you filmed the reveal is soooo beautiful!
Stunning job! It’s fantastic and the amount of work it took is phenomenal, I could never! Xx
Very impressive! The Bond definitely excels for quick, simple sweaters. I've made several for my son, and it takes a matter of days. Even a large wool sweater for my husband only took a week. I tried a colour work pattern to make a sweater for my husband and I gave up after a few rows. Thanks for reminding me that it's on my to-do list :-P
Cheryl Brunette on TH-cam does a Meet Your Bond series. I love her.
I will check that out, thank you
This is so cool! I was given a knitting machine and a ribbing machine and havent had a chance to try them out yet, but this has definitely inspired me to restore them back to a useable condition ❤
That is definitely an ambitious project for your first knit on this machine. It’s finicky but once you understand it it’s great.
Wow that turned out really pretty !! I liked seeing the underside while you were working the pattern that was cool to see !! That did over all look mind tasking , a lot of figuring out 😮 but I knew you were going to do it !! Love the sweater vest !! It's a work of art for sure !!
I have been in love with watching your knitting machine videos they're so fascinating! I'd love to see a comparison on the punch card machine. I hope you do that video soon! Also, when you were talking about the energy level of creating, I totally get it! I get that way with crochet now a days😅 when you held up the first finished panel, I was like, "yeah I'd just make it into a vest and not make sleeves." Definitely made the right choice making a vest, it's stunning!
Is it weird that I think I'd actually enjoy this knitting machine verses all the other ones you've demonstrated because how fiddly the color changes are? I'd love to see a long sleeved version, too! Maybe it would be easier to do on the punch card machine?
Another grand video. My husband has a knitting machine that needs a massive clean and puffy ribbon change. I am hoping I can do it over the Christmas holiday. Love your videos, and your puppy. Your mom is in very good shape to fit this vest ...it looks pretty good on you too. Go mom!
I absolutely love all of your content 😊. Life has been REALLY hard lately but just for this moment I am a little less overwhelmed with the humaning and I appreciate you 🙏🏻☺️
This vest is so beautiful. You did a wonderful job. I enjoyed watching every step. I would like to get a knitting machine, but I don't know which one would a beginner friendly one. I LOVE all your videos.
I picked up one of these from our local rummage sale this summer. I may need to make the effort to set it up and try it. Thank you for this video!
I have to say (and I might repeating myself) I really enjoy watching you videos and knit along on my projects! :D
And I'm so impressed by those knitting machines and even people who are handknitting fair isle because it just seems so complicated and fiddely to me... o.o I knitted a sweater in two colors and that was whew... I got the hang at the last parts with the sleeves but had a big dop in motivation along the way. So yeah, props to everyone who knits with three or even four colors by hand!
oh, micah!! it is absolutely gorgeous!!
the color choices you made for this pattern are gorgeous !
I own 9 flatbed knitting machines, including the Bond Elite 7 mm machine. I tend to use my Ultimate Sweater Knitting Machine for making Queen & King blankets. There is definitely a learning curve for working with the Bond machines and Ultimate Sweater machine. Once you get the touch I find it fun to knit on. I prefer working with the Ultimate Sweater Machine carriage vs the carriage you use in this video. My Brother KH260 bulky is my favorite machine. Also own the following:
1. Brother KH260 - 9
2. Studio 560 Electronic-4.5
3. Brother KH550-4.5
4. Brother KX395
Convertible-4.5 & 9
5. Knitsmart Afghaner-9
6. LK 150 - 7
7. Brother KX350-7
8. Bond Elite - 7
9. USM-8
And I prefer the ISM carriage because I can see what is happening and stop errors before they become disasters.
Love seeing your progress on the knitting machine, it had inspired me to pull mine out and now I'm impatiently waiting for my tension gauge swatch to dry so I can do some calculating and then finally cast on :)
You'd mentioned in a previous video that the floats on your scandinavian sweater looked machine-knit, and now I understand what you meant. That's really cool :)
That pattern is beautiful!
I love it! It came out so well! And this is so well timed! Your previous video reminded me that I had intended to get one of these a while back, but put it off and forgot about it. So I looked and I also found a great price on an unused one. (No VHS tape, though, so that was sad. And I even DO still have a VCR!)
My unboxing and first swatches did not go nearly so well as yours, though! No doubt your experience with higher quality machines came in handy. It became very apparent that it's not the easiest to manage, and was clearly the cheap machine of its day. But I guess price point is exactly what makes it accessible.
Not sure if I'm ever going to want to do stranded color work on it, but I am really curious about how it handles intarsia. If I can manage that, it will be perfect for all the colorblock 80s sweaters I want to make. But first, I need a LOT more practice.
That is stunning! You're so smart to be able to figure this all out!
Having one plain row would've helped a lot with the rehanging. You could always undo it once you have the work on the machine. Q: Can you bring the opposite needles into Hold position and then knit them with the other color? I realise the working yarn would end up at the wrong side of the work, but could you have a ball of each color attached to each side of the work. Maybe? IDK! LOL!!
This is stunning!!! And I actually really liked the fact that you made it using several machines, quite versatile.
You are so enthusiastic and patient! Back in the day we went from the Bond to a punchcard very quickly. 😅
Just love this! You did so well. Inspiring me to get back to our Brother KX350. The queue is not going down very fast-hand knitting, that is. There is done I can do on the 350 so I will. Many thanks. Also lived it was backwards…I do that pretty often.
The pattern and colours are gorgeous!!
So excited for this video! I got one at a thrift store last winter!
Very cute sweater and the colors are beautiful much better than pattern picture. The fair isle does look neat. My fair isle doesn’t look that good!
Very cool!! I'd love to see a video of you making your sweater on the bulky machine with punch cards - it'd be neat to be able to compare the technique of making Fair Isle on the two machines. Also, as someone weaving in ends from a colorwork blanket, I feel for you regarding the finishing touches!
This is really helpful - These are orders of magnitude cheaper than any other knitting machine on my local market, and I've been trying to figure out if I want to try one.
Love the colors & design of vest! It turned out great
It looks stunning!! Love the pattern, very well done.
Wow, that did look like a fair bit of fiddling. It surely came out beautifully though. And it makes a great vest that does look terrific over a white shirt. If you make one to keep, I hope you'll show it too.
Took 4 attempts to watch this because the kitten was trying to catch the yarn.😂. The pullover is very pretty. ❤
This is pretty cool. I think it would be nice to get a 3D printed version of that clear bottom plate that’s a bit sturdier. Also if it got damaged you could have a replacement.
Great work! Love that you tried a more complex pattern on that machine.
Great outcome! Love the colours!!
I know some local libraries still have vcr players, some of them you can even check out. The old two screen theater near me also has a vhs player.
I have a bond bulky…since the early 2000’s. I don’t recall a fair aisle sweater. I’m going to have to pull it out and look. The sweater vest is super cute. I started converting vintage long sleeve sweaters to vests. I found I wasn’t wearing them when long sleeved.🌈🌈🦋🦋
You also could have turned the floats between the ribbing and main fabric into a design element e.g. by chaining single crochet stitches (or braided crochet) across them horizontally, in the same dark green color.
This sweater machine was my first and it really enjoyed it but I felt like it was a little restrictive with how simple it was so I of course had to give in and buy a double bed Passap pinkie to use instead.
oh it turned out so pretty! i love it!
would be very interested to see you do your own version with a punchcard (if that's not too much work of course!)
Absolutely beautiful! Well done! 👏👏❤
I think a punchcard version would be so cool. I think punch cards and early computing is so interesting. Great work on this sweater. Tbh. I would not have had the patience. Haha. I definitely would rather have just knit it by hand. But I also have a really low frustration tolerance with machinery, so that doesn't help.
So pretty. I think it may be even more pretty as a vest. I don't have a knitting machine, nor have made anything more complicated than a pair of slippers. Still, you inspire me to learn to read a pattern. I want a cardIgan. Suggestions for a beginner pattern?
Gorgeous! Will you make your version with sleeves or not?
This was very enlightening. I have an old Bond machine that was my only experience with knitting machines. I found it pretty hard to use and put it in storage. Maybe I just need to try a different type, or maybe I should try the Bond again. Anyway, loved the video!🙂
These machines are fascinating: makes me want to try one
Whoa! Very cool. I just started learning to use my Brother KX-350!
You can ewrap and latch tool up your ribbing at the beginning.
The plastic hem is awkward. I exchanged it with some cast on Rags : cast on and knit about 2 inches, maybe 3 (5-8 cm) and hang the cast on on the needles, then knit a few rows and bind off loosely.
Using: hang the needed stitches of the ragg on the needles, set the rods into the hem and knit a row of ravelcord (or smooth crochet thread.) NOT the elastic described in the manual.
Works great, you get even weight. Much easier to use than the awful plastic hem. I use the Bond rods with cast on rags on my standard gauge machine (theese rags knit on standard machine to match their gauge) for even weighting as well.
Very neat fair isle stitches and great fall colours. Did you know that you can do the same tuck stitch pattern as your Mohn Cardi on a knitting machine.
Check with your local library, they may have a conversion station to move the video to DVD or an old VHS player that you can use to watch the video.